Isaiah 36

1 Now it came to pass in the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, that Sennacherib king of Assyria came up, against all the fortified cities of Judah and took them.

Now it came to pass in the fourteenth year of the reign of Ezekias, [that] Sennacherim, king of the Assyrians, came up against the strong cities of Judea, and took them.

2 Then did the king of Assyria send Rabshakeh from Lachish to Jerusalem unto King Hezekiah with a heavy force, —and he took his stand by the upper channel of the pool, in the highway of the fuller’s field.

And the king of the Assyrians sent Rabsaces out of Laches to Jerusalem to king Ezekias with a large force: and he stood by the conduit of the upper pool in the way of the fuller's field.

3 And there went out to him—Eliakim son of Hilkiah who was over the household, —and Shebna, the scribe, and Joah son of Asaph the recorder.

And there went forth to him Heliakim the steward, the [son] of Chelcias, and Somnas the scribe, and Joach the [son] of Asaph, the recorder.

4 And Rabshakeh said unto them, Pray you say unto Hezekiah, —Thus, saith the great king, the king of Assyria, What is this trust, wherewith thou dost trust?

And Rabsaces said to them, Say to Ezekias, Thus says the great king, the king of the Assyrians, Why art thou secure?

5 I have said [sayest thou] —they are only words of the lips—Counsel and might have I for the war, —Now, upon whom dost thou trust, that thou hast rebelled against me?

Is war carried on with counsel and [mere] words of the lips? and now on whom dost thou trust, that thou rebellest against me?

6 Lo! thou dost trust on the support of this bruised cane, on Egypt, whereon if a man lean it will enter his hand and lay it open, —So, is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who trust upon him.

Behold, thou trustest on this bruised staff of reed, on Egypt: [as soon] as a man leans upon it, it shall go into his hand, and pierce it: so is Pharao king of Egypt and all that trust in him.

7 But, if thou shouldst say unto me, In Yahweh our God, do we trust, Then is that not he whose high places and whose altars, Hezekiah hath removed, and said unto Judah and unto Jerusalem, Before this altar, shall ye bow yourselves down?

But if ye say, We trust in the Lord our God;

8 Now, therefore, pledge thyself I pray thee with my lord, the king of Assyria, —That I supply thee with two thousand horses, If thou on thy part be able to set riders upon them;

yet now make an agreement with my lord the king of the Assyrians, and I will give you two thousand horses, if ye shall be able to set riders upon them.

9 How then wilt thou turn away the face of one pasha of the least of my lord’s servants? Or hast thou on thy part trusted upon Egypt, for chariots and for horsemen?

And how can ye [then] turn to the face of the satraps? They that trust on the Egyptians for horse and rider, are [our] servants.

10 But, now, is it, without Yahweh, that I have come up against this land to destroy it? Yahweh himself, said unto me, Go thou up against this land and destroy it!

And now, Have we come up against this land to fight against it without the Lord? The Lord said to me, Go up against this land, and destroy it.

11 Then said Eliakim, and Shebna, and Joah, unto Rabshakeh—Speak we pray thee unto thy servants in the Syrian language, for we, can, understand, it, —and do not speak unto us in the Jews’ language, in the ears of the people who are upon the wall.

Then Eliakim and Somnas and Joach said to him, Speak to thy servants in the Syrian tongue; for we understand [it]: and speak not to us in the Jewish tongue: and wherefore speakest thou in the ears of the men on the wall?

12 But Rabshakeh said—Is it unto thy lord and unto thee, that my lord hath sent me, to speak these things? Is it not concerning the men who are tarrying upon the wall, that they may eat and drink what cometh from them, with you?

And Rabsaces said to them, Has my lord sent me to your lord or to you, to speak these words? [has he] not [sent] me to the men that sit on the wall, that they may eat dung, and drink [their] water together with you?

13 So then Rabshakeh took his stand, and cried out with a loud voice, in the Jews’ language, and said, Hear ye the words of the great king, the king of Assyria:

And Rabsaces stood and cried with a loud voice in the Jewish language, and said, Hear ye the words of the great king, the king of the Assyrians:

14 Thus, saith the king, Let not Hezekiah deceive you, —for he shall not be able to deliver you.

thus says the king, Let not Ezekias deceive you with words: he will not be able to deliver you.

15 Neither let Hezekiah cause you to trust in Yahweh saying, Yahweh, will certainly deliver, us, —this city shall not be given over, into the hand of the king of Assyria.

And let not Ezekias say to you, That God will deliver you, and this city will not at all be delivered into the hand of the king of the Assyrians.

16 Do not hearken unto Hezekiah, —for, thus, saith the king of Assyria, Deal with me thankfully, and come out unto me, Then shall ye eat, Every one of his own vine and Every one of his own fig-tree, And drink every one the Waters of his own cistern:

Hearken not to Ezekias: thus says the king of the Assyrians, If ye wish to be blessed, come out to me: and ye shall eat every one [of] his vine and his fig-trees, and ye shall drink water out of your own cisterns:

17 Until I come and take you, into A land like your own land, —A land of corn and new wine, A land of bread and vineyards: —

until I come and take you to a land, like your own land, a land of corn and wine, and bread, and vineyards.

18 Lest Hezekiah, persuade you, saying, Yahweh will deliver us! Have the gods of the nations, delivered, —any one of them—his country, out of the hand of the king of Assyria?

Let not Ezekias deceive you, saying, God will deliver you. Have the gods of the nations delivered each one his own land out of the hand of the king of the Assyrians?

19 Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim? If indeed they had only delivered Samaria, out of my hand!

Where is the god of Emath, and Arphath? and where is the god of Eppharuaim? have they been able to deliver Samaria out of my hand?

20 Who are they, among all the gods of these countries that have delivered their country out of my hand? That, Yahweh, should deliver, Jerusalem, out of my hand!

Which is the god of all these nations, that has delivered his land out of my hand, that God should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?

21 But they held their peace, and answered him not a word, —for the command of the king, it was, saying, —Ye must not answer him.

And they were silent, and none answered him a word; because the king had commanded that none should answer.

22 Then came in—Eliakim son of Hilkiah who was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah son of Asaph, the recorder, unto Hezekiah, with rent clothes, —and they told him the words of Rabshakeh.

And Heliakim the [son] of Chelcias, the steward, and Somnas the military scribe, and Joach the [son] of Asaph, the recorder, came in to Ezekias, having their garments rent, and they reported to him the words of Rabsaces.