Sennacherib’s Invasion

¹³ In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria attacked all the fortified cities of Judah and captured them.^(A)

¹⁷ Then the king of Assyria sent the Tartan,^(A) the Rab-saris, and the Rabshakeh, along with a massive army, from Lachish to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem.^(B) They advanced and came to Jerusalem, and^[a] they took their position by the aqueduct of the upper pool, which is by the highway to the Fuller’s Field.^{(C) 18} Then they called for the king, but Eliakim^(D) son of Hilkiah, who was in charge of the palace, Shebnah^(E) the court secretary, and Joah son of Asaph, the court historian, came out to them.^(F)

The Rabshakeh’s Speech

¹⁹ Then^(G) the Rabshakeh said to them, “Tell Hezekiah this is what the great king, the king of Assyria, says: ‘What are you relying on?^{[b](H) 20} You think mere words are strategy and strength for war. What are you now relying on so that you have rebelled against me?^{(I) 21} Look, you are now trusting in Egypt, that splintered reed of a staff^(J) that will enter and pierce the hand of anyone who leans on it.^(K) This is how Pharaoh king of Egypt is to all who trust in him. ²² Suppose you say to me: We trust in the Lord our God. Isn’t He the One whose high places and altars Hezekiah has removed,^(L) saying to Judah and to Jerusalem: You must worship at this altar in Jerusalem?’

²³ “So now make a bargain with my master the king of Assyria. I’ll give you 2,000 horses if you’re able to supply riders for them! ²⁴ How then can you drive back a single officer^(M) among the least of my master’s servants and trust in Egypt for chariots and for horsemen? ²⁵ Have I attacked this place to destroy it without the Lord’s approval?^(N) The Lord said to me, ‘Attack this land and destroy it.’”

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

²⁷ But the Rabshakeh said to them, “Has my master sent me only to your master and to you to speak these words? Hasn’t he also sent me to the men who sit on the wall, destined with you to eat their own excrement and drink their own urine?”^(P)

²⁸ The Rabshakeh stood and called out loudly in Hebrew.^[d] Then he spoke: “Hear the word of the great king, the king of Assyria. ²⁹ This is what the king says: ‘Don’t let Hezekiah deceive^(Q) you; he can’t deliver you from my hand.^{(R) 30} Don’t let Hezekiah persuade you to trust in the Lord by saying: Certainly the Lord will deliver us! This city will not be handed over to the king of Assyria.’^(S)

³¹ “Don’t listen to Hezekiah, for this is what the king of Assyria says: ‘Make peace^[e] with me and surrender to me. Then every one of you may eat from his own vine and his own fig tree,^(T) and every one may drink water from his own cistern ³² until I come and take you away to a land like your own land—a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of olive trees and honey^(U)—so that you may live^(V) and not die. But don’t listen to Hezekiah when he misleads you, saying: The Lord will deliver us. ³³ Has any of the gods of the nations ever delivered^(W) his land from the power of the king of Assyria? ³⁴ Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah?^[f] Have they delivered Samaria from my hand?^{(X) 35} Who among all the gods of the lands has delivered his land from my power? So will the Lord deliver Jerusalem?’”^(Y)

³⁶ But the people kept silent; they didn’t say anything, for the king’s command was, “Don’t answer him.” 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,^(Z) came to Hezekiah with their clothes torn^(AA) and reported to him the words of the Rabshakeh.

Sennacherib’s Invasion

32 After these faithful deeds, Sennacherib king of Assyria came and entered Judah. He laid siege to the fortified cities and intended^[a] to break into them.^{(A) 2} Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come and that he planned^[b] war on Jerusalem, ³ so he consulted with his officials and his warriors about stopping up the waters of the springs that were outside the city, and they helped him. ⁴ Many people gathered and stopped up all the springs^(B) and the stream that flowed through the land;^(C) they said, “Why should the kings of Assyria come and find plenty of water?” ⁵ Then Hezekiah strengthened his position by rebuilding the entire broken-down wall^(D) and heightening the towers and the other outside wall.^(E) He repaired the supporting terraces^(F) of the city of David, and made an abundance of weapons and shields.

⁶ He set military commanders over the people and gathered the people in the square of the city gate. Then he encouraged them,^[c](G) saying, ⁷ “Be strong and courageous!^(H) Don’t be afraid or discouraged before the king of Assyria or before the large army that is with him, for there are more with us than with him.^{(I) 8} He has only human strength,^[d] but we have Yahweh our God to help us and to fight our battles.”^(J) So the people relied on the words of King Hezekiah of Judah.

Sennacherib’s Servant’s Speech

⁹ After this,^(K) while Sennacherib king of Assyria with all his armed forces besieged^[e] Lachish, he sent his servants to Jerusalem against King Hezekiah of Judah and against all those of Judah who were in Jerusalem, saying, ¹⁰ “This is what King Sennacherib of Assyria says: ‘What are you relying on that you remain in Jerusalem under siege? ¹¹ Isn’t Hezekiah misleading you to give you over to death by famine and thirst when he says, “Yahweh our God will deliver us from the power of the king of Assyria”? ¹² Didn’t Hezekiah himself remove His high places and His altars^(L) and say to Judah and Jerusalem, “You must worship before one altar, and you must burn incense on it”?

¹³ “‘Don’t you know^(M) what I and my fathers have done to all the peoples of the lands? Have any of the national gods of the lands been able to deliver their land from my power? ¹⁴ Who among all the gods of these nations that my predecessors completely destroyed was able to deliver his people from my power, that your God should be able to do the same for you?^{(N) 15} So now,^(O) don’t let Hezekiah deceive you, and don’t let him mislead you like this. Don’t believe him, for no god of any nation or kingdom has been able to deliver his people from my power or the power of my fathers. How much less will your God deliver you from my power!’”

¹⁶ His servants said more against the Lord God and against His servant Hezekiah.

¹⁸ Then they called out loudly in Hebrew^[a] to the people of Jerusalem, who were on the wall, to frighten and discourage them in order that he might capture the city.