2Kings:18:17-37

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* And the king of Assyria sent Tartan , and the chief of the eunuchs , and the chief of the cupbearers from Lachish , to king Hezekiah with a heavy force , to Jerusalem . And they went up and came to Jerusalem , and they went up and came in and stood by the conduit of the upper pool that was in the highway of the Fuller 's Field . * And they called to the king , and Eliakim the son of Hilkiah , who was over the house , and Shebna the scribe , and Joah the son of Asaph the recorder went out to them . * And the chief of the cupbearers said to them , Now say to Hezekiah , So says the great king , the king of Assyria , What is this hope in which you have trusted ? * Do you say that a mere word of the lips is counsel and strength for battle ; now , on whom have you trusted that you have rebelled against me ? * Now , behold , you have trusted for yourself on the staff of this broken reed , on Egypt , which if a man lean on it , it will go into his hand and pierce it ! So is Pharaoh the king of Egypt to all those who trust in him . * And when you say to me , We have trusted to Jehovah our God , is it not He whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah has removed , and has said to Judah and to Jerusalem , Before this altar you shall bow yourselves in Jerusalem ? * And , now , I ask you , exchange pledges for yourself to my lord the king of Assyria , and I will give to you two thousand horses if you are able to give for yourself riders on them . * And how will you turn back the face of one prefect of the least of the servants of my lord , that you trust for yourself upon Egypt for chariots and for horsemen ? * Now , have I come up against this place to destroy it without Jehovah ? Jehovah said to me , Go up against this land , and you shall destroy it . * And Eliakim the son of Hilkiah , and Shebna , and Joah said to the chief of the cupbearers , Please speak Aramaic to your servants , for we understand ; and do not speak with us in Jewish , in the ears of the people on the wall . * And the chief of the cupbearers said to them , Has my master sent me to speak these words to your master , and to you , and not to the men that sit on the wall , to eat their own dung , and to drink the water of their own feet with you ? * And the chief of the cupbearers stood and called with a great voice in Jewish , and spoke and said , Hear the word of the great king , the king of Assyria ; * So says the king , Do not let Hezekiah delude you , for he is not able to deliver you out of his hand ; * and do not let Hezekiah make you trust to Jehovah , saying , Jehovah shall surely deliver us ; and , This city shall not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria . * Do not listen to Hezekiah , for so says the king of Assyria , Make with me a blessing and come out to me ; and you each shall eat of his vine , and each of his fig tree , and you each shall drink of the waters of his own well , * until I come ; and I will take you to a land like your own land , a land of grain and new wine , a land of bread and vineyards , a land of olive oil , and honey ; and live , and do not die ; and do not listen to Hezekiah , when he persuades you , saying , Jehovah shall deliver us . * Have the gods of the nations at all delivered each his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria ? * Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad ? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim , Hena , and Ivah , that they have delivered Samaria out of my hand ? * Who among all the gods of the lands have delivered their land out of my hand , that Jehovah should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand ? * But the people kept silent and did not answer him a word , for the command of the king was , saying , Do not answer him . * And Eliakim the son of Hilkiah , who was over the house , and Shebna the scribe , and Joah the son of Asaph the recorder , came in to Hezekiah , having torn their garments ; and they told him the words of the chief of the cupbearers .

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