Isaiah 36

1 When King Hezekiah had been [ruling Judah] for almost 14 years, King Sennacherib of Assyria came [with his army] to attack the cities in Judah that had walls around them. [They did not conquer Jerusalem, but] they conquered all the other cities.

And it was in four-teen year of the king Hezekiah he went up Sennacherib [the] king of Assyria on all [the] cities of Judah fortified and he seized them.

2 Then the king of Assyria sent a large army with some of his important officials from Lachish [city] to [persuade] King Hezekiah [to surrender]. When they arrived at Jerusalem, they stood in their positions alongside the aqueduct/channel in which water flows into the upper pool [into Jerusalem], near the road to the field where the women wash clothes.

And he sent [the] king of Assyria - [the] chief commander from Lachish Jerusalem towards to the king Hezekiah with an army massive and he stood at [the] conduit of the pool upper on [the] highway of [the] field of [the] washer.

3 The Israeli officials who went out of the city to talk with them were Hilkiah’s son Eliakim, the (palace administrator/man who supervised the workers in the palace), Shebna the king’s secretary, and Asaph’s son Joah, who wrote down the government decisions.

And he went out to him Eliakim [the] son of Hilkiah who [was] over the house and Shebna the scribe and Joah [the] son of Asaph the recorder.

4 Then one of Sennacherib’s important officials told them to take this message to Hezekiah: This is what the King of Assyria, the great king, says: “What are you trusting in to rescue you?

And he said to them [the] chief commander say please to Hezekiah thus he says the king great [the] king of Assyria what? [is] the trust this which you trust.

5 You say that you have weapons to fight us and some country’s promises [to help you], [and that will enable you to defeat us], but that is only talk [RHQ]. Who do you think will help you to rebel against my [soldiers from Assyria]?

I say only a word of lips [are] a plan and strength for war now on whom? do you rely that you have rebelled against me.

6 Listen to me! You are relying on [the army of] Egypt. But [that will be like] [MET] using a broken reed for a walking stick on which you could lean. [But] it would pierce the hand of anyone who would lean on it! That is what the King of Egypt would be like for anyone who relied on him [for help].

Here! you rely on [the] staff of reed crushed this on Egypt which he will support himself anyone on it and it will go in palm his and it will pierce it [is] thus Pharaoh [the] king of Egypt to all those [who] rely on him.

7 But perhaps you will say to me, ‘[No], we are relying on Yahweh our God [to help us].’ [I would reply], ‘Is he not the one whom [you insulted by] tearing down his shrines and altars and forcing everyone in Jerusalem and [other places in] Judah to worship [only] in front of the altar [in Jerusalem]?’

And if you will say to me to Yahweh God our we trust ¿ not [is] he [the one] whom he has removed Hezekiah high places his and altars his and he has said to Judah and to Jerusalem before the altar this you will bow down.

8 So I suggest that you make a deal with my master/boss, the king of Assyria. I will give you 2,000 horses, but [I do not think that] you can find 2,000 of your men who can ride on them!

And now make a wager please with master my the king of Assyria so let me give to you two thousand horses if you will be able to put for yourself riders on them.

9 You are expecting the king of Egypt to send chariots and men riding horses [to assist you]. But they certainly would not [RHQ] be able to resist/defeat even the most insignificant/unimportant official in the army of Assyria!

And how? will you turn back [the] face of [the] governor one of [the] servants of master my little and you have been relying yourself on Egypt for chariotry and for horsemen.

10 Furthermore, [do not think that] [RHQ] we have come here to attack and destroy this land without Yahweh’s orders! It is Yahweh himself who told us to come here and destroy this land!”

And now ¿ without Yahweh have I come up on the land this to destroy it Yahweh he said to me go up to the land this and destroy it.

11 Then Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah said to the official from Assyria, “Please speak to us in [your] Aramaic language, because we understand it. Do not speak to us in [our] Hebrew language, because the people who are standing on the wall will understand it [and become frightened].”

And he said Eliakim and Shebna and Joah to [the] chief commander speak please to servants your Aramaic for [are] understanding we and may not you speak to us [in] Judean in [the] ears of the people which [is] on the city wall.

12 But the official replied, “Do you think that my master sent me to say these things [only] to you, and not to the people standing on the wall [RHQ]? [If you reject this message], the [people in this city] will soon need to eat their own dung and drink their own urine, just like you will, [because there will be nothing more for you to eat or drink].”

And he said [the] chief commander ¿ to master your and to you has he sent me master my to speak the words these ¿ not to the people who sit on the city wall to eat (own excrement their *Q(K)*) and to drink ([the] water of feet their *Q(K)*) with you.

13 Then the official stood up and shouted in the Hebrew language [to the people sitting on the wall]. He said, “Listen to this message from the great king, the King of Assyria!

And he stood [the] chief commander and he called out with a voice great [in] Judean and he said hear [the] words of the king great [the] king of Assyria.

14 He says, ‘Do not allow Hezekiah to deceive you! He will not be able to rescue you!

Thus he says the king may not he deceive you Hezekiah for not he will be able to deliver you.

15 Do not allow him to persuade you to trust in Yahweh, saying that Yahweh will rescue you, and that [the army of] the King of Assyria will never capture this city!’

And may not he make trust you Hezekiah to Yahweh saying certainly he will deliver us Yahweh not it will be given the city this in [the] hand of [the] king of Assyria.

16 Do not pay attention to what Hezekiah says! This is what the king [of Assyria] says: ‘Come out of the city and surrender to me. [If you do that, I will arrange for] each of you to drink the juice from your own grapevines and to eat figs from your own trees, and to drink water from your own well.

May not you listen to Hezekiah. For thus he says the king of Assyria make with me a blessing and come out to me and eat everyone own vine his and everyone own fig tree his and drink everyone [the] water of own cistern his.

17 [You will be able to do that] until we come and take you to a land that is like your land—a land where there is grain to make bread and [vineyards to produce grapes for making] new wine and, and where we make lots of bread.’

Until come I and I will take you to a land like own land your a land of grain and new wine a land of bread and vineyards.

18 Do not allow Hezekiah to mislead you by saying, “Yahweh will rescue us.” The gods that people of other nations worship have never [RHQ] rescued any of them from the power [MTY] of the King of Assyria!

Lest he should mislead you Hezekiah saying Yahweh he will deliver us ¿ have they delivered [the] gods of the nations anyone land its from [the] hand of [the] king of Assyria.

19 Why were the gods of Hamath and Arpad [cities], and the gods of Sepharvaim unable to rescue Samaria from my power [MTY]?

Where? [were] [the] gods of Hamath and Arpad where? [were] [the] gods of Sepharvaim and if they have delivered Samaria from hand my.

20 No, no god [RHQ] of any nation has been able to rescue their people from me. So why do you think that Yahweh will rescue you people of Jerusalem from my power [MTY]?’”

Who? among all [the] gods of the lands these [are those] which they have delivered land their from hand my that he will deliver Yahweh Jerusalem from hand my.

21 But the people [who were listening] were silent. No one said anything, because King [Hezekiah] had commanded, “[When the official from Assyria talks to you], do not answer him.”

And they kept silent and not they answered him anything for [was] [the] commandment of the king it saying not you must answer him.

22 Then Eliakim and Shebna and Joah returned to Hezekiah with their clothes torn [because they were extremely distressed]. They told him what the official from Assyria had said.

And he went Eliakim [the] son of Hilkiah who [was] over the house and Shebna the scribe and Joah [the] son of Asaph the recorder to Hezekiah torn of garments and they told to him [the] words of [the] chief commander.