²¹ But the people were silent and answered not a word, for Hezekiah had told them to say nothing in reply. ²² Then Eliakim (son of Hilkiah), the prime minister, and Shebna, the royal scribe, and Joah (son of Asaph), the royal secretary, went back to Hezekiah with clothes ripped to shreds as a sign of their despair and told him all that had happened.