^{K13 C1 I1}Now after these things, and the establishment thereof, it came to pass in the fourteenth year of king Hezekiah, that Sennacherib king of Assyria came, and entered into Judah, and encamped against the fenced cities, and thought to win them for himself. ^K14And Hezekiah king of Judah sent to the king of Assyria to Lachish, saying, I have offended; return from me: that which thou puttest on me will I bear. And the king of Assyria appointed unto Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold. ^K15And Hezekiah gave him all the silver that was found in the house of YHVH, and in the treasures of the king’s house. ^K16At that time did Hezekiah cut off the gold from the doors of the temple of YHVH, and from the pillars which Hezekiah king of Judah had overlaid, and gave it to the king of Assyria. ^C2And when Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib was come, and that he was purposed to fight against Jerusalem, ^C3He took counsel with his princes and his mighty men to stop the waters of the fountains which were without the city: and they did help him. ^C4So there was gathered much people together, who stopped all the fountains, and the brook that ran through the midst of the land, saying, Why should the kings of Assyria come, and find much water? ^C5Also he strengthened himself, and built up all the wall that was broken, and raised it up to the towers, and another wall without, and repaired Millo in the city of David, and made darts and shields in abundance. ^C6And he set captains of war over the people, and gathered them together to him in the street of the gate of the city, and spake comfortably to them, saying, ^C7Be strong and courageous, be not afraid nor dismayed for the king of Assyria, nor for all the multitude that is with him: for there be more with us than with him: ^C8With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is YHVH our God to help us, and to fight our battles. And the people rested themselves upon the words of Hezekiah king of Judah. ^{K17 C9 I2}And after this Sennacherib the king of Assyria sent his servants Tartan and Rabsaris and Rabshakeh from Lachish to king Hezekiah with a great host against Jerusalem. (but he himself laid siege against Lachish, and all his power with him,) unto Hezekiah king of Judah, and unto all Judah that were at Jerusalem. And they went up and came to Jerusalem. And when they were come up, they came and stood by the conduit of the upper pool, which is in the highway of the fuller’s field. ^{K18 I3}And when they had called to the king, there came out to them Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, which was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph the recorder. ^{K19 C10 I4}And Rabshakeh said unto them, Speak ye now to Hezekiah, Thus saith the great king, Sennacherib the king of Assyria, What confidence is this wherein thou trustest, that ye abide in the siege in Jerusalem? ^{K20 I5}I say, thou 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? ^{K21 I6}Now, behold, thou trustest upon the staff of this bruised and broken 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. ^C11Doth not Hezekiah persuade you to give over yourselves to die by famine and by thirst, saying, YHVH our God shall deliver us out of the hand of the king of Assyria? ^{K22 C12 I7}But if ye say unto me, We trust in YHVH our God: is not that he, whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah hath taken away, and hath commanded and said to Judah and to Jerusalem, saying, Ye shall worship before this one altar in Jerusalem, and burn incense upon it? ^{K23 I8}Now 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. ^{K24 I9}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? ^{K25 I10}And am I now come up without YHVH against this place to destroy it? YHVH said unto me, Go up against this land, and destroy it. ^{K26 I11}Then said Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, and Shebna, and Joah, unto Rabshakeh, Speak, I pray thee, unto thy servants in the Syrian language; for we understand it: and talk not with us in the Jews’ language, in the ears of the people that are on the wall. ^{K27 I12}But Rabshakeh said unto them, Hath my master sent me to thy master, and to thee, to speak these words? hath he not sent me to the men which sit upon the wall, that they may eat their own dung, and drink their own piss with you? ^{K28 I13}Then Rabshakeh stood, and cried with a loud voice in the Jews’ language, and spake, saying, Hear ye the words of the great king, the king of Assyria: ^C13Know ye not what I and my fathers have done unto all the people of other lands? were the gods of the nations of those lands any ways able to deliver their lands out of mine hand? ^C14Who was there among all the gods of those nations that my fathers utterly destroyed, that could deliver his people out of mine hand, that your God should be able to deliver you out of mine hand? ^{K29 C15 I14}Now therefore thus saith the king, Let not Hezekiah deceive you, nor persuade you on this manner, neither yet believe him: for he shall not be able to deliver you out of his hand for no god of any nation or kingdom was able to deliver his people out of mine hand, and out of the hand of my fathers: how much less shall your God deliver you out of mine hand? ^{K30 I15}Neither let Hezekiah make you trust in YHVH, saying, YHVH will surely deliver us, and this city shall not be delivered into the hand of the king of Assyria. ^C16And his servants spake yet more against YHVH God, and against his servant Hezekiah. ^C17He wrote also letters to rail on YHVH God of Israel, and to speak against him, saying, As the gods of the nations of other lands have not delivered their people out of mine hand, so shall not the God of Hezekiah deliver his people out of mine hand. ^C18Then they cried with a loud voice in the Jews’ speech unto the people of Jerusalem that were on the wall, to affright them, and to trouble them; that they might take the city. ^C19And they spake against the God of Jerusalem, as against the gods of the people of the earth, which were the work of the hands of man. ^{K31 I16}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 then eat ye every man of his own vine, and every one of his fig tree, and drink ye every one the waters of his own cistern: ^{K32 I17}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, a land of oil olive and of honey, that ye may live, and not die: and hearken not unto Hezekiah, when he persuadeth you, saying, YHVH will deliver us. ^I18aBeware lest Hezekiah persuade you, saying, the LORD will deliver us. ^{K33 I18b}Hath any of the gods of the nations delivered at all his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria? ^{K34 I19}Where are the gods of Hamath, and of Arphad? where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivah? and have they delivered Samaria out of mine hand? ^{K35 I20}Who are they among all the gods of the countries, that have delivered their country out of mine hand, that YHVH should deliver Jerusalem out of mine hand? ^{K36 I21}But the people held their peace, and answered him not a word: for the king’s commandment was, saying, Answer him not. ^{K37 I22}Then came Eliakim, the son of Hilkiah, which 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.