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.

And it cometh to pass, in the fourteenth year of king Hezekiah, come up hath Sennacherib king of Asshur against all the fenced cities of Judah, and seizeth 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 Asshur sendeth Rabshakeh from Lachish to Jerusalem, unto the king Hezekiah, with a heavy force, and he standeth by the conduit of the upper pool, in the highway 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 go forth unto him doth Eliakim son of Hilkiah, who [is] over the house, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah son of Asaph, the remembrancer.

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 Rabshakeh saith unto them, 'Say ye, I pray you, unto Hezekiah, 'Thus said the great king, the king of Asshur, What [is] this confidence in which thou hast confided?

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?

I have said: Only, a word of the lips! counsel and might [are] for battle: now, on whom hast thou trusted, that thou hast rebelled 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.

'Lo, thou hast trusted on the staff of this broken reed — on Egypt — which a man leaneth on, and it hath gone into his hand, and pierced it — so [is] Pharaoh king of Egypt to all those trusting on 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?

'And dost thou say unto me, Unto Jehovah our God we have trusted? is it not He, whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah hath turned aside, and saith to Judah and to Jerusalem, Before this altar ye do bow yourselves?

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;

'And now, negotiate, I pray thee, with my lord the king of Asshur, and I give to thee two thousand horses, if thou art able to put for thee riders on 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 dost thou turn back the face of one captain of the least of the servants of my lord, and dost trust for thee on Egypt, for chariot and for horsemen?

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, without Jehovah have I come up against this land to destroy it? Jehovah said unto me, Go up unto this land, and thou hast destroyed 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.

And Eliakim saith — and Shebna and Joah — unto Rabshakeh, 'Speak, we pray thee, unto thy servants [in] Aramaean, for we are understanding; and do not speak unto us [in] Jewish, in the ears of the people who [are] 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 Rabshakeh saith, 'Unto thy lord, and unto thee, hath my lord sent me to speak these words? is it not for the men — those sitting on the wall to eat their own dung and to drink their own water 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 Rabshakeh standeth and calleth with a great voice [in] Jewish, and saith, 'Hear ye the words of the great king, the king of Asshur:

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

Thus said the king, Let not Hezekiah lift you up, for he is not 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 Hezekiah make you trust unto Jehovah, saying, Jehovah doth certainly deliver us, this city is not given into the hand of the king of Asshur.

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:

'Do not hearken unto Hezekiah, for thus said the king of Asshur, Make ye with me a blessing, and come out unto me, and eat ye each of his vine, and each of his fig-tree, and drink ye each the waters of his own well,

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: —

till my coming in, and I have taken you unto a land like your own land, a land of corn and wine, a land of 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?

lest Hezekiah doth persuade you, saying, Jehovah doth deliver us. 'Have the gods of the nations delivered each his land out of the hand of the king of Asshur?

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 [are] the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where the gods of Sepharvaim, that they have delivered 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!

Who among all the gods of these lands [are] they who have delivered their land out of my hand, that Jehovah doth 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 keep silent, and have not answered him a word, for a command of the king is, saying, 'Do not answer him.'

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 Eliakim son of Hilkiah, who [is] over the house, cometh in, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah son of Asaph, the remembrancer, unto Hezekiah with rent garments, and they declare to him the words of Rabshakeh.