1 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. 2 And 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. 3 Then came forth unto him Eliakim, Hilkiah’s son, which was over the house, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah, Asaph’s son, the recorder.

4 And 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? 5 I 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? 6 Lo, 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. 7 But 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? 8 Now 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. 9 How 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? 10 And 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.

11 Then 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.

12 But 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? 13 Then 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. 14 Thus saith the king, Let not Hezekiah deceive you: for he shall not be able to deliver you. 15 Neither 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. 16 Hearken 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; 17 Until 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. 18 Beware 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? 19 Where are the gods of Hamath and Arphad? where are the gods of Sepharvaim? and have they delivered Samaria out of my hand? 20 Who 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? 21 But they held their peace, and answered him not a word: for the king’s commandment was, saying, Answer him not.

22 Then 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.

1 希西家王十四年， 亚述王西拿基立上来攻击犹大所有的坚固城， 并且把城攻取。

2 亚述王从拉吉差派拉伯沙基， 带领大军往耶路撒冷， 到希西家王那里去。他站在上池的水沟旁， 就是在往漂布地之大路上的时候，

3 希勒家的儿子管家以利亚敬、书记舍伯那和亚萨的儿子史官约亚， 都出来见他。

4 拉伯沙基对他们说： "你们去对希西家说： ‘亚述大王这样说： 你所倚靠的算得是什么倚靠呢？

5 我说： 你打仗所用的谋略和能力， 不过是虚话罢了。你到底倚靠谁， 以致你背叛我呢？

6 看哪！ 你所倚靠的埃及， 是那压伤的芦苇杖； 人若倚靠它， 它就会插进他的手， 把手刺透。埃及王法老对所有倚靠他的人， 也是这样。

7 你若对我说： 我们倚靠耶和华我们的 神， 这 神所有的邱坛和祭坛岂不是都给希西家废去了， 他还对犹大和耶路撒冷的人说： 你们只要在这祭坛面前敬拜吗？

8 现在你可以与我的主人亚述王打赌： 我给你二千匹马， 看你这一方面能否派出足够骑马的人来。

9 若不能， 你怎能击退我主的臣仆中最小的军长呢？你竟倚靠埃及的战车和马兵吗？

10 现在， 我上来攻打这地， 要把这地毁灭， 岂没有耶和华的意思吗？耶和华曾对我说： 你要上去攻打这地， 把它毁灭。’"

11 以利亚敬、舍伯那和约亚对拉伯沙基说： "请你用亚兰语对你的仆人说话， 因为我们听得懂； 不要用犹大语对我们说话， 免得城墙上的人民听见。"

12 但拉伯沙基说： "我主差派我来， 只是对你和你的主说这些话吗？不也是对那些坐在城墙上， 要和你们一同吃自己的粪、喝自己的尿的人说吗？"

13 于是拉伯沙基站着， 用犹大语大声呼喊说： "你们要听亚述大王的话，

14 王这样说： ‘你们不要被希西家欺骗了， 因为他决不能拯救你们；

15 也不要给希西家说服你们倚靠耶和华， 说： 耶和华必定拯救我们， 这城也必不交在亚述王的手中。’

16 不要听希西家的话， 因为亚述王这样说： ‘你们要与我和好， 出来向我投降， 这样各人就可以吃自己葡萄树和无花果树的果子， 也可以喝自己井里的水；

17 等到我来的时候， 就会把你们领到一个与你们本地一样的地方； 就是一个有五谷和新酒的地方， 一个有粮食和葡萄园的地方。

18 你们要小心， 免得希西家怂恿你们说： 耶和华必拯救我们。列国的神有哪一位曾拯救自己的国土脱离亚述王的手呢？

19 哈马和亚珥拔的神在哪里呢？西法瓦音的神在哪里呢？他们曾拯救撒玛利亚脱离我的手吗？

20 这些国所有的神中， 有哪一位曾拯救自己的国土脱离我的手呢？难道耶和华能拯救耶路撒冷脱离我的手吗？’"

21 众人都默不作声， 一句话也没有回答他， 因为王的吩咐说： "不要回答他。"

22 于是希勒家的儿子管家以利亚敬、书记舍伯那和亚萨的儿子史官约亚， 都撕裂衣服， 来到希西家面前， 把拉伯沙基的话告诉了他。