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1. During Hezekiah's 14 year as king, Sennacherib king of Assyria went to fight against all the strong cities of Judah. Sennacherib defeated those cities.
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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. He sent his commander with a large army to King Hezekiah in Jerusalem. The commander and his army left Lachish and went to Jerusalem. They stopped near the aqueduct by the Upper Pool, on the street that leads up to Laundryman's Field.
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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. Three men from Jerusalem went out to talk with the commander. These men were Eliakim son of Hilkiah, Joah son of Asaph, and Shebna. Eliakim was the palace manager, Joah was the record keeper, and Shebna was the royal secretary.
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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 commander told them, "Tell Hezekiah this is what the great king, the king of Assyria says: 'What are you trusting in to help you?
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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. I tell you, if you are trusting in power and great battle plans, that is useless. Those are nothing but empty words. Now I ask you, who do you trust so much that you are willing to rebel 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. Are you depending on Egypt to help you? Egypt is like a broken walking stick. If you lean on it for support, it will only stab you and hurt you. Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, cannot be trusted by anyone who depends on him for help.
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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. 'But maybe you will say, "We trust the Lord our God to help us." But I know that Hezekiah destroyed the altars and high places where people worshiped the Lord. Hezekiah told the people of Judah and Jerusalem, "You must worship only at this one altar here in Jerusalem."
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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. 'If you still want to fight, my master, the king of Assyria, will make this agreement with you. I promise that I will give you 2000 horses if you can find enough men to ride them into battle.
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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. But even then, you couldn't beat even one of my master's lowest ranking officers. So why do you still depend on Egypt's chariots and horse soldiers?
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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. 'Now, do you think I came to this country to destroy it without the Lord's help. No, the Lord said to me, "Go up against 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 commander, "Please, speak to us in Aramaic. We understand that language. Don't speak to us in the language of Judah. If you use our language, the people on the city walls will understand 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 speak only to you and your master. I was also sent to speak to those people sitting there on the wall. They will not have enough food or water either; they, too, will eat their own waste 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 shouted loudly in Hebrew,
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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. "Hear this message from the great king, the king of Assyria: 'Don't let Hezekiah fool you. He cannot save you from my power.
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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 believe Hezekiah when he says, "Trust in the Lord! The Lord will save us. He will not let the king of Assyria defeat the city."
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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. Listen to the king of Assyria. The king of Assyria says, "Do this favor for me; come out to me, and then everyone will be free to have grapes from their own vines, figs from their own trees, and water from their 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. You can do this until I come and take you away to a land like your own. In that new land, you will have good grain, 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 change your mind when he says, "The Lord will save us." Did any of the gods of other nations save their land from 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? Did they 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. Did any of the gods in the other countries save their land from me? So why do you think the Lord will save Jerusalem from me?'"
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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. But the people were silent. They did not say a word to the commander because King Hezekiah had given them a command. He said, "Don't say anything to 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 the palace manager (Eliakim son of Hilkiah), the royal secretary (Shebna), and the record keeper (Joah son of Asaph) went to Hezekiah. Their clothes were torn to show they were upset. They told Hezekiah everything the Assyrian 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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