2 Kings 18:17–37

¹⁷Then the king of Assyria sent the Tartan, ^wthe Rab-saris, and the Rabshakeh, along with a massive army, from Lachish to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem. ^xThey advanced and came to Jerusalem, and ^ythey took their position by the aqueduct of the upper pool, which is by the highway to the Fuller’s Field. ^z18Then they called for the king, but Eliakim ^ason of Hilkiah, who was in charge of the palace, Shebnah ^bthe court secretary, and Joah son of Asaph, the court historian, came out to them. ^c

The Rabshakeh’s Speech

¹⁹Then ^dthe Rabshakeh said to them, “Tell Hezekiah this is what the great king, the king of Assyria, says: ‘What are you relying on? ^ef20You think mere words are strategy and strength for war. What are you now relying on so that you have rebelled against me? ^g21Look, you are now trusting in Egypt, that splintered reed of a staff ^hthat will enter and pierce the hand of anyone who leans on it. ⁱThis is how Pharaoh king of Egypt is to all who trust in him. ²²Suppose you say to me: We trust in the Lord our God. Isn’t He the One whose high places and altars Hezekiah has removed, ^jsaying to Judah and to Jerusalem: You must worship at this altar in Jerusalem?’

²³“So now make a bargain with my master the king of Assyria. I’ll give you 2,000 horses if you’re able to supply riders for them! ²⁴How then can you drive back a single officer ^kamong the least of my master’s servants and trust in Egypt for chariots and for horsemen? ²⁵Have I attacked this place to destroy it without the Lord’s approval? ^lThe Lord said to me, ‘Attack this land and destroy it.’ ”

²⁶Then Eliakim son of Hilkiah, Shebnah, and Joah said to the Rabshakeh, “Please speak to your servants in Aramaic, ^msince we understand it. Don’t speak with us in Hebrew ⁿwithin earshot of the people on the wall.”

²⁷But the Rabshakeh said to them, “Has my master sent me only to your master and to you to speak these words? Hasn’t he also sent me to the men who sit on the wall, destined with you to eat their own excrement and drink their own urine?” ^o

²⁸The Rabshakeh stood and called out loudly in Hebrew. ^pThen he spoke: “Hear the word of the great king, the king of Assyria. ²⁹This is what the king says: ‘Don’t let Hezekiah deceive ^qyou; he can’t deliver you from my hand. ^r30Don’t let Hezekiah persuade you to trust in the Lord by saying: Certainly the Lord will deliver us! This city will not be handed over to the king of Assyria.’ ^s

³¹“Don’t listen to Hezekiah, for this is what the king of Assyria says: ‘Make peace ^twith me and surrender to me. Then every one of you may eat from his own vine and his own fig tree, ^uand every one may drink water from his own cistern ³²until 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, a land of olive trees and honey ^v—so that you may live ^wand not die. But don’t listen to Hezekiah when he misleads you, saying: The Lord will deliver us. ³³Has any of the gods of the nations ever delivered ^xhis land from the power of the king of Assyria? ³⁴Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah? ^yHave they delivered Samaria from my hand? ^z35Who among all the gods of the lands has delivered his land from my power? So will the Lord deliver Jerusalem?’ ” ^a

³⁶But the people kept silent; they didn’t say anything, for the king’s command was, “Don’t answer him.” ³⁷Then Eliakim son of Hilkiah, who was in charge of the palace, Shebna the court secretary, and Joah son of Asaph, the court historian, ^bcame to Hezekiah with their clothes torn ^cand reported to him the words of the Rabshakeh.