28 Then the Rabshakeh stood and called out with a loud voice in [a]Hebrew, and spoke, saying, “Hear the word of the great king, the king of Assyria! 29 Thus says the king: (A)‘Do not let Hezekiah deceive you, for he shall not be able to deliver you from his hand; 30 nor let Hezekiah make you trust in the Lord, saying, “The Lord will surely deliver us; this city shall not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.” ’ 31 Do not listen to Hezekiah; for thus says the king of Assyria: ‘Make peace with me [b]by a present and come out to me; and every one of you eat from his own (B)vine and every one from his own fig tree, and every one of you drink the waters of his own cistern; 32 until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, (C)a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of olive groves and honey, that you may live and not die. But do not listen to Hezekiah, lest he persuade you, saying, “The Lord will deliver us.” 33 (D)Has any of the gods of the nations at all delivered its land from the hand of the king of Assyria? 34 Where are the gods of (E)Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim and Hena and (F)Ivah? Indeed, have they delivered Samaria from my hand? 35 Who among all the gods of the lands have delivered their countries from my hand, (G)that the Lord should deliver Jerusalem from my hand?’ ”

36 But the people held their peace and answered him not a word; for the king’s commandment was, “Do not answer him.” 37 Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, Shebna the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph, the recorder, came to Hezekiah (H)with their clothes torn, and told him the words of the Rabshakeh.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 18:28 Lit. Judean
  2. 2 Kings 18:31 By paying tribute

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