Yesaya 36
1 Le Fia Hezekia ƒe fiaɖuɖu ƒe ƒe wuienelia me la, Asiria fia, Senakerib ɖe to ɖe Yuda du siwo katã woglã la, eye wòɖu wo dzi.
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.
2 Emegbe la, Asiria fia dɔ eƒe aʋafia kple aʋakɔ gã aɖe tso Lakis ɖo ɖe Fia Hezekia le Yerusalem. Esi aʋafia la kple eŋumewo va tɔ ɖe Dzigbeta la ƒe tɔʋu to, le mɔ si ɖo ta avɔnyala ƒe nunyaƒe la,
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.
3 Hilkia ƒe vi, Eliakim, ame si nye fiasã la ƒe dɔdzikpɔla, Sebna, agbalẽŋlɔla kple Asaf ƒe vi, Yoa, si nye nuŋlɔla la do go yi ɖakpee.
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.
4 Aʋafia la gblɔ na wo be, “Gblɔ na Hezekia be: “‘Ale Asiria fia, fiagã la gblɔe nye esi: Nu ka dzi nètu wò dzideƒo sia ɖo?
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?
5 Ègblɔ be, aʋawɔmɔnu tɔxɛwo kple aʋawɔwɔ ƒe ŋusẽ le asiwò, ke nya ƒuƒluwo ko gblɔm nèle. Ame ka ŋu nèle ŋu ɖom ɖo hafi dze aglã ɖe ŋunye?
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]?
6 Kpɔ ɖa, èle ŋu ɖom ɖe Egipte, aƒla ŋeŋe, atizɔti ma ŋu. Esi ne ame aɖe ziɔ ɖe eŋu la, aŋɔ asi nɛ ahade abi eŋu. Nenemae nye Egipte fia, Farao, na ame sia ame si aɖo ŋu ɖe eŋu.
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].
7 Ke ne ègblɔ nam be, “Yehowa, miaƒe Mawu la ŋue miele ŋu ɖom ɖo la,” ɖe menye eya ƒe nuxeƒewo kple vɔsamlekpuiwoe Hezekia gbã hegblɔ na Yuda kple Yerusalem be, “Ele na mi be miasubɔ le vɔsamlekpui sia ŋgɔ oa?”
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]?’
8 “‘Va azɔ nàtso gbe kple nye amegã, Asiria fia. Matsɔ sɔ akpe eve na wò, ne ànya kpɔ edolawo ko.
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!
9 Ekema aleke nàte ŋu anya nye amegã ƒe dɔla si nye suetɔ, togbɔ be nèle ŋu ɖom ɖe Egipte ŋu be woakpe ɖe ŋuwò kple tasiaɖam kple sɔwo?
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!
10 Gawu la, ɖe meva be madze anyigba sia dzi, ahatsrɔ̃e Yehowa manɔmea? Yehowa ŋutɔe gblɔ nam be maho aʋa ɖe dukɔ sia ŋuti ne matsrɔ̃e.’”
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!”
11 Tete Eliakim, Sebna kple Yoa gblɔ na aʋafia la be, “Míeɖe kuku, ƒo nu na wò dɔlawo le Aramgbe me, elabena míese Aramgbe. Mègaƒo nu na mi le Hebrigbe me o. Ne menye nenema o la, ame siwo nɔ anyi ɖe glia dzi la ase wò nyawo gɔme.”
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].”
12 Aʋafiagã Rabsaki ɖo eŋu na wo be, “Ɖe wobe miaƒe amegã kple miawo gbɔ ko nye amegã ɖom ɖo be magblɔ nya siawo na, eye ame siwo le glia dzi la mele eme oa? Woawo kple miawo siaa, miaɖu miawo ŋutɔ ƒe afɔdzi, eye miano miawo ŋutɔ ƒe aɖuɖɔ.”
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].”
13 Tete aʋafiagã la te va hedo ɣli gblɔ le Hebrigbe me be, “Mise Asiria fia, fiagã la ƒe nyawo!
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!
14 Ale fia la gblɔe nye esi, migana Hezekia nable mi o. Mate ŋu aɖe mi o!
He says, ‘Do not allow Hezekiah to deceive you! He will not be able to rescue you!
15 Migana Hezekia nable mia nu be, miɖo dzi ɖe Yehowa ŋu o, esime wògblɔ be, ‘Yehowa aɖe mi godoo; womatsɔ du sia ade asi na Asiria fia o.’
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!’
16 “Migaɖo to Hezekia o. Ale Asiria fia gblɔe nye esi: ‘Mido va gbɔnye, miawɔ ŋutifafa kplim.’ Ekema ame sia ame aɖu eƒe waintsetse kple gbotsetse, eye wòano eya ŋutɔ ƒe vudometsi
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.
17 va se ɖe esime mava akplɔ mi ayi anyigba si ɖi mia tɔ la dzi, anyigba si dzi bli kple wain yeye, abolo kple waingblewo bɔ ɖo.
[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.’
18 “Migana Hezekia nable mi esi wògblɔ be, ‘Yehowa aɖe mi’ o. Ɖe dukɔ aɖe ƒe Mawu te ŋu ɖe eƒe anyigba tso Asiria fia ƒe asi me kpɔa?
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!
19 Afi ka Hamat kple Arpad ƒe mawuwo le? Afi ka Sefarvaim ƒe mawuwo le? Ɖe wote ŋu xɔ Samaria le asinyea?
Why were the gods of Hamath and Arpad [cities], and the gods of Sepharvaim unable to rescue Samaria from my power [MTY]?
20 Ke mawuwo dometɔ kawoe le dukɔ siawo katã me si te ŋu ɖe eƒe anyigbawo tso nye asi me kpɔ hafi Yehowa ya ate ŋu aɖe Yerusalem tso nye asimea?”
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]?’”
21 Ke ameawo katã zi ɖoɖoe, eye womeɖo nya aɖeke ŋu nɛ o, elabena fia la de se na wo be, “Migaɖo eŋu nɛ o.”
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.”
22 Tete Hilkia ƒe vi, Eliakim, fiasã la dɔdzikpɔla, agbalẽŋlɔla Sebna kple Asaf ƒe vi, Yoa, si nye nuŋlɔla la dze awu le wo ɖokuiwo ŋu heyi Fia Hezekia gbɔ, eye wogblɔ nu siwo katã aʋafiagã la gblɔ la nɛ.
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.
