36In the fourteenth year that Hezekiah was king of Judah, Sennacherib, the emperor of Assyria, attacked the fortified cities of Judah and captured them.H702H6240H8141H4428H2396H5576H4428H804H5927H1219H5892H3063H86102Then he ordered his chief official to go from Lachish to Jerusalem with a large military force to demand that King Hezekiah surrender. The official occupied the road where the cloth makers work, by the ditch that brings water from the upper pool.H4428H804H7971H7262H3923H3389H4428H2396H3515H2426H5975H8585H5945H1295H4546H3526H77043Three Judeans came out to meet him: the official in charge of the palace, Eliakim son of Hilkiah; the court secretary, Shebna; and the official in charge of the records, Joah son of Asaph.H3318H471H2518H1121H1004H7644H5608H3098H623H1121H21424The Assyrian official told them that the emperor wanted to know what made King Hezekiah so confident.H7262H559H559H2396H559H1419H4428H4428H804H986H9825He demanded, "Do you think that words can take the place of military skill and might? Who do you think will help you rebel against Assyria?H559H8193H1697H6098H1369H4421H982H47756You are expecting Egypt to help you, but that would be like using a reed as a walking stick - it would break and would jab your hand. That is what the king of Egypt is like when anyone relies on him."H982H4938H7533H7070H4714H376H5564H935H3709H5344H6547H4428H4714H9827The Assyrian official went on, "Or will you tell me that you are relying on the LORD your God? It was the LORD's shrines and altars that Hezekiah destroyed when he told the people of Judah and Jerusalem to worship at one altar only.H559H982H3068H430H1116H4196H2396H5493H559H3063H3389H7812H6440H41968I will make a bargain with you in the name of the emperor. I will give you two thousand horses if you can find that many riders.H6148H113H4428H804H5414H505H5483H3201H5414H73929You are no match for even the lowest ranking Assyrian official, and yet you expect the Egyptians to send you chariots and horsemen.H7725H6440H259H6346H6996H113H5650H982H4714H7393H657110Do you think I have attacked your country and destroyed it without the LORD's help? The LORD himself told me to attack it and destroy it."H5927H1107H3068H776H7843H3068H559H5927H776H784311Then Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah told the official, "Speak Aramaic to us. We understand it. Don't speak Hebrew; all the people on the wall are listening."H559H471H7644H3098H7262H1696H5650H762H8085H1696H3066H241H5971H234612He replied, "Do you think you and the king are the only ones the emperor sent me to say all these things to? No, I am also talking to the people who are sitting on the wall, who will have to eat their excrement and drink their urine, just as you will."H7262H559H113H7971H113H1696H1697H582H3427H2346H398H2716H6675H8354H4325H7272H789013Then the official stood up and shouted in Hebrew, "Listen to what the emperor of Assyria is telling you.H7262H5975H7121H1419H6963H3066H559H8085H1697H1419H4428H4428H80414He warns you not to let Hezekiah deceive you. Hezekiah can't save you.H559H4428H2396H5377H3201H533715And don't let him persuade you to rely on the LORD. Don't think that the LORD will save you and that he will stop our Assyrian army from capturing your city.H2396H982H3068H559H3068H5337H5337H5892H5414H3027H4428H80416Don't listen to Hezekiah! The emperor of Assyria commands you to come out of the city and surrender. You will all be allowed to eat grapes from your own vines and figs from your own trees, and to drink water from your own wells -H8085H2396H559H4428H804H6213H1293H3318H398H376H1612H376H8384H8354H376H4325H95317until the emperor resettles you in a country much like your own, where there are vineyards to give wine and there is grain for making bread.H935H3947H776H776H776H1715H8492H776H3899H375418Don't let Hezekiah fool you into thinking that the LORD will rescue you. Did the gods of any other nations save their countries from the emperor of Assyria?H2396H5496H559H3068H5337H376H430H1471H5337H776H3027H4428H80419Where are they now, the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim? Did anyone save Samaria?H430H2574H774H430H5617H5337H8111H302720When did any of the gods of all these countries ever save their country from our emperor? Then what makes you think the LORD can save Jerusalem?"H430H776H5337H776H3027H3068H5337H3389H302721The people kept quiet, just as King Hezekiah had told them to; they did not say a word.H2790H6030H1697H4428H4687H559H603022Then Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah tore their clothes in grief and went and reported to the king what the Assyrian official had said.H935H471H1121H2518H1004H7644H5608H3098H1121H623H2142H2396H899H7167H5046H1697H7262