Isaiah 36

In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against the fortified cities of Judah. Rabshakeh stood before the walls of Jerusalem and mocked the God of Israel, urging the people to surrender and not trust in Hezekiah or the LORD.

v	King James Version	Modern English
1	Now it came to pass in the fourteenth year of king Hezekiah, that Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the defenced cities of Judah, and took them.	In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the fortified cities of Judah and captured them.
2	And the king of Assyria sent Rabshakeh from Lachish to Jerusalem unto king Hezekiah with a great army. And he stood by the conduit of the upper pool in the highway of the fuller's field.	The king of Assyria sent the Rabshakeh from Lachish to Jerusalem to King Hezekiah with a large army. He stood by the conduit of the upper pool on the road to the field of the launderer.
3	Then came forth unto him Eliakim, Hilkiah's son, which was over the house, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah, Asaph's son, the recorder.	Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, came out to him along with Shebna the secretary and Joah the son of Asaph, the recorder.
4	And Rabshakeh said unto them, Say ye now to Hezekiah, Thus saith the great king, the king of Assyria, What confidence is this wherein thou trustest?	The Rabshakeh said to them, "Say to Hezekiah: 'Thus says the great king, the king of Assyria: What is this confidence in which you trust?
5	I say, sayest thou, (but they are but vain words) I have counsel and strength for war: now on whom dost thou trust, that thou rebellest against me?	You say — but they are empty words — "I have a plan and strength for war." On whom do you now rely, that you have rebelled against me?
6	Lo, thou trustest in the staff of this broken reed, on Egypt; whereon if a man lean, it will go into his hand, and pierce it: so is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all that trust in him.	You are trusting in Egypt — that broken reed of a staff — which pierces the hand of any man who leans on it. That is what Pharaoh king of Egypt is to all who trust in him.
7	But if thou say to me, We trust in the LORD our God: is it not he, whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah hath taken away, and said to Judah and to Jerusalem, Ye shall worship before this altar?	But if You say to me, "We trust in the LORD our God," is He not the One whose high places and altars Hezekiah has removed, saying to Judah and to Jerusalem, "You shall worship before this altar"?
8	Now therefore give pledges, I pray thee, to my master the king of Assyria, and I will give thee two thousand horses, if thou be able on thy part to set riders upon them.	Come now, make a wager with my master the king of Assyria: I will give you two thousand horses, if you are able to put riders on them.
9	How then wilt thou turn away the face of one captain of the least of my master's servants, and put thy trust on Egypt for chariots and for horsemen?	How then can you repulse even one captain among the least of my master's servants — when you rely on Egypt for chariots and horsemen?
10	And am I now come up without the LORD against this land to destroy it? the LORD said unto me, Go up against this land, and destroy it.	Moreover, have I come up against this land without the LORD? The LORD said to me, "Go up against this land and destroy it." ' "
11	Then said Eliakim and Shebna and Joah unto Rabshakeh, Speak, I pray thee, unto thy servants in the Syrian language; for we understand it: and speak not to us in the Jews' language, in the ears of the people that are on the wall.	Then Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah said to the Rabshakeh, "Please speak to your servants in Aramaic, for we understand it. Do not speak to us in the language of Judah in the hearing of the people on the wall."
12	But Rabshakeh said, Hath my master sent me to thy master and to thee to speak these words? hath he not sent me to the men that sit upon the wall, that they may eat their own dung, and drink their own piss with you?	But the Rabshakeh said, "Has my master sent me to speak these words to Your master and to You — and not to the men sitting on the wall, who are doomed with You to eat their own dung and drink their own urine?"
13	Then Rabshakeh stood, and cried with a loud voice in the Jews' language, and said, Hear ye the words of the great king, the king of Assyria:	Then the Rabshakeh stood and called out in a loud voice in the language of Judah: "Hear the words of the great king, the king of Assyria!
14	Thus saith the king, Let not Hezekiah deceive you: for he shall not be able to deliver you.	Thus says the king: 'Do not let Hezekiah deceive you, for he will not be able to deliver you.
15	Neither let Hezekiah make you trust in the LORD, saying, The LORD will surely deliver us: this city shall not be delivered into the hand of the king of Assyria.	Do not let Hezekiah make you trust in the LORD, saying, "The LORD will surely deliver us. This city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria."
16	Hearken not to Hezekiah: for thus saith the king of Assyria, Make an agreement with me by a present, and come out to me: and eat ye every one of his vine, and every one of his fig tree, and drink ye every one the waters of his own cistern;	Do not listen to Hezekiah.' For thus says the king of Assyria: 'Make peace with me and come out to me. Then each of you will eat from his own vine and his own fig tree and drink from his own cistern,
17	Until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of corn and wine, a land of bread and vineyards.	until I come and take you to a land like your own land — a land of grain and wine, a land of bread and vineyards.
18	Beware lest Hezekiah persuade you, saying, The LORD will deliver us. Hath any of the gods of the nations delivered his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria?	Beware lest Hezekiah mislead you by saying, "The LORD will deliver us." Has any of the gods of the nations delivered his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria?
19	Where are the gods of Hamath and Arphad? where are the gods of Sepharvaim? and have they delivered Samaria out of my hand?	Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim? Did they deliver Samaria from my hand?
20	Who are they among all the gods of these lands, that have delivered their land out of my hand, that the LORD should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?	Who among all the gods of these lands have delivered their lands from my hand, that the LORD should deliver Jerusalem from my hand?' "
21	But they held their peace, and answered him not a word: for the king's commandment was, saying, Answer him not.	But they were silent and answered him not a word, for the king's command was, "Do not answer him."
22	Then came Eliakim, the son of Hilkiah, that was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah, the son of Asaph, the recorder, to Hezekiah with their clothes rent, and told him the words of Rabshakeh.	Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, Shebna the secretary, and Joah the son of Asaph, the recorder, came to Hezekiah with their clothes torn and told him the words of the Rabshakeh.