17. And the king of Assyria sent Tartan and Rabsaris and Rabshakeh from Lachish to king Hezekiah with a great host against Jerusalem. And they went up and came to Jerusalem. And when they were come up, they came and stood by the conduit of the upper pool, which in the highway of the fuller's field.

18. And when they had called to the king, there came out to them Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, which over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph the recorder.

19. And Rabshakeh said unto them, Speak ye now to Hezekiah, Thus saith the great king, the king of Assyria, What confidence this wherein thou trustest?

20. Thou sayest, (but vain words,) counsel and strength for the war. Now on whom dost thou trust, that thou rebellest against me?

21. Now, behold, thou trustest upon the staff of this bruised reed, upon Egypt, on which if a man lean, it will go into his hand, and pierce it: so Pharaoh king of Egypt unto all that trust on him.

22. But if ye say unto me, We trust in יְהוָ֥ה our Elohim: not that he, whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah hath taken away, and hath said to Judah and Jerusalem, Ye shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem?

23. Now therefore, I pray thee, give pledges to my lord the king of Assyria, and I will deliver thee two thousand horses, if thou be able on thy part to set riders upon them.

24. 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?

25. Am I now come up without יְהוָ֥ה against this place to destroy it? יְהוָ֥ה said to me, Go up against this land, and destroy it.

26. Then said Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, and Shebna, and Joah, unto Rabshakeh, Speak, I pray thee, to thy servants in the Syrian language; for we understand: and talk not with us in the Jews' language in the ears of the people that on the wall.