Isaiah 36

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.

1It was the fourteenth year that Hezekiah was king of Judah. Sennacherib, the king of Assyria, attacked all the strong walled cities of Judah. He captured them.

2And 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.

2The king of Assyria sent an officer called the Rabshakeh from the town of Lachish to Jerusalem. He came with a big army to speak to King Hezekiah. He stopped by the water channel of the upper pool. That was on the road by the field where people washed cloth.

Note"Rabshakeh" is a job title, not a name. It means a high officer of the king of Assyria. The "fuller's field" was where workers washed and dried cloth.

3Then came forth unto him Eliakim, Hilkiah’s son, which was over the house, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah, Asaph’s son, the recorder.

3Three men came out to meet him. One was Eliakim son of Hilkiah, who ran the king's palace. One was Shebna the scribe, the man who wrote things down. One was Joah son of Asaph, who kept the records.

4And 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?

4The Rabshakeh said to them, "Take this message to Hezekiah. The great king, the king of Assyria, asks you this. What makes you feel so safe?

5I 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?

5You say you have plans and strength for war. But those are only empty words. Who are you really trusting, that you dare to turn against me?

6Lo, 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.

6Look, you are trusting Egypt. Egypt is like a cracked walking stick. If you lean on it, it breaks and cuts your hand. Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, is like that to everyone who trusts him.

7But 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?

7Maybe you will tell me, 'We trust the LORD our God.' But he is the same God whose hilltop worship places and altars Hezekiah took away. Hezekiah told Judah and Jerusalem to worship at one altar only.

8Now 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.

8So make a deal now with my master, the king of Assyria. I will even hand you two thousand horses. But could you find enough riders to sit on them?

9How 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?

9You could not even push back one small officer of my master's servants. Yet you count on Egypt to send you chariots and horsemen.

10And 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.

10Do you think I came to destroy this land without the LORD? The LORD himself told me to come up and destroy it."

11Then 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.

11Then Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah said to the Rabshakeh, "Please speak to us in Aramaic. We understand that language. Do not speak Hebrew. The people on the wall can hear you."

NoteThe KJV says "the Syrian language" and "the Jews' language." Those mean Aramaic and Hebrew. The leaders wanted a language the people on the wall would not understand.

12But 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?

12But the Rabshakeh said, "My master did not send me to talk only to you and your king. He sent me to the men sitting on the wall too. They will have to eat their own waste and drink their own urine, just like you."

13Then 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.

13Then the Rabshakeh stood up and shouted in Hebrew so all could hear. He said, "Listen to the words of the great king, the king of Assyria!

14Thus saith the king, Let not Hezekiah deceive you: for he shall not be able to deliver you.

14The king says this. Do not let Hezekiah fool you. He cannot save you.

15Neither 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.

15Do not let Hezekiah talk you into trusting the LORD. He says the LORD will surely save you. He says this city will never be handed to the king of Assyria.

16Hearken 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;

16Do not listen to Hezekiah. The king of Assyria says this. Make peace with me and come out to me. Then each of you will eat from your own grapevine and your own fig tree. Each of you will drink water from your own well.

NoteA cistern is a tank or pit that holds rainwater. In the story it means each family drinking from its own water supply at home.

17Until 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.

17You will live that way until I come and take you away. I will bring you to a land like your own. It has grain and new wine, bread and vineyards.

18Beware 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?

18Watch out, so Hezekiah does not trick you by saying the LORD will save you. Has any nation's god ever saved his land from the king of Assyria?

19Where are the gods of Hamath and Arphad? where are the gods of Sepharvaim? and have they delivered Samaria out of my hand?

19Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim? Did they save the city of Samaria from me?

20Who 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?

20Which god of all these lands ever saved his land from me? So how could the LORD save Jerusalem from me?"

21But they held their peace, and answered him not a word: for the king’s commandment was, saying, Answer him not.

21But the people stayed quiet. They did not answer him one word. King Hezekiah had told them, "Do not answer him."

22Then 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.

22Then Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah went back to Hezekiah. Their clothes were torn, the way people showed deep sadness. They told him everything the Rabshakeh had said.