1. During Hezekiah’s fourteenth year as king, Sennacherib king of Assyria attacked Judah. He attacked all the strong, walled cities of Judah and defeated them.
2. The king of Assyria sent out his field commander. He went with a large army from Lachish to King Hezekiah in Jerusalem. When the commander came near the waterway from the upper pool, he stopped. The upper pool is on the road to the Washerman’s Field.
3. Eliakim, Shebna and Joah went out to meet him. Eliakim son of Hilkiah was the palace manager. Shebna was the royal assistant. And Joah son of Asaph was the recorder.
4. The field commander said to them, “Tell Hezekiah this:“‘The great king, the king of Assyria, says: You have nothing to trust in to help you.
5. You say you have battle plans and power for war. But your words mean nothing. Whom are you trusting for help so that you turn against me?
6. Look, you are depending on Egypt to help you. Egypt is like a splintered walking stick. If you lean on it for help, it will stab you and hurt you. The king of Egypt will hurt those who depend on him.
7. You might say, “We are depending on the Lord our God.” But Hezekiah destroyed the Lord’s altars and the places of worship. Hezekiah told Judah and Jerusalem, “You must worship only at this one altar.”
8. “‘Now make an agreement with my master, the king of Assyria: I will give you 2,000 horses if you can find enough men to ride them.
9. You cannot defeat one of my master’s least important officers. So why do you depend on Egypt to give you chariots and horsemen?
10. I have not come to attack and destroy this country without an order from the Lord. The Lord himself told me to come to this country and destroy it.’”