1Now it came to pass in the fourteenth702 6240 year8141 of king4428 Hezekiah2396, that Sennacherib5576 king4428 of Assyria804 came up5927 against all the defenced1219 cities5892 of Judah3063, and took8610 them.
2And the king4428 of Assyria804 sent7971 Rabshakeh7262 from Lachish3923 to Jerusalem3389 unto king4428 Hezekiah2396 with a great3515 army2426. And he stood5975 by the conduit8585 of the upper5945 pool1295 in the highway4546 of the fuller's3526 field7704.
3Then came forth3318 unto him Eliakim471, Hilkiah's2518 son1121, which was over the house1004, and Shebna7644 the scribe5608, and Joah3098, Asaph's623 son1121, the recorder2142.
4And Rabshakeh7262 said559 unto them, Say559 ye now to Hezekiah2396, Thus saith559 the great1419 king4428, the king4428 of Assyria804, What confidence986 is this wherein thou trustest982?
5I say559, sayest thou, (but they are but vain8193 words1697) I have counsel6098 and strength1369 for war4421: now on whom dost thou trust982, that thou rebellest4775 against me?
6Lo, thou trustest982 in the staff4938 of this broken7533 reed7070, on Egypt4714; whereon if a man376 lean5564, it will go935 into his hand3709, and pierce5344 it: so is Pharaoh6547 king4428 of Egypt4714 to all that trust982 in him.
7But if thou say559 to me, We trust982 in the LORD3068 our God430: is it not he, whose high places1116 and whose altars4196 Hezekiah2396 hath taken away5493, and said559 to Judah3063 and to Jerusalem3389, Ye shall worship7812 before6440 this altar4196?
8Now therefore give pledges6148, I pray thee, to my master113 the king4428 of Assyria804, and I will give5414 thee two thousand505 horses5483, if thou be able3201 on thy part to set5414 riders7392 upon them.
9How then wilt thou turn away7725 the face6440 of one259 captain6346 of the least6996 of my master's113 servants5650, and put thy trust982 on Egypt4714 for chariots7393 and for horsemen6571?
10And am I now come up5927 without1107 the LORD3068 against this land776 to destroy7843 it? the LORD3068 said559 unto me, Go up5927 against this land776, and destroy7843 it.
11Then said559 Eliakim471 and Shebna7644 and Joah3098 unto Rabshakeh7262, Speak1696, I pray thee, unto thy servants5650 in the Syrian language762; for we understand8085 it: and speak1696 not to us in the Jews' language3066, in the ears241 of the people5971 that are on the wall2346.
12But Rabshakeh7262 said559, Hath my master113 sent7971 me to thy master113 and to thee to speak1696 these words1697? hath he not sent me to the men582 that sit3427 upon the wall2346, that they may eat398 their own dung2716 6675, and drink8354 their own piss4325 7272 7890 with you?
13Then Rabshakeh7262 stood5975, and cried7121 with a loud1419 voice6963 in the Jews' language3066, and said559, Hear8085 ye the words1697 of the great1419 king4428, the king4428 of Assyria804.
14Thus saith559 the king4428, Let not Hezekiah2396 deceive5377 you: for he shall not be able3201 to deliver5337 you.
15Neither let Hezekiah2396 make you trust982 in the LORD3068, saying559, The LORD3068 will surely5337 deliver5337 us: this city5892 shall not be delivered5414 into the hand3027 of the king4428 of Assyria804.
16Hearken8085 not to Hezekiah2396: for thus saith559 the king4428 of Assyria804, Make6213 an agreement with me by a present1293, and come out3318 to me: and eat398 ye every one376 of his vine1612, and every one376 of his fig tree8384, and drink8354 ye every one376 the waters4325 of his own cistern953;
17Until I come935 and take you away3947 to a land776 like your own land776, a land776 of corn1715 and wine8492, a land776 of bread3899 and vineyards3754.
18Beware lest Hezekiah2396 persuade5496 you, saying559, The LORD3068 will deliver5337 us. Hath any376 of the gods430 of the nations1471 delivered5337 his land776 out of the hand3027 of the king4428 of Assyria804?
19Where are the gods430 of Hamath2574 and Arphad774? where are the gods430 of Sepharvaim5617? and have they delivered5337 Samaria8111 out of my hand3027?
20Who are they among all the gods430 of these lands776, that have delivered5337 their land776 out of my hand3027, that the LORD3068 should deliver5337 Jerusalem3389 out of my hand3027?
21But they held their peace2790, and answered6030 him not a word1697: for the king's4428 commandment4687 was, saying559, Answer6030 him not.
22Then came935 Eliakim471, the son1121 of Hilkiah2518, that was over the household1004, and Shebna7644 the scribe5608, and Joah3098, the son1121 of Asaph623, the recorder2142, to Hezekiah2396 with their clothes899 rent7167, and told5046 him the words1697 of Rabshakeh7262.