The Assyrians Surround Jerusalem
(2 Kings 18.13-272 Chronicles 32.1-19)1 Hezekiah had been king of Judah for 14 years when King Sennacherib of Assyria invaded the country and captured every walled city 2 except Jerusalem. The Assyrian king ordered his army commander to leave the city of Lachish and to take a large army to Jerusalem.
The commander went there and stood on the road near the cloth makers' shops along the canal from the upper pool. 3 Three of the king's highest officials came out of Jerusalem to meet him. One of them was Hilkiah's son Eliakim, who was the prime minister. The other two were Shebna, assistant to the prime minister, and Joah son of Asaph, keeper of the government records.
4 The Assyrian commander told them:
I have a message for Hezekiah from the great king of Assyria. Ask Hezekiah why he feels so sure of himself. 5 Does he think he can plan and win a war with nothing but words? Who is going to help him, now that he has turned against the king of Assyria? 6 Is he depending on Egypt and its king? That's the same as leaning on a broken stick, and it will go right through his hand.
7 Is Hezekiah now depending on the Lord, your God? Didn't Hezekiah tear down all except one of the Lord's altars and places of worship? Didn't he tell the people of Jerusalem and Judah to worship at that one place?
8 The king of Assyria wants to make a bet with you people! He will give you 2,000 horses, if you have enough troops to ride them. 9 How could you even defeat our lowest ranking officer, when you have to depend on Egypt for chariots and cavalry? 10 Don't forget that it was the Lord who sent me here with orders to destroy your nation!
11 Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah said, “Sir, we don't want the people listening from the city wall to understand what you are saying. So please speak to us in Aramaic instead of Hebrew.”
12 The Assyrian army commander answered, “My king sent me to speak to everyone, not just to you leaders. These people will soon have to eat their own body waste and drink their own urine! And so will the three of you!”
13 Then, in a voice loud enough for everyone to hear, he shouted out in Hebrew:
Listen to what the great king of Assyria says! 14 Don't be fooled by Hezekiah. He can't save you. 15 Don't trust him when he tells you that the Lord will protect you from the king of Assyria. 16 Stop listening to Hezekiah. Pay attention to my king. Surrender to him. He will let you keep your own vineyards, fig trees, and cisterns 17 for a while. Then he will come and take you away to a country just like yours, where you can plant vineyards and raise your own grain.
18 Hezekiah claims the Lord will save you. But don't be fooled by him. Were any other gods able to defend their land against the king of Assyria? 19 What happened to the gods of Hamath, Arpad, and Sepharvaim? Were the gods of Samaria able to protect their land against the Assyrian forces? 20 None of those gods kept their people safe from the king of Assyria. Do you think the Lord, your God, can do any better?
21-22 Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah had been warned by King Hezekiah not to answer the Assyrian commander. So they tore their clothes in sorrow and reported to Hezekiah everything the commander had said.
Ovaasirie mave tanda Jerusalem
(2Ozo 18:13-272Eku 32:1-19)1 Mombura oitjamurongo na ine youhona wa Hiskija, ombara ya Juda, Sanherib, ombara ya Asirie, wa rwisa ovihuro vya Juda mbya zeuparisiwa ne vi kambura. 2 Sanherib otja rakiza omuhongore we otjiuru kutja aze mOlakis na yende kOjerusalem notjimbumba otjinene tjovita okukaṋiṋikiza ombara Hiskija kutja e riyandje. Omuhongore ngwi wa kakurama mOndjira yOvaungure vOzombanda meṋe yorurora ndu pupisa omeva okuza kerindi rokombanda. 3 Ovajuda vetatu va pita okumutjakanena, okutja oEljakim, omuzandu wa Hilkija, omuṱakamise omunene wondjuwo youhona, na Sebna, omutjangerepo wouhona, na Joak, omuzandu wa Asaf, omuṱakamise womatjangero. 4 Nomuhongore Omuasirie arire tje ve raere kutja ombara mai vanga okutjiwa kutja ihi otjiṋa tji tja tjita ombara Hiskija okukara nouṱakame mu ye omuini, otjikeṋa. 5 Neye arire tja tja ngave kapure Hiskija nai: “Mo tjangovasi omambo womotjinyo porwe ongeri ounongo nomasa wokurwa ovita are? Mo ripura kutja owaṋi ngu me ku vatere okupirukira Ovaasirie? 6 Ove mo riyameke kOvaengipte kutja nani mave ku vatere, nungwari owo va sana nokati koruu ku ka teka nake tuvakaṋa eke roye. Notji tji ri ombara ya Engipte ku ngamwa auhe ngu me riyameke ku yo.”
7 Omuhongore Omuasirie wa hungira komurungu a tja: “Poo mamu ndji raere kutja mwe riyameka ku Muhona, Ndjambi weṋu? Opo pa ri poṋa pekepeke pomerikotameneno ku Muhona novipunguhiro vye mbya nyanyaurwa i Hiskija, indu tja raera ovandu va Juda na Jerusalem okurikotamena kotjipunguhiro tjimwe uriri. 8 Ami me patasana na ove mena rombara ya Asirie. Me ku pe oukambe omayovi yevari tji mo yenene okumuna ovakavire ovengi mbe ṱeki mbo okuukavira. 9 Ove komoo ṱeki nangarire pomuhongore Omuasirie wotjihako tjokehi! Nungwari ingee mo undju kutja Ovaengipte ve ku hindire omatemba wovita novakavire! 10 Mo tjangovasi ami mba rwisa ehi reṋu nu mba nyona ro nokuhinombatero ya Muhona are? Muhona omuini ongwe ndji raera kutja mbi rwise ehi reṋu nokunyona ro.”
11 Eljakim na Sebna na Joak arire tji va tja komuhongore: “Hungira Otjiaramei ku eṱe. Eṱe matu zuu. O hungire Otjiheberi; ovandu avehe mbe ri korumbo mave zuu.”
12 Omuhongore wa zira a tja: “Mamu tjangovasi eṋe nombara oweṋe amuyerike, ombara ku ye ndji hinda kutja mbi hungire ko oviṋa mbi are? Ayee, kako! Ami wina me hungire kovandu mba mba haama korumbo, mbu mave ri ombonḓi yawo oveni, nokunwa omaṱuta wawo otja tji mamu tjiti wina.”
13 Omuhongore wa sekama na ravaere mOtjiheberi a tja: “Purateneye ku imbi ombara ya Asirie mbi mai mu raere! 14 Oyo mai mu rongo kutja amu ha wovisiwa i Hiskija. Hiskija kemee mu yama. 15 Nu amu popwa i ye kutja mu riyameke ku Muhona. Amu tjangovasi Muhona me mu yama nokutja ma tjaere otjimbumba tjetu tjovita tjova Asirie kutja atji ha huura otjihuro tjeṋu. 16 Amu puratene ko ku Hiskija! Ombara ya Asirie mai rakiza kutja mu pite motjihuro nu mu riyandje. Eṋe amuhe mamu yandjerwa okurya omapunda womivite vyeṋu oveni nomakuyu womikuyu vyeṋu oveni, nokunwa omeva mozondjombo zeṋu oveni, 17 nga ombara tji mai mu turisa rukwao mehi nda sana na indi oreṋu oveni, mu mu novikunino vyomivite, mbi eta omandjembere womavinu, nu mu mu novikokotwa okutereka po ozomboroto. 18 Amu pukisiwa i Hiskija mokuripura kutja Muhona me mu yama. Oomukuru vomihoko vyarwe ve na pu va yamene omahi wavyo kombara ya Asirie are? 19 Owo ve ri pi nambano, imba oomukuru vehi ra Hamat na imba vehi ra Arpad? Oomukuru votjihuro Sefarwajim ve ri pi? Pena umwe ngwa yamene Samaria are? 20 Oomukuru vomahi nga aehe va yamene ruṋe omahi wawo kombara yetu? Notjikeṋa tji matji mu tjiti okuripura kutja Muhona ma sora okuyama Jerusalem?”
21 Otjiwaṋa tja mwina otja ombara Hiskija pe tji raera; novandu kave hungirire embo nangarire rimwe. 22 Eljakim na Sebna na Joak arire tji va nyondorora ozombanda zawo moruhoze, nave kaserekarera kombara imbi omuhongore wOvaasirie mbya hungira.
