36 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.