ff of this
bruised reed, even upon 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
on him. But if thou say to me, We trust in the Lord our God: is not
that he, whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah hath taken away,
and hath said to Judah and to Jerusalem, Ye shall worship before this
altar? Now therefore, I pray thee, give pledges 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 canst 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?"

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 {273} 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 given into the hand of the king of Assyria.' Hearken not
to Hezekiah: for thus saith the king of Assyria, 'Make your peace with
me, and come out to me; and eat ye every one of his vine, and everyone
of his fig tree, and drink ye everyone 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? Who are they among all the gods of these countries, that have
delivered their country 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, "Answer him not."

Then came Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, that was over the household, and
Shebna