< 2 Kings 18 >
1 Now in the third year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, Hezekiah the son of Ahaz king of Judah began to reign.
以色列王厄拉的兒子曷舍亞三年,阿哈次的兒子希則克雅登基為猶大王。
2 He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Abi the daughter of Zechariah.
他登極時年二十五歲,在耶路撒冷作王凡二十九年;他的母親名阿彼雅,是則加黎雅的女兒。
3 He did that which was right in the LORD’s eyes, according to all that David his father had done.
希則克雅行了上主視為正義的事,完全像他祖先達味所行的一樣;
4 He removed the high places, broke the pillars, and cut down the Asherah. He also broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, because in those days the children of Israel burned incense to it; and he called it Nehushtan.
他廢除了高丘,毀壞了石柱,砍倒了木偶,打碎了梅瑟所製造的銅蛇,因為直到那時,以色列子民仍向銅蛇焚香,稱為乃胡市堂。
5 He trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel, so that after him was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, nor among them that were before him.
他信賴上主以色列的天主;在他前後的猶大列王中,沒有一個可與他相比的。
6 For he joined with the LORD. He didn’t depart from following him, but kept his commandments, which the LORD commanded Moses.
他依靠上主,緊隨不離,謹守上主頒給梅瑟的誡命。
7 The LORD was with him. Wherever he went, he prospered. He rebelled against the king of Assyria, and didn’t serve him.
因此,上主與他同在,他無論作什麼,必都順利,且擺脫了亞述王的羈絆,不再作他的藩屬;
8 He struck the Philistines to Gaza and its borders, from the tower of the watchmen to the fortified city.
又擊敗了培肋舍特人,直追到迦薩,佔領了他們的土地,攻取了守望台和堅城。
9 In the fourth year of King Hezekiah, which was the seventh year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up against Samaria and besieged it.
希則克雅王四年,即以色列王厄拉的兒子曷舍亞七年,亞述王沙耳瑪乃色來進攻撒瑪黎雅,圍困了這城;
10 At the end of three years they took it. In the sixth year of Hezekiah, which was the ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel, Samaria was taken.
三年年底攻下,即希則克雅王六年,以色列王曷舍亞九年,撒瑪黎雅失陷。
11 The king of Assyria carried Israel away to Assyria, and put them in Halah, and on the Habor, the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes,
亞述王遂將以色列人擄往亞述,徙置在哈拉黑和靠近哥倉河的哈波爾,以及瑪待各城內。
12 because they didn’t obey the LORD their God’s voice, but transgressed his covenant, even all that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded, and would not hear it or do it.
這是因為他們沒有聽從上主,他們天主的聲音,違反了他的盟約:凡上主的僕人梅瑟所吩咐的,他們一概沒有聽從,也沒有遵行。
13 Now in the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the fortified cities of Judah and took them.
希則克雅王十四年,亞述王散乃黑黎布前來進攻猶大的一切堅城,都佔領了。
14 Hezekiah king of Judah sent to the king of Assyria at Lachish, saying, “I have offended you. Withdraw from me. That which you put on me, I will bear.” The king of Assyria appointed to Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold.
猶大王希則克雅於是派遣使者,到拉基士去見亞述王說:「我錯了,請你退兵;凡你向我提出的條件,我都接受。」於是亞述王限令猶大王希則克雅繳納三百「塔冷通」銀子,三十「塔冷通」金子。
15 Hezekiah gave him all the silver that was found in the LORD’s house and in the treasures of the king’s house.
希則克雅只得把上主殿內,和王宮府庫所有的銀子都交出來。
16 At that time, Hezekiah cut off the gold from the doors of the LORD’s temple, and from the pillars which Hezekiah king of Judah had overlaid, and gave it to the king of Assyria.
同時,猶大王希則克雅將上主殿宇門上的金子和他自己包鑲在門柱上的金子都剝下來,交給了亞述王。
17 The king of Assyria sent Tartan, Rabsaris, and Rabshakeh from Lachish to King Hezekiah with a great army to Jerusalem. They went up and came to Jerusalem. When they had come up, they came and stood by the conduit of the upper pool, which is in the highway of the fuller’s field.
亞述王從拉基士打發元帥、衛隊長和大將軍率領大軍到耶路撒冷去見希則克雅。他們就上到耶路撒冷,一來到,就站在上池的水溝旁,漂布田間的大路上,
18 When they had called to the king, Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebnah the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph the recorder came out to them.
求見君王。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,出來迎接他們。
19 Rabshakeh said to them, “Say now to Hezekiah, ‘The great king, the king of Assyria, says, “What confidence is this in which you trust?
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﹖
20 You say (but they are but vain words), ‘There is counsel and strength for war.’ Now on whom do you trust, that you have rebelled 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﹖
21 Now, behold, you trust in the staff of this bruised reed, even in Egypt. If a man leans on it, it will go into his hand and pierce it. So is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who trust on him.
我現在你看,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。
22 But if you tell me, ‘We trust in the LORD our God,’ isn’t that he whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah has taken away, and has said to Judah and to Jerusalem, ‘You shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem’?
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:你們只應在耶路撒冷的這祭壇前朝拜﹖
23 Now therefore, please give pledges to my master the king of Assyria, and I will give you two thousand horses if you are able on your part to set riders on 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﹖
24 How then can you turn away the face of one captain of the least of my master’s servants, and put your trust on Egypt for chariots and for horsemen?
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﹖
25 Have I now come up without the LORD against this place to destroy it? 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﹖雅威曾對我說:你上去攻打這地,加以毀滅! 」
26 Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, Shebnah, and Joah, said to Rabshakeh, “Please speak to your servants in the Syrian language, for we understand it. Don’t speak with us in the Jews’ language, in the hearing of the people who are on the wall.”
希耳克雅的兒子厄里雅金、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;你不要對我們說猶太話,因為城牆上的百姓能聽到。」
27 But Rabshakeh said to them, “Has my master sent me to your master and to you, to speak these words? Hasn’t he sent me to the men who sit on the wall, to eat their own dung, and to drink their own urine 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,和你們一樣該吃自己的糞,喝自己的尿的人,講這些話嗎﹖」
28 Then Rabshakeh stood and cried with a loud voice in the Jews’ language, and spoke, saying, “Hear the word of the great king, the king of Assyria.
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!
29 The king says, ‘Don’t let Hezekiah deceive you, for he will not be able to deliver you out of his hand.
大王這樣說:你們別上希則克雅的當,他決不能拯救你們脫離我的手;
30 Don’t let Hezekiah make you trust in the LORD, saying, “The LORD will surely deliver us, and this city shall not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.”
也不要讓希則克雅使你們依靠雅威說:雅威必會拯救我們,這城決不會落在亞述王手中。
31 Don’t listen to Hezekiah.’ For the king of Assyria says, ‘Make your peace with me, and come out to me; and everyone of you eat from his own vine, and everyone from his own fig tree, and everyone drink water from his own cistern;
千萬別聽信希則克雅! 原來亞述王曾這樣說: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裡的水,
32 until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of olive trees and of honey, that you may live and not die. Don’t listen to Hezekiah when he persuades you, saying, “The LORD will deliver us.”
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,一個有食糧和葡萄樹的地方,一個產橄欖油和蜂蜜的地方,叫你們生活下去,而不至於死亡。千萬別聽信希則克雅,因為他欺騙你們說:雅威必拯救我們。
33 Has any of the gods of the nations ever delivered his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria?
萬國的神中,有那一個由亞述王手中,拯救了自己的國土﹖
34 Where are the gods of Hamath and of Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, of Hena, and Ivvah? Have they delivered Samaria out of my hand?
哈瑪特和阿帕得的神在那裡﹖色法瓦因、赫納和依瓦的神在那裡﹖撒瑪黎雅地的神在那裡﹖難道他們從我手中拯救了撒瑪黎雅﹖
35 Who are they among all the gods of the countries, that have delivered their country out of my hand, that the LORD should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?’”
在這地域中的神,有那一個由我手中救出了自己的國土﹖難道雅威就能由我手中拯救耶路撒冷嗎﹖」
36 But the people stayed quiet, and answered him not a word; for the king’s commandment was, “Don’t answer him.”
人都不作聲,一句話都沒有回答他,因為君王有命,不要回答他。
37 Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, came with Shebna the scribe and Joah the son of Asaph the recorder to Hezekiah with their clothes torn, and told him Rabshakeh’s words.
當下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,撕裂了自己的衣服,來見希則克雅,將那將軍的話全部告訴了他。