Isaiah 36:1-37 In the fourteenth year of the reign of Ezekias, Sennacherim king of the Assyrians came up against the fortified cities of Judea, and took them.

Thomson⁽ⁱ⁾ ¹ In the fourteenth year of the reign of Ezekias, Sennacherim king of the Assyrians came up against the fortified cities of Judea, and took them. ² And the king of the Assyrians sent Rabsakes from Lakes to Jerusalem, to king Ezekias, with a great army. And he halted at the canal of the upper pool in the high way to the fuller's field. ³ And to him went out Eliakim the son of Chelkias the steward, and Somnas the scribe, and Joach son of Asaph the recorder. ⁴ And Rabsakes said to them, Tell Ezekias, Thus saith the great king, the king of the Assyrians, On what hast thou placed confidence? ⁵ Notwithstanding negotiation and fair speeches, are not preparations making for war? Now therefore on whom hast thou relied, that thou rebellest against me? ⁶ Behold thy reliance is on that staff; that staff of reed; that broken reed, Egypt; on which if a man lean, it will pierce his hand and go through it. Such is Pharao king of Egypt to all who rely on him. ⁷ But if you say, "Our confidence is in the Lord our God;" ⁸ were you now in close connexion with my master the king of the Assyrians; and were I to give you two thousand horses; could you put riders on them? ⁹ How then can you revolt and affect to be petty princes. Those are reduced to slavery who have trusted in the Egyptians for charioteers and cavalry. ¹⁰ Besides, are we now come up without the Lord against this land to war against it? The Lord hath said to me, Go up against this land and destroy it. ¹¹ Then Eliakim and Somnas and Joach said to him, Speak to thy servants in Syriac, for we understand it. Therefore speak not to us in the Jewish language. Why speakest thou to the ears of the men on the walls? ¹² Thereupon Rabsakes said to them, Hath my lord sent me to your lord or to you to speak these words? Was it not to those men; to them who are stationed on that wall, that they may eat dung and drink urine, both they and you together? ¹³ Then Rabsakes stood and cried with a loud voice in the Jewish language and said, Hear the words of the great king, the king of the Assyrians, ¹⁴ Thus saith the king, Let not Ezekias deceive you with speeches. He cannot deliver you. ¹⁵ and let not Ezekias say to you, God will deliver you; and this city shall not be delivered into the hand of the king of the Assyrians. ¹⁶ Hearken not to Ezekias. Thus saith the king of the Assyrians, If you wish to be happy, come out to me; and eat, every one, of his own vine and his own fig trees, and drink water from your own cisterns, ¹⁷ until I come and take you to a land like your own; a land of corn and wine, and of bread and vineyards. ¹⁸ Let not Ezekias deceive you saying, God will deliver you. Have the gods of the nations, delivered every one his own country out of the hand of the king of the Assyrians? ¹⁹ Where is the God of Emath and Arphath? And where is the God of the city Eppharuim? Were they able to deliver Samaria out of my hand? ²⁰ Who is there of all the gods of the nations who hath delivered his country out of my hand, that God should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand? ²¹ But they were silent and none answered him a word, because the king had given a charge that none should answer. ²² Then Eliakim the son of Chelkias the steward, and Somnas the secretary at war and Joach the son of Asaph the recorder went to Ezekias with their clothes rent and told him the words of Rabsakes.