es, when the king of Assyria, whose name was Sennacherib,
made an expedition against him with a great army, and took all the
cities of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin by force; and when he was
ready to bring his army against Jerusalem, Hezekiah sent ambassadors to
him beforehand, and promised to submit, and pay what tribute he
should appoint. Hereupon Sennacherib, when he heard of what offers the
ambassadors made, resolved not to proceed in the war, but to accept of
the proposals that were made him; and if he might receive three hundred
talents of silver, and thirty talents of gold, he promised that he
would depart in a friendly manner; and he gave security upon oath to the
ambassadors that he would then do him no harm, but go away as he came.
So Hezekiah submitted, and emptied his treasures, and sent the money,
as supposing he should be freed from his enemy, and from any further
distress about his kingdom. Accordingly, the Assyrian king took it, and
yet had no regard to what he had promised; but while he himself went
to the war against the Egyptians and Ethiopians, he left his general
Rabshakeh, and two other of his principal commanders, with great forces,
to destroy Jerusalem. The names of the two other commanders were Tartan
and Rabsaris.

2. Now as soon as they were come before the walls, they pitched their
camp, and sent messengers to Hezekiah, and desired that they might speak
with him; but he did not himself come out to them for fear, but he sent
three of his most intimate friends; the name of one was Eliakim, who was
over the kingdom, and Shebna, and Joah the recorder. So these men came
out, and stood over against the commanders of the Assyrian army; and
when Rabshakeh saw them, he bid them go and speak to Hezekiah in the
manner following: That Sennacherib, the great king, [1] desires to know
of him, on whom it is that he relies and depends, in flying from his
lord, and will not hear him, nor admit his army into the city? Is it on
account of the Egyptians, and in hopes that his army would be beaten by
them? Whereupon he lets him know, that if this be what he expects, he is
a foolish man, and like one who leans on a broken reed; while such a one
will not only fall down, but will have his hand pierced and hurt by it.
That he ought to know he makes this expedition against him by the will
of God, who hath granted this favor to him, that he shall overthrow the
kingdom of Israel, and that in the very same manner he sh