Isaiah 36

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria advanced on al the fortified townsof Judah and captured them.	1 In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib, king of Assyria, went on an expedition against all the fortified cities of Judah and captured them.
2 From Lachish the king of Assyria sent the cupbearer-in-chief with a large force to King Hezekiah inJerusalem. The cupbearer-in-chief took up position near the conduit of the upper pool on the road to the Ful er'sField.	2 From Lachish the king of Assyria sent his commander with a great army to King Hezekiah in Jerusalem. When he stopped at the conduit of the upper pool, on the highway of the fuller's field,
3 The master of the palace, Eliakim son of Hilkiah, Shebna the secretary and the herald Joah son ofAsaph went out to him.	3 there came out to him the master of the palace, Eliakim, son of Hilkiah, and Shebna the scribe, and the herald Joah, son of Asaph.
4 The cupbearer-in-chief said to them, 'Say to Hezekiah, "The great king, the king of Assyria, says this:What makes you so confident?	4 The commander said to them, "Tell King Hezekiah: Thus says the great king, the king of Assyria, 'On what do you base this confidence of yours?
5 Do you think empty words are as good as strategy and military strength? Who are you relying on, todare to rebel against me?	5 Do you think mere words substitute for strategy and might in war? On whom, then, do you rely, that you rebel against me?
6 There you are, relying on that broken reed, Egypt, which pricks and pierces the hand of the person wholeans on it. That is what Pharaoh king of Egypt is like to al who rely on him.	6 This Egypt, the staff on which you rely, is in fact a broken reed which pierces the hand of anyone who leans on it. That is what Pharaoh, king of Egypt, is to all who rely on him.
7 You may say to me: We rely on Yahweh our God. But haven't his high places and altars beensuppressed by Hezekiah, who told Judah and Jerusalem: This is the altar before which you must worship?	7 But if you say to me: "We rely on the LORD, our God," is not he the one whose high places and altars Hezekiah removed, commanding Judah and Jerusalem to worship before this altar?'
8 Very wel , then, make a wager with my lord the king of Assyria: I wil give you two thousand horses ifyou can find horsemen to ride them.	8 "Now, make a wager with my lord the king of Assyria: 'I will give you two thousand horses, if you can put riders on them.'
9 How could you repulse a single one of the least of my master's soldiers? And yet you have relied onEgypt for chariots and horsemen.	9 How then can you repulse even one of the least servants of my lord? And yet you rely on Egypt for chariots and horsemen!
10 And lastly, have I marched on this country to lay it waste without warrant from Yahweh? Yahwehhimself said to me: March on this country and lay it waste."	10 'Was it without the LORD'S will that I have come up to destroy this land? The LORD said to me, "Go up and destroy that land!"'"
11 Eliakim, Shebna and Joah said to the cupbearer-in-chief, 'Please speak to your servants in Aramaic,for we understand it; do not speak to us in the Judaean language within earshot of the people on the ramparts.'	11 Then Eliakim and Shebna and Joah said to the commander, "Please speak to your servants in Aramaic; we understand it. Do not speak to us in Judean within earshot of the people who are on the wall."
12 But the cupbearer-in-chief said, 'Do you think my lord sent me here to say these things to your masteror to you? On the contrary, it was to the people sitting on the ramparts who, like you, are doomed to eat theirown dung and drink their own urine.'	12 But the commander replied, "Was it to you and your master that my lord sent me to speak these words? Was it not rather to the men sitting on the wall, who, with you, will have to eat their own excrement and drink their own urine?"
13 The cupbearer-in-chief then drew himself up and shouted loudly in the Judaean language, 'Listen tothe words of the great king, the king of Assyria.	13 Then the commander stepped forward and cried out in a loud voice in Judean, "Listen to the words of the great king, the king of Assyria.
14 The king says this, "Do not let Hezekiah delude you! He wil be powerless to save you.	14 Thus says the king: 'Do not let Hezekiah deceive you, since he cannot deliver you.
15 Do not let Hezekiah persuade you to rely on Yahweh by saying: Yahweh is sure to save us; this citywil not fal into the king of Assyria's clutches.	15 Let not Hezekiah induce you to rely on the LORD, saying, "The LORD will surely save us; this city will not be handed over to the king of Assyria."'
16 Do not listen to Hezekiah, for the king of Assyria says this: Make peace with me,	16 Do not listen to Hezekiah, for the king of Assyria says: 'Make peace with me and surrender! Then each of you will eat of his own vine and of his own fig tree, and drink the water of his own cistern,
17 surrender to me, and every one of you wil be free to eat the fruit of his own vine and of his own figtree and to drink the water of his own storage-wel until I come and take you away to a country like your own, aland of corn and good wine, a land of bread and vineyards.	17 until I come to take you to a land like your own, a land of grain and wine, of bread and vineyards.
18 Do not let Hezekiah delude you by saying: Yahweh will save us. Has any god of any nation been ableto save his country from the king of Assyria's clutches?	18 Do not let Hezekiah seduce you by saying, "The LORD will save us." Has any of the gods of the nations ever rescued his land from the hand of the king of Assyria?
19 Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim? Where are thenational gods of Samaria? Did they save Samaria from my clutches?	19 Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim? Where are the gods of Samaria? Have they saved Samaria from my hand?
20 Of al the national gods, which ones have saved their countries from my clutches, that Yahweh shouldbe able to save Jerusalem from my clutches?" '	20 Which of all the gods of these lands ever rescued his land from my hand? Will the LORD then save Jerusalem from my hand?'"
21 They, however, kept quiet and said nothing in reply, since the king had given the order, 'You are not toanswer him.'	21 But they remained silent and did not answer him one word, for the king had ordered them not to answer him.
22 The master of the palace, Eliakim son of Hilkiah, Shebna the secretary and the herald Joah son ofAsaph, with their clothes torn, went to Hezekiah and reported what the cupbearer-in-chief had said.	22 Then the master of the palace, Eliakim, son of Hilkiah, Shebna the scribe, and the herald Joah, son of Asaph, came to Hezekiah with their garments torn, and reported to him what the commander had said.