2 Reyes 18

1 En el tercero año de Oséas, hijo de Ela, rey de Israel, comenzó a reinar Ezequías, hijo de Acaz, rey de Judá.

After King Hoshea had been ruling Israel for almost three years, Hezekiah, the son of Ahaz, began to rule Judah.

2 Cuando comenzó a reinar era de veinte y cinco años, y reinó en Jerusalem veinte y nueve años, el nombre de su madre fue Abí, hija de Zacarías.

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 Este hizo lo que era recto en ojos de Jehová, conforme a todas las cosas que había hecho David su padre.

Hezekiah did things that Yahweh considered to be right, like his ancestor King David had done.

4 Este quitó los altos, y quebró las imágines, y taló los bosques, y quebró la serpiente de metal que había hecho Moisés; porque hasta entonces le quemaban perfumes los hijos de Israel, y llamóle por nombre Nehustán.

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 En Jehová Dios de Israel puso su esperanza: después ni antes de él, no hubo otro como él, en todos los reyes de Judá.

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 Porque se llegó a Jehová, y no se apartó de él; y guardó los mandamientos que mandó Jehová a Moisés.

He remained loyal to Yahweh and never disobeyed him. He carefully obeyed all the commandments that Yahweh had given to Moses.

7 Y Jehová fue con él, y en todas las cosas a que salía prosperaba. El se rebeló contra el rey de Asiria, y no le sirvió.

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 Hirió también a los Filisteos hasta Gaza y sus términos, desde las torres de las atalayas hasta la ciudad fortalecida.

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 En el cuarto año del rey Ezequías, que era el año séptimo de Oséas, hijo de Ela, rey de Israel, subió Salmanasar rey de los Asirios contra Samaria, y cercóla.

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 Y tomáronla al cabo de tres años, en el sexto año de Ezequías, el cual era el nono año de Oséas rey de Israel, y así fue tomada 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 Y el rey de Asiria traspuso a Israel en Asiria, y púsolos en Hala, y en Habor, junto al río de Gozán, y en las ciudades de los Medos:

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 Por cuanto no habían oído la voz de Jehová su Dios, antes habían quebrantado su concierto; y todas las cosas que Moisés siervo de Jehová había mandado, ni las habían oído, ni hecho.

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 Y a los catorce años del rey Ezequías, subió Sennaquerib rey de Asiria contra todas las ciudades fuertes de Judá, y tomólas.

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 Entonces Ezequías rey de Judá envió al rey de Asiria en Laquis, diciendo: Yo he pecado; vuélvete de mí, y yo llevaré todo lo que me impusieres. Entonces el rey de Asiria impuso a Ezequías rey de Judá trescientos talentos de plata, y treinta talentos de oro.

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 Y Ezequías dio toda la plata que fue hallada en la casa de Jehová, y en los tesoros de la casa real.

So Hezekiah gave to him all the silver that was in the temple and that was stored in the king’s palace.

16 Entonces rompió Ezequías las puertas del templo de Jehová, y los umbrales que el mismo rey Ezequías había cubierto de oro, y diólo al rey de Asiria.

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 Y el rey de Asiria envió a Tartán, y a Rabsaris, y a Rabsaces desde Laquis al rey Ezequías con un grande ejército contra Jerusalem. Y subieron, y vinieron a Jerusalem; y subieron y vinieron, y pararon junto al conduto del estanque de arriba, que es en el camino de la heredad del lavador.

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 Y llamaron al rey, y salió a ellos Eliacim, hijo de Helcías, que era mayordomo, y Sobna escriba, y Joa, hijo de Asaf, canciller.

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 Y díjoles Rabsaces: Decíd ahora a Ezequías: Así dice el gran rey, el rey de Asiria:

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 ¿Qué confianza es esta en que tú confías? Dices ciertamente: Palabras de labios, consejo, y esfuerzo para la guerra. ¿En qué pues confiás ahora, que te has rebelado contra mí?

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 He aquí, tu confías ahora sobre este bordón de caña quebrado Egipto, que el que en él se recostare, él le entrará por la mano, y se la pasará. Tal es Faraón rey de Egipto a todos los que en él confían.

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 Y sí me decís: Nosotros confiamos en Jehová nuestro Dios: ¿no es él aquel cuyos altos y altares ha quitado Ezequías, y ha dicho a Judá y a Jerusalem: Delante de este altar adoraréis en 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 Por tanto ahora yo te ruego que des rehenes a mi señor el rey de Asiria, y yo te daré dos mil caballos, si tú pudieres dar caballeros para ellos.

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 ¿Cómo pues harás volver el rostro de un capitán el menor de los siervos de mi señor, aunque estés confiado en Egipto por sus carros y su gente de a caballo?

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 También, ¿ahora he yo venido sin Jehová a este lugar para destruirlo? Jehová me ha dicho: Sube a esta tierra, y destrúyela.

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 Entonces dijo Eliacim, hijo de Helcías, y Sobna, y Joa a Rabsaces: Ruégote que hables a tus siervos Siriaco, porque nosotros lo entendemos, y no hables con nosotros Judaico en los oídos del pueblo, que está sobre el muro.

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 Y Rabsaces les dijo: ¿Háme enviado mi señor a ti y a tu señor para decir estas palabras, y no antes a los hombres que están sobre el muro, para comer su estiércol, y beber el agua de sus pies con vosotros?

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 Y paróse Rabsaces, y clamó a gran voz en Judaico, y habló, diciendo: Oíd la palabra del gran rey, el rey de Asiria.

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 Así dijo el rey: No os engañe Ezequías, porque no os podrá librar de mi mano.

‘Do not allow Hezekiah to deceive you. He will not be able to rescue you from my power [MTY].

30 Y no os haga Ezequías confiar en Jehová, diciendo: Librando nos librará Jehová, y esta ciudad no será entregada en mano del rey de Asiria.

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 No oigáis a Ezequías, porque así dice el rey de Asiria: Dádme presente, y salíd a mí, y cada uno comerá de su vid, y de su higuera, y cada uno beberá las aguas de su pozo;

“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 Hasta que yo venga, y os lleve a una tierra como la vuestra, tierra de grano y de vino, tierra de pan y de viñas, tierra de olivas, de aceite, y de miel, y viviréis y no moriréis. No oigáis a Ezequías, porque os engaña cuando dice: Jehová nos librará.

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 ¿Han librando librado los dioses de las gentes cada uno a su tierra de la mano del rey de Asiria?

The gods that people of other nations worship have never rescued them from the power [MTY] of the king of Assyria [RHQ]!

34 ¿Dónde está el dios de Emat y de Arfad? ¿Dónde está el dios de Sefarvaim, de Ana, y de Hava? ¿Pudieron estos librar a Samaria de mi mano?

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 ¿Qué dios de todos los dioses de las provincias ha librado a su provincia de mi mano, para que libre Jehová de mi mano a Jerusalem?

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 Y el pueblo calló, que no le respondieron palabra: porque había mandamiento del rey, el cual había dicho: No le respondáis.

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 Entonces vinieron Eliacim, hijo de Helcías, que era mayordomo, y Sobna el escriba, y Joa, hijo de Asaf, canciller, a Ezequías rasgados sus vestidos, y recitáronle las palabras de Rabsaces.

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.