< Esias 36 >
1 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.
在希則克雅為王第十四年,亞述王散乃黑黎布上來攻打猶大的一切堅城,而且都佔領了。
2 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.
亞述王從拉基市打發一位大將軍,帶著大軍到耶路撒冷去見希則克雅王。當大將站在上池溝旁,漂布田間的大路上時,
3 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.
出來迎接他的,有希耳克雅的兒子厄里雅金家宰、舍布納書記和阿撒夫的兒子約阿黑史官。
4 And Rabsaces said to them, Say to Ezekias, Thus says the great king, the king of the Assyrians, Why art thou secure?
大將軍對他們說:「你們去告訴希則克雅說:大王,亞述王這樣說:你所依靠的算得什麼依靠,
5 Is war carried on with counsel and [mere] words of the lips? and now on whom dost thou trust, that thou rebellest against me?
你想空口說話就是戰略和戰鬥的力量嗎﹖如今你靠誰來背叛我﹖
6 Behold, thou trustest 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.
看哪!你依靠的埃及是一根破裂的蘆杖,誰依靠這杖,它就刺傷誰的手,且把手刺透;埃及王法郎對所有依靠他的人就是這樣。
7 But if ye say, We trust in the Lord our God;
假使你們對我說:我們依靠雅威,我們的天主;希則克雅豈不是曾推翻他的高丘和祭壇,且對猶大和耶路撒冷說:你們只應在這祭壇前朝拜﹖
8 yet now make an agreement with my lord the king of the Assyrians, and I will give you two thousand horses, if ye shall be able to set riders upon them.
如今你可與我的主上亞述王打賭:我給你兩千匹馬,你是否能給這些馬配上騎兵﹖
9 And how can ye [then] turn to the face of the satraps? They that trust on the Egyptians for horse and rider, are [our] servants.
若不能,你怎敢拒絕我主上最小僕人中的一個軍長,而去依靠埃及的戰車和騎兵﹖
10 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.
現在,我上來攻打毀滅這地,難道不是雅威的意思嗎﹖雅威對我說了:上去,攻打那地,加以毀滅!」
11 Then Eliakim and Somnas and Joach said to him, Speak to thy servants in the Syrian tongue; for we understand [it]: and speak not to us in the Jewish tongue: and wherefore speakest thou in the ears of the men on the wall?
厄里雅金、舍布納和約阿黑對大將軍說:「請你對你的僕人說阿剌美話,因為我們都懂;你不要對我們講猶太話,因為城牆上的百姓能聽到。」
12 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?
大將軍回答說:「難道我的主上打發我來只對你的主上和你講這些話,而不是對那些坐在城牆上,和你們一樣吃自己的糞,喝自己的尿的人,講這些話嗎﹖」
13 And Rabsaces stood and cried with a loud voice in the Jewish language, and said, Hear ye the words of the great king, the king of the Assyrians:
大將軍於是站起來仍用猶太話大聲喊說:「你們聽大王,亞述王的話罷 !
14 thus says the king, Let not Ezekias deceive you with words: he will not be able to deliver you.
大王這樣說:你們別上希則克雅的當,他決不能拯救你們!
15 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.
也不要讓希則克雅使你們信賴雅威說:雅威必會拯救我們,這城決不會落在亞述王手中!
16 Hearken not to Ezekias: thus says the king of the Assyrians, If ye wish to be blessed, come out to me: and ye shall eat every one [of] his vine and his fig-trees, and ye shall drink water out of your own cisterns:
不要聽從希則克雅,因為亞述王曾這樣說了:你們要與我和好,出來歸順我,各人就可以吃自己的葡萄和無花果,各人也可以喝自己井裏的水;
17 until I come and take you to a land, like your own land, a land of corn and wine, and bread, and vineyards.
直到我來領你們到一個與你們本國一樣的地方去,一個有五穀和新酒的地方,一個有食糧和葡萄園的地方。
18 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?
切不要上希則克雅的當,聽信他說:雅威必拯救我們!萬國的神中有那一個由亞述王手中拯救了自己的國家﹖
19 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?
哈瑪特和阿帕得的神在那裏﹖色法瓦因的神在那裏﹖撒瑪黎雅的神在那裏﹖難道他們由我手中拯救了撒瑪黎雅﹖
20 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?
這些地域中的神,有那一個由我手中拯救了自己的國土﹖難道雅威就能由我手中拯救耶路撒冷嗎﹖」
21 And they were silent, and none answered him a word; because the king had commanded that none should answer.
他們都不作聲,一句話也沒有回答,因為君王有命:「不要回答他。」
22 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 rent, and they reported to him the words of Rabsaces.
希耳克雅的兒子厄里雅金家宰、舍布納書記和阿撒夫的兒兒子約阿黑史官撕裂了衣服,來見希則克雅,將大將軍的話告訴了他。