ישעה 36

1 וַיְהִי בְּאַרְבַּע עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה לַמֶּלֶךְ חִזְקִיָּהוּ עָלָה סַנְחֵרִיב מֶֽלֶךְ־אַשּׁוּר עַל כׇּל־עָרֵי יְהוּדָה הַבְּצֻרוֹת וַֽיִּתְפְּשֵֽׂם׃

Now in the fourteenth year of king Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria [Level plain] attacked all of the fortified cities of Judah [Praised], and captured them.

2 וַיִּשְׁלַח מֶֽלֶךְ־אַשּׁוּר ׀ אֶת־רַבְשָׁקֵה מִלָּכִישׁ יְרוּשָׁלַ͏ְמָה אֶל־הַמֶּלֶךְ חִזְקִיָּהוּ בְּחֵיל כָּבֵד וַֽיַּעֲמֹד בִּתְעָלַת הַבְּרֵכָה הָעֶלְיוֹנָה בִּמְסִלַּת שְׂדֵה כוֹבֵֽס׃

The king of Assyria [Level plain] sent Rabshakeh from Lachish to Jerusalem [City of peace] to king Hezekiah with a large army. He stood by the aqueduct from the upper pool in the fuller’s field highway.

3 וַיֵּצֵא אֵלָיו אֶלְיָקִים בֶּן־חִלְקִיָּהוּ אֲשֶׁר עַל־הַבָּיִת וְשֶׁבְנָא הַסֹּפֵר וְיוֹאָח בֶּן־אָסָף הַמַּזְכִּֽיר׃

Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah, the son of Asaph, the recorder came out to him.

4 וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵיהֶם רַבְשָׁקֵה אִמְרוּ־נָא אֶל־חִזְקִיָּהוּ כֹּֽה־אָמַר הַמֶּלֶךְ הַגָּדוֹל מֶלֶךְ אַשּׁוּר מָה הַבִּטָּחוֹן הַזֶּה אֲשֶׁר בָּטָֽחְתָּ׃

Rabshakeh said to them, “Now tell Hezekiah, ‘Thus says the great king, the king of Assyria [Level plain], “What confidence is this in which you trust?

5 אָמַרְתִּי אַךְ־דְּבַר־שְׂפָתַיִם עֵצָה וּגְבוּרָה לַמִּלְחָמָה עַתָּה עַל־מִי בָטַחְתָּ כִּי מָרַדְתָּ בִּֽי׃

I say that your counsel and strength for the war are only vain words. Now in whom do you trust, that you have rebelled against me?

6 הִנֵּה בָטַחְתָּ עַל־מִשְׁעֶנֶת הַקָּנֶה הָרָצוּץ הַזֶּה עַל־מִצְרַיִם אֲשֶׁר יִסָּמֵךְ אִישׁ עָלָיו וּבָא בְכַפּוֹ וּנְקָבָהּ כֵּן פַּרְעֹה מֶלֶךְ־מִצְרַיִם לְכׇֽל־הַבֹּטְחִים עָלָֽיו׃

Behold, you trust in the staff of this bruised reed, even in Egypt [Abode of slavery], which if a man leans on it, it will go into his hand and pierce it. So is Pharaoh king of Egypt [Abode of slavery] to all who trust in him.

7 וְכִֽי־תֹאמַר אֵלַי אֶל־יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ בָּטָחְנוּ הֲלוֹא־הוּא אֲשֶׁר הֵסִיר חִזְקִיָּהוּ אֶת־בָּמֹתָיו וְאֶת־מִזְבְּחֹתָיו וַיֹּאמֶר לִיהוּדָה וְלִירוּשָׁלַ͏ִם לִפְנֵי הַמִּזְבֵּחַ הַזֶּה תִּֽשְׁתַּחֲוֽוּ׃

But if you tell me, ‘We trust in Yahweh Eloheikhem [Yahweh our God],’ is not that he whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah has taken away, and has said to Judah [Praised] and to Jerusalem [City of peace], ‘You shall worship before this altar?’”

8 וְעַתָּה הִתְעָרֶב נָא אֶת־אֲדֹנִי הַמֶּלֶךְ אַשּׁוּר וְאֶתְּנָה לְךָ אַלְפַּיִם סוּסִים אִם־תּוּכַל לָתֶת לְךָ רֹכְבִים עֲלֵיהֶֽם׃

Now therefore, please make a pledge to my master the king of Assyria [Level plain], and I will give you two thousand horses, if you are able on your part to set riders on them.

9 וְאֵיךְ תָּשִׁיב אֵת פְּנֵי פַחַת אַחַד עַבְדֵי אֲדֹנִי הַקְּטַנִּים וַתִּבְטַח לְךָ עַל־מִצְרַיִם לְרֶכֶב וּלְפָרָשִֽׁים׃

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 [Abode of slavery] for chariots and for horsemen?

10 וְעַתָּה הֲמִבַּלְעֲדֵי יְהֹוָה עָלִיתִי עַל־הָאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת לְהַשְׁחִיתָהּ יְהֹוָה אָמַר אֵלַי עֲלֵה אֶל־הָאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת וְהַשְׁחִיתָֽהּ׃

Have I come up now without Adonai against this land to destroy it? Adonai said to me, “Go up against this land, and destroy it.”’”

11 וַיֹּאמֶר אֶלְיָקִים וְשֶׁבְנָא וְיוֹאָח אֶל־רַבְשָׁקֵה דַּבֶּר־נָא אֶל־עֲבָדֶיךָ אֲרָמִית כִּי שֹׁמְעִים אֲנָחְנוּ וְאַל־תְּדַבֵּר אֵלֵינוּ יְהוּדִית בְּאׇזְנֵי הָעָם אֲשֶׁר עַל־הַחוֹמָֽה׃

Then Eliakim, Shebna and Joah said to Rabshakeh, “Please speak to your servants in Aramaic [Elevated], for we sh'ma ·hear understand obey· it; and don’t speak to us in the Jews’ language in the hearing of the people who are on the wall.”

12 וַיֹּאמֶר רַבְשָׁקֵה הַאֶל אֲדֹנֶיךָ וְאֵלֶיךָ שְׁלָחַנִי אֲדֹנִי לְדַבֵּר אֶת־הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה הֲלֹא עַל־הָאֲנָשִׁים הַיֹּשְׁבִים עַל־הַחוֹמָה לֶאֱכֹל אֶת־[צוֹאָתָם] (חראיהם) וְלִשְׁתּוֹת אֶת־[מֵימֵי רַגְלֵיהֶם] (שיניהם) עִמָּכֶֽם׃

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

13 וַֽיַּעֲמֹד רַבְשָׁקֵה וַיִּקְרָא בְקוֹל־גָּדוֹל יְהוּדִית וַיֹּאמֶר שִׁמְעוּ אֶת־דִּבְרֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ הַגָּדוֹל מֶלֶךְ אַשּֽׁוּר׃

Then Rabshakeh stood, and called out with a loud voice in the Jews’ language, and said, “Sh'ma ·Hear obey· the words of the great king, the king of Assyria [Level plain]!

14 כֹּה אָמַר הַמֶּלֶךְ אַל־יַשִּׁא לָכֶם חִזְקִיָּהוּ כִּי לֹֽא־יוּכַל לְהַצִּיל אֶתְכֶֽם׃

Thus says the king, ‘Don’t let Hezekiah deceive you; for he will not be able to deliver you.

15 וְאַל־יַבְטַח אֶתְכֶם חִזְקִיָּהוּ אֶל־יְהֹוָה לֵאמֹר הַצֵּל יַצִּילֵנוּ יְהֹוָה לֹא תִנָּתֵן הָעִיר הַזֹּאת בְּיַד מֶלֶךְ אַשּֽׁוּר׃

Don’t let Hezekiah make you trust in Adonai, saying, “Adonai will surely deliver us. This city won’t be given into the hand of the king of Assyria [Level plain].”’

16 אַֽל־תִּשְׁמְעוּ אֶל־חִזְקִיָּהוּ כִּי כֹה אָמַר הַמֶּלֶךְ אַשּׁוּר עֲשֽׂוּ־אִתִּי בְרָכָה וּצְאוּ אֵלַי וְאִכְלוּ אִישׁ־גַּפְנוֹ וְאִישׁ תְּאֵנָתוֹ וּשְׁתוּ אִישׁ מֵֽי־בוֹרֽוֹ׃

Don’t sh'ma ·hear obey· Hezekiah, for thus says the king of Assyria [Level plain], ‘Make your peace with me, and come out to me; and each of you eat from his vine, and each one from his fig tree, and each one of you drink the waters of his own cistern;

17 עַד־בֹּאִי וְלָקַחְתִּי אֶתְכֶם אֶל־אֶרֶץ כְּאַרְצְכֶם אֶרֶץ דָּגָן וְתִירוֹשׁ אֶרֶץ לֶחֶם וּכְרָמִֽים׃

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 פֶּן־יַסִּית אֶתְכֶם חִזְקִיָּהוּ לֵאמֹר יְהֹוָה יַצִּילֵנוּ הַהִצִּילוּ אֱלֹהֵי הַגּוֹיִם אִישׁ אֶת־אַרְצוֹ מִיַּד מֶלֶךְ אַשּֽׁוּר׃

Beware lest Hezekiah persuade you, saying, “Adonai will deliver us.” Have any of the deities of the nations delivered their lands from the hand of the king of Assyria [Level plain]?

19 אַיֵּה אֱלֹהֵי חֲמָת וְאַרְפָּד אַיֵּה אֱלֹהֵי סְפַרְוָיִם וְכִֽי־הִצִּילוּ אֶת־שֹׁמְרוֹן מִיָּדִֽי׃

Where are the deities of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the deities of Sepharvaim? Have they delivered Samaria from my hand?

20 מִי בְּכׇל־אֱלֹהֵי הָאֲרָצוֹת הָאֵלֶּה אֲשֶׁר־הִצִּילוּ אֶת־אַרְצָם מִיָּדִי כִּֽי־יַצִּיל יְהֹוָה אֶת־יְרוּשָׁלַ͏ִם מִיָּדִֽי׃

Who are they among all the deities of these countries that have delivered their country out of my hand, that Adonai should deliver Jerusalem [City of peace] out of my hand?’”

21 וַֽיַּחֲרִישׁוּ וְלֹא־עָנוּ אֹתוֹ דָּבָר כִּֽי־מִצְוַת הַמֶּלֶךְ הִיא לֵאמֹר לֹא תַעֲנֻֽהוּ׃

But they remained silent, and said nothing in reply, for the king’s order was, “Don’t answer him.”

22 וַיָּבֹא אֶלְיָקִים בֶּן־חִלְקִיָּהוּ אֲשֶׁר־עַל־הַבַּיִת וְשֶׁבְנָא הַסֹּפֵר וְיוֹאָח בֶּן־אָסָף הַמַּזְכִּיר אֶל־חִזְקִיָּהוּ קְרוּעֵי בְגָדִים וַיַּגִּידוּ לוֹ אֵת דִּבְרֵי רַבְשָׁקֵֽה׃

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