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.
Sanheerib ta shingile Juda oita
Eendjovosheko daRabsake
1 Ndele momudo omutimulongo nomutine wepangelo lohamba Hiskia, Sanheerib, ohamba yaAsiria, okwa tondokela oilando yeehote aishe yomuJuda, ndele te i te. 2 Ohamba yaAsiria oya tuma Rabsake e na omatanga manene, ta di kuLakis, te uya kuJerusalem nokohamba Hiskia, ndele ye okwa kanghama apa pa hovela omunino womeva tau di metale lokombada, omondjila yokaalanga yomushiki woikafa. 3 Ndele kuye okwe uya Eliakim yaHilkia, elenga leumbo lohamba, naSebna, omushangi womouhamba naJoah yaAsaf elenga ekulunhu. 4 Ndele Rabsake okwe va lombwela, ndele ta ti: “Ka lombweleni Hiskia, nye mu tye: ‘Ohamba inene, ohamba yaAsiria otai ti: Elineekelo ove we lineekela ola shike? 5 Ame ohandi ti: Eendjovo dongaho odo eendunge neenghono dokulwa? Olyelye ou we mu lineekela, eshi wa twa ondubo naame? 6 Tala, ove ho lineekele oshihati sholumbungu sha teka po, nokutya Egipiti, ndele sho ohashi tu meke notashi li tyuula laau te likolele kusho; hano Farao, ohamba yaEgipiti, osho ha kala nakeshe ou te mu lineekele. 7 Ndelenee ngeenge ove to ti kwaame: “Fye ohatu lineekele Omwene Kalunga ketu,” haye ou, Hiskia a ngumauna po oikulundu yaye neealtari daye, eshi a lombwela Juda naJerusalem, ta ti: “Omu nokulinyongamena poaltari ei”? 8 Heeno, tweni hano eemhata nomwene wange, ohamba yaAsiria, ame ohandi ku pe eenghambe omayovi avali ngeenge ove to dulu oku di kongela ovalondi. 9 Oto dulu ngahelipi okukandula po etotelo lelenga nande limwe, omalenga manini e dulike kumakwao aa omwene wange? Ndelenee ove ho lineekele kuEgipiti u mone ko, vati, omatemba oita novalondi veenghambe. 10 Ame onde uya vati, inandi pula Omwene ndi lwife oshilongo eshi? Omwene okwa lombwela nge Ye mwene, ta ti: Inda u ka lwife oshilongo eshi, ove u shi hanaune po.’ ”
11 Opo nee Eliakim, Sebna naJoah ova lombwela Rabsake, ndele tava ti: “Popya novanhu voye Oshiaramea, osheshi otu shi udite, ove ino tu popifa mOshiheberi moipafi yovanhu aveshe ve li kombada yohotekuma.” 12 Ndelenee Rabsake okwa tya: “Omwene wange okwa tuma nge komwene woye nokwoove, ndi mu lombwele eendjovo edi, vati? Ina tuma nge kovalumenhu ava ve li omutumba kohotekuma, ava ve nokulya omatudi avo vene nokunwa omaxu avo vene pamwe nanye?” 13 Opo nee Rabsake okwa ehena ko a kala ofika, ndele ta lalekida ta popi Oshiheberi, ndele ta ti: “Pwilikineni eendjovo dohamba inene, ohamba yaAsiria. 14 Ohamba otai ti ngaha: ‘Inamu ningwa omalai kuHiskia, osheshi ye ita dulu oku mu xupifa. 15 Inamu lineekelifwa Omwene kuHiskia eshi ta ti: “Omwene ote mu xupifa shili, oshilando eshi itashi yandjwa momake ohamba yaAsiria.” 16 Inamu pwilikina Hiskia. Osheshi ohamba yaAsiria otai ti: “Tu ningeni oukaume, ofye nanye, nye mu liyandje, nye mu kale keshe umwe ota li omuviinyu waye mwene nomukwiyu waye mwene nakeshe omunhu na nwe omeva momufima waye mwene, 17 fiyo ohandi uya ndi mu ile, ndi mu twale kedu ngaashi olo leni: edu loilya nolomaviinyu, kedu lomungome noikokola yomiviinyu.” 18 Taleni, Hiskia ehe mu lungamene noku mu lombwela ta ti: “Omwene ote tu xupifa.” Oku na tuu oikalunga yoiwana oya xupifa edu lavo meke lohamba yaAsiria? 19 Oikalunga yaHamat noyaArpad oi li peni? Oikalunga yaSefarvaim oi li peni? Ya xupifa mbela Samaria momake ange? 20 Mokati koikalunga aishe yomoilongo ei olyelye ou a xupifa oshilongo shavo meke lange? Omwene ta dulu ngahelipi okuxupifa Jerusalem momake ange?’ ”
21 Ndelenee vo ova mwena, inave mu nyamukula nande ondjovo imwe, osheshi ohamba oye va lombwela: Inamu mu nyamukula nande. 22 Opo nee Eliakim yaHilkia, elenga lohamba naSebna, omushangi womouhamba noJoah yaAsaf, elenga ekulunhu ove uya kuHiskia, ve noikutu ya pombaulwa nove mu hepaululila eendjovo adishe daRabsake.
