1Sennacherib invadeth Judah. 2He sendeth Rabshakeh, who insulteth Hezekiah, 13and in a blasphemous speech soliciteth the people to revolt.
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1Now 1it came to pass in the fourteenth year of king Hezekiah, that Sennacherib king of Assyria 2came up against all the defenced cities of Judah, and took them.
2And 1the king of Assyria sent Rab-shakeh from 2Lachish to Jerusalem unto king Hezekiah with a great army. And he stood by the 3conduit of the upper pool in the highway of the fuller's field.
3Then came forth unto him 1Eliakim, Hilkiah's son, which was over the house, and 2Shebna the ascribe, and Joah, Asaph's son, the recorder.
4¶ And Rab-shakeh said unto them, Say ye now to Hezekiah, 1Thus saith the great king, the king of Assyria, What 2confidence is this wherein thou trustest?
5I say, sayest thou, (but they are butavain words) bI have counsel and strength for war: now on whom dost thou trust, that thou rebellest 1against me?
6Lo, thou trustest in the 1staff of this broken reed, on Egypt; whereon if a man lean, it will go into his hand, and pierce it: so is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all that trust in him.
7But if thou say to me, 1We trust in the Lord our God: is it not he, whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah 2hath taken away, and said to Judah and to Jerusalem, Ye shall worship before this altar?
8Now therefore give apledges, I pray thee, to my master the king of Assyria, and 1I will give thee two thousand horses, if thou be able on thy part to set riders upon them.
9How then wilt thou turn away the face of 1one captain of the least of my master's servants, and 2put thy trust on Egypt for chariots and for horsemen?
10And am I now come up without the Lord against this land to destroy it? 1the Lord said unto me, Go up against this land, and destroy it.
11¶ Then said Eliakim and Shebna and Joah unto Rab-shakeh, Speak, I pray thee, unto thy servants in the 1Syrian language; for we understand it: and speak not to us in the 2Jews' language, in the ears of the people that are on the wall.
12¶ But Rab-shakeh said, 1Hath my master sent me to thy master and to thee to speak these words? hath he not sent me to the men that sit upon the wall, that 2they may eat their own dung, and drink their own piss with you?
13Then Rab-shakeh stood, and 1cried with a loud voice in the Jews' language, and said, Hear ye the words of the 2great king, the king of Assyria.
14Thus saith the king, 1Let not Hezekiah deceive you: 2for he shall not be able to deliver you.
15Neither let Hezekiah make you trust in the Lord, saying, The Lord will surely deliver us: this city shall not be delivered into the hand of the king of Assyria.
16Hearken not to Hezekiah: for thus saith the king of Assyria, aMake an agreement with me by a present, and come out to me: and eat ye 1every one of his vine, and every one of his fig tree, and drink ye every one the waters of his own cistern;
17Until 1I come and take you away to a land like your own land, 2a land of corn and wine, a land of bread and vineyards.
181Beware lest Hezekiah persuade you, saying, The Lord will deliver us. 2Hath any of the gods of the nations delivered his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria?
19Where are the gods of 1Hamath and Arphad? where are the gods of Sepharvaim? and have they delivered 2Samaria out of my hand?
20Who 1are they among all the gods of these lands, that have delivered their land out of my hand, 2that the Lord should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?
21But 1they held their peace, and answered him not a word: for the king's commandment was, saying, Answer him not.
22¶ Then came 1Eliakim, the son of Hilkiah, that was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah, the son of Asaph, the recorder, to Hezekiah 2with their clothes rent, and told him the words of Rab-shakeh.