Isaiah 36

1 In the fourteenth year of Hezekiah’s reign, Sennacherib king of the Assyrians attacked Judah’s fortified cities and captured them. 2 The king of the Assyrians sent Rabshakeh from Lachish to Jerusalem with a large force against King Hezekiah. He stood by the channel of the upper pool, on the road to the launderer’s field. 3 Eliakim son of Hilkiah, the household steward, Shebna the scribe, and Joah son of Asaph, the recorder, went out to meet him. 4 Rabshakeh said to them, “Tell Hezekiah: This is what the great king, the king of the Assyrians, says: Why are you so confident?

5 Is war conducted by counsel and mere words? Whom do you trust, that you rebel against me? 6 Look, you trust in Egypt, that bruised reed of a staff. If someone leans on it, it will pierce his hand. Pharaoh king of Egypt is like this to everyone who trusts in him. 7 But perhaps you say, ‘We trust in the Lord our God.’ 8 Now make an agreement with my lord, the king of the Assyrians. I will give you two thousand horses if you can provide riders for them. 9 How can you then face even one district governor? Those who trust in Egyptians for horses and riders are servants.

10 And now, have we come up against this land to fight it without the Lord?” [a] 11 Then Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah said to him, “Speak to your servants in Aramaic, because we understand it. Do not speak to us in the language of Judah. Why speak within the hearing of the men on the wall?” 12 Rabshakeh answered, “Did my lord send me to speak these words only to your lord and you? Did he not send me to the men sitting on the wall, who will eat their own dung and drink their own urine with you?”

13 Rabshakeh stood and called out loudly in the language of Judah, “Hear the words of the great king, the king of the Assyrians! 14 This is what the king says: Do not let Hezekiah deceive you with words; his words will not be able to rescue you. 15 Do not let Hezekiah tell you, ‘God will rescue you, and this city will never be handed over to the king of the Assyrians.’ 16 Do not listen to Hezekiah. This is what the king of the Assyrians says: ‘If you want to be blessed, come out to me. Each of you will eat from your own vine and fig tree and drink water from your own cistern

17 until I come and take you to a land like your own—a land of grain, wine, bread, and vineyards.’ 18 Do not let Hezekiah deceive you by saying, ‘Your God will rescue you.’ Have the gods of the nations rescued their own lands from the hand of the king of the Assyrians? 19 Where is the god of Hamath and Arpad? Where is the god of Sepharvaim? Were they able to rescue Samaria from my hand? 20 Which of all the gods of these nations rescued its land from my hand, that Jerusalem’s God should rescue Jerusalem from my hand?” 21 They remained silent and gave him no answer, because the king had commanded them not to answer.

22 Eliakim son of Hilkiah, the household steward, Shebna the military scribe, and Joah son of Asaph, the recorder, came to Hezekiah with torn clothing and reported Rabshakeh’s words.