Bible Cross References
A. M. 3294. B.C. 710. sent
2 Kings 18:17-37
17
The Assyrian emperor sent a large army from Lachish to attack Hezekiah at Jerusalem; it was commanded by his three highest officials. When they arrived at Jerusalem, they occupied the road where the cloth makers work by the ditch that brings water from the upper pool.
18
Then they sent for King Hezekiah, and three of his officials went out to meet them: Eliakim son of Hilkiah, who was in charge of the palace; Shebna, the court secretary; and Joah son of Asaph, who was in charge of the records.
19
One of the Assyrian officials told them that the emperor wanted to know what made King Hezekiah so confident.
20
He demanded, "Do you think that words can take the place of military skill and might? Who do you think will help you rebel against Assyria?
21
You are expecting Egypt to help you, but that would be like using a reed as a walking stick---it would break and jab your hand. That is what the king of Egypt is like when anyone relies on him."
22
The Assyrian official went on, "Or will you tell me that you are relying on the LORD your God? It was the LORD's shrines and altars that Hezekiah destroyed, when he told the people of Judah and Jerusalem to worship only at the altar in Jerusalem.
23
I will make a bargain with you in the name of the emperor. I will give you two thousand horses if you can find that many men to ride them!
24
You are no match for even the lowest ranking Assyrian official, and yet you expect the Egyptians to send you chariots and cavalry!
25
Do you think I have attacked your country and destroyed it without the LORD's help? The LORD himself told me to attack it and destroy it."
26
Then Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah told the official, "Speak Aramaic to us, sir. We understand it. Don't speak Hebrew; all the people on the wall are listening."
27
He replied, "Do you think you and the king are the only ones the emperor sent me to say all these things to? No, I am also talking to the people who are sitting on the wall, who will have to eat their excrement and drink their urine, just as you will."
28
Then the official stood up and shouted in Hebrew, "Listen to what the emperor of Assyria is telling you!
29
He warns you not to let Hezekiah deceive you. Hezekiah can't save you.
30
And don't let him persuade you to rely on the LORD. Don't think that the LORD will save you and that he will stop our Assyrian army from capturing your city.
31
Don't listen to Hezekiah. The emperor of Assyria commands you to come out of the city and surrender. You will all be allowed to eat grapes from your own vines and figs from your own trees, and to drink water from your own wells---
32
until the emperor resettles you in a country much like your own, where there are vineyards to give wine and there is grain for making bread; it is a land of olives, olive oil, and honey. If you do what he commands, you will not die, but live. Don't let Hezekiah fool you into thinking that the LORD will rescue you.
33
Did the gods of any other nations save their countries from the emperor of Assyria?
34
Where are they now, the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah? Did anyone save Samaria?
35
When did any of the gods of all these countries ever save their country from our emperor? Then what makes you think the LORD can save Jerusalem?"
36
The people kept quiet, just as King Hezekiah had told them to; they did not say a word.
37
Then Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah tore their clothes in grief, and went and reported to the king what the Assyrian official had said.
2 Chronicles 32:9-23
9
Some time later, while Sennacherib and his army were still at Lachish, he sent the following message to Hezekiah and the people of Judah who were with him in Jerusalem:
10
"I, Sennacherib, Emperor of Assyria, ask what gives you people the confidence to remain in Jerusalem under siege.
11
Hezekiah tells you that the LORD your God will save you from our power, but Hezekiah is deceiving you and will let you die of hunger and thirst.
12
He is the one who destroyed the LORD's shrines and altars and then told the people of Judah and Jerusalem to worship and burn incense at one altar only.
13
Don't you know what my ancestors and I have done to the people of other nations? Did the gods of any other nation save their people from the emperor of Assyria?
14
When did any of the gods of all those countries ever save their country from us? Then what makes you think that your god can save you?
15
Now don't let Hezekiah deceive you or mislead you like that. Don't believe him! No god of any nation has ever been able to save his people from any Assyrian emperor. So certainly this god of yours can't save you!"
16
The Assyrian officials said even worse things about the LORD God and Hezekiah, the LORD's servant.
17
The letter that the emperor wrote defied the LORD, the God of Israel. It said, "The gods of the nations have not saved their people from my power, and neither will Hezekiah's god save his people from me."
18
The officials shouted this in Hebrew in order to frighten and discourage the people of Jerusalem who were on the city wall, so that it would be easier to capture the city.
19
They talked about the God of Jerusalem in the same way that they talked about the gods of the other peoples, idols made by human hands.
20
Then King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz prayed to God and cried out to him for help.
21
The LORD sent an angel that killed the soldiers and officers of the Assyrian army. So the emperor went back to Assyria disgraced. One day when he was in the temple of his god, some of his sons killed him with their swords.
22
In this way the LORD rescued King Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem from the power of Sennacherib, the emperor of Assyria, and also from their other enemies. He let the people live in peace with all the neighboring countries.
23
Many people came to Jerusalem, bringing offerings to the LORD and gifts to Hezekiah, so that from then on all the nations held Hezekiah in honor.
the conduit
Isaiah 7:3
The LORD said to Isaiah, "Take your son Shear Jashub, and go to meet King Ahaz. You will find him on the road where the cloth makers work, at the end of the ditch that brings water from the upper pool.
Isaiah 22:9-11
9
You found the places where the walls of Jerusalem needed repair. You inspected all the houses in Jerusalem and tore some of them down to get stones to repair the city walls. In order to store water,
11
you built a reservoir inside the city to hold the water flowing down from the old pool. But you paid no attention to God, who planned all this long ago and who caused it to happen.