14. The king says you should not let Hezekiah fool you. Hezekiah can’t save you.
15. Don’t let Hezekiah talk you into trusting the Lord. Hezekiah says, ‘The Lord will surely save us. This city won’t be given over to the king of Assyria.’
16. “Don’t listen to Hezekiah. The king of Assyria says, ‘Make peace with me. Come out of the city to me. Then everyone will be free to eat the fruit from his own grapevine and fig tree. Everyone will be free to drink water from his own well.
17. Then I will come and take you to a land like your own. It is a land with grain and new wine. It has bread and vineyards.’
18. “Don’t let Hezekiah fool you. He says, ‘The Lord will save us.’ The god of any other nation has not saved his people from the power of the king of Assyria.
19. Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim? They did not save Samaria from my power.
20. Not one of all the gods of these countries has saved his people from me. Then the Lord cannot save Jerusalem from my power.”
21. The people were silent. They didn’t answer the commander at all. This was because King Hezekiah had ordered, “Don’t answer him.”
22. 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 assistant. And Joah son of Asaph was the recorder.) The three men went to Hezekiah and told him what the field commander had said.