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Sennacherib Threatens Jerusalem
36:1 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.
36:2 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.
36:3 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.
36:4 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?
36:5 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?
36:6 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.
36:7 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?
36:8 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.
36:9 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?
36:10 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.
36:11 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.
36:12 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?
36:13 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.
36:14 Thus saith the king, Let not Hezekiah deceive you:
for he shall not be able to deliver you.
36:15 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.
36:16 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;
36:17 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.
36:18 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?
36:19 Where are the gods of Hamath and Arphad? where are
the gods of Sepharvaim? and have they delivered Samaria out
of my hand?
36:20 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?
36:21 But they held their peace, and answered him not a
word: for the king's commandment was, saying, Answer him
not.
36:22 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. |
Cults 
Why Did God Permit Sin?
