The Assyrians Surround Jerusalem
(2 Kings 18.13-272 Chronicles 32.1-19)1 Hezekiah had been king of Judah for 14 years when King Sennacherib of Assyria invaded the country and captured every walled city 2 except Jerusalem. The Assyrian king ordered his army commander to leave the city of Lachish and to take a large army to Jerusalem.
The commander went there and stood on the road near the cloth makers' shops along the canal from the upper pool. 3 Three of the king's highest officials came out of Jerusalem to meet him. One of them was Hilkiah's son Eliakim, who was the prime minister. The other two were Shebna, assistant to the prime minister, and Joah son of Asaph, keeper of the government records.
4 The Assyrian commander told them:
I have a message for Hezekiah from the great king of Assyria. Ask Hezekiah why he feels so sure of himself. 5 Does he think he can plan and win a war with nothing but words? Who is going to help him, now that he has turned against the king of Assyria? 6 Is he depending on Egypt and its king? That's the same as leaning on a broken stick, and it will go right through his hand.
7 Is Hezekiah now depending on the Lord, your God? Didn't Hezekiah tear down all except one of the Lord's altars and places of worship? Didn't he tell the people of Jerusalem and Judah to worship at that one place?
8 The king of Assyria wants to make a bet with you people! He will give you 2,000 horses, if you have enough troops to ride them. 9 How could you even defeat our lowest ranking officer, when you have to depend on Egypt for chariots and cavalry? 10 Don't forget that it was the Lord who sent me here with orders to destroy your nation!
11 Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah said, “Sir, we don't want the people listening from the city wall to understand what you are saying. So please speak to us in Aramaic instead of Hebrew.”
12 The Assyrian army commander answered, “My king sent me to speak to everyone, not just to you leaders. These people will soon have to eat their own body waste and drink their own urine! And so will the three of you!”
13 Then, in a voice loud enough for everyone to hear, he shouted out in Hebrew:
Listen to what the great king of Assyria says! 14 Don't be fooled by Hezekiah. He can't save you. 15 Don't trust him when he tells you that the Lord will protect you from the king of Assyria. 16 Stop listening to Hezekiah. Pay attention to my king. Surrender to him. He will let you keep your own vineyards, fig trees, and cisterns 17 for a while. Then he will come and take you away to a country just like yours, where you can plant vineyards and raise your own grain.
18 Hezekiah claims the Lord will save you. But don't be fooled by him. Were any other gods able to defend their land against the king of Assyria? 19 What happened to the gods of Hamath, Arpad, and Sepharvaim? Were the gods of Samaria able to protect their land against the Assyrian forces? 20 None of those gods kept their people safe from the king of Assyria. Do you think the Lord, your God, can do any better?
21-22 Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah had been warned by King Hezekiah not to answer the Assyrian commander. So they tore their clothes in sorrow and reported to Hezekiah everything the commander had said.
1 Ķēniņa Hiskijas četrpadsmitajā valdīšanas gadā cēlās Asīrijas ķēniņš Sanheribs pret visām stiprajām Jūdas pilsētām un tās ieņēma. 2 Un Asīrijas ķēniņš sūtīja savu karavadoni Rabsaku no Lahišas ar lielu karaspēku pie ķēniņa Hiskijas uz Jeruzālemi. Viņš apmetās pie ūdens vada augšējā dīķa ceļā uz velētāju tīrumu. 3 Tad izgāja pie viņa namu pārvaldnieks Ēljakīms, Hilkijas dēls, ar valsts rakstvedi Sebnu un kancleru Joahu, Asafa dēlu. 4 Un Rabsaks tiem sacīja: "Paziņojiet Hiskijam: tā saka lielais Asīrijas ķēniņš: uz ko tu liec savu cerību? 5 Es saku, tie ir tukši vārdi, ka tev esot pietiekami padoma un spēka, lai karotu. Uz ko tad tu paļaujies, saceldamies pret mani? 6 Nu jā, tu paļaujies uz Ēģipti, uz šo aizlauzto niedri, bet, kas uz to balstās, tam tā sadurs roku un ievainos. Tāds ir faraons, Ēģiptes ķēniņš, pret visiem, kas uz viņu paļaujas. 7 Un, ja tu man saki: mēs paļaujamies uz To Kungu, mūsu Dievu! - vai tad viņš nav tas pats, kura kalnu svētnīcas un altārus Hiskija novāca un teica Jūdai un Jeruzālemei: tikai te, šā altāra priekšā, jums būs pielūgt? - 8 Bet nu salīgstiet ar manu kungu, Asīrijas ķēniņu, un es tev došu divi tūkstoši zirgu; parādi, vai vari sadabūt vajadzīgos jātniekus! 9 Kā tad tu gribi uzņemties cīņu ar vienu pašu virspavēlnieku no mana kunga mazākajiem kalpiem? Bet tu tomēr paļaujies uz Ēģipti ratu un jātnieku dēļ! 10 Es taču ne bez Tā Kunga, jūsu Dieva, gribas nācu pret šo zemi, lai to izpostītu! Tas Kungs pats man pavēlēja celties pret šo zemi un to izpostīt!" 11 Tad Ēljakīms, Sebna un Joahs sacīja Rabsakam: "Runā ar saviem kalpiem aramejiski, mēs to saprotam, bet nerunā ar mums jūdiski šo ļaužu priekšā, kas stāv uz mūra!" 12 Un Rabsaks atbildēja: "Vai tad mans kungs mani sūtījis tikai pie tava kunga un pie tevis runāt šos vārdus, bet ne taisni pie tiem vīriem, kas stāv uz mūra, kam kopā ar jums būs jāēd savi izkārnījumi un jādzer savi mīzali?" 13 Tad Rabsaks nostājās un teica stiprā balsī jūdiski: "Uzklausiet lielā ķēniņa, Asīrijas ķēniņa, vārdus! 14 Tā saka jums ķēniņš: lai Hiskija jūs nepieviļ, jo viņš nevar jūs glābt! 15 Un Hiskija lai jūs neapmierina ar Dievu To Kungu, kad viņš saka: Tas Kungs droši vien mūs izglābs, mūsu pilsēta nekritīs Asīrijas ķēniņa rokās! - 16 Neklausaities uz Hiskiju! Jo tā saka jums Asīrijas ķēniņš: slēdziet mieru ar mani un uzticieties man! Tad ikviens ēdīs no sava paša vīnakoka un ikviens no sava paša vīģeskoka un dzers ūdeni no savas paša akas, 17 kamēr es nākšu un vedīšu jūs zemē, kas tāda pati kā jūsējā, labības un vīna pilna, zemē, kas maizes un vīnadārzu pilna! 18 Hiskija tikai lai jūs nepieviļ, kad viņš saka: Tas Kungs mūs izglābs! - Vai tad kāds no citu tautu dieviem ir savu zemi izglābis no Asīrijas ķēniņa rokas? 19 Kur ir Hamatas un Arpadas dievi? Kur ir Sefarvajima dievs? Vai tie Samariju izglāba no manas rokas? 20 Kur ir kāds no šo zemju dieviem, kas savu zemi būtu izglābis no manas rokas? Kā tad Dievs Tas Kungs lai izglābtu Jeruzālemi no manas varas?" 21 Tad viņi cieta klusu un neatbildēja viņam neviena vārda, jo ķēniņš bija viņiem pavēlējis: "Jūs neatbildiet viņam!" 22 Tad atgriezās namu pārvaldnieks Ēljakīms, Hilkija dēls, valsts rakstvedis Sebna un kanclers Joahs, Asafa dēls, pie Hiskijas ar saplēstām drēbēm un atstāstīja viņam, ko Rabsaks teicis.
