1Now it came to pass in the fourteenth year of king Hezekiah, that Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the defenced cities of Judah, and took them. 2And the king of Assyria sent Rabshakeh from Lachish to Jerusalem unto king Hezekiah with a great army. And he stood by the conduit of the upper pool in the highway of the fuller’s field. 3Then came forth unto him Eliakim, Hilkiah’s son, which was over the house, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah, Asaph’s son, the recorder.36.3 scribe: or, secretary
4¶ And Rabshakeh said unto them, Say ye now to Hezekiah, Thus saith the great king, the king of Assyria, What confidence is this wherein thou trustest? 5I say, sayest thou, (but they are but vain words) I have counsel and strength for war: now on whom dost thou trust, that thou rebellest against me?36.5 vain…: Heb. a word of lips36.5 I have…: or, but counsel and strength are for the war 6Lo, thou trustest in the staff of this broken reed, on Egypt; whereon if a man lean, it will go into his hand, and pierce it: so is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all that trust in him. 7But if thou say to me, We trust in the LORD our God: is it not he, whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah hath taken away, and said to Judah and to Jerusalem, Ye shall worship before this altar? 8Now therefore give pledges, I pray thee, to my master the king of Assyria, and I will give thee two thousand horses, if thou be able on thy part to set riders upon them.36.8 pledges: or, hostages 9How then wilt thou turn away the face of one captain of the least of my master’s servants, and put thy trust on Egypt for chariots and for horsemen? 10And am I now come up without the LORD against this land to destroy it? the LORD said unto me, Go up against this land, and destroy it.
11¶ Then said Eliakim and Shebna and Joah unto Rabshakeh, Speak, I pray thee, unto thy servants in the Syrian language; for we understand it: and speak not to us in the Jews’ language, in the ears of the people that are on the wall.
12¶ But Rabshakeh said, Hath my master sent me to thy master and to thee to speak these words? hath he not sent me to the men that sit upon the wall, that they may eat their own dung, and drink their own piss with you? 13Then Rabshakeh stood, and cried with a loud voice in the Jews’ language, and said, Hear ye the words of the great king, the king of Assyria. 14Thus saith the king, Let not Hezekiah deceive you: for he shall not be able to deliver you. 15Neither let Hezekiah make you trust in the LORD, saying, The LORD will surely deliver us: this city shall not be delivered into the hand of the king of Assyria. 16Hearken not to Hezekiah: for thus saith the king of Assyria, Make an agreement with me by a present, and come out to me: and eat ye every one of his vine, and every one of his fig tree, and drink ye every one the waters of his own cistern;36.16 Make…: or, Seek my favour by a present: Heb. Make with me a blessing 17Until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of corn and wine, a land of bread and vineyards. 18Beware lest Hezekiah persuade you, saying, The LORD will deliver us. Hath any of the gods of the nations delivered his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria? 19Where are the gods of Hamath and Arphad? where are the gods of Sepharvaim? and have they delivered Samaria out of my hand? 20Who are they among all the gods of these lands, that have delivered their land out of my hand, that the LORD should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand? 21But they held their peace, and answered him not a word: for the king’s commandment was, saying, Answer him not.
22¶ Then came Eliakim, the son of Hilkiah, that was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah, the son of Asaph, the recorder, to Hezekiah with their clothes rent, and told him the words of Rabshakeh.
Sanaherib Hunahuna Yerusalem
1Ɔhene Hesekia adedie mfeɛ dunan so no, Asiriahene Sanaherib bɛto hyɛɛ Yuda nkuropɔn a wɔabɔ ho ban no so dii so. 2Afei, Asiriahene somaa nʼananmusifoɔ firi Lakis a akodɔm kɛseɛ ka ne ho kɔhyiaa Ɔhene Hesekia wɔ Yerusalem. Ɛberɛ a ɔsahene no bɛgyinaa nsudorobɛn bi a ɛfiri Atifi Tadeɛ de kɔ Ntomasifoɔ Atenaeɛ hɔ no, 3Hilkia babarima Eliakim a na ɔhwɛ ahemfie no ntotoeɛ so ne Sebna a na ɔyɛ ɔtwerɛfoɔ ne Asaf babarima Yoa a na ɔno nso yɛ ɔtwerɛfoɔ kɔhyiaa no.
4Na ɔsahene no ka kyerɛɛ wɔn sɛ, “Monka nkyerɛ Hesekia sɛ,
“ ‘Asɛm a otumfoɔ Asiriahene ka nie: Ɛdeɛn na wode wo ho to so a ɛma wogye wo ho di saa? 5Woka sɛ wowɔ akodie ho nyansa ne nʼahoɔden, nanso woka nsɛm hunu. Hwan na ɔtaa wʼakyi a enti wote mʼanim atua? 6Misraim anaa? Sɛ wotwere Misraim a, wobɛhunu sɛ, ɛte sɛ abaa a wo mu duru bɛbu no, na awɔ wo ahwire wo nsam. Misraim Farao mpo mu nni ahotosoɔ korakora. 7Na sɛ moka kyerɛ me sɛ, “Yɛde yɛn ho ato Awurade yɛn Onyankopɔn so” a, ɛnyɛ ɔno na Hesekia yiyii nʼasɔreɛ ne nʼafɔrebukyia na ɔka kyerɛɛ Yuda ne Yerusalem sɛ, “Ɛsɛ sɛ mosɔre wɔ saa afɔrebukyia yi anim no” anaa?
8“ ‘Mɛka asɛm bi akyerɛ wo! Me wura Asiriahene ne wo bɛyɛ nhyehyɛeɛ bi. Sɛ wobɛnya apɔnkɔsotefoɔ mpenu, afiri wʼasraadɔm mu a, ɔbɛma wɔn apɔnkɔ mpenu ama wɔatenatena wɔn so. 9Na wʼasraadɔm ketewa sɛɛ yi, ɛbɛyɛ dɛn na woaso daeɛ sɛ wobɛtumi ne me wura akodɔm no mu fa bi a wɔyɛ mmerɛ mpo adi asie. Menim sɛ wode wo ho ato Misraim nteaseɛnam ne apɔnkɔsotefoɔ mmoa so. 10Bio, wogye di sɛ, maba sɛ merebɛto ahyɛ asase yi so asɛe no kwa a Awurade nsa nni mu? Awurade ankasa ka kyerɛɛ me sɛ, menkɔko ntia saa asase yi na mensɛe no.’ ”
11Na Eliakim, Sebna ne Yoa ka kyerɛɛ ɔsahene no sɛ, “Yɛsrɛ mo, monka Arameike kasa nkyerɛ mo asomfoɔ, ɛfiri sɛ, yɛte aseɛ yie. Monnka Hebri36.11 Hebri kasa yɛɛ kasa a na wɔde di nkutaho saa berɛ no. Ɛfiri 5 AWK no, Hebri kasa bɛyɛɛ Yudafoɔ kasa. na nnipa a wɔwɔ ɔfasuo no so no bɛte aseɛ.”
12Na ɔsahene no buaa sɛ, “Me wura pɛ sɛ obiara a ɔwɔ Yerusalem te saa asɛm yi, na ɛnyɛ mo nko. Ɔpɛ sɛ wɔte sɛ, sɛ moamma mo nsa so a, wɔbɛtua kuropɔn yi. Ɛkɔm ne sukɔm werɛmfoɔ bɛde nkurɔfoɔ no ara kɔsi sɛ, wɔbɛdi wɔn ara agyanan, anom wɔn dwonsɔ.”
13Afei, ɔsahene no sɔre gyina kasaa Hebri mu sɛ, “Montie saa nkra yi a ɛfiri ɔhempɔn, Asiriahene no nkyɛn! 14Sɛdeɛ ɔhene no seɛ nie: Mommma Hesekia nnaadaa mo. Ɔrentumi nye mo! 15Mommma Hesekia mfa saa asɛm a ɔkaa no sɛ, ‘Awurade bɛgye yɛn! Wɔremfa saa kuro yi mma Asiriahene’ no, mma mo tirim nyɛ mo dɛ.
16“Monntie Hesekia. Yeinom ne nhyehyɛeɛ a Asiriahene reyɛ. Mo ne me nni no asomdwoeɛ so. Mommue apono no, na mompue mmra. Na mɛma mo mu biara ɛkwan, na moatoa so adidi afiri mo bobe ne borɔdɔma mfikyifuo mu, anom nsuo afiri mo ara mo abura mu, 17kɔsi sɛ mɛba abɛfa mo akɔ asase a ɛte sɛ mo deɛ yi so, ayuo ne nsã foforɔ asase, aduane ne bobe mfuo asase.
18“Mommma Hesekia nka sɛ, ‘Awurade bɛgye yɛn,’ mfa nnaadaa mo. Ɔman bi so nyame atumi agye ne ɔman afiri Asiriahene nsam pɛn anaa? 19Ɛhe na Hamat ne Arpad anyame no wɔ? Na Sefarwaim anyame no nso wɔ he? Wɔagye Samaria afiri me nsam anaa? 20Ɔman bɛn so nyame na watumi agye ne manfoɔ afiri me tumi ase? Na afei ɛbɛyɛ dɛn na Awurade bɛtumi agye Yerusalem afiri me nsam?”
21Na nnipa no yɛɛ komm a wɔamma mmuaeɛ biara, ɛfiri sɛ, na Hesekia aka akyerɛ wɔn sɛ wɔnnkasa.
22Afei, Hilkia babarima Eliakim a na ɔhwɛ ahemfie no ntotoeɛ so ne Sebna a na ɔyɛ ɔtwerɛfoɔ ne Asaf babarima Yoa a ɔno nso yɛ ɔtwerɛfoɔ kɔɔ Hesekia nkyɛn a wɔasunsuane wɔn ntadeɛ mu, kɔkaa deɛ ɔsahene no aka kyerɛɛ no.
