Aịzaya 36
1 Nʼafọ nke iri na anọ nke ọchịchị eze Hezekaya, Senakerib, bụ eze Asịrịa, busoro obodo Juda niile e wusiri ike agha, meriekwa ha.
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 Mgbe ahụ, eze Asịrịa sitere na Lakish zipụ ọchịagha ya, ya na usuu ndị agha ijekwuru Hezekaya na Jerusalem. Mgbe ọchịagha ahụ kwụsịrị nʼụzọ mmiri nke ọdọ mmiri dị Elu, nʼụzọ jere nʼebe ọhịa Ọsụ akwa.
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 Eliakịm, nwa Hilkaya, onye nlekọta ụlọeze, na Shebna, bụ ode akwụkwọ eze, na Joa nwa Asaf, onye ndekọ akụkọ ihe mere, pụrụ jekwuru ya.
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 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?
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 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’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 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 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 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 a?”
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 “‘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 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 Ị ga-esi kwa 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!
10 Tinyere nke a, abịara m ibuso ala a agha na ibibi ya ma ọ bụghị nkwado Onyenwe anyị? Onyenwe anyị ya onwe ya gwara m ka m bilie megide obodo a, lakwaa ya nʼiyi.’”
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 Mgbe ahụ Eliakịm, 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, “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 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 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 Mgbe ahụ, ọchịagha ahụ guzoro were oke olu kwuo nʼasụsụ Hibru, sị, “Nụrụnụ okwu niile nke 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!
14 Nke a bụ ihe eze sịrị, Unu ekwela ka Hezekaya duhie unu. Ọ pụghị ịzọpụta unu.
He says, ‘Do not allow Hezekiah to deceive you! He will not be able to rescue you!
15 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 trust in Yahweh, saying that Yahweh will rescue you, and that [the army of] the King of Assyria will never capture this city!’
16 “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 well.
17 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 jupụtara nʼime ya.
[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 “Unu ekwela ka Hezekaya rafuo unu mgbe ọ na-asị, ‘Onyenwe anyị ga-anapụta anyị.’ O nweela chi niile nke ndị mba ọzọ, nke napụtarala ala ha site nʼaka eze Asịrịa.
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 Olee ebe ka chi ndị Hamat na Apad nọ? Olee ebe ka chi ndị Sefavaim nọkwa? Ha anapụtala Sameria site nʼaka m?
Why were the gods of Hamath and Arpad [cities], and the gods of Sepharvaim unable to rescue Samaria from my power [MTY]?
20 Olee chi nʼime chi mba ndị a niile, bụ ndị zọpụtarala ala ha site nʼaka m? Unu si aṅaa chee na Onyenwe anyị pụrụ ịzọpụta Jerusalem site nʼaka m?”
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 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] were silent. No one said anything, because King [Hezekiah] had commanded, “[When the official from Assyria talks to you], do not answer him.”
22 Mgbe Eliakịm nwa Hilkaya, onyeisi ọchịchị, na Shebna ode akwụkwọ eze, na Joa nwa Asaf, ode akwụkwọ akụkọ eze laghachikwuuru Hezekaya, ha dọwara uwe ha mgbe ha na-aga igosi ya ịda mba nke obi ha. Ha gwakwara ya ihe niile onyeisi agha ndị Asịrịa kwuru.
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.
