Thematic Bible
Thematic Bible
Diplomacy » Instances of » Rab-shakeh, in trying to induce jerusalem to capitulate by bombastic harangue
And the king of Assyria sent Tartan, and the chief of the eunuchs, and the chief of the cupbearers from Lachish, to King Hezekiah with a great army against Jerusalem. And they went up and came to Jerusalem. And when they had come up, they came and stood by the conduit of the upper pool, which is in the highway of the Fuller's Field. And they called to the king. And Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the house, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph the recorder, went out to them. And the chief of the cupbearers said to them, Speak now to Hezekiah, So says the great king, the king of Assyria, What hope is this in which you trust? read more.
Do you say that a mere word of the lips is wisdom and strength for the war? Now on whom do you trust that you rebel against me? Now, behold, you trust on the staff of this bruised reed, on Egypt, on which if a man leans, it will go into his hand and pierce it. So is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who trust on him. But if you say to me, We trust in Jehovah our God, is He not the one whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah has taken away, and has said to Judah and Jerusalem, You shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem? And now, please give pledges to my lord the king of Assyria, and I will deliver two thousand horses to you if you are able to set riders on them. And how will you turn away the face of one commander of the least of my master's servants, and put your trust in Egypt for chariots and for horsemen? Have I now come up against this place to destroy it without Jehovah? Jehovah said to me, Go up against this land and destroy it. Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, and Shebna, and Joah said to the chief of the cupbearers, Please speak to your servants in Aramaic, for we understand. And do not talk with us in Jewish, in the ears of the people who are on the wall. And the chief of the cupbearers said to them, Has my master sent me to your master and to you, to speak these words, and not to the men who sit on the wall, to eat their own dung and drink their own urine with you? And the chief of the cupbearers stood and cried with a loud voice in Jewish, and spoke, saying, Hear the word of the great king, the king of Assyria: so says the king, Do not let Hezekiah deceive you. For he shall not be able to deliver you out of his hand. And do not let Hezekiah make you trust in Jehovah, saying, Jehovah will surely deliver us, and this city shall not be delivered into the hands of the king of Assyria. Do not listen to Hezekiah. For so says the king of Assyria, Make with me a blessing, and come out to me, and you each shall eat of his vine, and each of his fig tree, and you each shall drink of the waters of his own cistern, until 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 oil and of honey, and live, and not die. And do not listen to Hezekiah when he deceives you, saying, Jehovah will deliver us. Has any of the gods of the nations at all delivered his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria? Where are the gods of Hamath and of Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivah? Have they delivered Samaria out of my hand? Who among all the gods of the lands have delivered their land out of my hand, that Jehovah should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand? But the people kept silent and did not answer him a word. For the king's command was, saying, Do not answer him. And Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph the recorder, came to Hezekiah with their clothes torn. And they told him the words of the chief of the cupbearers.
Do you say that a mere word of the lips is wisdom and strength for the war? Now on whom do you trust that you rebel against me? Now, behold, you trust on the staff of this bruised reed, on Egypt, on which if a man leans, it will go into his hand and pierce it. So is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who trust on him. But if you say to me, We trust in Jehovah our God, is He not the one whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah has taken away, and has said to Judah and Jerusalem, You shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem? And now, please give pledges to my lord the king of Assyria, and I will deliver two thousand horses to you if you are able to set riders on them. And how will you turn away the face of one commander of the least of my master's servants, and put your trust in Egypt for chariots and for horsemen? Have I now come up against this place to destroy it without Jehovah? Jehovah said to me, Go up against this land and destroy it. Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, and Shebna, and Joah said to the chief of the cupbearers, Please speak to your servants in Aramaic, for we understand. And do not talk with us in Jewish, in the ears of the people who are on the wall. And the chief of the cupbearers said to them, Has my master sent me to your master and to you, to speak these words, and not to the men who sit on the wall, to eat their own dung and drink their own urine with you? And the chief of the cupbearers stood and cried with a loud voice in Jewish, and spoke, saying, Hear the word of the great king, the king of Assyria: so says the king, Do not let Hezekiah deceive you. For he shall not be able to deliver you out of his hand. And do not let Hezekiah make you trust in Jehovah, saying, Jehovah will surely deliver us, and this city shall not be delivered into the hands of the king of Assyria. Do not listen to Hezekiah. For so says the king of Assyria, Make with me a blessing, and come out to me, and you each shall eat of his vine, and each of his fig tree, and you each shall drink of the waters of his own cistern, until 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 oil and of honey, and live, and not die. And do not listen to Hezekiah when he deceives you, saying, Jehovah will deliver us. Has any of the gods of the nations at all delivered his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria? Where are the gods of Hamath and of Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivah? Have they delivered Samaria out of my hand? Who among all the gods of the lands have delivered their land out of my hand, that Jehovah should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand? But the people kept silent and did not answer him a word. For the king's command was, saying, Do not answer him. And Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph the recorder, came to Hezekiah with their clothes torn. And they told him the words of the chief of the cupbearers.
And it happened when King Hezekiah heard, he tore his clothes and covered himself with sackcloth. And he went into the house of Jehovah. And he sent Eliakim who was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and the elders of the priests, covered with sackcloth, to Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz. And they said to him, So says Hezekiah, This is a day of trouble and of rebuke and contempt. For the sons have come to the birth, and there is no strength to bring forth. read more.
It may be Jehovah your God will hear all the words of the chief cupbearer with which his master the king of Assyria has sent to reproach the living God, and will rebuke the words which Jehovah your God has heard. And you shall lift up prayer for the rest who are left. And the servants of King Hezekiah came to Isaiah. And Isaiah said to them, You shall say to your master, So says Jehovah, Do not be afraid of the words which you have heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed Me. Behold, I will send a blast on him, and he shall hear a rumor and shall return to his own land. And I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land. And the chief cupbearer returned and found the king of Assyria warring against Libnah, for he had heard that he had departed from Lachish. And when he heard it said of Tirhakah king of Ethiopia, Behold, he has come out to fight against you, he sent messengers again to Hezekiah, saying, So you shall speak to Hezekiah king of Judah, saying, Do not let your God in whom you trust deceive you, saying, Jerusalem shall not be delivered into the hand of the king of Assyria. Behold, you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands by completely destroying them. And shall you be delivered? Have the gods of the nations delivered them, nations which my fathers have destroyed, Gozan, and Haran, and Rezeph, and the sons of Eden in Telassar? Where is the king of Hamath, and the king of Arpad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, of Hena, and of Ivah?
It may be Jehovah your God will hear all the words of the chief cupbearer with which his master the king of Assyria has sent to reproach the living God, and will rebuke the words which Jehovah your God has heard. And you shall lift up prayer for the rest who are left. And the servants of King Hezekiah came to Isaiah. And Isaiah said to them, You shall say to your master, So says Jehovah, Do not be afraid of the words which you have heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed Me. Behold, I will send a blast on him, and he shall hear a rumor and shall return to his own land. And I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land. And the chief cupbearer returned and found the king of Assyria warring against Libnah, for he had heard that he had departed from Lachish. And when he heard it said of Tirhakah king of Ethiopia, Behold, he has come out to fight against you, he sent messengers again to Hezekiah, saying, So you shall speak to Hezekiah king of Judah, saying, Do not let your God in whom you trust deceive you, saying, Jerusalem shall not be delivered into the hand of the king of Assyria. Behold, you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands by completely destroying them. And shall you be delivered? Have the gods of the nations delivered them, nations which my fathers have destroyed, Gozan, and Haran, and Rezeph, and the sons of Eden in Telassar? Where is the king of Hamath, and the king of Arpad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, of Hena, and of Ivah?
And Eliakim and Shebna and Joah said to the chief of the cupbearers, Please speak to your servants in Aramaic, for we understand it. But do not speak to us in Jewish in the ears of the people on the wall. But the chief of the cupbearers said, Has my master sent me to your master and to you to speak these words, and not to the men who sit on the wall, that they may eat their own dung and drink their own urine with you? Then the chief of the cupbearers stood and cried with a loud voice in Jewish, and said, Hear the words of the great king, the king of Assyria. read more.
So says the king, Do not let Hezekiah deceive you, for he shall not be able to deliver you. Nor let Hezekiah make you trust in Jehovah, saying, Jehovah will surely deliver us; this city shall not be delivered into the hands of the king of Assyria. Do not listen to Hezekiah; for so says the king of Assyria, Make a blessing with me by a present, and come out to me; and let everyone eat of his vine, and everyone of his fig tree, and everyone drink the waters of his own cistern, until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of grain and wine, a land of bread and vineyards. Let not Hezekiah persuade you, saying, Jehovah will deliver us. Has any of the gods of the nations delivered his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria? Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim? And when have they delivered Samaria out of my hand? Who among all the gods of these lands have delivered their land out of my hand, that Jehovah should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand? But they were silent and did not answer him a word, for the king's command, saying, Do not answer him. Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph, the recorder, came to Hezekiah with their clothes torn and told him the words of the chief of the cupbearers.
So says the king, Do not let Hezekiah deceive you, for he shall not be able to deliver you. Nor let Hezekiah make you trust in Jehovah, saying, Jehovah will surely deliver us; this city shall not be delivered into the hands of the king of Assyria. Do not listen to Hezekiah; for so says the king of Assyria, Make a blessing with me by a present, and come out to me; and let everyone eat of his vine, and everyone of his fig tree, and everyone drink the waters of his own cistern, until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of grain and wine, a land of bread and vineyards. Let not Hezekiah persuade you, saying, Jehovah will deliver us. Has any of the gods of the nations delivered his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria? Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim? And when have they delivered Samaria out of my hand? Who among all the gods of these lands have delivered their land out of my hand, that Jehovah should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand? But they were silent and did not answer him a word, for the king's command, saying, Do not answer him. Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph, the recorder, came to Hezekiah with their clothes torn and told him the words of the chief of the cupbearers.
Lachish » Besieged by sennacherib
After this Sennacherib king of Assyria sent his servants to Jerusalem; and he was against Lachish, and all his forces with him against Hezekiah king of Judah, and against all Judah in Jerusalem, saying,
And in the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the fortified cities of Judah and took them. And Hezekiah king of Judah sent to the king of Assyria to Lachish, saying, I have offended; turn back from me. Whatever you put on me I will bear. And the king of Assyria appointed to Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents of silver, and thirty talents of gold. And Hezekiah gave him all the silver which was found in the house of Jehovah and in the treasures of the king's house. read more.
At that time Hezekiah cut off the gold from the doors of the temple of Jehovah, and from the pillars which Hezekiah king of Judah had overlaid. And he gave them to the king of Assyria. And the king of Assyria sent Tartan, and the chief of the eunuchs, and the chief of the cupbearers from Lachish, to King Hezekiah with a great army against Jerusalem. And they went up and came to Jerusalem. And when they had come up, they came and stood by the conduit of the upper pool, which is in the highway of the Fuller's Field.
At that time Hezekiah cut off the gold from the doors of the temple of Jehovah, and from the pillars which Hezekiah king of Judah had overlaid. And he gave them to the king of Assyria. And the king of Assyria sent Tartan, and the chief of the eunuchs, and the chief of the cupbearers from Lachish, to King Hezekiah with a great army against Jerusalem. And they went up and came to Jerusalem. And when they had come up, they came and stood by the conduit of the upper pool, which is in the highway of the Fuller's Field.
And the chief cupbearer returned and found the king of Assyria warring against Libnah, for he had heard that he had departed from Lachish.
Libnah » A city » A city of the tribe of judah, captured by joshua » Sennacherib besieged; his army defeated near
And it happened that night, the Angel of Jehovah went out and struck a hundred and eighty-five thousand in the camp of the Assyrians. And they arose early in the morning, and behold, they were all dead bodies.
And the chief cupbearer returned and found the king of Assyria warring against Libnah, for he had heard that he had departed from Lachish.
So the chief of the cupbearers returned, and found the king of Assyria warring against Libnah. For he had heard that he had departed from Lachish. And he heard concerning Tirhakah king of Ethiopia, He has come out to war with you. And he heard and sent messengers to Hezekiah, saying, So you shall say to Hezekiah king of Judah, saying, Do not let your God, in whom you trust, deceive you, saying, Jerusalem shall not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria. read more.
Behold, you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands by completely destroying them. And shall you be delivered? Have the gods of the nations delivered those whom my fathers have destroyed: Gozan, and Haran, and Rezeph, and the sons of Eden who were in Telassar? Where is the king of Hamath, and the king of Arpad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivah? And Hezekiah received the letter from the courier's hand, and read it. And Hezekiah went up into the house of Jehovah and spread it before Jehovah. And Hezekiah prayed to the Lord, saying, O Jehovah of Hosts, God of Israel, who dwells between the cherubs, You are He, God, You alone to all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made the heavens and the earth. Bow down Your ear, O Jehovah, and hear; open Your eyes, O Jehovah, and see; and hear all the words of Sennacherib which he has sent to mock the living God. Truly, O Jehovah, the kings of Assyria have laid waste all the nations and their land, and have cast their gods into the fire, for they were no gods, but the work of men's hands, wood and stone; so they have destroyed them. And now, O Jehovah our God, save us from his hand, so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You are Jehovah, You alone. And Isaiah the son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah, saying, So says Jehovah, the God of Israel, Because you have prayed to Me against Sennacherib king of Assyria, this is the word which Jehovah has spoken concerning him: The virgin, the daughter of Zion, has despised you and laughed you to scorn; the daughter of Jerusalem has shaken her head behind you. Whom have you mocked and blasphemed? And against whom have you raised your voice and lifted up your eyes on high? Even against the Holy One of Israel. By your servants you have mocked Jehovah and have said, by my many chariots I have come up to the height of the mountains, to the sides of Lebanon; and I will cut down the tall cedars of it, and its choice fir trees; and I will go to its greatest height, the forest of its Carmel. I have dug and drunk water; and with the sole of my feet I have dried up all the streams of Egypt. Have you not heard from afar? I made it from days of old, even I have formed it. Now I have caused it to come, and you are to cause fortified cities to crash into heaps, ruins. And their inhabitants were short of hand; dismayed and ashamed. They were as the grass of the field, and as the green herb, as the grass on the housetops, even grain blasted before it has risen. But I know your sitting down, and your going out, and your coming in, and your rage against Me. Because of your raging against Me, and your arrogance has come up into My ears, therefore I will put My hook in your nose, and My bridle in your lips, and I will turn you back by the way which you came. And this shall be a sign to you: You shall eat self-sown grain this year; and the second year that which springs of the same; and in the third year you shall sow, and reap, and plant vineyards and eat the fruit of them. The remnant that has escaped of the house of Judah shall again take root downward and bear fruit upward; for out of Jerusalem shall go out a remnant, and those who escape out of Mount Zion; the zeal of Jehovah of Hosts shall do this. So Jehovah says this to the king of Assyria, He shall not come into this city nor shoot an arrow there, nor come before it with shield, nor cast a bank against it. By the way that he came, by the same he shall return, and shall not come into this city, says Jehovah. For I will defend this city to save it, for My own sake and for My servant David's sake. Then the angel of Jehovah went out and struck a hundred and eighty-five thousand in the camp of Assyria. And they rose early in the morning, and behold! They were all dead corpses.
Behold, you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands by completely destroying them. And shall you be delivered? Have the gods of the nations delivered those whom my fathers have destroyed: Gozan, and Haran, and Rezeph, and the sons of Eden who were in Telassar? Where is the king of Hamath, and the king of Arpad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivah? And Hezekiah received the letter from the courier's hand, and read it. And Hezekiah went up into the house of Jehovah and spread it before Jehovah. And Hezekiah prayed to the Lord, saying, O Jehovah of Hosts, God of Israel, who dwells between the cherubs, You are He, God, You alone to all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made the heavens and the earth. Bow down Your ear, O Jehovah, and hear; open Your eyes, O Jehovah, and see; and hear all the words of Sennacherib which he has sent to mock the living God. Truly, O Jehovah, the kings of Assyria have laid waste all the nations and their land, and have cast their gods into the fire, for they were no gods, but the work of men's hands, wood and stone; so they have destroyed them. And now, O Jehovah our God, save us from his hand, so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You are Jehovah, You alone. And Isaiah the son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah, saying, So says Jehovah, the God of Israel, Because you have prayed to Me against Sennacherib king of Assyria, this is the word which Jehovah has spoken concerning him: The virgin, the daughter of Zion, has despised you and laughed you to scorn; the daughter of Jerusalem has shaken her head behind you. Whom have you mocked and blasphemed? And against whom have you raised your voice and lifted up your eyes on high? Even against the Holy One of Israel. By your servants you have mocked Jehovah and have said, by my many chariots I have come up to the height of the mountains, to the sides of Lebanon; and I will cut down the tall cedars of it, and its choice fir trees; and I will go to its greatest height, the forest of its Carmel. I have dug and drunk water; and with the sole of my feet I have dried up all the streams of Egypt. Have you not heard from afar? I made it from days of old, even I have formed it. Now I have caused it to come, and you are to cause fortified cities to crash into heaps, ruins. And their inhabitants were short of hand; dismayed and ashamed. They were as the grass of the field, and as the green herb, as the grass on the housetops, even grain blasted before it has risen. But I know your sitting down, and your going out, and your coming in, and your rage against Me. Because of your raging against Me, and your arrogance has come up into My ears, therefore I will put My hook in your nose, and My bridle in your lips, and I will turn you back by the way which you came. And this shall be a sign to you: You shall eat self-sown grain this year; and the second year that which springs of the same; and in the third year you shall sow, and reap, and plant vineyards and eat the fruit of them. The remnant that has escaped of the house of Judah shall again take root downward and bear fruit upward; for out of Jerusalem shall go out a remnant, and those who escape out of Mount Zion; the zeal of Jehovah of Hosts shall do this. So Jehovah says this to the king of Assyria, He shall not come into this city nor shoot an arrow there, nor come before it with shield, nor cast a bank against it. By the way that he came, by the same he shall return, and shall not come into this city, says Jehovah. For I will defend this city to save it, for My own sake and for My servant David's sake. Then the angel of Jehovah went out and struck a hundred and eighty-five thousand in the camp of Assyria. And they rose early in the morning, and behold! They were all dead corpses.
Rab-shakeh (rabshakeh) » Sent by » Sennacherib » Speech » Surrender of » Jeruslaem
It may be Jehovah your God will hear all the words of the chief cupbearer with which his master the king of Assyria has sent to reproach the living God, and will rebuke the words which Jehovah your God has heard. And you shall lift up prayer for the rest who are left.
And the chief cupbearer returned and found the king of Assyria warring against Libnah, for he had heard that he had departed from Lachish.
And the king of Assyria sent Tartan, and the chief of the eunuchs, and the chief of the cupbearers from Lachish, to King Hezekiah with a great army against Jerusalem. And they went up and came to Jerusalem. And when they had come up, they came and stood by the conduit of the upper pool, which is in the highway of the Fuller's Field. And they called to the king. And Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the house, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph the recorder, went out to them. And the chief of the cupbearers said to them, Speak now to Hezekiah, So says the great king, the king of Assyria, What hope is this in which you trust? read more.
Do you say that a mere word of the lips is wisdom and strength for the war? Now on whom do you trust that you rebel against me? Now, behold, you trust on the staff of this bruised reed, on Egypt, on which if a man leans, it will go into his hand and pierce it. So is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who trust on him. But if you say to me, We trust in Jehovah our God, is He not the one whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah has taken away, and has said to Judah and Jerusalem, You shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem? And now, please give pledges to my lord the king of Assyria, and I will deliver two thousand horses to you if you are able to set riders on them. And how will you turn away the face of one commander of the least of my master's servants, and put your trust in Egypt for chariots and for horsemen? Have I now come up against this place to destroy it without Jehovah? Jehovah said to me, Go up against this land and destroy it. Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, and Shebna, and Joah said to the chief of the cupbearers, Please speak to your servants in Aramaic, for we understand. And do not talk with us in Jewish, in the ears of the people who are on the wall. And the chief of the cupbearers said to them, Has my master sent me to your master and to you, to speak these words, and not to the men who sit on the wall, to eat their own dung and drink their own urine with you? And the chief of the cupbearers stood and cried with a loud voice in Jewish, and spoke, saying, Hear the word of the great king, the king of Assyria: so says the king, Do not let Hezekiah deceive you. For he shall not be able to deliver you out of his hand. And do not let Hezekiah make you trust in Jehovah, saying, Jehovah will surely deliver us, and this city shall not be delivered into the hands of the king of Assyria. Do not listen to Hezekiah. For so says the king of Assyria, Make with me a blessing, and come out to me, and you each shall eat of his vine, and each of his fig tree, and you each shall drink of the waters of his own cistern, until 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 oil and of honey, and live, and not die. And do not listen to Hezekiah when he deceives you, saying, Jehovah will deliver us. Has any of the gods of the nations at all delivered his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria? Where are the gods of Hamath and of Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivah? Have they delivered Samaria out of my hand? Who among all the gods of the lands have delivered their land out of my hand, that Jehovah should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand? But the people kept silent and did not answer him a word. For the king's command was, saying, Do not answer him.
Do you say that a mere word of the lips is wisdom and strength for the war? Now on whom do you trust that you rebel against me? Now, behold, you trust on the staff of this bruised reed, on Egypt, on which if a man leans, it will go into his hand and pierce it. So is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who trust on him. But if you say to me, We trust in Jehovah our God, is He not the one whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah has taken away, and has said to Judah and Jerusalem, You shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem? And now, please give pledges to my lord the king of Assyria, and I will deliver two thousand horses to you if you are able to set riders on them. And how will you turn away the face of one commander of the least of my master's servants, and put your trust in Egypt for chariots and for horsemen? Have I now come up against this place to destroy it without Jehovah? Jehovah said to me, Go up against this land and destroy it. Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, and Shebna, and Joah said to the chief of the cupbearers, Please speak to your servants in Aramaic, for we understand. And do not talk with us in Jewish, in the ears of the people who are on the wall. And the chief of the cupbearers said to them, Has my master sent me to your master and to you, to speak these words, and not to the men who sit on the wall, to eat their own dung and drink their own urine with you? And the chief of the cupbearers stood and cried with a loud voice in Jewish, and spoke, saying, Hear the word of the great king, the king of Assyria: so says the king, Do not let Hezekiah deceive you. For he shall not be able to deliver you out of his hand. And do not let Hezekiah make you trust in Jehovah, saying, Jehovah will surely deliver us, and this city shall not be delivered into the hands of the king of Assyria. Do not listen to Hezekiah. For so says the king of Assyria, Make with me a blessing, and come out to me, and you each shall eat of his vine, and each of his fig tree, and you each shall drink of the waters of his own cistern, until 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 oil and of honey, and live, and not die. And do not listen to Hezekiah when he deceives you, saying, Jehovah will deliver us. Has any of the gods of the nations at all delivered his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria? Where are the gods of Hamath and of Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivah? Have they delivered Samaria out of my hand? Who among all the gods of the lands have delivered their land out of my hand, that Jehovah should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand? But the people kept silent and did not answer him a word. For the king's command was, saying, Do not answer him.
Sennacherib » Invades judah; lays siege to jerusalem, but abandons the country and returns to assyria
And the king of Assyria sent Tartan, and the chief of the eunuchs, and the chief of the cupbearers from Lachish, to King Hezekiah with a great army against Jerusalem. And they went up and came to Jerusalem. And when they had come up, they came and stood by the conduit of the upper pool, which is in the highway of the Fuller's Field. And they called to the king. And Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the house, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph the recorder, went out to them. And the chief of the cupbearers said to them, Speak now to Hezekiah, So says the great king, the king of Assyria, What hope is this in which you trust? read more.
Do you say that a mere word of the lips is wisdom and strength for the war? Now on whom do you trust that you rebel against me? Now, behold, you trust on the staff of this bruised reed, on Egypt, on which if a man leans, it will go into his hand and pierce it. So is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who trust on him. But if you say to me, We trust in Jehovah our God, is He not the one whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah has taken away, and has said to Judah and Jerusalem, You shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem? And now, please give pledges to my lord the king of Assyria, and I will deliver two thousand horses to you if you are able to set riders on them. And how will you turn away the face of one commander of the least of my master's servants, and put your trust in Egypt for chariots and for horsemen? Have I now come up against this place to destroy it without Jehovah? Jehovah said to me, Go up against this land and destroy it. Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, and Shebna, and Joah said to the chief of the cupbearers, Please speak to your servants in Aramaic, for we understand. And do not talk with us in Jewish, in the ears of the people who are on the wall. And the chief of the cupbearers said to them, Has my master sent me to your master and to you, to speak these words, and not to the men who sit on the wall, to eat their own dung and drink their own urine with you? And the chief of the cupbearers stood and cried with a loud voice in Jewish, and spoke, saying, Hear the word of the great king, the king of Assyria: so says the king, Do not let Hezekiah deceive you. For he shall not be able to deliver you out of his hand. And do not let Hezekiah make you trust in Jehovah, saying, Jehovah will surely deliver us, and this city shall not be delivered into the hands of the king of Assyria. Do not listen to Hezekiah. For so says the king of Assyria, Make with me a blessing, and come out to me, and you each shall eat of his vine, and each of his fig tree, and you each shall drink of the waters of his own cistern, until 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 oil and of honey, and live, and not die. And do not listen to Hezekiah when he deceives you, saying, Jehovah will deliver us. Has any of the gods of the nations at all delivered his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria? Where are the gods of Hamath and of Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivah? Have they delivered Samaria out of my hand? Who among all the gods of the lands have delivered their land out of my hand, that Jehovah should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand? But the people kept silent and did not answer him a word. For the king's command was, saying, Do not answer him. And Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph the recorder, came to Hezekiah with their clothes torn. And they told him the words of the chief of the cupbearers.
Do you say that a mere word of the lips is wisdom and strength for the war? Now on whom do you trust that you rebel against me? Now, behold, you trust on the staff of this bruised reed, on Egypt, on which if a man leans, it will go into his hand and pierce it. So is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who trust on him. But if you say to me, We trust in Jehovah our God, is He not the one whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah has taken away, and has said to Judah and Jerusalem, You shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem? And now, please give pledges to my lord the king of Assyria, and I will deliver two thousand horses to you if you are able to set riders on them. And how will you turn away the face of one commander of the least of my master's servants, and put your trust in Egypt for chariots and for horsemen? Have I now come up against this place to destroy it without Jehovah? Jehovah said to me, Go up against this land and destroy it. Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, and Shebna, and Joah said to the chief of the cupbearers, Please speak to your servants in Aramaic, for we understand. And do not talk with us in Jewish, in the ears of the people who are on the wall. And the chief of the cupbearers said to them, Has my master sent me to your master and to you, to speak these words, and not to the men who sit on the wall, to eat their own dung and drink their own urine with you? And the chief of the cupbearers stood and cried with a loud voice in Jewish, and spoke, saying, Hear the word of the great king, the king of Assyria: so says the king, Do not let Hezekiah deceive you. For he shall not be able to deliver you out of his hand. And do not let Hezekiah make you trust in Jehovah, saying, Jehovah will surely deliver us, and this city shall not be delivered into the hands of the king of Assyria. Do not listen to Hezekiah. For so says the king of Assyria, Make with me a blessing, and come out to me, and you each shall eat of his vine, and each of his fig tree, and you each shall drink of the waters of his own cistern, until 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 oil and of honey, and live, and not die. And do not listen to Hezekiah when he deceives you, saying, Jehovah will deliver us. Has any of the gods of the nations at all delivered his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria? Where are the gods of Hamath and of Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivah? Have they delivered Samaria out of my hand? Who among all the gods of the lands have delivered their land out of my hand, that Jehovah should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand? But the people kept silent and did not answer him a word. For the king's command was, saying, Do not answer him. And Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph the recorder, came to Hezekiah with their clothes torn. And they told him the words of the chief of the cupbearers.
And the chief cupbearer returned and found the king of Assyria warring against Libnah, for he had heard that he had departed from Lachish.
After these things done in faithfulness, Sennacherib, the king of Assyria, came and entered into Judah, and camped against the fortified cities, and commanded to break them open to himself. And when Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come, and that he had set his face to fight against Jerusalem, he took counsel with his rulers and his mighty men to stop the waters of the fountains outside the city. And they helped him. read more.
And there were gathered many people, who stopped all the fountains, and the torrent which ran through the midst of the land, saying, Why should the king of Assyria come and find much water? And he made himself strong and built up all the wall that was broken, and raised it up to the towers, and another wall outside, and repaired Millo in the city of David, and made darts and shields in abundance. And he set commanders of war over the people and gathered them to himself in the street of the gate of the city. And he spoke to their heart, saying, Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of the king of Assyria, or for all the multitude with him. For there are more with us than with him. With him is an arm of flesh, but with us is Jehovah our God to help us and to fight our battles. And the people rested themselves on the words of Hezekiah king of Judah. After this Sennacherib king of Assyria sent his servants to Jerusalem; and he was against Lachish, and all his forces with him against Hezekiah king of Judah, and against all Judah in Jerusalem, saying, Sennacherib king of Assyria says this, On what do you trust that you sit under siege in Jerusalem? Does not Hezekiah persuade you to give yourselves over to die by famine and by thirst, saying, Jehovah our God shall deliver us out of the hand of the king of Assyria? Has not the same Hezekiah taken away his high places and his altars, and commanded Judah and Jerusalem, saying, You shall worship before one altar and burn incense on it? Do you not know what I and my fathers have done to all the people of other lands? Were the gods of the nations of those lands in any way able to deliver their lands out of my hands? Who among all the gods of those nations that my fathers completely destroyed is able to deliver his people out of my hand, that your God should be able to deliver you out of my hand? And now do not let Hezekiah deceive you or persuade you in this way, nor yet believe him. For no god of any nation was able to deliver his people out of my hand, and out of the hand of my fathers. How much less shall your God deliver you out of my hand? And his servants spoke still more against Jehovah God, and against His servant Hezekiah. He also wrote letters to revile Jehovah, the 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 my hand, so shall not the God of Hezekiah deliver His people out of my hand. And they cried out with a loud voice in Jewish to the people of Jerusalem on the wall, in order to frighten them and to trouble them, so that they might take the city. And they spoke against the God of Jerusalem, as against the gods of the peoples of the earth, the work of the hands of man. And for this reason Hezekiah the king, and the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz, prayed and cried to Heaven. And Jehovah sent an angel to cut off all the mighty men of power, and the leaders and commanders in the camp of the king of Assyria. And he returned with shame of face to his own land. And he came into the house of his god, and those from his own bowels killed him there with the sword. And Jehovah saved Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib the king of Assyria, and from the hand of all others, and guided them on every side. And many brought gifts to Jehovah to Jerusalem, and presents to Hezekiah king of Judah, so that he was magnified in the sight of all nations from that time on.
And there were gathered many people, who stopped all the fountains, and the torrent which ran through the midst of the land, saying, Why should the king of Assyria come and find much water? And he made himself strong and built up all the wall that was broken, and raised it up to the towers, and another wall outside, and repaired Millo in the city of David, and made darts and shields in abundance. And he set commanders of war over the people and gathered them to himself in the street of the gate of the city. And he spoke to their heart, saying, Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of the king of Assyria, or for all the multitude with him. For there are more with us than with him. With him is an arm of flesh, but with us is Jehovah our God to help us and to fight our battles. And the people rested themselves on the words of Hezekiah king of Judah. After this Sennacherib king of Assyria sent his servants to Jerusalem; and he was against Lachish, and all his forces with him against Hezekiah king of Judah, and against all Judah in Jerusalem, saying, Sennacherib king of Assyria says this, On what do you trust that you sit under siege in Jerusalem? Does not Hezekiah persuade you to give yourselves over to die by famine and by thirst, saying, Jehovah our God shall deliver us out of the hand of the king of Assyria? Has not the same Hezekiah taken away his high places and his altars, and commanded Judah and Jerusalem, saying, You shall worship before one altar and burn incense on it? Do you not know what I and my fathers have done to all the people of other lands? Were the gods of the nations of those lands in any way able to deliver their lands out of my hands? Who among all the gods of those nations that my fathers completely destroyed is able to deliver his people out of my hand, that your God should be able to deliver you out of my hand? And now do not let Hezekiah deceive you or persuade you in this way, nor yet believe him. For no god of any nation was able to deliver his people out of my hand, and out of the hand of my fathers. How much less shall your God deliver you out of my hand? And his servants spoke still more against Jehovah God, and against His servant Hezekiah. He also wrote letters to revile Jehovah, the 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 my hand, so shall not the God of Hezekiah deliver His people out of my hand. And they cried out with a loud voice in Jewish to the people of Jerusalem on the wall, in order to frighten them and to trouble them, so that they might take the city. And they spoke against the God of Jerusalem, as against the gods of the peoples of the earth, the work of the hands of man. And for this reason Hezekiah the king, and the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz, prayed and cried to Heaven. And Jehovah sent an angel to cut off all the mighty men of power, and the leaders and commanders in the camp of the king of Assyria. And he returned with shame of face to his own land. And he came into the house of his god, and those from his own bowels killed him there with the sword. And Jehovah saved Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib the king of Assyria, and from the hand of all others, and guided them on every side. And many brought gifts to Jehovah to Jerusalem, and presents to Hezekiah king of Judah, so that he was magnified in the sight of all nations from that time on.