King Hezekiah of Judah
(2 Chronicles 29.12 22 31.1)1 In the third year of the reign of Hoshea son of Elah as king of Israel, Hezekiah son of Ahaz became king of Judah 2 at the age of twenty-five, and he ruled in Jerusalem for twenty-nine years. His mother was Abijah, the daughter of Zechariah. 3 Following the example of his ancestor King David, he did what was pleasing to the Lord. 4 He destroyed the pagan places of worship, broke the stone pillars, and cut down the images of the goddess Asherah. He also broke in pieces the bronze snake that Moses had made, which was called Nehushtan. Up to that time the people of Israel had burned incense in its honor. 5 Hezekiah trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel; Judah never had another king like him, either before or after his time. 6 He was faithful to the Lord and never disobeyed him, but carefully kept all the commands that the Lord had given Moses. 7 So the Lord was with him, and he was successful in everything he did. He rebelled against the emperor of Assyria and refused to submit to him. 8 He defeated the Philistines and raided their settlements, from the smallest village to the largest city, including Gaza and its surrounding territory.
9 In the fourth year of Hezekiah's reign—which was the seventh year of King Hoshea's reign over Israel—Emperor Shalmaneser of Assyria invaded Israel and besieged Samaria. 10 In the third year of the siege Samaria fell; this was the sixth year of Hezekiah's reign and the ninth year of Hoshea's reign. 11 The Assyrian emperor took the Israelites to Assyria as prisoners and settled some of them in the city of Halah, some near the Habor River in the district of Gozan, and some in the cities of Media.
12 Samaria fell because the Israelites did not obey the Lord their God, but broke the covenant he had made with them and disobeyed all the laws given by Moses, the servant of the Lord. They would not listen and they would not obey.
The Assyrians Threaten Jerusalem
(2 Chronicles 32.1-19Isaiah 36.1-22)13 In the fourteenth year of the reign of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib, the emperor of Assyria, attacked the fortified cities of Judah and conquered them. 14 Hezekiah sent a message to Sennacherib, who was in Lachish: “I have done wrong; please stop your attack, and I will pay whatever you demand.” The emperor's answer was that Hezekiah should send him ten tons of silver and one ton of gold. 15 Hezekiah sent him all the silver in the Temple and in the palace treasury; 16 he also stripped the gold from the temple doors and the gold with which he himself had covered the doorposts, and he sent it all to Sennacherib. 17 The Assyrian emperor sent a large army from Lachish to attack Hezekiah at Jerusalem; it was commanded by his three highest officials. When they arrived at Jerusalem, they occupied the road where the cloth makers work by the ditch that brings water from the upper pool. 18 Then they sent for King Hezekiah, and three of his officials went out to meet them: Eliakim son of Hilkiah, who was in charge of the palace; Shebna, the court secretary; and Joah son of Asaph, who was in charge of the records. 19 One of the Assyrian officials told them that the emperor wanted to know what made King Hezekiah so confident. 20 He demanded, “Do you think that words can take the place of military skill and might? Who do you think will help you rebel against Assyria? 21 You are expecting Egypt to help you, but that would be like using a reed as a walking stick—it would break and jab your hand. That is what the king of Egypt is like when anyone relies on him.”
22 The Assyrian official went on, “Or will you tell me that you are relying on the Lord your God? It was the Lord's shrines and altars that Hezekiah destroyed, when he told the people of Judah and Jerusalem to worship only at the altar in Jerusalem. 23 I will make a bargain with you in the name of the emperor. I will give you two thousand horses if you can find that many men to ride them! 24 You are no match for even the lowest ranking Assyrian official, and yet you expect the Egyptians to send you chariots and cavalry! 25 Do you think I have attacked your country and destroyed it without the Lord's help? The Lord himself told me to attack it and destroy it.”
26 Then Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah told the official, “Speak Aramaic to us, sir. We understand it. Don't speak Hebrew; all the people on the wall are listening.”
27 He replied, “Do you think you and the king are the only ones the emperor sent me to say all these things to? No, I am also talking to the people who are sitting on the wall, who will have to eat their excrement and drink their urine, just as you will.”
28 Then the official stood up and shouted in Hebrew, “Listen to what the emperor of Assyria is telling you! 29 He warns you not to let Hezekiah deceive you. Hezekiah can't save you. 30 And don't let him persuade you to rely on the Lord. Don't think that the Lord will save you and that he will stop our Assyrian army from capturing your city. 31 Don't listen to Hezekiah. The emperor of Assyria commands you to come out of the city and surrender. You will all be allowed to eat grapes from your own vines and figs from your own trees, and to drink water from your own wells— 32 until the emperor resettles you in a country much like your own, where there are vineyards to give wine and there is grain for making bread; it is a land of olives, olive oil, and honey. If you do what he commands, you will not die, but live. Don't let Hezekiah fool you into thinking that the Lord will rescue you. 33 Did the gods of any other nations save their countries from the emperor of Assyria? 34 Where are they now, the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah? Did anyone save Samaria? 35 When did any of the gods of all these countries ever save their country from our emperor? Then what makes you think the Lord can save Jerusalem?”
36 The people kept quiet, just as King Hezekiah had told them to; they did not say a word. 37 Then Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah tore their clothes in grief, and went and reported to the king what the Assyrian official had said.
Hiskia ohamba yaJuda
1 Nomudo omutitatu waHosea yaEla, ohamba yaIsrael, Hiskia yaAhas, ohamba yaJuda, a ninga ohamba. 2 Omido daye da li omilongo mbali nanhano, eshi a ninga ohamba nokwa pangela muJerusalem omido omilongo mbali nomugoi. Nedina laina la li Abi yaSakaria. 3 Ndele ye okwa ninga osho sha yuka momesho Omwene ngaashi xe David a ninga. 4 Nokwa hanauna po oikulundu yokuyambela nokwa tataula eengudi domamanya, nokwa ka po omalupwelele aAsera neyoka loshikushu, Moses e li ningile, ye e li teyaula po, shaashi ovana vaIsrael ve li twiminina. Nokwe li ifana Nehustan. 5 Ye okwe lineekela Omwene Kalunga kaIsrael. Mokati keehamba daJuda, inamu monika nokonima yayo nokomesho yayo nande imwe ngaashi yo ya kala. 6 Heeno, okwa kanyatela mOmwene, ina kanduka mo muye ndele a diinina oipango yaye, oyo Omwene e i lombwela Moses. 7 NOmwene a kala pamwe naye. Keshe apa a ya, ye okwa li e nelao. Ndele ye okwe liteeka ohamba yaAsiria, ndele ine i longela vali. 8 Nokwa taataa Ovafilisti fiyo okuGasa nokoshilongo shavo, okudja koshungo yenangelo fiyo okoshilando shi nohotekuma.
9 Ndelenee momudo omutine wohamba Hiskia, owo omudo omutiheyali waHosea yaEla, ohamba yaIsrael, Salmaneser, ohamba yaAsiria ya homona Samaria ndele ye shi kondeka. 10 Ndele vo ove shi nangala pexulilo lomudo omutitatu. Momudo omutihamano waHiskia, owo omudo omutimugoi waHosea, ohamba yaIsrael, Samaria sha nangalwa. 11 Nohamba yaAsiria ya twala Ovaisraeli moukwatwa muAsiria, ndele va tula muHalag nopomunghulo waHabor, omulonga waGosan nomoilando yomuMedia, 12 shaashi inava dulika kondaka yOmwene Kalunga kavo, ndelenee va tauluka ehangano laye, ashishe osho Moses, omupiya wOmwene a popya, ndele inave i pwilikina ile oku i wanifa.
Jerusalem tashi kondekwa kOvaasiria
13 Ndelenee momudo omutimulongo nomutine wohamba Hiskia, Sanheerib, ohamba yaAsiria, ya homona oilando aishe i neehotekuma yomuJuda, ndele ye i hanauna po. 14 Opo nee Hiskia, ohamba yaJuda, ya shiivifila ohamba yaAsiria, ya li muLakis, tai ti: “Ame nda nyona. Shuna, dja po pwaame. Keshe osho to dike nge, ame ohandi yandje.” Nohamba yaAsiria okwa futifa Hiskia eekilograma omayovi omulongo doisiliveli neekilograma eyovi doshingoldo. 15 Ndele Hiskia okwa yandja oisiliveli aishe ya monika mongulu yOmwene nomomalimba emona ongulu yOmwene nomomalimba emona ongulu yohamba. 16 Pomafiku tuu enya Hiskia okwa kokola po oshingoldo shokoivelo nokeengudi dotembeli yOmwene nomeemango, osho Hiskia, ohamba yaJuda, kwa li e shi nateka ko, ndele e shi yandja kohamba yaAsiria.
17 Opo nee ohamba yaAsiria ya tuma Tartan naRabsaris naRabsake va dja kuLakis, ve nomatanga ovakwaita vahapu kohamba Hiskia kuJerusalem. Ndele vo ve uya popepi naJerusalem. Ndele vo eshi ve uya, ova kanghama petondokelo lomeva oketale lokombada, opondjila yokuya kepumbu lomufufuli woikafa. 18 Ndele va ifana ohamba. Opo nee Eliakim yaHilkia, elenga ekulunhu lomouhamba naSebna, omushangi, naJoah naAsaf, elenga ekulunhu, va pita pondje va ya kuvo. 19 Ndele Rabsake ta ti kuvo: “Lombweleni Hiskia: ‘Ohamba inene, ohamba yaAsiria, tai ti ngaha: Elineekelo ove we lineekela olashike? 20 Ove to diladila mbela nokutya, okupopyaana nomilungu okwo epukululo nonyati yomolwoodi? Ove to lineekele lyelye, eshi wa twa ondubo naame? 21 Tala hano paife, ove oho lineekele oshihati sholumbungu sha teka po, nokutya Egipiti, sho, ngeenge umwe te likolelele kusho, ohashi tu meke laye, ndele tashi li tyuula. Farao, ohamba yaEgipiti, osho i li kukeshe ou te i lineekele. 22 Ndelenee nye ngeenge tamu ti kwaame: “Fye hatu lineekele Omwene, Kalunga ketu,” haye ou, oikulundu yaye neealtari daye Hiskia a hanauna po, eshi a lombwela Juda naJerusalem: “Koaltari ei yomuJerusalem mu nokulinyongamena”? 23 Heeno, tweni hano eemhata nomwene wange, ohamba yaAsiria, ame ohandi ku pe eenghambe omayovi avali, ngeenge ove to dulu oku di kongela ovalondi. 24 Oto dulu ngahelipi okukandula po etotelo lelenga nande limwe lelenga linini li dulike komakwao aa omwene wange? Ndelenee ove ho lineekele kuEgipiti u mone ko omatemba oita novalondi veenghambe. 25 Ame onde uya, vati, inandi pula kOmwene, ndi lwife onhele ei, ame ndi i hanaune po? Omwene okwa lombwela nge, ta ti: Inda u ka lwife oshilongo eshi, u shi hanaune po.’ ”
26 Opo nee Eliakim, omona waHilkia, Sebna naJoah, ova lombwela Rabsake, tava ti: “Popya novanhu voye Oshiaramea, osheshi otu shi udite. Ino tu popifa mOshiheberi momatwi ovakwaita ovo ve li kohotekuma.” 27 Ndelenee Rabsake ta ti: “Omwene wange okwa tuma nge ashike komwene woye nokwoove ndi mu lombwele eendjovo edi, vati? Ina tuma nge kovalumenhu ve li omutumba kohotekuma, ava ve nokulya omatudi avo vene nokunwa omaxu avo vene pamwe nanye?” 28 Opo nee Rabsake a ehena ko, ta kala ofika ndele ta lalekida, ta popi Oshiheberi, ndele ta ti: “Pwilikineni eendjovo dohamba inene, ohamba yaAsiria! 29 Ohamba tai ti ngaha: ‘Inamu laipikwa kuHiskia, osheshi ye ita dulu oku mu xupifa. 30 Inamu lineekelifwa Omwene kuHiskia, eshi ta ti: Omwene ote mu xupifa shili, noshilando eshi itashi yandjwa momake ohamba yaAsiria.’ 31 Inamu pwilikina Hiskia. Osheshi ohamba yaAsiria tai ti ngaha: ‘Tu ningeni oukaume, fye nanye, nye mu liyandje, nye mu kale, keshe umwe ota li komuviinyu waye mwene nokomukwiyu waye mwene, ndele keshe umwe ta nu momufima waye. 32 Fiyo handi uya ndi mu ile, ndi mu twale kedu ngaashi olo leni: kedu loilya nolomaviinyu, kedu lomungome noloikokola yomiviinyu, kedu lomalumono nolomaadi eenyiki. Opo nee tamu ka kala nomwenyo, ndele itamu fi. Ndele inamu pwilikina Hiskia, osheshi ye ote mu pukifa, eshi ta ti, Omwene ote ke tu xupifa! 33 Oikalunga yoiwana oya xupifa tuu keshe umwe oshilongo shaye, momake ohamba yaAsiria? 34 Oikalunga yaHamat noyaArpad oi li peni? Oikalunga yaSefarvaim Hena naIva, oi li peni? Yo oya dula tuu okuxupifa Samaria momake ange? 35 Oshikalunga shomoikalunga yoilongo aishe olyelye, ou a xupifa oshilongo shaye momake ange, opo ngeno Omwene a dule okuxupifa Jerusalem momake ange?’ ”
36 Ndelenee ovakwaita va kala va mwena, inave mu nyamukula sha. Osheshi osho va lombwelwa kohamba: “Inamu mu nyamukula sha.” 37 Opo nee Eliakim yaHilkia, elenga ekulunhu lomouhamba, naSebna, omushangi, naJoah yaAsaf, elenga ekulunhu, ve uya kuHiskia, ve noikutu ya pombauka ndele tave mu shiivifile eendjovo daRabsake.
