17. Then the king of the Assyrians sent Tartan, and Rabsaris, and Rabshakeh, from Lachish, to king Hezekiah, with a powerful hand, to Jerusalem. And when they had ascended, they arrived in Jerusalem, and they stood beside the aqueduct of the upper pool, which is along the way of the fuller's field.
18. And they called for the king. But there went out to them Eliakim, the son of Hilkiah, the first ruler of the house, and Shebnah, the scribe, and Joah, the son of Asaph, the keeper of records.
19. And Rabshakeh said to them: "Speak to Hezekiah: Thus says the great king, the king of the Assyrians: What is this faith, in which you strive?
20. Perhaps, you have taken counsel, so that you would prepare yourself for battle. In whom do you trust, so that you would dare to rebel?
21. Do you hope in Egypt, that staff of a broken reed, which, if a man would lean upon it, breaking, it would pierce his hand? Such is Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, to all who would trust in him.
22. But if you say to me: 'We have faith in the Lord, our God.' Is it not he, whose high places and altars Hezekiah has taken away? And did he not instruct Judah and Jerusalem: 'You shall adore before this altar in Jerusalem?'
23. Now therefore, cross over to my lord, the king of the Assyrians, and I will give to you two thousand horses, and we will see if you even have enough riders for them.
24. So how can you resist one prince from the least of my lord's servants? Do you have faith in Egypt because of the chariots and horsemen?
25. Is it not by the will of the Lord that I have chosen to ascend to this place, so that I may destroy it? The Lord said to me: 'Ascend to this land, and destroy it.' "