Sennacherib Threatens Jerusalem
(2 Kings 18:13–37; 2 Chronicles 32:1–8)

1Nowe in the fourteenth yeere of King Hezekiah, Saneherib King of Asshur came vp against al the strong cities of Iudah, & tooke them. 2And the King of Asshur sent Rabshakeh from Lachish toward Ierusalem vnto King Hezekiah, with a great hoste, & he stood by ye conduite of the vpper poole in the path of the fullers fielde. 3Then came foorth vnto him Eliakim the sonne of Hilkiah the steward of the house, and Shebna the chanceler, and Ioah the sonne of Asaph the recorder.

4And Rabshakeh sayde vnto them, Tell you Hezekiah, I pray you, Thus sayth the great King, the King of Asshur, What confidence is this, wherein thou trustest? 5I say, Surely I haue eloquence, but counsell and strength are for the warre: on whom then doest thou trust, that thou rebellest against me? 6Loe, thou trustest in this broken staffe of reede on Egypt, whereupon if a man leane, it will goe into his hand, and pearce it: so is Pharaoh King of Egypt, vnto all that trust in him. 7But if thou say to me, We trust in the Lord our God. Is not that he, whose hie places & whose altars Hezekiah tooke downe, & said to Iudah & to Ierusalem, Ye shall worship before this altar? 8Nowe therefore giue hostages to my lorde the King of Asshur, and I wil giue thee two thousand horses, if thou be able on thy part to set riders vpon them. 9For howe canst thou despise any captaine of the least of my lordes seruants? and put thy trust on Egypt for charets and for horsemen? 10And am I now come vp without the Lord to this land to destroy it? The Lord sayd vnto me, Goe vp against this land and destroy it.

11Then sayd Eliakim and Shebna and Ioah vnto Rabshakeh, Speake, I pray thee, to thy seruants in the Aramites language, (for we vnderstand it) & talke not with vs in the Iewes tongue, in the audience of the people that are on the wall. 12Then said Rabshakeh, Hath my master sent me to thy master, and to thee to speake these wordes, and not to the men that sit on the wall? that they may eate their owne doung, and drinke their owne pisse with you?

13So Rabshakeh stood, & cryed with a loude voyce in the Iewes language, and sayd, Heare the wordes of the great King, of the King of Asshur. 14Thus saith the King, Let not Hezekiah deceiue you: for he shall not be able to deliuer you. 15Neither let Hezekiah make you to trust in the Lord, saying, The Lorde will surely deliuer vs: this citie shal not be giuen ouer into the hand of the King of Asshur. 16Hearken not to Hezekiah: for thus sayth the King of Asshur, Make appointment with me, and come out to me, that euery man may eate of his owne vine, & euery man of his owne fig tree, and drinke euery man the water of his owne well, 17Till I come and bring you to a land like your owne land, euen a land of wheate, and wine, a land of bread and vineyardes, 18Least Hezekiah deceiue you, saying, The Lord wil deliuer vs. Hath any of the gods of the nations deliuered his land out of the hand of the King of Asshur? 19Where is the god of Hamath, and of Arpad? where is the god of Sepharuaim? or howe haue they deliuered Samaria out of mine hand? 20Who is hee among all the gods of these lands, that hath deliuered their countrey out of mine hand, that the Lorde should deliuer Ierusalem out of mine hand?

21Then they kept silence, and answered him not a worde: for the Kings commandement was, saying, Answere him not. 22Then came Eliakim the sonne of Hilkiah the steward of the house, and Shebna the chanceller, and Ioah the sonne of Asaph the recorder, vnto Hezekiah with rent clothes, and tolde him the wordes of Rabshakeh.