Isaiah 36

1 And it was don in the fourtenthe yeer of kyng Ezechie, Sennacherib, the kyng of Assiriens, stiede on alle the stronge citees of Juda, and took tho.

In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib, king of Assyria, attacked all the fortified cities of Judah and captured them.

2 And the kyng of Assiriens sente Rapsases fro Lachis to Jerusalem, to kyng Ezechie, with greet power; and he stood at the watir cundit of the hiyere sisterne, in the weie of the feeld of a fullere.

Then the king of Assyria sent the chief commander from Lachish to Jerusalem to King Hezekiah with a great army. He approached the conduit of the upper pool, on the highway to the launderers' field, and stood by it.

3 And Eliachym, the sone of Elchie, that was on the hous, yede out to hym, and Sobna, the scryuen, and Joae, the sone of Asaph, the chaunceler.

The Israelite officials who went out of the city to talk with them were Hilkiah's son Eliakim, the palace administrator, Shebna the king's secretary, and Asaph's son Joah, who wrote down the government decisions.

4 And Rapsases seide to hem, Seie ye to Ezechie, The greet king, the king of Assiriens, seith these thingis, What is the trist, in which thou tristist?

The chief commander said to them, “Tell Hezekiah that the great king, the king of Assyria, says, 'What is the source of your confidence?

5 ethir bi what councele ether strengthe disposist thou for to rebelle? on whom hast thou trist, for thou hast go awei fro me?

You speak only useless words, saying there is counsel and strength for war. Now in whom are you trusting? Who has given you courage to rebel against me?

6 Lo! thou tristist on this brokun staf of rehed, on Egipt, on which if a man restith, it schal entre in to his hoond, and schal perse it; so doith Farao, the kyng of Egipt, to alle men that tristen in hym.

Look, you are trusting in Egypt, that splintered reed that you use as a walking staff, but if a man leans on it, it will stick into his hand and pierce it. That is what Pharaoh king of Egypt is to anyone who trusts in him.

7 That if thou answerist to me, We tristen in oure Lord God; whether it is not he, whose hiye places and auteris Esechie dide awei, and he seide to Juda and to Jerusalem, Ye schulen worschipe bifore this auter?

But if you say to me, “We are trusting in Yahweh our God,” is not he the one whose high places and altars Hezekiah has taken away, and has said to Judah and to Jerusalem, “You must worship before this altar in Jerusalem”?

8 And now bitake thee to my lord, the kyng of Assiriens, and Y schal yyue to thee twei thousynde of horsis, and thou maist not yyue of thee stieris of tho horsis.

Now therefore, I want to make you a good offer from my master the king of Assyria. I will give you two thousand horses, if you are able to find riders for them.

9 And hou schalt thou abide the face of the iuge of o place of the lesse seruauntis of my lord? That if thou tristist in Egipt, and in cartis, and in knyytis;

How could you resist even one captain of the least of my master's servants? You have put your trust in Egypt for chariots and horsemen!

10 and now whethir Y stiede to this lond with out the Lord, that Y schulde distrie it? The Lord seide to me, Stie thou on this lond, and distrie thou it.

Now then, have I traveled up here without Yahweh to fight against this land and destroy it? Yahweh said to me, “Attack this land and destroy it.”'”

11 And Eliachym, and Sobna, and Joae, seiden to Rapsaces, Speke thou to thi seruauntis bi the langage of Sirie, for we vndurstonden; speke thou not to vs bi the langage of Jewis in the eeris of the puple, which is on the wal.

Then Eliakim son of Hilkiah, and Shebnah, and Joah said to the chief commander, “Please speak to your servants in the Aramean language, Aramaic, for we understand it. Do not speak with us in the language of Judah in the ears of the people who are on the wall.”

12 And Rapsaces seide to hem, Whether mi lord sente me to thi lord, and to thee, that Y schulde speke alle these wordis, and not rathere to the men that sitten on the wal, that thei ete her toordis, and drynke the pisse of her feet with you?

But the chief commander said, “Has my master sent me to your master and to you to speak these words? Has he not sent me to the men who sit on the wall, who will have to eat their own dung and drink their own urine with you?”

13 And Rapsaces stood, and criede with greet vois in the langage of Jewis, and seide, Here ye the wordis of the greet kyng, the kyng of Assiriens.

Then the chief commander stood and shouted in a loud voice in the Jews' language, saying, “Listen to the words of the great king, the king of Assyria.

14 The kyng seith these thingis, Esechie disseyue not you, for he may not delyuere you;

The king says, 'Do not let Hezekiah deceive you, for he will not be able to rescue you.

15 and Ezechie yyue not to you trist on the Lord, and seie, The Lord delyuerynge schal delyuere vs; this citee schal not be youun in to the hoond of the kyng of Assiriens.

Do not let Hezekiah make you trust in Yahweh, saying, “Yahweh will surely rescue us; this city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.”'

16 Nyle ye here Ezechie. For whi the kyng of Assiriens seith these thingis, Make ye blessyng with me, and go ye out to me; and ete ye ech man his vyner, and ech man his fige tre, and drynke ye ech man the water of his cisterne,

Do not listen to Hezekiah, for this is what the king of Assyria says: 'Make peace with me and come out to me. Then every one of you will eat from his own vine and from his own fig tree, and drink from the water in his own cistern.

17 til Y come, and take awei you to a lond which is as youre lond; to a lond of whete and of wyn, to a lond of looues and of vyneris.

You will do this 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.'

18 Ezechie disturble not you, and seie, The Lord schal delyuere vs. Whether the goddis of folkis delyuereden ech his lond fro the hond of the kyng of Assiriens?

Do not let Hezekiah mislead you, saying, 'Yahweh will rescue us.' Has any of the gods of the peoples rescued them from the hand of the king of Assyria?

19 Where is the god of Emath, and of Arphat? Where is the god of Sepharuaym? Whethir thei delyueriden Samarie fro myn hond?

Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim? Have they rescued Samaria from my power?

20 Who is of alle goddis of these londis, that delyueride his lond fro myn hond, that the Lord delyuere Jerusalem fro myn hond?

Among all the gods of these lands, is there any god who has rescued his land from my power, as if Yahweh could save Jerusalem from my power?”

21 And thei weren stille, and answeriden not to hym a word. For whi the kyng comaundide to hem, and seide, Answere ye not to him.

But the people remained silent and did not respond, for the king's order was, “Do not answer him.”

22 And Eliachym, the sone of Elchie, that was on the hous, and Sobna, the scryueyn, and Joae, the sone of Asaph, chaunceler, entriden with to-rent clothis to Ezechie, and telde to hym the wordis of Rapsaces.

Then Eliakim son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, Shebna the scribe, and Joah son of Asaph, the recorder, came to Hezekiah with their clothes torn, and reported to him the words of the chief commander.