Sennacherib Warns Jerusalem
1Sennacherib attacked and captured all the cities of Judah that had high walls around them. It was in the 14th year of the rule of Hezekiah. Sennacherib was king of Assyria. 2He sent his field commander from Lachish to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem. He sent him along with a large army. The commander stopped at the channel that brings water from the Upper Pool. It was on the road to the Washerman’s Field. 3Eliakim, Shebna and Joah went out to him. Eliakim, the son of Hilkiah, was in charge of the palace. Shebna was the secretary. Joah, the son of Asaph, kept the records.
4The field commander said to them, “Give Hezekiah this message. Tell him,
“ ‘Sennacherib is the great king of Assyria. He says, “Why are you putting your faith in what your king says? 5You say you have a military plan. You say you have a strong army. But your words don’t mean anything. Who are you depending on? Why don’t you want to stay under my control? 6Look, I know you are depending on Egypt. Why are you doing that? Egypt is nothing but a broken papyrus stem. Try leaning on it. It will only cut your hand. Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, is just like that to everyone who depends on him. 7But suppose you say to me, ‘We are depending on the Lord our God.’ Didn’t Hezekiah remove your god’s high places and altars? Didn’t Hezekiah say to the people of Judah and Jerusalem, ‘You must worship at the altar in Jerusalem’?
8“ ‘ “Come on. Make a deal with my master, the king of Assyria. I’ll give you 2,000 horses. But only if you can put riders on them! 9You are depending on Egypt for chariots and horsemen. You can’t drive away even the least important officer among my master’s officials. 10Besides, do you think I’ve come without being sent by the Lord? Have I come to attack and destroy this land without receiving a message from him? The Lord himself told me to march out against your country. He told me to destroy it.” ’ ”
11Then Eliakim, Shebna and Joah spoke to the field commander. They said, “Please speak to us in the Aramaic language. We understand it. Don’t speak to us in Hebrew. If you do, the people on the wall will be able to understand you.”
12But the commander replied, “My master sent me to say these things. Are these words only for your master and you to hear? Aren’t they also for the people sitting on the wall? They are going to suffer just like you. They’ll have to eat their own waste. They’ll have to drink their own urine.”
13Then the commander stood up and spoke in the Hebrew language. He called out, “Pay attention to what the great king of Assyria is telling you. 14He says, ‘Don’t let Hezekiah trick you. He can’t save you! 15Don’t let Hezekiah talk you into trusting in the Lord. Don’t believe him when he says, “You can be sure that the Lord will save us. This city will not be handed over to the king of Assyria.” ’
16“Don’t listen to Hezekiah. The king of Assyria says, ‘Make a peace treaty with me. Come over to my side. Then each one of you will eat fruit from your own vine and fig tree. Each one of you will drink water from your own well. 17You will do that until I come back. Then I’ll take you to a land just like yours. It’s a land that has a lot of grain and fresh wine. It has plenty of bread and vineyards.
18“ ‘Don’t let Hezekiah fool you. He’s telling you a lie when he says, “The Lord will save us.” Have the gods of any nations ever saved their lands from the power of the king of Assyria? 19Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim? Have they saved Samaria from my power? 20Which one of all the gods of those countries has been able to save their lands from me? So how can the Lord save Jerusalem from my power?’ ”
21But the people remained silent. They didn’t say anything. That’s because King Hezekiah had commanded, “Don’t answer him.”
22Then Eliakim, the son of Hilkiah, went to Hezekiah. Eliakim was in charge of the palace. Shebna the secretary went with him. So did Joah, the son of Asaph. Joah kept the records. All of them went to Hezekiah with their clothes torn. They told him what the field commander had said.
Sennakeribu Atiisatiisa Yerusaalemi
136:1 2By 32:1Awo olwatuuka, mu mwaka ogw’ekkumi n’ena ogw’obufuzi bwa kabaka Keezeekiya, Sennakeribu kabaka w’e Bwasuli n’ayambuka okulumba ebibuga byonna ebya Yuda ebyali bizimbiddwako bbugwe n’abiwamba. 236:2 Is 7:3Awo kabaka w’e Bwasuli n’asindika Labusake omuduumizi we ow’oku ntikko okuva e Lakisi n’eggye eddene ayolekere Yerusaalemi ewa kabaka Keezeekiya. Omuduumizi ono n’asimba amakanda ku mabbali g’omukutu gw’amazzi omunene ku luguudo olugenda ku Nnimiro y’Omwozi w’Engoye. 336:3 a Is 22:20-21 b 2Bk 18:18Awo Eriyakimu mutabani wa Kirukiya, eyali akulira olubiri, ne Sebuna omuwandiisi, ne Yoswa mutabani wa Asafu eyavunaanyizibwanga ebiwandiiko ne bafuluma okumusisinkana.
4Labusake n’abagamba nti,
“Mugambe Keezeekiya nti, ‘Bw’ati bw’ayogera kabaka omukulu, kabaka w’e Bwasuli nti, Kiki ddala kye weesiga? 536:5 2Bk 18:7Olowooza ebigambo obugambo birina amaanyi n’amagezi okuwangula olutalo. Ani gwe weesiga olyoke onjemere? 636:6 a Is 30:2, 5 b Ez 29:6-7Laba weesiga Misiri, ogwo omuggo obuggo, olumuli olubetente, oluyinza okufumita engalo z’omuntu ng’alwesigamyeko: bw’atyo Falaawo, ye kabaka w’e Misiri bw’ayisa bonna abamwesiga.’ 736:7 a 2Bk 18:4 b Ma 12:2-5Naye bw’onoŋŋamba nti, ‘Twesiga Mukama Katonda waffe,’ si ye yali nannyini byoto n’ebifo ebigulumivu Keezeekiya bye yaggyawo n’agamba Yuda ne Yerusaalemi nti, ‘Mu maaso g’ekyoto kino we munaasinzizanga’?
8“ ‘Kale nno Mukama wange Kabaka w’e Bwasuli agamba nti, Ajja kukuwa embalaasi enkumi bbiri bw’obanga ddala olina abanaazeebagala. 936:9 a Is 31:3 b Is 30:2-5Mu mbeera eyo gy’olimu oyinza otya okuwangula wadde omuduumizi asembayo obunafu mu gye lyaffe ne bwe weesiga ebigaali n’embalaasi za Misiri? 1036:10 1Bk 13:18Ate ekirala olowooza nzize okulumba ensi eno n’okugizikiriza nga Mukama si y’andagidde? Mukama yaŋŋamba nnumbe ensi eno ngizikirize.’ ”
1136:11 Ezr 4:7Awo Eriyakimu ne Sebuna ne Yoswa ne bagamba Labusake nti, “Tukwegayiridde yogera n’abaddu bo mu Lusuuli kubanga tulumanyi, toyogera naffe mu Luyudaaya36:11 Oluyudaaya lwe lulimi olwekikungu olwakozesebwanga mu biro ebyo. Oluyudaaya lwafuukira ddala olulimi Abayudaaya lwe bakozesa okuva mu 5 bc. ng’abantu abali ku bbugwe bawulira.”
12Naye Labusake n’ayogera nti, “Ebyo ebigambo Mukama wange yantumye kubyogera eri mukama wo n’eri ggwe mwekka, so si n’eri abasajja abatudde ku bbugwe abali nga mmwe abagenda okulya obubi bwabwe n’okunywa omusulo gwabwe?”
1336:13 2By 32:18Awo Labusake n’ayimirira n’ayogera mu ddoboozi ery’omwanguka mu lulimi olw’Abayudaaya nti, “Muwulire ebigambo bya kabaka omukulu, kabaka w’e Bwasuli. 14Kabaka agambye bw’ati nti, Temukkiriza Keezeekiya kubalimbalimba tayinza kubawonya. 1536:15 Is 37:10Temukkiriza Keezeekiya kubasigula ng’abagamba nti, ‘Mukama ddala ajja kutununula, ekibuga kino tekijja kugwa mu mukono gwa Bwasuli.’
1636:16 a 1Bk 4:25; Zek 3:10 b Nge 5:15“Temuwuliriza Keezeekiya kubanga bw’ati bw’ayogera kabaka w’e Bwasuli nti, ‘Mutabagane nange mufulume mujje gye ndi, olwo buli muntu ku mmwe lw’alirya ku muzabbibu gwe na buli muntu ku mutiini gwe, era buli omu alinywa ku mazzi ag’omu kidiba kye, 17okutuusa lwe ndijja ne mbatwalira ddala mu nsi efaanana ensi yammwe, ensi ey’eŋŋaano ne wayini, ensi ey’emigaati n’ennimiro ez’emizabbibu.’
18“Mwekuume Keezeekiya aleme okubasendasenda ng’ayogera nti, ‘Mukama alibalokola.’ Waliwo katonda yenna ow’amawanga eyali awonyezza ensi ye mu mukono gwa kabaka w’e Bwasuli? 19Bali ludda wa bakatonda ab’e Kamasi ne Alupadi? Bali ludda wa bakatonda ab’e Sefarayimu? Baali bawonyezza Samaliya mu mukono gwange? 2036:20 1Bk 20:23Baani ku bakatonda bonna ab’ensi ezo abaali bawonyezza ensi zaabwe mu mukono gwange? Kale Mukama asobola atya okuwonya Yerusaalemi mu mukono gwange?”
2136:21 Nge 9:7-8; 26:4Kyokka bo baasirika busirisi tebaddamu, kubanga kabaka yali alagidde nti, “Temumuddamu.”
22Awo Eriyakimu mutabani wa Kirukiya eyali akulira olubiri ne Sebuna Omuwandiisi ne Yoswa mutabani wa Asafu Omukuumi w’ebiwandiiko, ne baddayo eri Keezeekiya nga bayuzizza engoye zaabwe, ne bamubuulira ebigambo bya Labusake.
