Isaiah, 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.

1. In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah's reign, Sennacherib, king of Assyria, attacked all the fortified cities of Judah and captured them.

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.

2. From Lakish the king of Assyria sent his field commander with a large army to King Hezekiah in Jerusalem. They halted at the channel of the Upper Pool on the highway of the Fuller's Field.

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.

3. So Eliakim son of Hilkiah, the palace administrator, went out to him together with Shebna the secretary and Joah son of Asaph the recorder.

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?

4. The field commander said to them, "Give Hezekiah this message of the great king of Assyria: How can you be so confident?

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?

5. Do you think words can replace strategy and military strength? On whom are you relying to rebel against me?

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.

6. You rely on Egypt, a broken staff which pierces the palm of him who leans on it. Such is Pharaoh, king of Egypt, for all who rely on him.

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?

7. Yes, you may say to me: 'We rely on Yahweh our God.' But isn't he the one whose altars and high places Hezekiah removed when he commanded Judah and Jerusalem: You shall worship before this altar?

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.

8. Come now, make a bargain with my master, the king. I will give you two thousand horses if you are able to supply riders.

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?

9. How could you ever repulse one of the least of my master's generals? And you rely on Egypt for chariots and horsemen!

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.

10. Do you think that I have come to attack and destroy this land without consulting Yahweh? He himself said to me: Go up to this land and conquer it!"

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.

11. Then Eliakim and Shebna and Joah said to the field commander, "Speak to your servants in Aramaic, we understand it. Do not speak to us in Hebrew in the hearing of these people on the walls."

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?

12. But the field commander said, "Do you think that my master sent me to speak these words only to your master and you? Isn't it also to the men on the walls who with you will have to eat their own dung and drink their urine?"

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.

13. Then the field commander stood and cried out with a loud voice in Hebrew, "Hear the words of the great king of Assyria:

14. Thus saith the king, Let not Hezekiah deceive you: for he shall not be able to deliver you.

14. Do not let Hezekiah deceive you! No, he will not be able to help you!

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.

15. Do not listen to him when he tells you to trust in Yahweh, saying, 'Yahweh will save us; this city will not be given over to the king of Assyria.'

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;

16. Do not listen to Hezekiah but to what the king of Assyria says, 'Make your peace with me

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.

17. and surrender. So I will let each of you eat of your vine and of your fig tree and drink the water of your cistern until I come again. Then I will take you to a land like your own land, a land of grain and new wine, of bread and vineyards.

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?

18. Hezekiah is misleading you when he says that Yahweh will save you. Have the gods of the nations rescued their lands from the hands of the king of Assyria?

19. Where [are] the gods of Hamath and Arphad? where [are] the gods of Sepharvaim? and have they delivered Samaria out of my hand?

19. Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Shepharvaim? And have the gods delivered Samaria from my hand?

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?

20. Who among all the gods of these nations has been able to save his country from me? Do you think that Yahweh could deliver Jerusalem from my hand?"

21. But they held their peace, and answered him not a word: for the king's commandment was, saying, Answer him not.

21. The people were like deaf men and remained silent, for the king had commanded them not to answer him.

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.

22. Then Eliakim with Shebna and Joah came to Hezekiah with their clothes torn and told him what the field commander had said.