The King Asks Isaiah's Advice
(2 Kings 19.1-7)1 As soon as King Hezekiah heard their report, he tore his clothes in grief, put on sackcloth, and went to the Temple of the Lord. 2 He sent Eliakim, the official in charge of the palace, Shebna, the court secretary, and the senior priests to the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz. They also were wearing sackcloth. 3 This is the message which he told them to give to Isaiah: “Today is a day of suffering; we are being punished and are in disgrace. We are like a woman who is ready to give birth, but is too weak to do it. 4 The Assyrian emperor has sent his chief official to insult the living God. May the Lord your God hear these insults and punish those who spoke them. So pray to God for those of our people who survive.”
5 When Isaiah received King Hezekiah's message, 6 he sent back this answer: “The Lord tells you not to let the Assyrians frighten you by their claims that he cannot save you. 7 The Lord will cause the emperor to hear a rumor that will make him go back to his own country, and the Lord will have him killed there.”
The Assyrians Send Another Threat
(2 Kings 19.8-19)8 The Assyrian official learned that the emperor had left Lachish and was fighting against the nearby city of Libnah; so he went there to consult him. 9 Word reached the Assyrians that the Egyptian army, led by King Tirhakah of Ethiopia, was coming to attack them. When the emperor heard this, he sent a letter to King Hezekiah 10 of Judah to tell him: “The god you are trusting in has told you that you will not fall into my hands, but don't let that deceive you. 11 You have heard what an Assyrian emperor does to any country he decides to destroy. Do you think that you can escape? 12 My ancestors destroyed the cities of Gozan, Haran, and Rezeph, and killed the people of Betheden who lived in Telassar, and none of their gods could save them. 13 Where are the kings of the cities of Hamath, Arpad, Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah?”
14 King Hezekiah took the letter from the messengers and read it. Then he went to the Temple, placed the letter there in the presence of the Lord, 15 and prayed, 16 “Almighty Lord, God of Israel, seated above the winged creatures, you alone are God, ruling all the kingdoms of the world. You created the earth and the sky. 17 Now, Lord, hear us and look at what is happening to us. Listen to all the things that Sennacherib is saying to insult you, the living God. 18 We all know, Lord, that the emperors of Assyria have destroyed many nations, made their lands desolate, 19 and burned up their gods—which were no gods at all, only images of wood and stone made by human hands. 20 Now, Lord our God, rescue us from the Assyrians, so that all the nations of the world will know that you alone are God.”
Isaiah's Message to the King
(2 Kings 19.20-37)21 Then Isaiah sent a message telling King Hezekiah that in answer to the king's prayer 22 the Lord had said, “The city of Jerusalem laughs at you, Sennacherib, and makes fun of you. 23 Whom do you think you have been insulting and ridiculing? You have been disrespectful to me, the holy God of Israel. 24 You sent your servants to boast to me that with all your chariots you had conquered the highest mountains of Lebanon. You boasted that there you cut down the tallest cedars and the finest cypress trees, and that you reached the deepest parts of the forests. 25 You boasted that you dug wells and drank water in foreign lands, and that the feet of your soldiers tramped the Nile River dry.
26 “Have you never heard that I planned all this long ago? And now I have carried it out. I gave you the power to turn fortified cities into piles of rubble. 27 The people who lived there were powerless; they were frightened and stunned. They were like grass in a field or weeds growing on a roof when the hot east wind blasts them.
28 “But I know everything about you, what you do and where you go. I know how you rage against me. 29 I have received the report of that rage and that pride of yours, and now I will put a hook through your nose and a bit in your mouth and will take you back by the same road you came.”
30 Then Isaiah said to King Hezekiah, “Here is a sign of what will happen. This year and next you will have only wild grain to eat, but the following year you will be able to plant grain and harvest it, and plant vines and eat grapes. 31 Those in Judah who survive will flourish like plants that send roots deep into the ground and produce fruit. 32 There will be people in Jerusalem and on Mount Zion who will survive, because the Lord Almighty is determined to make this happen.
33 “And this is what the Lord has said about the Assyrian emperor: ‘He will not enter this city or shoot a single arrow against it. No soldiers with shields will come near the city, and no siege mounds will be built around it. 34 He will go back by the same road he came, without entering this city. I, the Lord, have spoken. 35 I will defend this city and protect it, for the sake of my own honor and because of the promise I made to my servant David.’”
36 An angel of the Lord went to the Assyrian camp and killed 185,000 soldiers. At dawn the next day there they lay, all dead! 37 Then the Assyrian emperor Sennacherib withdrew and returned to Nineveh. 38 One day when he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisroch, two of his sons, Adrammelech and Sharezer, killed him with their swords and then escaped to the land of Ararat. Another of his sons, Esarhaddon, succeeded him as emperor.
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.
