2 Kings 18:17–25

^17yAnd the king of Assyria sent ^zTartan and Rabsaris and Rab-shakeh from Lachish to king Hezekiah with a great host against Jerusalem. And they went up and came to Jerusalem. And when they were come up, they came and stood by ^athe conduit of the upper pool, which is in the highway of the fuller’s field. ¹⁸And when they had called to the king, there came out to them ^bEliakim the son of Hilkiah, which was over the household, and ^bShebna the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph ^cthe recorder. ¹⁹And Rab-shakeh said unto them, Speak ye now to Hezekiah, Thus saith the great king, the king of Assyria, ^dWhat confidence is this wherein thou trustest? ²⁰Thou sayest, (but they are but vain words,) I have counsel and strength for the war. Now on whom dost thou trust, that thou rebellest against me? ²¹Now behold, thou trustest upon ^ethe staff of this bruised reed, even upon Egypt, on which if a man lean, it will go into his hand, and pierce it: so is Pharaoh king of Egypt unto all that trust on him. ²²But if ye say unto me, We trust in the Lord our God: is not that he, ^fwhose high places and whose altars Hezekiah hath taken away, and hath said to Judah and Jerusalem, Ye shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem? ²³Now therefore, I pray thee, give pledges to my lord the king of Assyria, and I will deliver thee two thousand horses, if thou be able on thy part to set riders upon them. ²⁴How 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? ²⁵Am I now come up without the Lord against this place to destroy it? The Lord said to me, Go up against this land, and destroy it.