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.
En el año catorce del reinado de Ezequías, Senaquerib, rey de Asiria, atacó y conquistó todas las ciudades fortificadas de Judá.
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.
El rey de Asiria envió a su general del ejército, junto con un gran ejército, desde Laquis hasta el rey Ezequías en Jerusalén. Se detuvo junto al acueducto del estanque superior, en el camino hacia el Campo de la Lavandera.
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.
Eliaquim, hijo de Hilcías, el administrador del palacio, Sebnah el escriba, y Joa, hijo de Asaf, el guardián del registro, salieron a hablar con él.
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?
El general del ejército asirio les dijo: “Dile a Ezequías que esto es lo que dice el gran rey, el rey de Asiria: ¿En qué confías para tener tanta confianza?
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]?
Ustedes dicen que tienen una estrategia y que están listos para la guerra, pero esas son palabras vacías. ¿En quién confías, ahora que te has rebelado contra mí?
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].
¡Mira! Estás confiando en Egipto, un bastón que es como una caña rota que cortará la mano de quien se apoye en ella. Así es el Faraón, rey de Egipto, para todo aquel que confía en él.
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]?’
Si me dicen: ‘Confiamos en el Señor, nuestro Dios’, ¿no quitó Ezequías sus lugares altos y sus altares, diciendo a Judá y a Jerusalén: ‘Tienen que adorar en este altar de Jerusalén?’
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!
¿Por qué no aceptas el desafío de mi amo, el rey de Asiria? Él dice: ¡Te daré dos mil caballos, si puedes encontrar suficientes jinetes para ellos!
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!
¿Cómo podrías derrotar siquiera a un solo oficial a cargo de los hombres más débiles de mi amo, cuando confías en Egipto para obtener carros y jinetes?
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!”
Más aún: ¿habría venido a atacar este lugar sin el aliento del Señor? Fue el Señor mismo quien me dijo: ‘Ve y ataca esta tierra y destrúyela’”.
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].”
Eliaquim, Sebna y Joa le dijeron al general del ejército: “Por favor, háblanos a nosotros, tus siervos, en arameo, porque lo entendemos. No nos hables en hebreo mientras la gente de la muralla esté escuchando”.
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].”
Pero el general del ejército respondió: “¿Acaso mi amo me envió a decirles estas cosas a tu amo y a ti, y no a la gente que está sentada en el muro? Ellos también, al igual que tú, van a tener que comer sus propios excrementos y beber su propia orina”.
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!
Entonces el general del ejército gritó en hebreo: “¡Escuchen esto del gran rey, el rey de Asiria!
14 He says, ‘Do not allow Hezekiah to deceive you! He will not be able to rescue you!
Esto es lo que dice el rey: ¡No te dejes engañar por Ezequías! ¡Él no puede salvarlos!
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!’
No crean a Ezequías cuando les diga que confíen en el Señor, diciendo: ‘Estoy seguro de que el Señor nos salvará. Esta ciudad nunca caerá en manos del rey de Asiria’.
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.
No escuchen a Ezequías. Esto es lo que dice el rey: Haz un tratado de paz conmigo y ríndete a mí. Así cada uno comerá de su propia vid y de su propia higuera, y beberá agua de su propio pozo.
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.’
Yo vendré y los llevaré a una tierra que es como la suya, una tierra de grano y de vino nuevo, una tierra de pan y de viñedos.
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!
Pero no se dejen engañar por Ezequías cuando dice: ‘El Señor nos librará’. ¿Acaso alguno de los dioses de alguna nación ha salvado su tierra del poder del rey de Asiria?
19 Why were the gods of Hamath and Arpad [cities], and the gods of Sepharvaim unable to rescue Samaria from my power [MTY]?
¿Dónde estaban los dioses de Hamat y Arfad? ¿Dónde estaban los dioses de Sefarvaim? ¿Pudieron ellos salvar a Samaria de mí?
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]?’”
¿Cuál de todos los dioses de estos países ha salvado su tierra de mí? ¿Cómo podría entonces el Señor salvar a Jerusalén de mí?”
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.”
Pero el pueblo permaneció en silencio y no dijo nada, pues Ezequías había dado la orden: “No le respondan”.
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.
Entonces Eliaquim, hijo de Hilcías, el administrador del palacio, Sebna, el escriba, y Joa, hijo de Asaf, el archivero, fueron a Ezequías con las ropas rasgadas, y le contaron lo que había dicho el general del ejército asirio.
