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