Isaiah 36:4-10

4The field commander said to them, “Tell Hezekiah, ‘This is what the great king, the king of Assyria, says: What makes you so confident?

5You give useless advice about getting ready for war. Whom, then, do you trust for support in your rebellion against me?

6Look! When you trust Egypt, you’re trusting a broken stick for a staff. If you lean on it, it stabs your hand and goes through it. This is what Pharaoh (the king of Egypt) is like for everyone who trusts him.

7Suppose you tell me, “We’re trusting the Lord our God.” He’s the god whose places of worship and altars Hezekiah got rid of. Hezekiah told Judah and Jerusalem, “Worship at this altar.” ’

8“Now, make a deal with my master, the king of Assyria. I’ll give you 2,000 horses if you can put riders on them.

9How can you defeat my master’s lowest-ranking officers when you trust Egypt for chariots and horses?

10“Have I come to destroy this country without the Lord on my side? The Lord said to me, ‘Attack this country, and destroy it.’ ”