36:1 Now it came to pass in the fourteenth
year of the reign of Ezekias, [that] Sennacherim, king of the Assyrians,
came up against the strong cities of Judea, and took them.
36:2 And the king of the Assyrians sent Rabsaces out of Laches to Jerusalem
to king Ezekias with a large force: and he stood by the conduit of the upper
pool in the way of the fuller's field.
36:3 And there went forth to him Heliakim the steward, the [son] of Chelcias,
and Somnas the scribe, and Joach the [son] of Asaph, the recorder.
36:4 And Rabsaces said to them, Say to Ezekias, Thus says the great king,
the king of the Assyrians, Why art thou secure?
36:5 Is war carried on with counsel and [mere] words of the lips? and now on
whom dost thou trust, that thou rebellest against me?
36:6 Behold, thou trustest on this bruised staff of reed, on Egypt: [as
soon] as a man leans upon it, it shall go into his hand, and pierce it: so
is Pharao king of Egypt and all that trust in him.
36:7 But it ye say, We trust in the Lord our God;
36:8 yet now make an agreement with my lord the king of the Assyrians, and I
will give you two thousand horses, if ye shall be able to set riders upon
them.
36:9 And how can ye [then] turn to the face of the satraps? hey that trust
on the Egyptians for horse and rider, are [our] servants.
36:10 And now, Have we come up against this land to fight against it without
the Lord? The Lord said to me, Go up against this land, and destroy it.
36:11 Then Eliakim and Somnas and Joach said to him, Speak to thy servants
in the Syrian tongue; for we understand [it]: and speak not to us in the
Jewish tongue: and wherefore speakest thou in the ears of the men on the
wall?
36:12 And Rabsaces said to them, Has my lord sent me to your lord or to you,
to speak these words? [has he] not [sent] me to the men that sit on the
wall, that they may eat dung, and drink [their] water together with you?
36:13 And Rabsaces stood and cried with a loud voice in the Jewish language,
and said, Hear ye the words of the great king, the king of the Assyrians:
36:14 thus says the king, Let not Ezekias deceive you with words: he will
not be able to deliver you.
36:15 And let not Ezekias say to you, That God will deliver you, and this
city will not at all be delivered into the hand of the king of the
Assyrians.
36:16 Hearken not to Ezekias: thus says the king of the Assyrians, If ye
wish to be blessed, come out to me: and ye shall eat every one [of] his vine
and his fig-trees, and ye shall drink water out of your own cisterns:
36:17 until I come and take you to a land, like your own land, a land of
corn and wine, and bread, and vineyards.
36:18 Let not Ezekias deceive you, saying, God will deliver you. Have the
gods of the nations delivered each one his own land out of the hand of the
king of the Assyrians?
36:19 Where is the god of Emath, and Arphath? and where is the god of
Eppharuaim? have they been able to deliver Samaria out of my hand?
36:20 Which is the god of all these nations, that has delivered his land out
of my hand, that God should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?
36:21 And they were silent, and none answered him a word; because the king
had commanded that none should answer.
36:22 And Heliakim the [son] of Chelcias, the steward, and Somnas the
miliary scribe, and Joach the [son] of Asaph, the recorder, came in to
Ezekias, having their garments rent, and they reported to him the words of
Rabsaces. |
36:1 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.
36:2 And the king of Assyria sent Rabshakeh from Lachish to Jerusalem unto
king Hezekiah with a great army. And he stood by the conduit of the upper
pool in the highway of the fuller's field.
36:3 Then came forth unto him Eliakim, Hilkiah's son, which was over the
house, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah, Asaph's son, the recorder.
36:4 And Rabshakeh said unto them, Say ye now to Hezekiah, Thus saith the
great king, the king of Assyria, What confidence is this wherein thou
trustest?
36:5 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 rebellest against
me?
36:6 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.
36:7 But if thou say to me, We trust in the LORD our God: is it not he,
whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah hath taken away, and said to
Judah and to Jerusalem, Ye shall worship before this altar?
36:8 Now therefore give pledges, I pray thee, to my master the king of
Assyria, and I will give thee two thousand horses, if thou be able on thy
part to set riders upon them.
36:9 How then wilt thou turn away the face of one captain of the least of my
master's servants, and put thy trust on Egypt for chariots and for horsemen?
36:10 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.
36:11 Then said Eliakim and Shebna and Joah unto Rabshakeh, Speak, I pray
thee, unto thy servants in the Syrian 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.
36:12 But Rabshakeh 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 may eat their own dung, and drink their own piss with you?
36:13 Then Rabshakeh stood, and cried with a loud voice in the Jews'
language, and said, Hear ye the words of the great king, the king of
Assyria.
36:14 Thus saith the king, Let not Hezekiah deceive you: for he shall not be
able to deliver you.
36:15 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.
36:16 Hearken not to Hezekiah: for thus saith the king of Assyria, Make an
agreement with me by a present, and come out to me: and eat ye every one of
his vine, and every one of his fig tree, and drink ye every one the waters
of his own cistern;
36:17 Until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of
corn and wine, a land of bread and vineyards.
36:18 Beware lest Hezekiah persuade you, saying, the LORD will deliver us.
Hath any of the gods of the nations delivered his land out of the hand of
the king of Assyria?
36:19 Where are the gods of Hamath and Arphad? where are the gods of
Sepharvaim? and have they delivered Samaria out of my hand?
36:20 Who are they 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?
36:21 But they held their peace, and answered him not a word: for the king's
commandment was, saying, Answer him not.
36:22 Then came Eliakim, the son of Hilkiah, that was over the household,
and Shebna the scribe, and Joah, the son of Asaph, the recorder, to Hezekiah
with their clothes rent, and told him the words of Rabshakeh. |