32. After that I will come and take you to a land like your own—a land with grain and new wine, bread and vineyards, olives, and honey. Choose to live and not to die!’“Don’t listen to Hezekiah. He is fooling you when he says, ‘The Lord will save us.’
33. Has a god of any other nation saved his people from the power of the king of Assyria?
34. Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah? They did not save Samaria from my power.
35. Not one of all the gods of these countries has saved his people from me. Neither can the Lord save Jerusalem from my power.”
36. The people were silent. They didn’t answer the commander at all, because King Hezekiah had ordered, “Don’t answer him.”
37. 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 secretary, and Joah son of Asaph was the recorder.) The three men went to Hezekiah and told him what the field commander had said.