Isaiah 36:1-12 ▼

1 Now it came to pass in the fourteenth year of the reign of Ezekias, that Sennacherim, king of the Assyrians, came up against the strong cities of Judea, and took them.

2 And the king of the Assyrians sent Rabsaces out of Laches to Jerusalem to king Ezekias with a large force: and he stood by the conduit of the upper pool in the way of the fuller's field.

3 And there went forth to him Heliakim the steward, the son of Chelcias, and Somnas the scribe, and Joach the son of Asaph, the recorder.

4 And Rabsaces said to them, Say to Ezekias, Thus says the great king, the king of the Assyrians, Why art thou secure?

5 Is war carried on with counsel and mere words of the lips? and now on whom dost thou trust, that thou rebellest against me?

6 Behold, thou trustest on this bruised staff of reed, on Egypt: as soon as a man leans upon it, it shall go into his hand, and pierce it: so is Pharao king of Egypt and all that trust in him.

7 But it ye say, We trust in the Lord our God;

8 yet now make an agreement with my lord the king of the Assyrians, and I will give you two thousand horses, if ye shall be able to set riders upon them.

9 And how can ye then turn to the face of the satraps? They that trust on the Egyptians for horse and rider, are our servants.

10 And now, Have we come up against this land to fight against it without the Lord? The Lord said to me, Go up against this land, and destroy it.

11 Then Eliakim and Somnas and Joach said to him, Speak to thy servants in the Syrian tongue; for we understand it : and speak not to us in the Jewish tongue: and wherefore speakest thou in the ears of the men on the wall?

12 And Rabsaces said to them, Has my lord sent me to your lord or to you, to speak these words? has he not sent me to the men that sit on the wall, that they may eat dung, and drink their water together with you?