to destroy it? The Lord said to me: Go up to this land, and
destroy it.

18:26. Then Eliacim, the son of Helcias, and Sobna, and Joahe, said to
Rabsaces: We pray thee, speak to us, thy servants, in Syriac: for we
understand that tongue: and speak not to us in the Jews' language, in
the hearing of the people that are upon the wall.

18:27. And Rabsaces answered them, saying: Hath my master sent me to thy
master, and to thee, to speak these words, and not rather to the men
that sit upon the wall, that they may eat their own dung, and drink
their urine with you?

18:28. Then Rabsaces stood, and cried out with a loud voice in the Jews'
language, and said: Hear the word of the great king, the king of the
Assyrians.

18:29. Thus saith the king: Let not Ezechias deceive you: for he shall
not be able to deliver you out of my hand.

18:30. Neither let him make you trust in the Lord, saying: The Lord will
surely deliver us, and this city shall not be given into the hand of the
king of the Assyrians.

18:31. Do not hearken to Ezechias. For thus saith the king of the
Assyrians: Do with me that which is for your advantage, and come out to
me: and every man of you shall eat of his own vineyard, and of his own
fig tree: and you shall drink water of your own cisterns,

18:32. Till I come, and take you away, to a land, like to your own land,
a fruitful land, and plentiful in wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a
land of olives, and oil, and honey, and you shall live, and not die.
Hearken not to Ezechias, who deceiveth you, saying: The Lord will
deliver us.

18:33. Have any of the gods of the nations delivered their land from the
hand of the king of Assyria?

18:34. Where is the god of Emath, and of Arphad? where is the god of
Sepharvaim, of Ana, and of Ava? have they delivered Samaria out of my
hand?

18:35. Who are they among all the gods of the nations that have
delivered their country out of my hand, that the Lord may deliver
Jerusalem out of my hand?

18:36. But the people held their peace, and answered him not a word: for
they had received commandment from the king that they should not answer
him.

18:37. And Eliacim, the son of Helcias, who was over the house, and
Sobna, the scribe, and Joahe, the son of Asaph, the recorder, came to
Ezechias, with their garments rent, and told him the words of Rabsaces.

4 Kings Chapter 19

Ezechias is assured of God's help by Isaias the prophet. The king of the
Assyrians s