Targum Isaiah

1Now it came to pass in the fourteenth year of king Hezekiah, that Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the fenced cities of the house of Judah, and took them.

2And the king of Assyria sent Rabshakeh from Lachish to Jerusalem unto king Hezekiah with a great army. And he stood by the conduit of the upper pool in the highway of the field of the fullers.

3Then came forth unto him Eliakim, Hilkiah's son, who was appointed over the household, and Shebna, the scribe, and Joah, Asaph's son, who was appointed over the records.

4And Rabshakeh said unto them, say ye now to Hezekiah, Thus saith our great king, the king of Assyria, What confidence is this wherein thou trustest?

5I say (you speak but empty words?) I make war with counsel and might: now, in whom dost thou trust, that thou hast rebelled against me?

6Behold, thou trustest in the support of this broken reed, in Pharaoh, the king of Egypt; on which if a man lean, it will enter his hand and wound him: so is Pharaoh the king of Egypt to all that trust in him.

7But if ye say to me, We trust in the WORD of the Lord our God: is it not he, whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah hath taken away, and said to the men of Judah and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, Ye shall worship before this altar?

8And now, pledge thyself with my master the king of Assyria, and I will give thee two thousand horses, if thou be able on thy part to appoint riders upon them.

9And how dost thou expect to turn back the face of one of the least princes, servants of my master? yet, thou trustest in Egypt for chariots and horsemen.

10Am I now come up without the WORD of the Lord against this land to destroy it? The Lord said unto me, Go up against this land, and destroy it.

11Then said Eliakim and Shebna and Joah unto Rabshakeh, Speak, I pray thee, unto thy servants in the Syrian language; for we understand it: and speak not to us in the Jews' language before the people that are upon the wall.

12But Rabshakeh said, Hath my master sent me to thy master and to thee to speak these words? hath he not sent me to the men that sit upon the wall, that they may eat their own dung, and drink their own piss in the siege with you?

13Then Rabshakeh stood forth, and cried with a loud voice in the Jews' language, and said, Hear ye the words of our great king, the king of Assyria.

14Thus saith the king, Let not Hezekiah cause you to err: for he shall not be able to deliver you.

15Neither let Hezekiah make you trust in the WORD of the Lord, saying, The Lord will surely deliver us: this city shall not be delivered into the hand of the king of Assyria.

16Hearken not to Hezekiah: for thus saith the king of Assyria, Make peace with me, and, come out to me: and eat ye every one of the fruit of his fig tree, and drink ye every one of the waters of his cistern;

17Until I come and take you away to a good land like your own land, a land of corn and wine, a land of fields and vineyards.

18Beware lest Hezekiah cause you to err, saying, The Lord shall deliver us. Hath any of the gods of the nations delivered his land from the hand of the king of Assyria?

19Where are the gods of Hamath and Arphad? where are the gods of Sepharvaim? what have they delivered Samaria out of my hand?

20Who are they among all the gods of these lands, that have delivered their land from my hand, that the Lord shall deliver Jerusalem from my hand?

21But they held their peace, and answered him not a word: for the king's commandment was, saying, Answer him not.

22Then came Eliakim, the son of Hilkiah, who was appointed over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah, the son of Asaph, who was appointed over the records, to Hezekiah, now having their clothes rent, and told him the words of Rabshakeh.