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.
Sinalakay ng mga Taga-Asiria ang Jerusalem
(2 Hari 18:13-27; 2 Cro. 32:1-19)
1Nang ika-14 na taon ng paghahari ni Hezekia, nilusob ni Haring Senakerib ng Asiria ang lahat ng napapaderang lungsod ng Juda at sinakop ito. 2Noong nasa Lakish si Senakerib, inutusan niya ang kumander ng kanyang mga sundalo pati ang buong hukbo niya na pumunta sa Jerusalem at makipagkita kay Haring Hezekia. Nang nasa labas na ng Jerusalem ang kumander, tumigil muna siya at ang kanyang hukbo sa may daluyan ng tubig na nasa itaas ng lugar na pinag-iimbakan ng tubig. Malapit ito sa daan papunta sa pinaglalabahan. 3Nakipagkita sa kanya roon si Eliakim na anak ni Hilkia, na namamahala ng palasyo, si Shebna na kalihim, at si Joa na anak ni Asaf, na namamahala ng mga kasulatan sa kaharian. 4Sinabi sa kanila ng kumander ng mga sundalo, “Sabihin nʼyo kay Hezekia na ito ang sinasabi ng makapangyarihang hari ng Asiria:
“Ano ba ang ipinagmamalaki mo? 5Sinasabi mong maabilidad at malakas ang mga sundalo mo, pero walang kabuluhan ang mga sinasabi mo. Sino ba ang ipinagmamalaki mo at nagrerebelde ka sa akin? 6Ang Egipto ba? Ang bansang ito at ang hari nito ay parang nabaling tungkod na nakakasugat sa kamay kapag ginamit mo. 7Maaari ninyong sabihin na nagtitiwala kayo sa Panginoon na inyong Dios, pero hindi baʼt ikaw din Hezekia ang nagpagiba ng mga sambahan niya sa matataas na lugar36:7 sambahan niya sa matataas na lugar: Tingnan sa Talaan ng mga Salita sa likod. pati ng mga altar nito. At sinabi mo pa sa mga nakatira sa Jerusalem at mga lungsod ng Juda na sumamba sila sa nag-iisang altar doon sa Jerusalem?”
8Sinabi pa ng kumander, “Ngayon, inaalok ka ng aking amo, ang hari ng Asiria. Bibigyan ka namin ng 2,000 kabayo kung may 2,000 ka ring mangangabayo. 9Hindi ka talaga mananalo kahit sa pinakamababang opisyal ng aking amo. Bakit Umaasa ka lang naman sa Egipto na bibigyan ka nito ng mga karwahe at mangangabayo. 10At isa pa, iniisip mo bang labag sa Panginoon ang pagpunta ko rito? Ang Panginoon mismo ang nag-utos sa akin na lusubin at lipulin ang bansang ito.”
11Sinabi nina Eliakim, Shebna at Joa sa kumander ng mga sundalo, “Pakiusap, kausapin mo kami sa wikang Aramico, dahil ang wikang ito ay naiintindihan din namin. Huwag mong gamitin ang wikang Hebreo dahil maririnig ka ng mga taong nasa mga pader ng lungsod.”
12Pero sumagot ang kumander, “Inutusan ako ng aking amo na ipaalam ang mga bagay na ito hindi lang sa inyo at sa inyong hari kundi sa lahat ng naninirahan sa Jerusalem. Magugutom at mauuhaw kayong lahat kapag nilusob namin kayo. Kaya kakainin ninyo ang inyong mga dumi at iinumin ninyo ang inyong mga ihi.”
13Pagkatapos, tumayo ang kumander at sumigaw sa wikang Hebreo, “Pakinggan ninyo ang mga mensahe ng makapangyarihang hari ng Asiria! 14Huwag kayong magpaloko kay Hezekia. Hindi niya kayo maililigtas mula sa mga kamay ko! 15Huwag kayong maniwala sa kanya na manalig sa Panginoon kapag sinabi niya, ‘Tiyak na ililigtas tayo ng Panginoon; hindi ipapaubaya ang lungsod na ito sa kamay ng hari ng Asiria.’
16“Huwag kayong makinig kay Hezekia! Ito ang ipinapasabi ng hari ng Asiria: Huwag na kayong lumaban sa akin; sumuko na lang kayo! Papayagan ko kayong kainin ang bunga ng inyong mga tanim at inumin ang tubig sa sarili ninyong mga balon, 17hanggang sa dumating ako at dadalhin ko kayo sa lupaing katulad din ng inyong lupain na may mga ubasan na magbibigay sa inyo ng katas ng ubas at may mga trigo na magagawa ninyong tinapay. 18Huwag ninyong pakinggan si Hezekia, inililigaw lang niya kayo kapag sinasabi niyang, ‘Ililigtas tayo ng Panginoon!’ May mga dios ba sa ibang bansa na nailigtas ang kanilang bayan mula sa kamay ng hari ng Asiria? 19May nagawa ba ang mga dios ng Hamat, Arpad, at Sefarvaim? Nailigtas ba nila ang Samaria mula sa mga kamay ko? 20Alin sa mga dios ng mga bansang ito ang nakapagligtas ng kanilang bansa laban sa akin? Kaya papaano maililigtas ng Panginoon ang Jerusalem sa aking mga kamay?”
21Hindi sumagot ang mga tao dahil inutusan sila ni Haring Hezekia na huwag sumagot. 22Pagkatapos, pinunit nina Eliakim, Shebna, at Joa ang damit nila sa sobrang kalungkutan. Bumalik sila kay Hezekia at ipinaalam ang lahat ng sinabi ng kumander ng mga sundalo.
