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, omukwaniilwa gwaJuda
(2 Ondjal. 29:1-22 31:1)1 Momumvo omutitatu gwepangelo lyomukwaniilwa gwaIsrael Hosea yaEla, Hiskia yaAhas okwa ningi omukwaniilwa gwaJuda 2 mepipi lyomimvo omilongo mbali nantano nokwa lele muJerusalem omimvo omilongo mbali nomugoyi. Yina oAbi yaSakaria. 3 Okwa landula oshinkoti shahekulu omukwaniilwa David e ta ningi shoka sho opalela Omuwa. 4 Okwa yonagula po omahala giinonoma yuupagani, okwa kumuna po oongundhimanya nokwa kumagula po iiyelekela yakalungakiintu Asheera. Okwa tatula po eyoka lyoshikushu ndyoka lya hambulilwe kuMoses hali ithanwa Nehushtan. Aaisraeli oya li haye li yambele iitsininondjambo noku li simaneka. 5 Hiskia okwi inekele Omuwa, Kalunga kaIsrael; muJuda kamwa li omukwaniilwa gulwe e mu fa, e mu tetekela ando nenge e mu landula. 6 Okwa li omwiinekelwa gOmuwa ye ina etha okuvulika kuye, ihe okwa dhiginine iipango mbyoka Omuwa e yi pele Moses. 7 Omolwashoka Omuwa a li e mu na nokwa li e na elago mwaayihe mbyoka a ningi. Okwa tsu ondumbo nomupangeli gwaAssur e ta tindi okwiigandja kuye. 8 Okwa sindi Aafilisti e ta matukile iitembukilwa yawo ayihe, iishona niinene, sigo okuGaza nomikunda dhe shi kundukidha.
9 Momumvo omutine gwepangelo lyaHiskia, omumvo omutiheyali gwepangelo lyomukwaniilwa gwaIsrael Hosea yaEla, omupangeli gwaAssur Salmaneser okwa homona Israel e ta kondeke Samaria. 10 Momumvo omutitatu gwekondeko Samaria osha teka po; omumvo nguka ogwa li omutihamano gwepangelo lyaHiskia nomutimugoyi gwepangelo lyaHosea. 11 Omupangeli gwaAssur okwa fala Aaisraeli kuAssur oonkwatwa. Yamwe yomuyo okwe ya tula moshilando Halak, yamwe opopepi nomulonga Habor moshikandjo shaGosan nayamwe omiilando yAamedia.
12 Samaria osha teka po, oshoka Aaisraeli inaa vulika kOmuwa, Kalunga kawo, ihe oya teya ehangano ndyoka a hangana nayo yo inaa vulika kiipango ayihe mbyoka ye yi pelwe kuMoses, omumati gwOmuwa. Inaa pulakena yo inaa vulika nando.
Aayassur taa homona Jerusalem
(2 Ondjal. 32:1-19Jes. 36:1-22)13 Momumvo omutimulongo nomutine gwepangelo lyomukwaniilwa Hiskia, Sennakerib omupangeli gwaAssur, okwa matukile iilandohote yaJuda e te yi kutha ko. 14 Hiskia okwa tumu elaka kuSennakerib, sho a li muLakish tali ti: “Onda puka; ombili, hulitha po omahomono goye, notandi ke ku futa shoka to pula.” Eyamukulo lyomupangeli olya li tali ti kutya Hiskia ne mu tumine oshisiliveli shondjundo yookilograma 10,000 noshingoli shondjundo yookilograma 1000. 15 Hiskia okwe mu tumine iingoli ayihe ya li motempeli nomoompungulo dhomuuwa. 16 Okwa kugunyuna ko wo oshingoli shokomiyelo dhotempeli noshingoli shoka a kolongelele kiikulo yomiyelo e ta tumine kuSennakerib. 17 Omupangeli gwaAssur okwa tumu etangakwiita enene lya zi muLakish, li ka matukile Hiskia muJerusalem. Olya li lya wilikwa komalenga omanene gatatu. Sho ga thiki kuJerusalem, oga kwata po ondjila yaatungi yoonguwo, pomukanka gwomeya ngoka tagu kutha omeya mondama yopombanda, 18 noga tumu komukwaniilwa Hiskia. Elenga lyomuuwa Eliakim lyaHilkia, amushangampangu Shebna na amushangandjayi Joak yaAsaf oya yi kugo. 19 Elenga enene lyomupangeli gwaAssur olya ti kuyo: “Lombweleni Hiskia kutya omupangeli omunene gwaAssur ota ti ngeyi: ‘Einekelo lyoye olyo okwiinekela shike? 20 Oto tengeneke ngiika kutya moohapu dhanathangwa ohamu zi omayele noonkondo miita. Ngoye owi inekela lye, sho wa tsa ondumbo nangame? 21 Ngiika owi inekela Egipiti, ihe olya fa enenge lya shandjuka tali ulula oshikaha shomuntu ngoka ti itsile ko. Omukwaniilwa gwaEgipiti osho a tya, ngele pe na ngoka te mu inekele.’ ”
22 Elenga enene olya tsikile ko tali ti: “Nenge otamu lombwele ndje mu tye, otwi inekela Omuwa, Kalunga ketu? Nani Hiskia ina hanagula po omahala gokunonoma niiyambelo yOmuwa ngoka, sho a lombwele Aajuda nAajerusalem, ya simaneke ashike oshiyambelo shomuJerusalem? 23 Medhina lyamwene gwandje, omupangeli gwaAssur, otandi ku uvanekele, ndi ku pe uukambe omayuvi gaali, ngele oto vulu oku u monena aakayili yawo. 24 Ngoye ito gwana nando okumatukila elenga limwe eshona lyokuAssur, ndele natango omwi inekela Egipiti te ku tumine omatembakwiita naakawilinkambe! 25 Nenge oto dhiladhila kutya onda homona oshilongo shika noku shi hanagula po ndaa na eutho lyOmuwa? Omuwa oye mwene a lombwele ndje, ndi shi matukile, ngame ndi shi hanagule po.”
26 Nena Eliakim, Shebna naJoah oya lombwele elenga ya ti: “Tatekulu, popya Oshiaramea, otu shi uvite. Ino popya Oshihebeli, aantu ayehe kombanda yedhingililokuma otaye tu pulakene.”
27 Elenga olya yamukula lya ti: “Oto dhiladhila kutya mwene gwandje okwa tumu ndje kumwene gwoye nokungoye amuke, ndi popye oohapu ndhika? Aawoo, ondi na okulombwela wo aantu mboka ye li kekuma, mboka ye na okulya omapumba gawo notaa nu omasita gawo, naanaa ngaashi ne.”
28 Nena elenga olya thikama po e tali igidha mOshihebeli tali ti: “Pulakeneni sho omupangeli gwaAssur te mu lombwele! 29 Ote mu londodha, mwaa kotokelwe kuHiskia. Hiskia ita vulu oku mu hupitha. 30 Inamu pitika, e mu heke mu inekele Omuwa. Inamu dhiladhila kutya Omuwa ote ke mu hupitha, nenge a keelele omatangakwiita getu gaAssur okukwata po oshilando sheni. 31 Inamu pulakena Hiskia. Omupangeli gwaAssur ote mu lombwele, mu pite mo moshilando, mu ye pondje ne mu igandje. Amuhe otamu ka pitikilwa, mu lye omandjembele koomviinu dheni yene, oonkwiyu komikwiyu dheni yene nokunwa omeya momithima dheni yene, 32 sigo omupangeli te mu fala moshilongo sha faathana nosheni yene, moka mu na iitsambe yomiviinu tayi gandja omaviinu nomu na iilya yokuninga iikwiila; olyo evi lyomiolivi, lyomagadhi gooholivi nolyomagadhi goonyushi. Ngele tamu ningi shoka ta ti, itamu ka sa, ihe otamu kala mu na omwenyo. Inamu tulwa muugoya kuHiskia, mu dhiladhile kutya Omuwa ote mu hupitha. 33 Ookalunga yiigwana yilwe oya hupitha tuu iilongo yawo miikaha yomupangeli gwaAssur? 34 Ookalunga yaHamat noyaArpad oye li peni ngashingeyi? Ookalunga yaSefarvaim, yaHena noyaIvva oye li peni? Ope na tuu shoka sha hupitha Samaria? 35 Uunake gumwe gwomookalunga mbaka a hupitha nando oshilongo shimwe shomuyo miikaha yomupangeli gwetu? Ndele nena oshike tashi mu dhiladhilitha kutya Omuwa ota hupitha Jerusalem?”
36 Aantu oya li ya tya thilu, naanaa ngaashi omukwaniilwa Hiskia e ya lombwele; inaa popya sha nando. 37 Nena Eliakim, Shebna naJoah oya tuula oonguwo dhawo moluhodhi e taa zi po e taa ka lombwela omukwaniilwa shoka elenga lyokuAssur lya ti.
