Isaiah 36 In the .xiiij. yere of king Hezekias came Sennaherib kyng of the Assirians downe, to laye seage vnto all the stronge cityes of Iuda; to conquer them.

Great⁽ⁱ⁾ ¹ In the .xiiij. yere of king Hezekias came Sennaherib kyng of the Assirians downe, to laye seage vnto all the stronge cityes of Iuda; to conquer them. ² And the kyng of Assiryans sent Rabsakeh from Lachis towarde Ierusalem, agaynst king Hezekias, wt an exceading hoste, which set him by the condyte of the ouerpole in the waye that goeth thorow the fullers lande. ³ And so ther came forth vnto him Eliakim Helkias sonne the president Sobna the scribe, and Ioah Asaphs sonne the secretary. ⁴ And Rabsakeh sayde vnto them: Tell Hezekias, that the greate kynge of Assiria sayth thus vnto him: What presumpcion is thys, that thou trustest vnto? ⁵ I sayde, Surely thou trustest in thy lyplaboure, when councell & strength are necessary to battayl: or elles wher to trustest thou, that thou castest thy selfe of frome? ⁶ lo, thou puttest thy trust in a broken staf of rede (I meane Egipt) which he that leaneth vpon, it goeth into his hande & shutteth hym thorowe. Euen so is Pharao the kynge of Egipte, vnto all them that trust in hym. ⁷ But yf thou woldest saye to me: we truste in the Lord our God. A goodly God in dead: whose hye places and aultars Hezekia toke downe, and commaunded Iuda and Ierusalem to worshyp onely before the aultare. ⁸ Nowe therfore delyuer hostages that thou rebelle nomore agaynst my Lorde the kynge of Assirians. And I wyll geue the two thousande horses: yf thou be able to set men vpon them? ⁹ How darest thou resist the power of the smallest prynce, that my Lord hath? how darest thou trust in the charettes and horse men of Egipt? ¹⁰ Moreouer, thinckest thou that I am come downe hyther to destroye this land wtout the Lordes will? The Lord sayde vnto me: go downe into the lande, that thou mayest destroie it. ¹¹ Then sayd Eliakim, Sobna and Ioah vnto Rabsaketh: Speake to vs thy seruauntes (we praye the) in the Siryans language: for we vnderstande it wel. And speake not to vs in the Iewes tong, lest the folcke heare which lyeth vpon the wall. ¹² Then answered Rabsakeh: Thincke ye, that the kyng sent me to speake this only vnto the Lord and the? Hath he not sent me to them also, that lye vpon the wall? that they maye be compelled to eate their awne donge, & drynck their awne stale wt you? ¹³ And Rabsakeh stode stif, and cryed with a loude voyce in the Iewes tong, and saide: Nowe take hede, howe the great king of the Astyrians geueth you warning. ¹⁴ Thus sayth the king: Let not Hezekias disceaue you: for he shall not be able to delyuer you. ¹⁵ Morouer let not Hezekias conforte you in the Lorde, when he sayth: The Lord wtout doubt shall defende vs, and shal not geue ouer this citye into the handes of the kyng of the Assyrians, beleue hym not. ¹⁶ But thus sayth the kyng of Assyria: opteyne my fauoure, enclyne to me: so maye euery man enioye hys vyneyardes and fygg trees, and drynke the water of his cysterne: ¹⁷ vnto the tyme that I come my self, and bringe you into a lande that is lyke your awne: wherin is wheate and wyne, which is both sowen with seede, and planted with vyneyardes. ¹⁸ Let not Hezekia disceaue you, when he sayth vnto you: the Lorde shall delyuer vs? Might the Goddes of the Gentils kepe euery mans lande, from the power of the kynge of the Assirians? ¹⁹ Where is the God of Hemath and Arphad? Where is the God of Sepharuaim? And who was able to defende Samaria out of my hande? ²⁰ Or which of all the Goddes of these landes hath delyuered theyr countrey out of my power? is the lorde in dede able to delyuer Ierusalem fro my hande? ²¹ Unto this Hezekias messaungers helde theyr tonges, and answered not one worde: for the king had charged them, that they shulde geue hym none answere. ²² So came Eliakim Helkias sonne the president, Sobna the scribe, and Ioah Asaphs sonne the secretary, vnto Hezekias with rent clothes, and tolde hym the wordes of Rabsaketh.