Isaiah 36

Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition	NEW JERUSALEM
1 In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the fortified cities of Judah and took them.	1 In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria advanced on al the fortified townsof Judah and captured them.
2 And the king of Assyria sent the Rabshakeh from Lachish to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem, with a great army. And he stood by the conduit of the upper pool on the highway to the Fuller's Field.	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.
3 And there came out to him Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebna the secretary, and Joah the son of Asaph, the recorder.	3 The master of the palace, Eliakim son of Hilkiah, Shebna the secretary and the herald Joah son ofAsaph went out to him.
4 And the Rabshakeh said to them, "Say to Hezekiah, 'Thus says the great king, the king of Assyria: On what do you rest this confidence of yours?	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?
5 Do you think that mere words are strategy and power for war? On whom do you now rely, that you have rebelled against me?	5 Do you think empty words are as good as strategy and military strength? Who are you relying on, todare to rebel against me?
6 Behold, you are relying on Egypt, that broken reed of a staff, which will pierce the hand of any man who leans on it. Such is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who rely on him.	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.
7 But if you say to me, "We rely on the LORD our God," is it not he whose high places and altars Hezekiah has removed, saying to Judah and to Jerusalem, "You shall worship before this altar"?	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?
8 Come now, make a wager with my master the king of Assyria: I will give you two thousand horses, if you are able on your part to set riders upon them.	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.
9 How then can you repulse a single captain among the least of my master's servants, when you rely on Egypt for chariots and for horsemen?	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.
10 Moreover, is it without the LORD that I have come up against this land to destroy it? The LORD said to me, Go up against this land, and destroy it.'"	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."
11 Then Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah said to the Rabshakeh, "Pray, speak to your servants in Aramaic, for we understand it; do not speak to us in the language of Judah within the hearing of the people who are on the wall."	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.'
12 But the Rabshakeh said, "Has my master sent me to speak these words to your master and to you, and not to the men sitting on the wall, who are doomed with you to eat their own dung and drink their own urine?"	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.'
13 Then the Rabshakeh stood and called out in a loud voice in the language of Judah: "Hear the words of the great king, the king of Assyria!	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.
14 Thus says the king: 'Do not let Hezekiah deceive you, for he will not be able to deliver you.	14 The king says this, "Do not let Hezekiah delude you! He wil be powerless to save you.
15 Do not let Hezekiah make you rely on the LORD by saying, "The LORD will surely deliver us; this city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria."	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.
16 Do not listen to Hezekiah; for thus says the king of Assyria: Make your peace with me and come out to me; then every one of you will eat of his own vine, and every one of his own fig tree, and every one of you will drink the water of his own cistern;	16 Do not listen to Hezekiah, for the king of Assyria says this: Make peace with me,
17 until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of grain and wine, a land of bread and vineyards.	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.
18 Beware lest Hezekiah mislead you by saying, "The LORD will deliver us." Has any of the gods of the nations delivered his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria?	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?
19 Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim? Have they delivered Samaria out of my hand?	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?
20 Who among all the gods of these countries have delivered their countries out of my hand, that the LORD should deliver Jerusalem out of 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?" '
21 But they were silent and answered him not a word, for the king's command was, "Do not answer him."	21 They, however, kept quiet and said nothing in reply, since the king had given the order, 'You are not toanswer him.'
22 Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebna the secretary, and Joah the son of Asaph, the recorder, came to Hezekiah with their clothes rent, and told him the words of the Rabshakeh.	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.