Study Desk

After this, Sennacherib king of Assyria sent his servants towards Jerusalem, himself, being near Lachish, and all his imperial might with him, - unto Hezekiah king of Judah, and unto all Judah that was in Jerusalem, saying:

Thus, saith Sennacherib, king of Assyria,-Upon what, are, ye, trusting, that ye are awaiting the siege in Jerusalem?

Is not, Hezekiah, persuading you, so as to deliver you up to die with hunger and with thirst, saying, - Yahweh our God, will deliver us out of the hand of the king of Assyria?

Is it not, the same Hezekiah, who hath removed his high places, and his altars, - and hath given word to Judah and Jerusalem, saying, Before one altar, shall ye bow yourselves down, and, thereupon, shall ye burn incense?

Will ye not take note, what I have done, I and my fathers, to all the peoples of the countries? Have the gods of the nations of the countries been, at all able, to deliver their country, out of my hand?

Who, among all the gods of these nations whom my fathers devoted to destruction, hath ever been able to deliver his people out of my hand, - that your god should be able to deliver you out of my hand?

Now, therefore, do not let Hezekiah beguile you nor persuade you thus, neither do ye believe him. For no, god, of any nation or kingdom hath ever been able to deliver his people out of my hand, or out of the hand of my fathers,-how much less shall, your gods, deliver you, out of my hand?

And, yet more, spake his servants, against Yahweh, God, - and against Hezekiah his servant.

Letters, also wrote he, to scoff at Yahweh God of Israel, and to speak against him, saying, Like the gods of the nations of the countries, who delivered not their people out of my hand, so, shall the god of Hezekiah not deliver his people out of my hand.

Then cried they out, with a loud voice, in the Jews' language, unto the people of Jerusalem who were upon the wall, to affright them, and to terrify them, - to the end they might capture the city.

And they spake against the God of Jerusalem, - as against the gods of the peoples of the earth, the work of the hands of men.