NOW it came to pass in the fourteenth year of King Yechizqiyahu, that Cancheriyv king of Ashshur came up against all the defenced cities of Yahudah, and took them.
And the king of Ashshur sent Rav-Shaqeh from Lakiysh to Yerushalayim unto King Yechizqiyahu with a great army. And he stood by the conduit of the upper pool in the highway of the fuller's field.
Then came forth unto him Elyaqiym, Chilqiyahu's son, which was over the house, and Shevnah the scribe, and Yo'ach, Acaph's son, the recorder.
And Rav-Shaqeh said unto them, Say ye now to Yechizqiyahu, Thus says the great king, the king of Ashshur, What confidence is this wherein you trust?
I say, say you, (but they are but vain words) I have counsel and strength for war: now on whom do you trust, that you rebel against me?
Lo, you trust in the staff of this broken reed, on Mitsrayim; whereon if a man lean, it will go into his hand, and pierce it: so is Phar'oh king of Mitsrayim to all that trust in him.
But if you say to me, We trust in EL-Yahuah Elohaynu: is it not he, whose high places and whose altars Yechizqiyahu has taken away, and said to Yahudah and to Yerushalayim, Ye shall worship before this altar?
Now therefore give pledges, I pray you, to my adoniy the king of Ashshur, and I will give you two thousand horses, if you be able on your part to set riders upon them.
How then will you turn away את the face of one captain of the least of my adoniy's servants, and put your trust on Mitsrayim for chariots and for horsemen?
And am I now come up without Yahuah against this land to destroy it? Yahuah said unto me, Go up against this land, and destroy it.
Then said Elyaqiym and Shevnah and Yo'ach unto Rav-Shaqeh, Speak, I pray you, unto your servants in the Aramiyth language; for we understand it: and speak not to us in the Yahudiyth's language, in the ears of the people that are on the wall.
But Rav-Shaqeh said, Has my adoniy sent me to your adoniy and to you to speak these words? has 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?
Then Rav-Shaqeh stood, and cried with a loud voice in the Yahudiyth's language, and said, Hear ye the words of the great king, the king of Ashshur.
Thus says the king, Let not Yechizqiyahu deceive you: for he shall not be able to deliver you.
Neither let Yechizqiyahu make you trust in El-Yahuah, saying, Yahuah will surely deliver us: this city shall not be delivered into the hand of the king of Ashshur.
Hearken not to Yechizqiyahu: for thus says the king of Ashshur, Make an agreement with me by a present, and come out to me: and eat ye everyone of his vine, and everyone of his fig tree, and drink ye everyone the waters of his own cistern;
Until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of grain and wine, a land of bread and vineyards.
Beware lest Yechizqiyahu persuade you, saying, Yahuah will deliver us. Has any of the elohai of the nations delivered his land out of the hand of the king of Ashshur?
Where are the elohai of Chamath and Arpad? where are the elohai of Cepharvayim? and have they delivered Shomeron out of my hand?
Who are they among all the elohai of these lands, that have delivered their land out of my hand, that Yahuah should deliver Yerushalayim out of my hand?
But they held their peace, and answered him not a word: for the king's commandment was, saying, Answer him not.
Then came Elyaqiym, the son of Chilqiyahu, that was over the household, and Shevnah the scribe, and Yo'ach, the son of Acaph, the recorder, to Yechizqiyahu with their clothes rent, and told him את the words of Rav-Shaqeh.