Ii Regum 18
1 Anno tertio Osee filii Ela regis Israel, regnavit Ezechias filius Achaz regis Iuda.
After King Hoshea had been ruling Israel for almost three years, Hezekiah, the son of Ahaz, began to rule Judah.
2 Vigintiquinque annorum erat, cum regnare coepisset: et vigintinovem annis regnavit in Ierusalem: nomen matris eius Abi filia Zachariae.
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 Fecitque quod erat bonum coram Domino, iuxta omnia quae fecerat David pater eius.
Hezekiah did things that Yahweh considered to be right, like his ancestor King David had done.
4 Ipse dissipavit excelsa, et contrivit statuas, et succidit lucos, confregitque serpentem aeneum, quem fecerat Moyses: siquidem usque ad illud tempus filii Israel adolebant ei incensum: vocavitque nomen eius Nohestan.
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 In Domino Deo Israel speravit: itaque post eum non fuit similis ei de cunctis regibus Iuda, sed neque in his, qui ante eum fuerunt:
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 et adhaesit Domino, et non recessit a vestigiis eius, fecitque mandata eius, quae praeceperat Dominus Moysi.
He remained loyal to Yahweh and never disobeyed him. He carefully obeyed all the commandments that Yahweh had given to Moses.
7 Unde et erat Dominus cum eo, et in cunctis, ad quae procedebat, sapienter se agebat. Rebellavit quoque contra regem Assyriorum, et non servivit ei.
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 Ipse percussit Philisthaeos usque ad Gazam, et omnes terminos eorum, a Turre custodum usque ad Civitatem munitam.
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 Anno quarto regis Ezechiae, qui erat annus septimus Osee filii Ela regis Israel, ascendit Salmanasar rex Assyriorum in Samariam, et oppugnavit eam,
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 et cepit. Nam post annos tres, anno sexto Ezechiae, id est nono anno Osee regis Israel, capta est Samaria:
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 et transtulit rex Assyriorum Israel in Assyrios, collocavitque eos in Hala, et in Habor fluviis Gozan in civitatibus Medorum:
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 quia non audierunt vocem Domini Dei sui, sed praetergressi sunt pactum eius: omnia, quae praeceperat Moyses servus Domini, non audierunt, neque fecerunt.
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 Anno quartodecimo regis Ezechiae, ascendit Sennacherib rex Assyriorum ad universas civitates Iuda munitas: et cepit eas.
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 Tunc misit Ezechias rex Iuda nuncios ad regem Assyriorum in Lachis, dicens: Peccavi, recede a me: et omne, quod imposueris mihi, feram. Indixit itaque rex Assyriorum Ezechiae regi Iudae trecenta talenta argenti, et triginta talenta auri.
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 Deditque Ezechias omne argentum quod repertum fuerat in domo Domini, et in thesauris regis.
So Hezekiah gave to him all the silver that was in the temple and that was stored in the king’s palace.
16 In tempore illo confregit Ezechias valvas templi Domini, et laminas auri, quas ipse affixerat, et dedit eas regi Assyriorum.
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 Misit autem rex Assyriorum Tharthan, et Rabsaris, et Rabsacen de Lachis ad regem Ezechiam cum manu valida Ierusalem: qui cum ascendissent, venerunt Ierusalem, et steterunt iuxta aquaeductum piscinae superioris, quae est in via Agrifullonis.
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 Vocaveruntque regem: egressus est autem ad eos Eliacim filius Helciae praepositus domus, et Sobna scriba, et Ioahe filius Asaph a commentariis.
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 Dixitque ad eos Rabsaces: Loquimini Ezechiae: Haec dicit rex magnus, rex Assyriorum: Quae est ista fiducia, qua niteris?
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 Forsitan inisti consilium, ut praepares te ad praelium. In quo confidis, ut audeas rebellare?
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 an speras in baculo arundineo atque confracto Aegypto, super quem, si incubuerit homo, comminutus ingredietur manum eius, et perforabit eam? sic est Pharao rex Aegypti omnibus, qui confidunt in se.
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 Quod si dixeritis mihi: In Domino Deo nostro habemus fiduciam: nonne iste est, cuius abstulit Ezechias excelsa et altaria: et praecepit Iudae et Ierusalem: Ante altare hoc adorabitis in Ierusalem?
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 Nunc igitur transite ad dominum meum regem Assyriorum, et dabo vobis duo millia equorum, et videte an habere valeatis ascensores eorum.
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 Et quo modo potestis resistere ante unum satrapam de servis domini mei minimis? An fiduciam habes in Aegypto propter currus et equites?
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 Numquid sine Domini voluntate ascendi ad locum istum, ut demolirer eum? Dominus dixit mihi: Ascende ad terram hanc, et demolire eam.
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 Dixerunt autem Eliacim filius Helciae, et Sobna, et Ioahe Rabsaci: Precamur ut loquaris nobis servis tuis Syriace: siquidem intelligimus hanc linguam: et non loquaris nobis Iudaice, audiente populo, qui est super murum.
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 Responditque eis Rabsaces, dicens: Numquid ad dominum tuum, et ad te misit me dominus meus, ut loquerer sermones hos, et non potius ad viros, qui sedent super murum, ut comedant stercora sua, et bibant urinam suam vobiscum?
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 Stetit itaque Rabsaces, et exclamavit voce magna Iudaice, et ait: Audite verba regis magni, regis Assyriorum.
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 Haec dicit rex: Non vos seducat Ezechias: non enim poterit eruere vos de manu mea.
‘Do not allow Hezekiah to deceive you. He will not be able to rescue you from my power [MTY].
30 Neque fiduciam vobis tribuat super Dominum, dicens: Eruens liberabit nos Dominus, et non tradetur civitas haec in manu regis Assyriorum.
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 Nolite audire Ezechiam. Haec enim dicit rex Assyriorum: Facite mecum quod vobis est utile, et egredimini ad me: et comedet unusquisque de vinea sua, et de ficu sua: et bibetis aquas de cisternis vestris,
“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 donec veniam, et transferam vos in terram, quae similis est terrae vestrae, in terram fructiferam, et fertilem vini, terram panis et vinearum, terram olivarum, et olei ac mellis, et vivetis, et non moriemini. Nolite audire Ezechiam, qui vos decipit, dicens: Dominus liberabit nos.
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 Numquid liberaverunt dii Gentium terram suam de manu regis Assyriorum?
The gods that people of other nations worship have never rescued them from the power [MTY] of the king of Assyria [RHQ]!
34 Ubi est Deus Emath, et Arphad? ubi est Deus Sepharvaim, Ana, et Ava? numquid liberaverunt Samariam de manu mea?
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 Quinam illi sunt in universis diis terrarum, qui eruerunt regionem suam de manu mea ut possit eruere Dominus Ierusalem de manu mea?
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 Tacuit itaque populus, et non respondit ei quidquam: siquidem praeceptum regis acceperant ut non responderent ei.
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 Venitque Eliacim filius Helciae, praepositus domus, et Sobna scriba, et Ioahe filius Asaph a commentariis ad Ezechiam scissis vestibus, et nunciaverunt ei verba Rabsacis.
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.
