2 Kings 18

1 In the thridde yeer of Osee, sone of Hela, kyng of Israel, regnyde Ezechie, sone of Achaz, kyng of Juda.

In the third year of Hoshea, the son of Elah, the king of Israel: Hezekiah, the son of Ahaz, reigned as king of Judah.

2 He was of fyue and twenti yeer, whanne he bigan to regne, and he regnyde in Jerusalem nyne and twenti yeer; the name of his modir was Abisa, douyter of Zacharie.

He was twenty-five years old when he had begun to reign, and he reigned for twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. The name of his mother was Abi, the daughter of Zechariah.

3 And he dide that, that was good bifor the Lord, bi alle thingis, which Dauid, his fadir, hadde do.

And he did what was good before the Lord, in accord with all that his father David had done.

4 And he distriede hiye places, and al to-brak ymagis, and kittide doun wodis, and he brak the brasun serpent, whom Moyses hadde maad; for `til to that tyme the sones of Israel brenten encense to it; and he clepide the name therof Noestam.

He destroyed the high places, and he crushed the statues, and he cut down the sacred groves. And he broke apart the bronze serpent, which Moses had made. For even until that time, the sons of Israel were burning incense to it. And he called its name Nehushtan.

5 And he hopide in the Lord God of Israel; therfor aftir hym noon was lijk hym of alle the kyngis of Juda, but `and nether in tho kyngis that weren bifor hym.

He hoped in the Lord, the God of Israel. And after him, there was no one similar to him, among all the kings of Judah, nor even among any of those who were before him.

6 And he cleuyde to the Lord, and yede not awei fro hise steppis, and he dide the comaundementis of the Lord, whiche the Lord comaundide to Moises;

And he clung to the Lord, and he did not withdraw from his footsteps, and he carried out his commandments, which the Lord had instructed to Moses.

7 wherfor and the Lord was with hym, and he gouernede wiseli hym silf in alle thingis, to whiche he yede forth. Also he rebellide ayens the kyng of Assiriens, and therfor he seruede not to `that kyng of Asseriens;

Therefore, the Lord was also with him. And he conducted himself wisely in all the things to which he went forth. Also, he rebelled against the king of the Assyrians, and he did not serve him.

8 and he smoot Philisteis `til to Gazam, and alle the termes of hem, fro the tour of keperis `til to a citee maad strong.

He struck the Philistines as far as Gaza, and in all their borders, from the tower of the watchmen to the fortified city.

9 In the fourthe yeer of kyng Ezechie, that was the seuenthe yeer of Osee, sone of Hela, kyng of Israel, Salmanazar, kyng of Assiriens, stiede to Samarie,

In the fourth year of king Hezekiah, which was the seventh year of Hoshea, the son of Elah, the king of Israel: Shalmaneser, the king of the Assyrians, ascended to Samaria, and he fought against it,

10 and fauyt ayens it, and took it. For after thre yeer, in the sixte yeer of Ezechie, that is, in the nynthe yeer of Osee, kyng of Israel, Samarie was takun;

and he seized it. For after three years, in the sixth year of Hezekiah, that is, in the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Israel, Samaria was captured.

11 and the kyng of Assiriens translatide Israel in to Assiriens, and settyde hem in Haila, and in Habor, ryueris of Gozam, in the citees of Medeis;

And the king of the Assyrians took away Israel into Assyria. And he located them in Halah and in Habor, at the rivers of Gozan, in the cities of the Medes.

12 for thei herden not the vois of her Lord God, but thei braken his couenaunt; thei herden not, nether diden alle thingis, whiche Moises, the seruaunt of the Lord, comaundide.

For they did not listen to the voice of the Lord, their God. Instead, they transgressed his covenant. All that Moses, the servant of the Lord, had instructed, they would neither hear, nor do.

13 In the fourtenthe yeer of kyng Ezechie, Senacherub, kyng of Assiryens, stiede to alle the strengthide citees of Juda, and took tho.

In the fourteenth year of king Hezekiah, Sennacherib, the king of the Assyrians, went up to all the fortified cities of Judah, and he captured them.

14 Thanne Ezechie, kyng of Juda, sente messangeris to the kyng of Assiriens in to Lachis, and seide, Y haue synned; go awei fro me, and Y schal bere `al thing, which thou schalt putte to me. Therfor the kyng of Asseriens puttide on Ezechie, kyng of Juda, thre hundrid talentis of siluer, and thretti talentis of gold.

Then Hezekiah, the king of Judah, sent messengers to the king of the Assyrians at Lachish, saying: “I have offended. Withdraw from me, and all that you will impose upon me, I will bear.” And so the king of the Assyrians levied a tax upon Hezekiah, the king of Judah, of three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold.

15 And Ezechie yaf al the siluer, that was foundun in the hows of the Lord, and in the kyngis tresories.

And Hezekiah gave all the silver that had been found in the house of the Lord, and in the treasuries of the king.

16 In that tyme Ezechie brak the yatis of the temple of the Lord, and the platis of gold, whiche he hadde fastned, and he yaf tho to the kyng of Assiriens.

At that time, Hezekiah broke apart the doors of the temple of the Lord, with the plates of gold which he had affixed to them. And he gave these to the king of the Assyrians.

17 Forsothe the kyng of Assiriens sente Thercha and Rabsaces fro Lachis to kyng Ezechie, with strong hond to Jerusalem; and whanne thei hadden stied, thei camen to Jerusalem, and stoden bisidis the water cundijt of the hiyere cisterne, which is in the weie of the fullere, `ethir toukere.

Then the king of the Assyrians sent Tartan, and Rabsaris, and Rabshakeh, from Lachish, to king Hezekiah, with a powerful hand, to Jerusalem. And when they had ascended, they arrived in Jerusalem, and they stood beside the aqueduct of the upper pool, which is along the way of the fuller’s field.

18 And thei clepiden the kyng; sotheli Eliachym, sone of Elchie, the souereyn of the hows, and Sobna, scryueyn, and Joahe, chaunseler, the sone of Asaph, yeden out to hem.

And they called for the king. But there went out to them Eliakim, the son of Hilkiah, the first ruler of the house, and Shebnah, the scribe, and Joah, the son of Asaph, the keeper of records.

19 And Rabsaces seide to hem, Speke ye to Ezechie, The grete kyng, the kyng of Assiriens, seith these thingis, What is this trist, in which thou enforsist?

And Rabshakeh said to them: “Speak to Hezekiah: Thus says the great king, the king of the Assyrians: What is this faith, in which you strive?

20 In hap thou hast take counsel, that thou woldist make thee redi to batel. In whom tristist thou, that thou be hardi to rebelle?

Perhaps, you have taken counsel, so that you would prepare yourself for battle. In whom do you trust, so that you would dare to rebel?

21 Whethir thou hopist in a `staf of rehed and brokun, Egipt, on which, if a man lenith, it schal be brokun, and schal entre in to hys hond, and schal peerse it? So is Farao, kyng of Egipt, to alle men that tristen on hym.

Do you hope in Egypt, that staff of a broken reed, which, if a man would lean upon it, breaking, it would pierce his hand? Such is Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, to all who would trust in him.

22 That if thou seist to me, We han trist in `oure Lord God; whether this is not he, whos hiye thingis and auteris Ezechie took awei, and comaundide to Juda and to Jerusalem, Ye schulen worschipe bifor this auter in Jerusalem?

But if you say to me: ‘We have faith in the Lord, our God.’ Is it not he, whose high places and altars Hezekiah has taken away? And did he not instruct Judah and Jerusalem: ‘You shall adore before this altar in Jerusalem?’

23 Now therfor passe ye to my lord, the kyng of Assiriens, and Y schal yyue to you twei thousynde of horsis, and se ye, whether ye moun haue rideris of `tho horsis?

Now therefore, cross over to my lord, the king of the Assyrians, and I will give to you two thousand horses, and we will see if you even have enough riders for them.

24 And hou moun ye withstonde bifor o prince of the leste seruauntis of my lord? Whether thou hast trist in Egipt, for charis and knyytis?

So how can you resist one prince from the least of my lord’s servants? Do you have faith in Egypt because of the chariots and horsemen?

25 Whether Y stiede with outen `Goddis wille to this place, that Y schulde distrie it? `The Lord seide to me, `Stie thou to this lond, and distrie thou it.

Is it not by the will of the Lord that I have chosen to ascend to this place, so that I may destroy it? The Lord said to me: ‘Ascend to this land, and destroy it.’”

26 Forsothe Eliachym, sone of Elchie, and Sobna, and Joahe, seiden to Rabsaces, We preien, that thou speke bi the langage of Sirie to vs, thi seruauntis; for we vndirstondun this langage; and that thou speke not to vs bi the langage of Juwis, while the puple herith, which is on the wal.

Then Eliakim, the son of Hilkiah, and Shebnah, and Joah, said to Rabshakeh: “We beseech you, that you may speak to us, your servants, in Syriac. For we understand that language to some extent. And do not speak to us in the Jews’ language, in the hearing of the people, who are upon the wall.”

27 And Rabsaces answeride, `and seide, Whethir my lord sente me to thi lord and to thee, that Y schulde speke these wordis, and not rather to the men `that sitten on the wal, that thei ete her toordis, and drynke her pisse with you?

And Rabshakeh responded to them, saying: “Has my lord sent me to your lord and to you, so that I may speak these words, and not instead to the men who are sitting upon the wall, so that they may eat their own dung, and drink their own urine with you?”

28 Therfor Rabsaces stood, and criede with greet vois bi langage of Jewis, and seide, Here ye the wordis of the greet kyng, the kyng of Assiriens.

And so, Rabshakeh stood up, and he exclaimed in a great voice, in the Jews’ language, and he said: “Listen to the words of the great king, the king of the Assyrians.

29 The kyng seith these thingis, Ezechie disceyue not you, for he may not delyuere you fro myn hond;

Thus says the king: Let not Hezekiah lead you astray. For he will not be able to rescue you from my hand.

30 nether yyue he trist to you on the Lord, and seie, The Lord delyuerynge schal delyuere vs, and this citee shal not be bitakun in the hond of the kyng of Assiriens;

And do not let him give you faith in the Lord, saying: ‘The Lord will rescue and free us, and this city will not be delivered into the hand of the king of the Assyrians.’

31 nyle ye here Ezechie. For the kyng of Assiriens seith these thingis, Do ye with me that, that is profitable to you, and go ye out to me; and eche man schal ete of his vyner, and of his fige tree, and ye schulen drynke watris of youre cisternes,

Do not choose to listen to Hezekiah. For thus says the king of the Assyrians: Do with me what is for your own good, and come out to me. And each one of you will eat from his own vine, and from his own fig tree. And you shall drink water from your own wells,

32 til Y come, and translate you in to a lond which is lijk youre lond, in to a fruytful lond, and plenteuouse of wyn, a lond of breed, and of vineris, a lond of olyue trees, and of oile, and of hony; and ye schulen lyue, and ye schulen not die. Nyle ye here Ezechie, that disseyueth you, and seith, The Lord schal delyuere yow.

until I arrive and transfer you into a land, similar to your own land, a fruitful and fertile land of wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of olives and oil and honey. And you will live, and not die. Do not choose to listen to Hezekiah, who deceives you, saying: ‘The Lord will free us.’

33 Whether the goddis of hethene men delyueriden her lond fro the hond of the kyng of Assiriens?

Have any of the gods of the nations freed their land from the hand of the king of Assyria?

34 Where is god of Emath, and of Arphat? Where is god of Sapharuaym, of Ana, and of Aua? Whether thei delyueriden Samarie fro myn hond?

Where is the god of Hamath, and of Arpad? Where is the god of Sepharvaim, of Hena, and of Avva? Have they freed Samaria from my hand?

35 For who ben thei in alle goddis of londis, that delyueriden her cuntrey fro myn hond, that the Lord may delyuere Jerusalem fro myn hoond?

Which ones among all the gods of the lands have rescued their region from my hand, so that the Lord would be able to rescue Jerusalem from my hand?”

36 Therfor the puple was stille, and answeride not ony thing to hym; for thei hadden take comaundement of the kyng, that thei schulden not answere to hym.

But the people were silent, and they did not respond at all to him. For indeed, they had received an instruction from the king that they should not respond to him.

37 And Eliachym, sone of Elchie, the souereyn of the hows, and Sobna, scryuen, and Joahe, chaunceler, the sone of Asaph, camen with to-rent clothis to Ezechie; and telden to hym the wordis of Rabsaces.

And Eliakim, the son of Hilkiah, the first ruler of the house, and Shebnah, the scribe, and Joah, the son of Asaph, the keeper of records, went to Hezekiah with their garments torn. And they reported to him the words of Rabshakeh.