²⁶ Then Eliakim son of Hilkiah, Shebnah, and Joah said to the royal spokesman, ‘Please speak to your servants in Aramaic,^(A) since we understand it. Don’t speak with us in Hebrew^[a] within earshot of the people on the wall.’

² He sent Eliakim, who was in charge of the palace, Shebna the court secretary,^(A) and the leading priests, who were covered with sackcloth,^(B) to the prophet Isaiah^(C) son of Amoz.