2 Kings 18:26-37

Then Eliakim son of Hilkiah, 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.” “No,” 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.” Then the commander stood and shouted loudly in the Hebrew language, “Listen to what the great king, the king of Assyria, says! The king says you should not let Hezekiah fool you, because he can’t save you from my power. 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.’ “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. After that I will come and take you to a land like your own—a land with grain and new wine, bread and vineyards, olives, and honey. Choose to live and not to die!’ “Don’t listen to Hezekiah. He is fooling you when he says, ‘The LORD will save us.’ Has a god of any other nation saved his people from the power of the king of Assyria? Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah? They did not save Samaria from my power. Not one of all the gods of these countries has saved his people from me. Neither can the LORD save Jerusalem from my power.” The people were silent. They didn’t answer the commander at all, because King Hezekiah had ordered, “Don’t answer him.” 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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