17The king of Assyria sent Tartan, Rab-saris, and Rabshakeh from Lachish to King Hezekiah with a heavy force to Jerusalem. They went up and came to Jerusalem; they went up and came and stood by the conduit of the high pool that is on the highway of the Washer's field.18They called for the king, and Eliakim son of Hilkiah, who was over the house, Shebna the secretary, and Joah son of Asaph the recorder came out to them.19Rabshakeh said to them, "Say now to Hezekiah: Thus says the great king, the king of Assyria: What is this trust in which you trust?"20You have said, "Mere words of the lips are counsel and strength for war." Now on whom do you rely, that you have rebelled against me?21Now behold, you trust for yourself upon this crushed reed of a staff, upon Egypt, on which if a man leans it will go into his palm and pierce it. So is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who trust upon him.22And if you say to me, "We trust in the LORD our God," is it not he whose high places and altars Hezekiah has removed, and has said to Judah and to Jerusalem, "Before this altar you shall bow down in Jerusalem"?23And now make a pledge, please, with my lord the king of Assyria, and I will give to you two thousand horses, if you are able to set riders upon them for yourself.24How then can you repulse a single captain among the least of my lord's servants, when you trust in Egypt for chariots and for horsemen?25Moreover, have 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."26Then Eliakim son of Hilkiah, Shebna, and Joah said to Rabshakeh, "Please speak to your servants in Aramaic, for we hear; and do not speak to us in Judahite in the hearing of the people who are upon the wall."27But Rabshakeh said to them, "Has my lord sent me to speak these words only to your lord and to you? Has he not sent me upon the men sitting upon the wall to eat their dove-dung and to drink their urine water with you?"28Then Rabshakeh stood and called with a great voice in Judahite, and spoke and said, "Hear the word of the great king, the king of Assyria."29Thus says the king: Do not let Hezekiah deceive you, for he will not be able to deliver you out of my hand.30Do not let Hezekiah make you trust in the LORD by saying, "The LORD will surely deliver us," and this city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.31Do not listen to Hezekiah, for thus says the king of Assyria: Make a blessing with me and come out to me, and each eat from his vine and each from his fig and each drink the water of his cistern.32Until I come and take you to a land like your land, a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of olive oil and honey, that you may live and not die; and do not listen to Hezekiah when he incites you, saying, "The LORD will rescue us."33Has the rescue of the gods of the nations rescued each his land from the hand of the king of Assyria?34Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah? Have they delivered Samaria out of my hand?35Who among all the gods of the lands have delivered their land out of my hand, that the LORD should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?36But the people were silent and answered him not a word, for the king's command was, "Do not answer him."37Then Eliakim son of Hilkiah, who was over the house, Shebna the secretary, and Joah son of Asaph the recorder came to Hezekiah with garments torn, and told him the words of Rabshakeh.