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.

Now in the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the fortified cities of Judah and seized them.

2 A nd the king of Assyria sent Rabshakeh from Lachish to Jerusalem unto king Hezekiah with a great army. And he camped by the conduit of the upper pool in the highway of the washer’s field.

And the king of Assyria sent Rabshakeh from Lachish to Jerusalem to King Hezekiah with a large army. And he stood by the conduit of the upper pool on the highway of the fuller’s field.

3 T hen came forth unto him Eliakim, Hilkiah’s son, who was over the house, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah, Asaph’s son, the writer of chronicles.

Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph, the recorder, came out to him.

4 A nd Rabshakeh said unto them, Say ye now to Hezekiah, Thus saith the great king, the king of Assyria, What confidence is this in which thou dost trust?

Then Rabshakeh said to them, “Say now to Hezekiah, ‘Thus says the great king, the king of Assyria, “What is this confidence that you have?

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 dost rebel against me?

I say, ‘Your counsel and strength for the war are only empty words.’ Now on whom do you rely, that you have rebelled against me?

6 B ehold, thou dost trust in the staff of this broken reed, on Egypt upon which if a man leans, it will go into his hand and pierce it, so is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all that trust in him.

Behold, you rely on the staff of this crushed reed, even on Egypt, on which if a man leans, it will go into his hand and pierce it. So is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who rely on him.

7 B ut if thou say to me, We trust in the LORD our God; is it not he, whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah has taken away, and said to Judah and to Jerusalem, Ye shall worship before this altar?

But if you say to me, ‘We trust in the Lord our God,’ is it not He whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah has taken away and has said to Judah and to Jerusalem, ‘You shall worship before this altar’?

8 N ow therefore give pledges, I pray thee, to my master the king of Assyria, and I will give thee two thousand horses, if thou art able on thy part to set riders upon them.

Now therefore, come make a bargain with my master the king of Assyria, and I will give you two thousand horses, if you are able on your part to set riders on them.

9 H ow, therefore, wilt thou turn away the face of one captain of the least of my master’s slaves even if thou art trusting in Egypt for chariots and for horsemen?

How then can you repulse one official of the least of my master’s servants and rely on Egypt for chariots and for horsemen?

10 A nd peradventure 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.

Have I now come up without the Lord’s approval against this land to destroy it? The Lord said to 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 slaves in the Syrian language, for we understand it, and do not speak to us in the Jewish language, in the ears of the people that are on the wall.

Then Eliakim and Shebna and Joah said to Rabshakeh, “Speak now to your servants in Aramaic, for we understand it; and do not speak with us in Judean in the hearing of the people who are on the wall.”

12 B ut Rabshakeh said, Has my master sent me to thy master and to thee to speak these words? Has 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?

But Rabshakeh said, “Has my master sent me only to your master and to you to speak these words, and not to the men who sit on the wall, doomed to eat their own dung and drink their own urine with you?”

13 T hen Rabshakeh stood and cried with a loud voice in the Jewish language and said, Hear ye the words of the great king, the king of Assyria.

Then Rabshakeh stood and cried with a loud voice in Judean and said, “Hear the words of the great king, the king of Assyria.

14 T hus saith the king, Do not let Hezekiah deceive you, for he shall not be able to deliver you.

Thus says the king, ‘Do not let Hezekiah deceive you, for he will not be able to deliver you;

15 N either 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.

nor let Hezekiah make you trust in the Lord, saying, “The Lord will surely deliver us, this city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.”

16 D o not hearken unto Hezekiah, for thus saith the king of Assyria, Make peace with me and come out to me and eat each one of his vine and each one of his fig tree and drink each one the waters of his own cistern

Do not listen to Hezekiah,’ for thus says the king of Assyria, ‘ Make your peace with me and come out to me, and eat each of his vine and each of his fig tree and drink each of the waters of his own cistern,

17 u ntil I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of grain and wine, a land of bread and vineyards.

until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards.

18 B eware lest Hezekiah persuade you, saying, The LORD will deliver us. Have any of the gods of the Gentiles delivered his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria?

Beware that Hezekiah does not mislead you, saying, “ The Lord will deliver us.” Has any one of the gods of the nations delivered his land from the hand of the king of Assyria?

19 W here is the god of Hamath and Arphad? Where is the god of Sepharvaim? Have they delivered Samaria out of my hand?

Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim? And when have they delivered Samaria from my hand?

20 W hat god is there 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?

Who among all the gods of these lands have delivered their land from my hand, that the Lord would deliver Jerusalem from my hand?’”

21 B ut they held their peace and did not answer him a word, for the king had commanded thus, saying, Answer him not.

But they were silent and answered him not a word; for the king’s commandment was, “Do not answer him.”

22 T hen came Eliakim, the son of Hilkiah, that was over the household, and Shebna the scribe and Joah, the son of Asaph, the writer of chronicles, to Hezekiah with their clothes rent and told him the words of Rabshakeh.

Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebna the scribe and Joah the son of Asaph, the recorder, came to Hezekiah with their clothes torn and told him the words of Rabshakeh.