Isaiah 36
โ Isaiah 35 | Isaiah | Isaiah 37 โ
v1
Now in the fourteenth year of king Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria attacked all of the fortified cities of Judah and captured them.
v2
The king of Assyria sent Rabshakeh from Lachish to Jerusalem to king Hezekiah with a large army. He stood by the aqueduct from the upper pool in the fullerโs field highway.
v3
Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah, the son of Asaph, the recorder came out to him.
v4
Rabshakeh said to them, โNow tell Hezekiah, โThe great king, the king of Assyria, says, โWhat confidence is this in which you trust?
v5
I say that your counsel and strength for the war are only vain words. Now in whom do you trust, that you have rebelled against me?
v6
Behold, you trust in the staff of this bruised reed, even in Egypt, which if a man leans on it, it will go into his hand and pierce it. So is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who trust in him.
v7
But if you tell me, โWe trust in Yahweh our God,โ isnโt that he whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah has taken away, and has said to Judah and to Jerusalem, โYou shall worship before this altar?โโ
v8
Now therefore, please make a pledge to my master the king of Assyria, and I will give you two thousand horses, if you are able on your part to set riders on them.
v9
How then can you turn away the face of one captain of the least of my masterโs servants, and put your trust in Egypt for chariots and for horsemen?
v10
Have I come up now without Yahweh against this land to destroy it? Yahweh said to me, โGo up against this land, and destroy it.โโโ
v11
Then Eliakim, Shebna and Joah said to Rabshakeh, โPlease speak to your servants in Aramaic, for we understand it. Donโt speak to us in the Jewsโ language in the hearing of the people who are on the wall.โ
v12
But Rabshakeh said, โHas my master sent me only to your master and to you, to speak these words, and not to the men who sit on the wall, who will eat their own dung and drink their own urine with you?โ
v13
Then Rabshakeh stood, and called out with a loud voice in the Jewsโ language, and said, โHear the words of the great king, the king of Assyria!
v14
The king says, โDonโt let Hezekiah deceive you; for he will not be able to deliver you.
v15
Donโt let Hezekiah make you trust in Yahweh, saying, โYahweh will surely deliver us. This city wonโt be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.โโ
v16
Donโt listen to Hezekiah, for the king of Assyria says, โMake your peace with me, and come out to me; and each of you eat from his vine, and each one from his fig tree, and each one of you drink the waters of his own cistern;
v17
until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards.
v18
Beware lest Hezekiah persuade you, saying, โYahweh will deliver us.โ Have any of the gods of the nations delivered their lands from the hand of the king of Assyria?
v19
Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim? Have they delivered Samaria from my hand?
v20
Who are they among all the gods of these countries that have delivered their country out of my hand, that Yahweh should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?โโ
v21
But they remained silent, and said nothing in reply, for the kingโs commandment was, โDonโt answer him.โ
v22
Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah, the son of Asaph, the recorder, came to Hezekiah with their clothes torn, and told him the words of Rabshakeh.