World English Bible
"I say that your counsel and strength for the war are only vain words. Now in whom do you trust, that you have rebelled against me?"
— Isaiah 36:5, World English Bible
“I say, sayest thou, (but they are but vain words) I have counsel and strength for war: now on whom dost thou trust, that thou rebellest against me?”
“I say, thy counsel and strength for the war are but vain words: now on whom dost thou trust, that thou hast rebelled against me? ”
“Your claim to have a strategy and military strength is just empty talk. In whom are you trusting, that you would dare to rebel against me?”
“Or with what counsel or strength dost thou prepare for war? on whom dost thou trust, that thou art revolted from me?”
“You say you have a design and strength for war, but these are only words: now to whom are you looking for support, that you have gone against my authority?”
“I say, sayest thou, (but they are but vain words) I have counsel and strength for war: now on whom dost thou trust, that thou rebellest against me?”
The king of Assyria sent Rabshakeh from Lachish to Jerusalem to king Hezekiah with a large army. He stood by the aqueduct from the upper pool in the fuller's field highway.
Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah, the son of Asaph, the recorder came out to him.
Rabshakeh said to them, "Now tell Hezekiah, 'Thus says the great king, the king of Assyria, "What confidence is this in which you trust?
I say that your counsel and strength for the war are only vain words. Now in whom do you trust, that you have rebelled against me?
Behold, you trust in the staff of this bruised reed, even in Egypt, which if a man leans on it, it will go into his hand and pierce it. So is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who trust in him.
But if you tell me, 'We trust in Yahweh our God,' isn't that he whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah has taken away, and has said to Judah and to Jerusalem, 'You shall worship before this altar?'"
Now therefore, please make a pledge to my master the king of Assyria, and I will give you two thousand horses, if you are able on your part to set riders on them.