< 以賽亞書 36 >
1 希西家王十四年,亞述王西拿基立上來攻擊猶大的一切堅固城,將城攻取。
Now it came to pass in the fourteenth year of the reign of Ezekias, [that] Sennacherim, king of the Assyrians, came up against the strong cities of Judea, and took them.
2 亞述王從拉吉差遣拉伯沙基率領大軍往耶路撒冷,到希西家王那裏去。他就站在上池的水溝旁,在漂布地的大路上。
And the king of the Assyrians sent Rabsaces out of Laches to Jerusalem to king Ezekias with a large force: and he stood by the conduit of the upper pool in the way of the fuller's field.
3 於是希勒家的兒子家宰以利亞敬,並書記舍伯那和亞薩的兒子史官約亞,出來見拉伯沙基。
And there went forth to him Heliakim the steward, the [son] of Chelcias, and Somnas the scribe, and Joach the [son] of Asaph, the recorder.
4 拉伯沙基對他們說:「你們去告訴希西家說,亞述大王如此說:『你所倚靠的有甚麼可仗賴的呢?
And Rabsaces said to them, Say to Ezekias, Thus says the great king, the king of the Assyrians, Why are you secure?
5 你說,有打仗的計謀和能力,我看不過是虛話。你到底倚靠誰才背叛我呢?
Is war carried on with counsel and [mere] words of the lips? and now on whom do you trust, that you rebel against me?
6 看哪,你所倚靠的埃及是那壓傷的葦杖,人若靠這杖,就必刺透他的手。埃及王法老向一切倚靠他的人也是這樣。
Behold, you trust on this bruised staff of reed, on Egypt: [as soon] as a man leans upon it, it shall go into his hand, and pierce it: so is Pharao king of Egypt and all that trust in him.
7 你若對我說:我們倚靠耶和華-我們的上帝。希西家豈不是將上帝的邱壇和祭壇廢去,且對猶大和耶路撒冷的人說:你們當在這壇前敬拜嗎?
But if you say, We trust in the Lord our God;
8 現在你把當頭給我主亞述王,我給你二千匹馬,看你這一面騎馬的人夠不夠。
yet now make an agreement with my lord the king of the Assyrians, and I will give you two thousand horses, if you shall be able to set riders upon them.
9 若不然,怎能打敗我主臣僕中最小的軍長呢?你竟倚靠埃及的戰車馬兵嗎?
And how can you [then] turn to the face of the satraps? They that trust on the Egyptians for horse and rider, are [our] servants.
10 現在我上來攻擊毀滅這地,豈沒有耶和華的意思嗎?耶和華吩咐我說,你上去攻擊毀滅這地吧!』」
And now, Have we come up against this land to fight against it without the Lord? The Lord said to me, Go up against this land, and destroy it.
11 以利亞敬、舍伯那、約亞對拉伯沙基說:「求你用亞蘭言語和僕人說話,因為我們懂得;不要用猶大言語和我們說話,達到城上百姓的耳中。」
Then Eliakim and Somnas and Joach said to him, Speak to your servants in the Syrian tongue; for we understand [it]: and speak not to us in the Jewish tongue: and therefore speak you in the ears of the men on the wall?
12 拉伯沙基說:「我主差遣我來,豈是單對你和你的主說這些話嗎?不也是對這些坐在城上、要與你們一同吃自己糞喝自己尿的人說嗎?」
And Rabsaces said to them, Has my lord sent me to your lord or to you, to speak these words? [has he] not [sent] me to the men that sit on the wall, that they may eat dung, and drink [their] water together with you?
13 於是,拉伯沙基站着,用猶大言語大聲喊着說:「你們當聽亞述大王的話。
And Rabsaces stood and cried with a loud voice in the Jewish language, and said, Hear you the words of the great king, the king of the Assyrians:
14 王如此說:『你們不要被希西家欺哄了,因他不能拯救你們。
thus says the king, Let not Ezekias deceive you with words: he will not be able to deliver you.
15 也不要聽希西家使你們倚靠耶和華說:耶和華必要拯救我們,這城必不交在亞述王的手中。』
And let not Ezekias say to you, That God will deliver you, and this city will not at all be delivered into the hand of the king of the Assyrians.
16 不要聽希西家的話,因亞述王如此說:『你們要與我和好。出來投降我,各人就可以吃自己葡萄樹和無花果樹的果子,喝自己井裏的水。
Listen not to Ezekias: thus says the king of the Assyrians, If you wish to be blessed, come out to me: and you shall eat every one [of] his vine and his fig-trees, and you shall drink water out of your own cisterns:
17 等我來領你們到一個地方,與你們本地一樣,就是有五穀和新酒之地,有糧食和葡萄園之地。
until I come and take you to a land, like your own land, a land of corn and wine, and bread, and vineyards.
18 你們要謹防,恐怕希西家勸導你們說:耶和華必拯救我們。列國的神有哪一個救他本國脫離亞述王的手呢?
Let not Ezekias deceive you, saying, God will deliver you. Have the gods of the nations delivered each one his own land out of the hand of the king of the Assyrians?
19 哈馬和亞珥拔的神在哪裏呢?西法瓦音的神在哪裏呢?他們曾救撒馬利亞脫離我的手嗎?
Where is the god of Emath, and Arphath? and where is the god of Eppharuaim? have they been able to deliver Samaria out of my hand?
20 這些國的神有誰曾救自己的國脫離我的手呢?難道耶和華能救耶路撒冷脫離我的手嗎?』」
Which is the god of all these nations, that has delivered his land out of my hand, that God should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?
21 百姓靜默不言,並不回答一句,因為王曾吩咐說:「不要回答他。」
And they were silent, and none answered him a word; because the king had commanded that none should answer.
22 當下希勒家的兒子家宰以利亞敬和書記舍伯那,並亞薩的兒子史官約亞,都撕裂衣服,來到希西家那裏,將拉伯沙基的話告訴了他。
And Heliakim the [son] of Chelcias, the steward, and Somnas the military scribe, and Joach the [son] of Asaph, the recorder, came in to Ezekias, having their garments tore, and they reported to him the words of Rabsaces.