(KJV) Isaiah 36¹

⥃Sennacherib Threatens Jerusalem ^{[ 2 Kings 18:13–37 † 2 Chronicles 32:1–8 ]}

[1] Now it came² to pass in the fourteenth year of king Hezekiah, [that] Sennacherib³ king of Assyria came up against all the defenced cities of Judah, and took them. [2] And the king of Assyria sent⁴ Rab–shakeh from Lachish to Jerusalem unto king Hezekiah with a great army. And he stood by the conduit⁵ of the upper pool in the highway of the fuller’s field.⁶ [3] Then came forth unto him Eliakim⁷, Hilkiah’s son, which was over the house, and Shebna⁸ the scribe⁹, and Joah, Asaph’s son, the recorder.

[4] [¶]And Rab–shakeh said unto them, Say ye now to Hezekiah, Thus saith¹⁰ the great king, the king of Assyria¹¹, What¹² confidence [is] this wherein thou trustest? [5] I say, [sayest thou], (but [they are but] vain words¹³) [I have] counsel and strength for war: now on whom dost thou trust, that¹⁴ 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.¹⁵ [7] But if thou say to me, We trust¹⁶ in the Lord our God: [is it] not¹⁷ 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 pledges¹⁸, I pray thee, to my master the king of Assyria, and I¹⁹ 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 least²⁰ of my master’s servants, and put²¹ 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.²²

[11] Then said Eliakim and Shebna and Joah unto Rab–shakeh, Speak, I pray thee, unto thy servants in the Syrian²³ 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 Rab–shakeh 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 may²⁴ eat their own dung, and drink their own piss with you? [13] Then Rab–shakeh stood, and cried²⁵ with a loud voice in the Jews’ language, and said, Hear²⁶ 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.²⁷ [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.²⁸ [16] Hearken not to Hezekiah: for thus saith the king of Assyria, Make [an agreement] with me [by] a present²⁹, and come out³⁰ to me: and eat ye³¹ 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 come³² and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of corn³³ and wine, a land of bread and vineyards. [18] [Beware] lest³⁴ Hezekiah persuade you, saying, The Lord will deliver us. Hath³⁵ 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 Hamath³⁶ and Arphad³⁷? where [are] the gods of Sepharvaim³⁸? and have³⁹ 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 Lord⁴⁰ 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.⁴¹

[22] [¶]Then came Eliakim⁴², the son of Hilkiah, that [was] over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah, the son of Asaph, the recorder, to Hezekiah with [their⁴³] clothes rent, and told him the words of Rab–shakeh.