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1. During Hezekiah's fourteenth year as king, Sennacherib king of Assyria attacked all the strong, walled cities of Judah and captured them.
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1. Now it came to pass H1961 in the fourteenth H702 H6240 year H8141 of king H4428 Hezekiah H2396 , that Sennacherib H5576 king H4428 of Assyria H804 came up H5927 against H5921 all H3605 the defensed H1219 cities H5892 of Judah H3063 , and took H8610 them.
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2. The king of Assyria sent out his field commander with a large army from Lachish to King Hezekiah in Jerusalem. When the commander came near the waterway from the upper pool on the road where people do their laundry, he stopped.
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2. And the king H4428 of Assyria H804 sent H7971 H853 Rab H7262 -shakeh from Lachish H4480 H3923 to Jerusalem H3389 unto H413 king H4428 Hezekiah H2396 with a great H3515 army H2428 . And he stood H5975 by the conduit H8585 of the upper H5945 pool H1295 in the highway H4546 of the fuller H3526 's field H7704 .
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3. Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah went out to meet him. Eliakim son of Hilkiah was the palace manager, Shebna was the royal secretary, and Joah son of Asaph was the recorder.
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3. Then came forth H3318 unto H413 him Eliakim H471 , Hilkiah H2518 's son H1121 , which H834 was over H5921 the house H1004 , and Shebna H7644 the scribe H5608 , and Joah H3098 , Asaph H623 's son H1121 , the recorder H2142 .
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4. The field commander said to them, "Tell Hezekiah this: "'The great king, the king of Assyria, says: What can you trust in now?
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4. And Rab H7262 -shakeh said H559 unto H413 them, Say H559 ye now H4994 to H413 Hezekiah H2396 , Thus H3541 saith H559 the great H1419 king H4428 , the king H4428 of Assyria H804 , What H4100 confidence H986 is this H2088 wherein H834 thou trustest H982 ?
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5. You say you have battle plans and power for war, but your words mean nothing. Whom are you trusting for help so that you turn against me?
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5. I say H559 , sayest thou , ( but H389 they are but vain H8193 words H1697 ) I have counsel H6098 and strength H1369 for war H4421 : now H6258 on H5921 whom H4310 dost thou trust H982 , that H3588 thou rebellest H4775 against me?
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6. Look, you are depending on Egypt to help you, but Egypt is like a splintered walking stick. If you lean on it for help, it will stab your hand and hurt you. The king of Egypt will hurt all those who depend on him.
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6. Lo H2009 , thou trustest H982 in H5921 the staff H4938 of this H2088 broken H7533 reed H7070 , on H5921 Egypt H4714 ; whereon H834 H5921 if a man H376 lean H5564 , it will go H935 into his hand H3709 , and pierce H5344 it: so H3651 is Pharaoh H6547 king H4428 of Egypt H4714 to all H3605 that trust H982 in H5921 him.
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7. You might say, "We are depending on the Lord our God," but Hezekiah destroyed the Lord's altars and the places of worship. Hezekiah told Judah and Jerusalem, "You must worship only at this one altar."
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7. But H3588 if thou say H559 to H413 me , We trust H982 in H413 the LORD H3068 our God H430 : is it not H3808 he H1931 , H853 whose H834 high places H1116 and whose altars H4196 Hezekiah H2396 hath taken away H5493 , and said H559 to Judah H3063 and to Jerusalem H3389 , Ye shall worship H7812 before H6440 this H2088 altar H4196 ?
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8. "'Now make an agreement with my master, the king of Assyria: I will give you two thousand horses if you can find enough men to ride them.
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8. Now H6258 therefore give pledges H6149 , I pray thee H4994 , to H854 my master H113 the king H4428 of Assyria H804 , and I will give H5414 thee two thousand H505 horses H5483 , if H518 thou be able H3201 on thy part to set H5414 riders H7392 upon H5921 them.
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9. You cannot defeat one of my master's least important officers, so why do you depend on Egypt to give you chariots and horsemen?
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9. How H349 then wilt thou turn away H7725 H853 the face H6440 of one H259 captain H6346 of the least H6996 of my master H113 's servants H5650 , and put thy trust H982 on H5921 Egypt H4714 for chariots H7393 and for horsemen H6571 ?
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10. I have not come to attack and destroy this country without an order from the Lord. The Lord himself told me to come to this country and destroy it.'"
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10. And am I now H6258 come up H5927 without H4480 H1107 the LORD H3068 against H5921 this H2063 land H776 to destroy H7843 it? the LORD H3068 said H559 unto H413 me , Go up H5927 against H413 this H2063 land H776 , and destroy H7843 it.
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11. Then Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah said to the field commander, "Please speak to us in the Aramaic language. We understand it. Don't speak to us in Hebrew, because the people on the city wall can hear you."
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11. Then said H559 Eliakim H471 and Shebna H7644 and Joah H3098 unto H413 Rab H7262 -shakeh, Speak H1696 , I pray thee H4994 , unto H413 thy servants H5650 in the Syrian language H762 ; for H3588 we H587 understand H8085 it : and speak H1696 not H408 to H413 us in the Jews' language H3066 , in the ears H241 of the people H5971 that H834 are on H5921 the wall H2346 .
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12. But the commander said, "My master did not send me to tell these things only to you and your king. He sent me to speak also to those people sitting on the wall who will have to eat their own dung and drink their own urine like you."
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12. But Rab H7262 -shakeh said H559 , Hath my master H113 sent H7971 me to H413 thy master H113 and to H413 thee to speak H1696 H853 these H428 words H1697 ? hath he not H3808 sent me to H5921 the men H376 that sit H3427 upon H5921 the wall H2346 , that they may eat H398 H853 their own dung H6675 , and drink H8354 H853 their own piss H4325 H7272 with H5973 you?
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13. Then the commander stood and shouted loudly in the Hebrew language, "Listen to what the great king, the king of Assyria says,
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13. Then Rab H7262 -shakeh stood H5975 , and cried H7121 with a loud H1419 voice H6963 in the Jews' language H3066 , and said H559 , Hear H8085 ye H853 the words H1697 of the great H1419 king H4428 , the king H4428 of Assyria H804 .
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14. The king says you should not let Hezekiah fool you, because he can't save you.
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14. Thus H3541 saith H559 the king H4428 , Let not H408 Hezekiah H2396 deceive H5377 you: for H3588 he shall not H3808 be able H3201 to deliver H5337 you.
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15. Don't let Hezekiah talk you into trusting the Lord by saying, 'The Lord will surely save us. This city won't be handed over to the king of Assyria.'
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15. Neither H408 let Hezekiah H2396 make you trust H982 H853 in H413 the LORD H3068 , saying H559 , The LORD H3068 will surely deliver H5337 H5337 us: this H2063 city H5892 shall not H3808 be delivered H5414 into the hand H3027 of the king H4428 of Assyria H804 .
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16. "Don't listen to Hezekiah. The king of Assyria says, 'Make peace with me, and come out of the city to me. Then everyone will be free to eat the fruit from his own grapevine and fig tree and to drink water from his own well.
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16. Hearken H8085 not H408 to H413 Hezekiah H2396 : for H3588 thus H3541 saith H559 the king H4428 of Assyria H804 , Make H6213 an agreement with H854 me by a present H1293 , and come out H3318 to H413 me : and eat H398 ye every one H376 of his vine H1612 , and every one H376 of his fig tree H8384 , and drink H8354 ye every one H376 the waters H4325 of his own cistern H953 ;
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17. After that I will come and take you to a land like your own -- a land with grain and new wine, bread and vineyards.'
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17. Until H5704 I come H935 and take you away H3947 H853 to H413 a land H776 like your own land H776 , a land H776 of corn H1715 and wine H8492 , a land H776 of bread H3899 and vineyards H3754 .
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18. "Don't let Hezekiah fool you, saying, 'The Lord will save us.' Has a god of any other nation saved his people from the power of the king of Assyria?
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18. Beware lest H6435 Hezekiah H2396 persuade H5496 you, saying H559 , The LORD H3068 will deliver H5337 us . Hath any H376 of the gods H430 of the nations H1471 delivered H5337 H853 his land H776 out of the hand H4480 H3027 of the king H4428 of Assyria H804 ?
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19. Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim? They did not save Samaria from my power.
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19. Where H346 are the gods H430 of Hamath H2574 and Arphad H774 ? where H346 are the gods H430 of Sepharvaim H5617 ? and H3588 have they delivered H5337 H853 Samaria H8111 out of my hand H4480 H3027 ?
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20. Not one of all the gods of these countries has saved his people from me. Neither can the Lord save Jerusalem from my power."
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20. Who H4310 are they among all H3605 the gods H430 of these H428 lands H776 , that H834 have delivered H5337 H853 their land H776 out of my hand H4480 H3027 , that H3588 the LORD H3068 should deliver H5337 H853 Jerusalem H3389 out of my hand H4480 H3027 ?
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21. The people were silent. They didn't answer the commander at all, because King Hezekiah had ordered, "Don't answer him."
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21. But they held their peace H2790 , and answered H6030 him not H3808 a word H1697 : for H3588 the king H4428 's commandment H4687 was, saying H559 , Answer H6030 him not H3808 .
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22. Then Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah tore their clothes to show how upset they were. (Eliakim son of Hilkiah was the palace manager, Shebna was the royal secretary, and Joah son of Asaph was the recorder.) The three men went to Hezekiah and told him what the field commander had said.
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22. Then came H935 Eliakim H471 , the son H1121 of Hilkiah H2518 , that H834 was over H5921 the household H1004 , and Shebna H7644 the scribe H5608 , and Joah H3098 , the son H1121 of Asaph H623 , the recorder H2142 , to H413 Hezekiah H2396 with their clothes H899 rent H7167 , and told H5046 him H853 the words H1697 of Rab H7262 -shakeh.
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