2 Kings 18:17–22

¹⁷Then the king of Assyria sent the field marshal,^y the chief of staff, and his royal spokesman, along with a massive army, from Lachish to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem.^z They advanced and came to Jerusalem, and^A they took their position by the aqueduct of the upper pool, by the road to the Launderer’s Field.^{aa 18}They called for the king, but Eliakim^ab son of Hilkiah, who was in charge of the palace, Shebnah^ac the court secretary, and Joah son of Asaph, the court historian, came out to them.^ad

THE ROYAL SPOKESMAN’S SPEECH

¹⁹Then^ae the royal spokesman said to them, “Tell Hezekiah this is what the great king, the king of Assyria, says: ‘What are you relying on?^{Baf 20}You think mere words are strategy and strength for war. Who are you now relying on so that you have rebelled against me?^{ag 21}Now look, you are relying on Egypt, that splintered reed of a staff^ah that will pierce the hand of anyone who grabs it and leans on it.^ai This is what Pharaoh king of Egypt is to all who rely on him. ²²Suppose you say to me, “We rely on the Lord our God.” Isn’t he the one whose high places and altars Hezekiah has removed,^aj saying to Judah and to Jerusalem, “You must worship at this altar in Jerusalem” ?’