2 Ndị Eze 18
1 Nʼafọ nke atọ nke ọchịchị Hoshea nwa Elaa eze Izrel ka Hezekaya nwa Ehaz eze Juda malitere ọchịchị nke ya.
After King Hoshea had been ruling Israel for almost three years, Hezekiah, the son of Ahaz, began to rule Judah.
2 Ọ gbara iri afọ abụọ na ise mgbe ọ malitere ị bụ eze. Ọ chịrị iri afọ abụọ na itoolu na Jerusalem. Aha nne ya bụ Abija, ada Zekaraya.
He was 25 years old when he became the king [of Judah] and he ruled from Jerusalem for 29 years. His mother was Abijah, the daughter of [a man whose name was] Zechariah.
3 O mere ihe ziri ezi nʼanya Onyenwe anyị, dịka nna nna ya Devid.
Hezekiah did things that Yahweh considered to be right, like his ancestor King David had done.
4 O wepụrụ ebe niile dị elu, kurisie ogidi nsọ niile, gbutukwa ogidi Ashera niile. O tipịakwara agwọ bronz ahụ Mosis mere, nʼihi na ruo nʼoge ahụ, ụmụ Izrel na-esure aja nsure ọkụ na-esi isi ụtọ nye ya. (A kpọrọ ya Nehushtan.)
He destroyed the places where people worshiped Yahweh on the tops of hills, and he broke into pieces the stone pillars [for worshiping the goddess Asherah]. He also broke into pieces the bronze [replica/statue of a] snake that Moses had made. He did that because the people had named it Nehushtan, and they were burning incense in front of it to honor it.
5 Hezekaya tụkwasịrị Onyenwe anyị, Chineke Izrel obi ya. Nʼezie, o nwekwaghị onye ọzọ dị ka ya nʼetiti ndị eze Juda niile, ndị bu ya ụzọ chịa, na ndị so ya.
Hezekiah trusted in Yahweh, the God whom the Israelis [worshiped.] There was no king who ruled Judah before him or after him who was as [devoted to Yahweh as] he was.
6 Ọ gbasoro Onyenwe anyị nʼụzọ niile. O sitekwaghị nʼụzọ Onyenwe anyị wezuga onwe ya. O debere ihe niile Onyenwe anyị nyere Mosis nʼiwu.
He remained loyal to Yahweh and never disobeyed him. He carefully obeyed all the commandments that Yahweh had given to Moses.
7 Onyenwe anyị nọnyeere ya nʼebe ọbụla ọ gara, ihe niile o mere gaara ya nke ọma. O nupuru isi jụ ịnọkwa nʼokpuru eze ndị Asịrịa, o fekwaghị ya ofufe.
Yahweh always (helped/was with) him. He was successful in everything that he did. He rebelled against the king of Assyria and refused to (pay taxes to him/do what the king of Assyria wanted him to do).
8 O tigburu ndị Filistia nʼala ha niile ruo na Gaza, na obodo dị ya gburugburu. Ọ lara obodo ahụ niile nʼiyi, obodo ukwu niile e wusiri ike na obodo nta niile a na-ewusighị ike.
His army defeated [the soldiers of] Philistia as far [south] as Gaza [city] and the nearby villages. They conquered the entire area, from the smallest watchtower to the largest cities surrounded by walls.
9 Nʼafọ nke anọ nke ọchịchị Hezekaya, nke bụkwa afọ nke asaa nke ọchịchị Hoshea nwa Elaa, bụ eze Izrel, Shalmanesa, eze Asịrịa gbagoro imegide Sameria, nọchibido ya gburugburu.
After King Hezekiah had been ruling Judah for almost four years, and when King Hoshea had been ruling Israel for almost seven years, [the army of] King Shalmaneser of Assyria invaded Israel and surrounded Samaria [city].
10 Mgbe afọ atọ gasịrị, nʼafọ nke isii nke ọchịchị Hezekaya, na afọ nke itoolu nke ọchịchị Hoshea, bụ eze Izrel, ndị agha Asịrịa dọtara Sameria nʼagha.
In the third year they captured the city. That was when Hezekiah has been ruling Judah for almost six years, and when Hoshea had been ruling Israel for almost nine years.
11 Ọ bụ nʼoge ahụ ka eze Asịrịa bupụrụ ndị Izrel niile bulaa ha Asịrịa nʼime obodo Hala, na Gozan nʼakụkụ iyi ukwu Hoboa, na nʼobodo ndị Midia.
The king of Assyria commanded that the people of Israel be taken to Assyria. Some of them were taken to Halah [town], some were taken to a place near the Habor [River] in [the] Gozan [region], and some were taken to cities where the Mede people-group live.
12 Nke a mere nʼihi na ha jụrụ ige ntị nʼolu Onyenwe anyị bụ Chineke ha, jụkwa ime ihe ọ chọrọ ka ha mee. Ha edebeghị ọgbụgba ndụ ya na iwu niile Mosis onyeozi Onyenwe anyị nyere ha. Ha jụrụ ige ntị nʼiwu ndị a, maọbụ debe ha.
That happened because the Israelis did not obey Yahweh their God. They disobeyed the agreement that Yahweh had made with their ancestors, and all the laws that Moses, the man who served Yahweh [very well], had told them to obey. They would not obey those laws; they would not even listen to them.
13 Nʼafọ nke iri na anọ nke ọchịchị eze Hezekaya, Senakerib bụ eze Asịrịa, busoro obodo Juda niile e wusiri ike agha, merikwaa ha.
After King Hezekiah had been ruling Judah for almost 14 years, [the army of] King Sennacherib of Assyria attacked all the cities in Judah that had walls around them. They [did not capture Jerusalem, but they] captured all the other cities.
14 Mgbe ahụ, Hezekaya chọrọ ụzọ ọ ga-esi mee udo, zie ozi zigara eze Asịrịa nʼobodo Lakish sị ya, “Emehiela m, biko, site nʼala m pụọ. Aga m akwụ gị ihe ọbụla ị chọrọ nʼaka m.” Eze Asịrịa sitere nʼaka Hezekaya eze Juda nara narị talenti ọlaọcha atọ, na iri talenti ọlaedo atọ.
King Hezekiah sent a message to Sennacherib, while Sennacherib was in Lachish, saying “What I have done was wrong. Please [tell your soldiers to] stop attacking us. If you do that, I will pay you whatever you tell me to.” So the king of Assyria said that Hezekiah must pay to him (ten tons/9,000 kg.) of silver and (one ton/900 kg.) of gold.
15 Hezekaya chịịrị ọlaọcha niile ọ chọtara nʼụlọnsọ ukwu Onyenwe anyị, na akụ niile dị nʼụlọeze, nye ya eze Asịrịa.
So Hezekiah gave to him all the silver that was in the temple and that was stored in the king’s palace.
16 Nʼoge ahụ, Hezekaya bụ eze Juda, nyakapụtachara ọlaedo niile o ji techie ibo na ibo ọnụ ụzọ ụlọnsọ ukwu Onyenwe anyị, chịrị ihe ndị a niile nye eze Asịrịa.
Hezekiah’s men also stripped the gold from the doors of the temple and the gold that he himself had put on the doorposts, and he sent all that gold to the king of Assyria.
17 Eze Asịrịa sitere na Lakish zipụ ọchịagha onye ọkwa ya kasị ukwuu, onyeisi ndị na-eje ozi na ọchịagha ya na usuu ndị agha ka ha jekwuru Hezekaya na Jerusalem. Ndị agha a bịaruru Jerusalem kwụsị nʼakụkụ olulu warawara e gwuru ebe Ọdọ mmiri dị elu si nʼasọfe, nʼụzọ e si aga obosara ala ndị na-asụ akwa.
But 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 alongside the aqueduct/channel in which water flows from the upper pool into Jerusalem, near the road to the field where the women wash clothes.
18 Mgbe ha kpọrọ eze oku ka ọ bịa, Eliakịm nwa Hilkaya, onye nlekọta ụlọeze, na Shebna, ode akwụkwọ eze, na Joa nwa Asaf, onye ndekọ akụkọ ihe mere, pụrụ jekwuru ha.
They sent a message requesting King Hezekiah to come to them, but the king sent three of his officials [to talk to them]. He sent Hilkiah’s son Eliakim, who supervised the palace; Shebna, the official secretary; and Asaph’s son Joah, who communicated the king’s messages to the people.
19 Ọchịagha ahụ sịrị ha, “Gwanụ Hezekaya: “‘Otu a ka eze ukwu ahụ, bụ eze Asịrịa na-ekwu, Ọ bụ na gịnị ka ntụkwasị obi gị dabere?
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] [RHQ]?
20 Ị na-ekwu na i nwere ndụmọdụ na ike ibu agha, maọbụ naanị egbe ọnụ ka ị na-agba. Ọ bụ onye ka ị na-atụkwasị obi mere i ji enupu isi nʼokpuru m?
You say that you have weapons to fight us, and some country 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]?
21 Lee, amatara m na ị na-atụkwasị obi nʼIjipt, mkpanaka achara ahụ gbajiri agbaji, nke na-adụwa aka onye ọbụla na-adabere na ya. Otu a ka Fero, eze Ijipt dị nye ndị niile na-atụkwasị ya obi.
Listen to me! You are relying on [the army of] Egypt. But that is 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].
22 Ma ọ bụrụ na unu asị m, “Anyị na-atụkwasị Onyenwe anyị bụ Chineke anyị obi.” Ọ bụghị ya ka Hezekaya wezugara ebe ya niile dị elu na ebe ịchụ aja ya niile, na-asị Juda na Jerusalem, “Unu aghaghị ịkpọ isiala nʼebe ịchụ aja dị nʼime Jerusalem?”
But perhaps you will say to me, “No, we are (relying on/trusting in) 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]?”’
23 “‘Ma ugbu a, bịa kwee nna m ukwu, bụ eze Asịrịa nkwa. Aga m enye gị puku ịnyịnya abụọ ma ọ bụrụ na i nwere ike ịchọta ndị ga-agba ha.
So I suggest that you make a deal between you and my master/boss, the king of Assyria. I will give you 2,000 horses, but [I do not think that] you are able to find 2,000 of your men who can ride on them!
24 Ị ga-esi aṅaa jụ otu onyeisi nke dịkarịsịrị nta nʼime ndịisi ọrụ onyenwe m, na-agbanyeghịkwa na i na-atụkwasị obi nʼIjipt maka inweta ụgbọ agha na ndị na-agba ịnyịnya?
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!
25 Tinyere nke a, abịara m ibuso ala a agha na ibibi ya ma enweghị okwu sitere na Chineke bịa? Ọ bụ Onyenwe anyị ya onwe ya gwara m ka m bilie megide obodo a, lakwaa ya nʼiyi.’”
Furthermore, (do you think that we have come to destroy Jerusalem without Yahweh’s help?/do not think that we have come to Jerusalem without Yahweh’s help.) [RHQ] It is Yahweh himself who told us to come here and destroy this land!”
26 Mgbe ahụ, Eliakịm nwa Hilkaya, Shebna na Joa sịrị ọchịagha ahụ, “Biko, gwa ndị ohu gị okwu nʼasụsụ Aramaik, ebe ọ bụ na anyị na-aghọta ya. Agwala anyị okwu nʼasụsụ Hibru, ebe ndị nọ nʼelu mgbidi ga-anụ.”
Then Eliakim, Shebna and Joah said to the official from Assyria, “Sir, 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 be frightened].”
27 Ma ọchịagha ahụ zaghachiri, “Ọ bụ nʼihi naanị nna unu ukwu na nye unu onwe unu ka nna m ukwu ji zite m, ka m kwuo ihe ndị a? Ọ bụghị nʼihi ndị mmadụ ahụ na-anọdụ nʼelu mgbidi, ndị, dịka unu, ha ga-eso rie nsị ha nyụrụ, ṅụọkwa mamịrị ha nyụrụ?”
But the official replied, “Do you think [RHQ] that my master sent me to say these things only to you and not to the people who are standing on the wall? [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].”
28 Mgbe ahụ, ọchịagha ahụ guzoro were oke olu kwuo nʼasụsụ Hibru, sị, “Nụrụnụ okwu eze ukwu ahụ, bụ eze Asịrịa.
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. He says,
29 Nke a bụ ihe eze sịrị, unu ekwela ka Hezekaya duhie unu. Ọ pụghị ịzọpụta unu site nʼaka m.
‘Do not allow Hezekiah to deceive you. He will not be able to rescue you from my power [MTY].
30 Unu ekwela ka Hezekaya mee ka unu tụkwasị Onyenwe anyị obi. Mgbe ọ na-asị, ‘Nʼezie, Onyenwe anyị aghaghị ịnapụta anyị, a gaghị enyefe obodo a nʼaka eze Asịrịa.’
Do not allow him to persuade you to rely on Yahweh, saying that Yahweh will rescue you, and that the army of Assyria will never capture this city!’
31 “Unu aṅakwala Hezekaya ntị. Ihe a ka eze Asịrịa kwuru: Pụkwutenụ m, bịanụ ka mụ na unu mee udo. Mgbe ahụ, onye ọbụla nʼime unu ga-eri mkpụrụ si nʼubi vaịnị ya na nke si nʼosisi fiig ya, ṅụọkwa mmiri nke si nʼihe icheta mmiri ya:
“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 wells.
32 ruo mgbe m ga-abịa duru unu gaa nʼala dịka nke unu, bụ ala mkpụrụ ọka na nke mmanya ọhụrụ, ala achịcha na ubi vaịnị, ala mmanụ aṅụ na osisi oliv jupụtara nʼime ya. Họrọnụ ndụ ka unu ghara ịnwụ. “Unu egela Hezekaya ntị, nʼihi na ọ bụ nrafu ka ọ na-arafu unu mgbe ọ na-asị, ‘Onyenwe anyị ga-anapụta anyị.’
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] wine. It will be a land that has plenty of olive trees and honey. If you do what the king of Assyria commands, you will not die. You will continue to live. ‘Do not allow Hezekiah to persuade you to trust in Yahweh saying that he will rescue you!
33 O nwere chi mba ọbụla nke napụtara ha site nʼaka eze Asịrịa?
The gods that people of other nations worship have never rescued them from the power [MTY] of the king of Assyria [RHQ]!
34 Olee ebe ka chi ndị Hamat na Apad nọ? Olee ebe ka chi ndị Sefavaim, Hena na Iva nọkwa? Ha anapụtala Sameria site nʼaka m?
Why were the gods of Hamath and Arpad [cities] unable to rescue their people from the king of Assyria [RHQ]? What happened to the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah, [towns that we completely destroyed and their gods disappeared] [RHQ]? Did any god rescue Samaria from my power?
35 Olee chi nʼime chi mba ndị a niile bụ nke zọpụtarala ala ya site nʼaka m? Unu si aṅaa chee na Onyenwe anyị pụrụ ịzọpụta Jerusalem site nʼaka m?”
No, none of the gods of the countries [that my army attacked] rescued their people [RHQ] from me! So why do you think that Yahweh will rescue you people of Jerusalem from my power [MTY]?’”
36 Ma ndị ahụ niile gbara nkịtị, ha ekwughị ihe ọbụla, nʼihi na eze nyere ha iwu sị, “Unu azaghachila ya.”
But the people [who were listening] stayed silent. No one said anything, because King Hezekiah had told them, “[When the official from Assyria talks to you, ] do not answer him.”
37 Mgbe ahụ, Eliakịm nwa Hilkaya, onye na-elekọta ụlọeze, na Shebna ode akwụkwọ eze, na Joa nwa Asaf ode akwụkwọ, ha yi uwe ha dọwara adọwa, bịakwute Hezekaya gwa ya ihe niile onyeisi agha ahụ kwuru.
Then Eliakim the palace administrator and Shebna the court secretary and Joah the royal historian went back to Hezekiah with their clothes torn [because they were extremely distressed], and they told him what the official from Assyria had said.
