Hezekiah Asks Isaiah for Advice
(2 Kings 19.1-13)1 As soon as Hezekiah heard the news, he tore off his clothes in sorrow and put on sackcloth. Then he went into the temple of the Lord. 2 He told Prime Minister Eliakim, Assistant Prime Minister Shebna, and the senior priests to dress in sackcloth and tell me:
3 Isaiah, these are difficult and disgraceful times. Our nation is like a woman too weak to give birth, when it's time for her baby to be born. 4 Please pray for those of us who are left alive. The king of Assyria sent his army commander to insult the living God. Perhaps the Lord heard what he said and will do something, if you will pray.
5 When these leaders came to me, 6 I told them that the Lord had this message for Hezekiah:
I am the Lord. Don't worry about the insulting things that have been said about me by these messengers from the king of Assyria. 7 I will upset him with rumors about what's happening in his own country. He will go back, and there I will make him die a violent death.
8 Meanwhile the commander of the Assyrian forces heard that his king had left the town of Lachish and was now attacking Libnah. So he went there.
9 About this same time, the king of Assyria learned that King Tirhakah of Ethiopia was on his way to attack him. Then the king of Assyria sent some messengers with this note for Hezekiah:
10 Don't trust your God or be fooled by his promise to defend Jerusalem against me. 11 You have heard how we Assyrian kings have completely wiped out other nations. What makes you feel so safe? 12 The Assyrian kings before me destroyed the towns of Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and everyone from Eden who lived in Telassar. What good did their gods do them? 13 The kings of Hamath, Arpad, Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah have all disappeared.
Hezekiah Prays
(2 Kings 19.14-19)14 After Hezekiah had read the note from the king of Assyria, he took it to the temple and spread it out for the Lord to see. 15 Then he prayed:
16 Lord God All-Powerful of Israel, your throne is above the winged creatures. You created the heavens and the earth, and you alone rule the kingdoms of this world. 17 Just look and see how Sennacherib has insulted you, the living God.
18 It is true, our Lord, that Assyrian kings have turned nations into deserts. 19 They destroyed the idols of wood and stone that the people of those nations had made and worshiped. 20 But you are our Lord and our God! We ask you to keep us safe from the Assyrian king. Then everyone in every kingdom on earth will know that you are the only Lord.
Isaiah Gives the Lord's Answer to Hezekiah
(2 Kings 19.20-34)21-22 I went to Hezekiah and told him that the Lord God of Israel had said:
Hezekiah, you prayed to me about King Sennacherib of Assyria. Now this is what I say to that king:
The people of Jerusalem
hate and make fun of you;
they laugh behind your back.
23 Sennacherib, you cursed,
shouted and sneered at me,
the holy One of Israel.
24 You let your officials
insult me, the Lord.
And here is what you
have said about yourself,
“I led my chariots
to the highest heights
of Lebanon's mountains.
I went deep into its forest,
cutting down the best cedar
and cypress trees.
25 I dried up every stream
in the land of Egypt,
and I drank water
from wells I had dug.”
26 Sennacherib, now listen
to me, the Lord.
I planned all of this long ago.
And you don't even know
that I alone am the one
who decided that you
would do these things.
I let you make ruins
of fortified cities.
27 Their people became weak,
terribly confused.
They were like wild flowers
or like tender young grass
growing on a flat roof
or like a field of grain
before it matures.
28 I know all about you,
even how fiercely angry
you are with me.
29 I have seen your pride
and the tremendous hatred
you have for me.
Now I will put a hook
in your nose,
a bit in your mouth,
then I will send you back
to where you came from.
30 Hezekiah, I will tell you what's going to happen. This year you will eat crops that grow on their own, and the next year you will eat whatever springs up where those crops grew. But the third year, you will plant grain and vineyards, and you will eat what you harvest. 31 Those who survive in Judah will be like a vine that puts down deep roots and bears fruit. 32 I, the Lord All-Powerful, will see to it that some who live in Jerusalem will survive.
33 I promise that the king of Assyria won't get into Jerusalem, or shoot an arrow into the city, or even surround it and prepare to attack. 34 As surely as I am the Lord, he will return by the way he came and will never enter Jerusalem. 35 I will protect it for the sake of my own honor and because of the promise I made to my servant David.
The Death of King Sennacherib
(2 Kings 19.35-37)36 The Lord sent an angel to the camp of the Assyrians, and he killed 185,000 of them all in one night. The next morning, the camp was full of dead bodies. 37 After this, King Sennacherib went back to Assyria and lived in the city of Nineveh. 38 One day he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisroch, when his sons, Adrammelech and Sharezer, killed him with their swords. They escaped to the land of Ararat, and his son Esarhaddon became king.
Gao-aob ge Jesajab tawa ra ǀape-ôa
(2 Gao-aogu 19:1-7)1 Gao-aob Hiskiab ge ǁnāsa ǁnâu, ob ge saran âba ǀkhau, ǃoasarana ana tsî ǃKhūb ommi ǃnâ ge ǂgâ. 2 ǁÎb ge gao-ommi ǂammâisab, Eliakimmi, xoa-aob Sebnab tsî kai pristergu, ǃoasarana ana hâgu tsîga Amob ôab, kēbo-aob Jesajab ǃoa ge sî. 3 ǁÎgu ge ǁîb ǃoa ge mî: “Nētib ge Hiskiaba ra mî: ‘Nēs ge ǂōǂōsib tsēsa, ǂgōǀaus tsî taosib tsîn disa; ǀgôaron ǃnaes ge go mâtoa, xawe ǁîna ǁoras ǀgaib ge a ǀkhai. 4 ǀNîsib ge ǃKhūb sago Eloba Rabsakeb mîde ge ǁnâu, ǁîb ǀhonkhoeb, Asiriab gao-aob ge ûitsama Elobab nî ǃhōse sîde, tsî ǃKhūb sago Elob ge ǁnâu mîde ǂgōǀause. ǁNā-amaga ûiǃgau go khoena ǀgoreba.’ ”
5 Gao-aob Hiskiab ǃgāgu ge Jesajab tawa sī, 6 ob ge Jesajaba ǁîgu ǃoa ge mî: “Sago ǀhonkhoeba sī mîba: ‘Nētib ge ǃKhūba ra mî: Tā ǁnâu go go mîdi, Asiriab gao-aob ǃgāgu gere tita mîǁgaiǁgai-ūdi xa ǃaoǃaohe. 7 Tita ǃKhūta ge ǁîb ǃnâ gaga-e nî ǂgā, îb ǂhôa-e ǁnâu tsî ǁîb ǃhūb ǁga ǁaru. Tita ge ǁîb ǂhunuma ǃhūb ǃnâ gôab ǀkha nî hîkākā bi.’ ”
Asiriaǁîn ge ǁkhawa ǀnî ǁgoaǂuisa ra sî
(2 Gao-aogu 19:8-19)8 Rabsakeb ge oahā tsî Asiriab gao-aob Libnab ǃoagu ra ǃkham ǃkhaisa ge ǁnâu; gao-aob ge Lakisa xu ǃgû ǃkhaisab ge ǁnâu xui-ao. 9 Gao-aob ge Etiopiab gao-aob Tirhakab xa ge ǁnâu: “ǁÎb ge ǁîb ǃoagu sī nî ǃkhamse ge ǃgûǂoa.” Nēsab ge ǁîba ǁnâu, ob ge sîsabega Hiskiab ǃoa ge sî, mî rase: 10 “Nētits ge Judab gao-aob Hiskiab ǃoa nî mî: ‘Tāb sa Elob hîats ra ǂgomǃgâba ǂgaeǂhapu tsi, Jerusalems Asiriab gao-aoba māǁnâhe tide ti hâ mîmâis ǀkha. 11 Mû, Asiriab gao-aob ge hoaraga ǃhanagu ǀkha dī ǀgausa du ge ge ǁnâu, ǁîga hoaragase hîkākās ǀkha. Amase du kha nî ǃnoraǃnorahe? 12 ǁAedi ǁgôa-eloga ǁîna ǃnoraǃnora gu ge, ǁaedi ti aiǃgû-aogu ge hîkākāde: Gosans, Harans, Resefs, tsî Edens khoen Telasars ǃnâ ge hâ ina? 13 Hamats gao-aoba mâpab hâ, Arpads gao-aoba, ǃās Sefarvaims gao-aob, Henas gao-aob tamas ka io Ivas gao-aoba mâpa hâ?’ ”
14 Hiskiab ge sîsabega xu ǂkhanisa ǃkhōǃoa tsî ge khomai; ob ge ǃKhūb ommi ǃnâ ǂgâ tsî ǃKhūb aiǃâ ǁîsa ge ǁkhowa-amǃā. 15 Hiskiab ge ǃKhūb ǃoa ge ǀgore: 16 “ǃKhū, Hoaǀgaixats, Israeli Elots, xerugu ǂamai trons ai ǂnôatse, sats ge ǀguri a Elo, ǃhūbaib gaosigu hoagu ǂama; sats ge ǀhommi tsî ǃhūbaib tsîkha ge kurutsa. 17 ǃKhūtse, sa ǂgaesa ǂō re, îts ǃgâ re; ǃKhūtse, sa mûra ǁkhowa-am re, î mû re; Sanherib mîdi hoade ǃgâ re, ûitsama Elobab gere ǃhō-ūde! 18 Amase, ǃKhūtse, Asiriab gao-aogu ge hoaraga ǁaedi tsî ǁîdi ǃhanagu tsîna hîkākā, 19 tsî ǁîn ǁgôa-eloga ǀaes ǃnâ ge ǂhubiǂui, elo tamagu amaga. ǁÎgu ge khoen xa hain tsî ǀuin tsîn ǀkha kuruhe hâ tsî ǁnā-amaga gere hîkākāhe. 20 ǁNā-amaga, ǃKhū sida Elotse, Asiriaǁîna xu ǃnoraǃnora da re, î gu ǃhūbaib gaosigu hoaga sats ǀguits a ǃKhū ǃkhaisa ǂan re.”
Jesajab ǂhôas gao-aob ǃoa
(2 Gao-aogu 19:20-37)21 Ob ge Amob ôab Jesajaba nē ǂhôasa Hiskiab ǃoa sî, î mî: “Nētib ge ǃKhūb, Israeli Eloba ra mî: ‘Asiriab gao-aob Sanherib ǃaroma du ge tita ǃoa ge ǀgore. 22 Nēs ge ǃKhūb ge ǁîb xa ǃhoa mîsa: “Oaxae ǀgôas Sions dis ge ra sora tsi, ǁîs ge ra ǃhō tsi. ǀGôas Jerusalems dis ge sa ǃgâb ai ra ǃnabindana. 23 Tari-e ǃhō tsîs ra mîǁgaiǁgai? Tari-i ǃoagus sa domma ǃgariǃgari tsî mûra âsa ra ǃaiǃai? Israeli di ǃAnub ǃoagusa?” 24 Sa ǃgāgu ǃnâ-u ǃKhūba ǃhō tsîs ge ge mî: “Ti ǂgui torokunidi ǀkha ta ge ǃhommi ǀgapib kōse gere ǂoa, ǁîs a ǀgapi ǃkhais Libanonni dis kōse; ǁîs gaxu sederhaidi tsî ǃam hain tsîna ta ge ge ǁhāǁnâ. ǁÎs di îbe ǃū-ai ǀkhariga ta ge ge sīǃnâ, ǁîs haiǀgoms tsîna. 25 Tita ge tsaude khao tsî ǁgam-e gere ā, ti ǂaira ǀkha ta ge Egipteb ǁgamǃāga ge ǂnâ kai.”
26 “ ‘ǀNai ta ge nēsa dī ǃkhaisats ge ǁnâu tama hâ i? ǀOro ǁaega xu ta ge nēna ge ǀape, xawe ta ge ǁîna ra ǃkharu kai. Omǂnamisa ǃādi ge hîkākāhe tsî nî ǀapo kai. 27 ǁÎdi ǁanǂgāsaben ge ge ǀgaioǃnâ; ǃao tsîn ge ge taotaohe. ǁÎn ge ǃaub ǁharen khami, tsî ǃam ǀgân, omdi ǂamǃnâ hâ ǀgân, aiǂoas ǂoab xa ra ǃgomǁnâhen khami ge hā.
28 “ ‘Sa khâis tsî ǂnûsa ta ge ǂan, sa ǃgûs tsî oahās tsîna tsî ti ǃoaguts ra khâikhâisen ǀgaus tsîna. 29 Sats ge ti ǃoagu ge khâimâ tsîb ge sa ǀgapiǂâixasiba ti ǂgaera kōse hā xui-ao, ǂguiǀurisa ta ge sa ǂguis ǃnâ-u nî ǃkhāǃkharu tsî ti tomsa sa amǁgaukha ǃnâ-u. Hāxū du go ǀkhāb ǁga ta ge nî dawa-oa du.
30 “ ‘Tsî nēs ge sats ǃaroma saose nî ī: Nē kuri ǁî-aitsama ra ǀomkhâina ǂû, tsî ǀgamǁî kurib ǃnâ ǁî-e xu ra ǃīǂoaxa-e. ǃNonaǁî kurib ǃnâ, ǂgā, ǃgao, draibena ǃhana, î ǁîn ǂûna ǂû. 31 Ûiǃgau ra khoen Judab omaris din ge ǁkhawa nî ǃnomaǃkhō tsî ǀgapise ǂûna nî tani. 32 Jerusalemsa xun ûiǃgau hâna nî ǂoaxa xui-ao tsî Sionǃhomma xu ûiǃgau hân ǂnubisa. ǃKhūb Hoaǀgaixab di tauxasib nî nēsa dī xui-ao.
33 “ ‘ǁNā-amagab ge ǃKhūba nēsa Asiriab gao-aob xa ra mî: ǁÎb ge nē ǃās ǃnâ ǂgâxa tide tamas ka iob ge ǂā-e ǁîs ǃnâ ǁkhâu tide. ǁKhaukhōdi ǀkha ǁîb aiǃâ hā tamas ka io omǂnamiga ǁîs ǂnamipe om tide. 34 Hā-ūb ra daob ǁkhāb ǀkhab ge nî oa; nē ǃās ǃnâb ge ǂgâxa tide, tib ge ǃKhūba ra mî. 35 Nē ǃāsa ta ǁkhauba tsî nî ore xui-aosa, tita ǃaroma tsî ti ǃgāb Davidi ǃaroma.’ ”
36 Ob ge ǃKhūb ǀhomǃgāba ǃgûǂoa tsî ǀguikaidisi tsî ǁkhaisadisikoroǀaǀoadisin Asiriaǁîn tentomdi ǃnâ hâna ge ǃgam; ǃnauǁgoaga di ge ǁō hâ sorodi ǀguide ge ǁgoe i. 37 Ob ge Asiriab gao-aob Sanheriba ge ǃgû, ǁîb ge ǁaru tsî Nineves ǃnâ sī ge hâ. 38 ǁÎb ǁgôa-elob, Nisroki ommi ǃnâb ra ǀgoreǀî hîa kha ge ǁîb ôakha Adrameleki tsî Sareseri tsîkha gôab ǀkha ge ǃgam bi, tsî kha ge Araratǃhūb ǃoa ge ǃkhoeni. ǁÎb ôab Esarhadonni ge ǁîba gao-aose saoǃgon.
