The field commander at the wall
In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the fortified cities of Judah and took them. The king of Assyria sent Rabshakeh from Lachish to Jerusalem, to King Hezekiah, with a great army. He stood by the conduit of the upper pool on the highway of the fuller's field. And Eliakim son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, went out to him with Shebna the secretary and Joah son of Asaph the recorder. Rabshakeh said to them, ‘Tell Hezekiah, This is what the great king, the king of Assyria, says: What confidence is this that you trust in?’ You reckon a word is as good as a plan and strength for the war. So who are you relying on, that you've rebelled against me? Look, you're relying on Egypt, that cracked walking stick — lean on it and it goes into your hand and runs it through. That's Pharaoh king of Egypt for everyone who relies on him. ‘But if you say to me, We trust in the LORD our God — isn't he the one whose worship shrines and altars Hezekiah has taken away, saying to Judah and Jerusalem, You'll worship before this altar?’ ‘So now, give pledges to my master the king of Assyria, and I'll give you two thousand horses — if you're able to put riders on them.’ So how are you going to turn back one officer, the least of my master's servants, when you're relying on Egypt for chariots and horsemen? ‘Have I now come up without the LORD against this land to destroy it? The LORD said to me, Go up against this land and destroy it.’ Then Eliakim, Shebna and Joah said to Rabshakeh, ‘Please speak to your servants in the Syrian language, because we understand it. Don't speak to us in the Jews' language where the people on the wall can hear.’ But Rabshakeh said, ‘Has my master sent me to your master and to you to speak these words? Hasn't he sent me to the men sitting on the wall, who will eat their own dung and drink their own piss with you?’ Then Rabshakeh stood and cried with a loud voice in the Jews' language: ‘Hear the words of the great king, the king of Assyria.’ This is what the king says: Don't let Hezekiah trick you, because he can't get you out of this. ‘Don't let Hezekiah make you trust in the LORD, saying, The LORD will surely deliver us; this city won't be delivered into the hand of the king of Assyria.’ Don't listen to Hezekiah. Because this is what the king of Assyria says: Make peace with me and come out to me, and every one of you will eat from your own vine and your own fig tree and drink water from your own tank, Until I come and take you to a land like your own — a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards. ‘Don't let Hezekiah persuade you by saying, The LORD will deliver us. Have any of the gods of the nations delivered their land out of the hand of the king of Assyria?’ ‘Where are the gods of Hamath and Arphad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim? Have they delivered Samaria out of my hand?’ Which of all the gods of these countries saved his country out of my hand, that the LORD should save Jerusalem out of my hand? But they kept quiet and didn't answer him a word, because the king had ordered it: Don't answer him. Then Eliakim son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, Shebna the scribe and Joah son of Asaph the recorder came to Hezekiah with their clothes torn and told him the words of Rabshakeh.
In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the fortified towns of Judah and took them. And the king of Assyria sent his field commander from Lachish to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem with a big army. He stood at the aqueduct of the Upper Pool, on the road to the Launderer's Field. And Eliakim son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, went out to him with Shebna the secretary and Joah son of Asaph the recorder. And the field commander said to them: Tell Hezekiah this is what the great king, the king of Assyria, says: What's this confidence you're leaning on? You reckon a word is as good as a plan and strength for the war. So who are you relying on, that you've rebelled against me? Look, you're relying on Egypt, that cracked walking stick — lean on it and it goes into your hand and runs it through. That's Pharaoh king of Egypt for everyone who relies on him. And if you say to me, We rely on the Lord our God — isn't he the one whose high places and altars Hezekiah pulled down, telling Judah and Jerusalem, You'll worship in front of this altar? Right then, make a wager with my master the king of Assyria. I'll give you two thousand horses if you can find riders to put on them. So how are you going to turn back one officer, the least of my master's servants, when you're relying on Egypt for chariots and horsemen? And have I come up against this land to wreck it without the Lord? The Lord said to me: Go up against this land and wreck it. Then Eliakim and Shebna and Joah said to the field commander: Talk to your servants in Aramaic, please — we understand it. Don't talk to us in Hebrew where the people on the wall can hear. But the field commander said: Did my master send me to say this to your master and to you? Or to the men sitting on the wall, who'll have to eat their own filth and drink their own water with you? Then the field commander stood up and shouted in Hebrew: Listen to the words of the great king, the king of Assyria. This is what the king says: Don't let Hezekiah trick you, because he can't get you out of this. And don't let Hezekiah talk you into relying on the Lord, saying, The Lord will get us out of this for sure. This city won't be handed over to the king of Assyria. Don't listen to Hezekiah. Because this is what the king of Assyria says: Make peace with me and come out to me, and every one of you will eat from your own vine and your own fig tree and drink water from your own tank, until I come and take you to a land like your own — a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards. Don't let Hezekiah talk you round with, The Lord will get us out of this. Did any of the gods of the nations save 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? Did they save Samaria out of my hand? Which of all the gods of these countries saved his country out of my hand, that the Lord should save Jerusalem out of my hand? But they kept quiet and didn't answer him a word, because the king had ordered it: Don't answer him. Then Eliakim son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebna the secretary and Joah son of Asaph the recorder came to Hezekiah with their clothes torn, and told him what the field commander had said.
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. 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. 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. 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? 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? 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. 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? 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. 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? 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. 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. 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? 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. Thus saith the king, Let not Hezekiah deceive you: for he shall not be able to deliver you. 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. 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; 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. 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? Where are the gods of Hamath and Arphad? where are the gods of Sepharvaim? and have they delivered Samaria out of my hand? 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? But they held their peace, and answered him not a word: for the king’s commandment was, saying, Answer him not. 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.
In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the fortified cities of Judah and took them.
In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the fortified towns of Judah and took them.
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.
The king of Assyria sent Rabshakeh from Lachish to Jerusalem, to King Hezekiah, with a great army. He stood by the conduit of the upper pool on the highway of the fuller's field.
And the king of Assyria sent his field commander from Lachish to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem with a big army. He stood at the aqueduct of the Upper Pool, on the road to the Launderer's Field.
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.
And Eliakim son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, went out to him with Shebna the secretary and Joah son of Asaph the recorder.
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.
Rabshakeh said to them, ‘Tell Hezekiah, This is what the great king, the king of Assyria, says: What confidence is this that you trust in?’
And the field commander said to them: Tell Hezekiah this is what the great king, the king of Assyria, says: What's this confidence you're leaning on?
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?
You reckon a word is as good as a plan and strength for the war. So who are you relying on, that you've rebelled against me?
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?
Look, you're relying on Egypt, that cracked walking stick — lean on it and it goes into your hand and runs it through. That's Pharaoh king of Egypt for everyone who relies on him.
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.
‘But if you say to me, We trust in the LORD our God — isn't he the one whose worship shrines and altars Hezekiah has taken away, saying to Judah and Jerusalem, You'll worship before this altar?’
And if you say to me, We rely on the Lord our God — isn't he the one whose high places and altars Hezekiah pulled down, telling Judah and Jerusalem, You'll worship in front of this altar?
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?
‘So now, give pledges to my master the king of Assyria, and I'll give you two thousand horses — if you're able to put riders on them.’
Right then, make a wager with my master the king of Assyria. I'll give you two thousand horses if you can find riders to put on them.
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.
So how are you going to turn back one officer, the least of my master's servants, when you're relying on Egypt for chariots and horsemen?
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?
‘Have I now come up without the LORD against this land to destroy it? The LORD said to me, Go up against this land and destroy it.’
And have I come up against this land to wreck it without the Lord? The Lord said to me: Go up against this land and wreck it.
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.
Then Eliakim, Shebna and Joah said to Rabshakeh, ‘Please speak to your servants in the Syrian language, because we understand it. Don't speak to us in the Jews' language where the people on the wall can hear.’
Then Eliakim and Shebna and Joah said to the field commander: Talk to your servants in Aramaic, please — we understand it. Don't talk to us in Hebrew where the people on the wall can hear.
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.
But Rabshakeh said, ‘Has my master sent me to your master and to you to speak these words? Hasn't he sent me to the men sitting on the wall, who will eat their own dung and drink their own piss with you?’
But the field commander said: Did my master send me to say this to your master and to you? Or to the men sitting on the wall, who'll have to eat their own filth and drink their own water with you?
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?
Then Rabshakeh stood and cried with a loud voice in the Jews' language: ‘Hear the words of the great king, the king of Assyria.’
Then the field commander stood up and shouted in Hebrew: Listen to the words of the great king, the king of Assyria.
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.
This is what the king says: Don't let Hezekiah trick you, because he can't get you out of this.
Thus saith the king, Let not Hezekiah deceive you: for he shall not be able to deliver you.
‘Don't let Hezekiah make you trust in the LORD, saying, The LORD will surely deliver us; this city won't be delivered into the hand of the king of Assyria.’
And don't let Hezekiah talk you into relying on the Lord, saying, The Lord will get us out of this for sure. This city won't be handed over to the king of Assyria.
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.
Don't listen to Hezekiah. Because this is what the king of Assyria says: Make peace with me and come out to me, and every one of you will eat from your own vine and your own fig tree and drink water from your own tank,
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;
Until I come and take you to a land like your own — a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards.
until I come and take you to a land like your own — a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards.
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.
‘Don't let Hezekiah persuade you by saying, The LORD will deliver us. Have any of the gods of the nations delivered their land out of the hand of the king of Assyria?’
Don't let Hezekiah talk you round with, The Lord will get us out of this. Did any of the gods of the nations save his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria?
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?
‘Where are the gods of Hamath and Arphad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim? Have they delivered Samaria out of my hand?’
Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim? Did they save Samaria out of my hand?
Where are the gods of Hamath and Arphad? where are the gods of Sepharvaim? and have they delivered Samaria out of my hand?
Which of all the gods of these countries saved his country out of my hand, that the LORD should save Jerusalem out of my hand?
Which of all the gods of these countries saved his country out of my hand, that the Lord should save Jerusalem out of my hand?
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?
But they kept quiet and didn't answer him a word, because the king had ordered it: Don't answer him.
But they held their peace, and answered him not a word: for the king’s commandment was, saying, Answer him not.
Then Eliakim son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, Shebna the scribe and Joah son of Asaph the recorder came to Hezekiah with their clothes torn and told him the words of Rabshakeh.
Then Eliakim son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebna the secretary and Joah son of Asaph the recorder came to Hezekiah with their clothes torn, and told him what the field commander had said.
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.