18. They called for the king, so the king sent Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah out to meet them. Eliakim son of Hilkiah was the palace manager, Shebna was the royal secretary, and Joah son of Asaph was the recorder.
19. The field commander said to them, “Tell Hezekiah this:“ ‘The great king, the king of Assyria, says: What can you trust in now?
20. 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?
21. Look, you are depending on Egypt to help you, but Egypt is like a splintered walking stick. If you lean on it for help, it will stab your hand and hurt you. The king of Egypt will hurt all those who depend on him.
22. 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 in Jerusalem.”
23. “ ‘Now make an agreement with my master, the king of Assyria: I will give you two thousand horses if you can find enough men to ride them.
24. You cannot defeat one of my master’s least important officers, so why do you depend on Egypt to give you chariots and horsemen?