¹⁸ They called for the king, but Eliakim^(A) son of Hilkiah, who was in charge of the palace, Shebnah^(B) the court secretary, and Joah son of Asaph, the court historian, came out to them.^(C)

²⁶ Then Eliakim son of Hilkiah, Shebnah, and Joah said to the royal spokesman, “Please speak to your servants in Aramaic,^(A) since we understand it. Don’t speak with us in Hebrew^[a] within earshot of the people on the wall.”

³⁷ Then Eliakim son of Hilkiah, who was in charge of the palace, Shebna the court secretary, and Joah son of Asaph, the court historian,^(A) came to Hezekiah with their clothes torn^(B) and reported to him the words of the royal spokesman.

³ Eliakim son of Hilkiah, who was in charge of the palace, Shebna the court secretary,^(A) and Joah son of Asaph, the court historian, came out to him.

¹¹ Then Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah said to the royal spokesman, “Please speak to your servants in Aramaic,^(A) since we understand it. Don’t speak to us in Hebrew^[a] within earshot of the people who are on the wall.”

²² Then Eliakim son of Hilkiah, who was in charge of the palace, Shebna the court secretary, and Joah son of Asaph, the court historian, came to Hezekiah with their clothes torn and reported to him the words of the royal spokesman.

² He sent Eliakim, who was in charge of the palace, Shebna the court secretary, and the leading priests, who were covered with sackcloth, to the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz.