The Assyrians Surround Jerusalem
(2 Kings 18.13-272 Chronicles 32.1-19)1 Hezekiah had been king of Judah for 14 years when King Sennacherib of Assyria invaded the country and captured every walled city 2 except Jerusalem. The Assyrian king ordered his army commander to leave the city of Lachish and to take a large army to Jerusalem.
The commander went there and stood on the road near the cloth makers' shops along the canal from the upper pool. 3 Three of the king's highest officials came out of Jerusalem to meet him. One of them was Hilkiah's son Eliakim, who was the prime minister. The other two were Shebna, assistant to the prime minister, and Joah son of Asaph, keeper of the government records.
4 The Assyrian commander told them:
I have a message for Hezekiah from the great king of Assyria. Ask Hezekiah why he feels so sure of himself. 5 Does he think he can plan and win a war with nothing but words? Who is going to help him, now that he has turned against the king of Assyria? 6 Is he depending on Egypt and its king? That's the same as leaning on a broken stick, and it will go right through his hand.
7 Is Hezekiah now depending on the Lord, your God? Didn't Hezekiah tear down all except one of the Lord's altars and places of worship? Didn't he tell the people of Jerusalem and Judah to worship at that one place?
8 The king of Assyria wants to make a bet with you people! He will give you 2,000 horses, if you have enough troops to ride them. 9 How could you even defeat our lowest ranking officer, when you have to depend on Egypt for chariots and cavalry? 10 Don't forget that it was the Lord who sent me here with orders to destroy your nation!
11 Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah said, “Sir, we don't want the people listening from the city wall to understand what you are saying. So please speak to us in Aramaic instead of Hebrew.”
12 The Assyrian army commander answered, “My king sent me to speak to everyone, not just to you leaders. These people will soon have to eat their own body waste and drink their own urine! And so will the three of you!”
13 Then, in a voice loud enough for everyone to hear, he shouted out in Hebrew:
Listen to what the great king of Assyria says! 14 Don't be fooled by Hezekiah. He can't save you. 15 Don't trust him when he tells you that the Lord will protect you from the king of Assyria. 16 Stop listening to Hezekiah. Pay attention to my king. Surrender to him. He will let you keep your own vineyards, fig trees, and cisterns 17 for a while. Then he will come and take you away to a country just like yours, where you can plant vineyards and raise your own grain.
18 Hezekiah claims the Lord will save you. But don't be fooled by him. Were any other gods able to defend their land against the king of Assyria? 19 What happened to the gods of Hamath, Arpad, and Sepharvaim? Were the gods of Samaria able to protect their land against the Assyrian forces? 20 None of those gods kept their people safe from the king of Assyria. Do you think the Lord, your God, can do any better?
21-22 Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah had been warned by King Hezekiah not to answer the Assyrian commander. So they tore their clothes in sorrow and reported to Hezekiah everything the commander had said.
Asiriyankoolu naata ka Yerusalaamu saatewo kele
(2 Mansoolu 18:13-372 Taarika 32:1-19)1 Mansa Hesekiya la maraloo sanji taŋ niŋ naaninjaŋo kono, Asiriya mansa Sennakeribu ye Yahuuda saatee tatariŋolu bee boyinkaŋ keloo la, aduŋ a ye ì muta.
2 Asiriya mansa ye a la kelediŋ kuntii baa kii ka bo naŋ Lakisi ka taa Hesekiya kaŋ Yerusalaamu a niŋ kelediŋ kafu baa. A loota siloo to jiibori dinkoo maafaŋo la, meŋ ka woyi naŋ ka bo santo daloo to ka taa Kuuru Dulaa. 3 Wo le to mansa la dookuulaa kee saba fintita a kaŋ naŋ. Wolu le mu Hilikiya dinkewo Eliyakimu ti, meŋ tarata marariŋ mansasuwo ma, Sebuna, meŋ mu safeerilaa ti, aniŋ Asafu dinkewo Yowa, meŋ marata taarika safeeroolu ma.
4 Asiriya kelediŋ kuntiyo ko ì ye ko, “Asiriya mansa baa ko a lafita a loŋ na le Mansa Hesekiya be jikiriŋ meŋ na. 5 Fo a ye a miira le ko, kuma kenseŋolu le mu keloo feeroo niŋ semboo ti baŋ? A be jikiriŋ jumaa le la fo a ka balaŋo tiliŋ ate la? 6 Fo a be jikiriŋ Misira mansa le la baŋ, wo meŋ ka munta le komeŋ taamaraŋ doko katiriŋo? Moo-wo-moo sujita a kaŋ ka maakoyiroo ñini, a be i soo la i buloo kono le komeŋ ñookala katiriŋo. 7 Waraŋ fo a ko a be jikiriŋ Yaawe* ali la Alla le la baŋ? Fo ate Hesekiya maŋ wo le la batudulaa tintiŋolu* niŋ sadaabodulaalu* buruka baŋ? Aduŋ a ko Yahuuda moolu niŋ Yerusalaamu moolu ye le ko, ì si naa ka baturoo ke sadaabodulaa doroŋ to, meŋ be Yerusalaamu. 8 Wo to saayiŋ a niŋ m maarii, Asiriya mansa ye beŋ kaŋ to. A be suu wuli fula dii la a la le, niŋ a ye a tara a si suuborindilaalu soto noo ì ye. 9 Wo to ate si balaŋ noo hani kelediŋ kiliŋ ma baŋ, meŋ na kuwo dooyaata m maarii la kelediŋ kuntiyolu bee ti, niŋ a ye a tara a be jikiriŋ Misira bankoo le la, ka keleraŋ sareetoolu* niŋ suuborindilaalu soto? 10 Wo bee koolaa, ate maŋ wuli a faŋ ye naŋ ñiŋ dulaa kamma, ka a kasaara, wo be looriŋ Yaawe la yaamaroo le kaŋ. Ate le ko a si wuli naŋ ñiŋ bankoo kamma, ka a kasaara.”
11 Bituŋ Eliyakimu, aniŋ Sebuna niŋ Yowa ko kelediŋ kuntii baa ñiŋ ye ko, “Dukaree diyaamu ntolu, i la dookuulaalu ye, Arameya kaŋo la. Ŋà a moyi le. Kana diyaamu ǹ ye Hiburu kaŋo la fo moolu ye a moyi, mennu be tata sansaŋo kaŋ santo.” 12 Bari kelediŋ kuntii baa ñiŋ ko, “Fo m maarii ye n kii ka ñiŋ kumoolu fo alitolu niŋ ali maarii dammaa le ye baŋ? A ye n kii le ka diyaamu ñiŋ moolu fanaa ye, mennu be siiriŋ tata sansaŋo kaŋ santo. Itolu fanaa be ì la buwo domo la le, ì ye ì la sumunaa miŋ, komeŋ alitolu faŋolu.”
13 Bituŋ kelediŋ kuntii baa ñiŋ loota, a sarita santo Hiburu kaŋo to, ka a fo ko:
“Ali i lamoyi Asiriya mansa baa la kumoo la. 14 Mansa ko ali kana soŋ Hesekiya ye ali neenee. A te ali tankandi noo la. 15 Ali kana soŋ Hesekiya ye ali dundi ñiŋ to ka jiki Yaawe la, ka a fo ali ye, a koyita a ma le ko, Yaawe be ali tankandi la le, aduŋ a te ñiŋ saatewo duŋ na Asiriya mansa bulu. 16 Ali kana i lamoyi Hesekiya la. Asiriya mansa ko ali ye soŋ kayiroo la ali niŋ ate teema, aduŋ ali si finti naŋ saatewo kono ka ali faŋ seyi a ma. Niŋ wo keta, moo-wo-moo be a fansuŋ wayini* yiridiŋolu niŋ sooto yiridiŋolu domo la le, aduŋ a be i miŋ na a fansuŋ koloŋo le to. 17 Wo koolaa a be naa le, a ye ali samba banku doo kaŋ, meŋ niŋ ali la bankoo mulunta. Wo bankoo kaŋ siimaŋ kesoo siyaata jee le, aniŋ mbuuroo. Wayini yiri kankaŋolu be jee le, aniŋ wayinoo. 18 Wo to ali kana soŋ, Hesekiya ye ali filindi ka a fo ko, Yaawe be ali tankandi la le. Fo banku koteŋ jalaŋ ne sotota baŋ, meŋ ye a la moolu tankandi noo Asiriya mansa bulu? 19 Hamati niŋ Aripadi jalaŋolu lee? Sefariwayimu jalaŋolu lee? Fo ì ye Samariya tankandi noo a bulu le baŋ? 20 Jalaŋolu bee kono banku jumaa le la jalaŋolu ye ì la bankoolu tankandi noo a bulu? Wo to fo Yaawe si Yerusalaamu tankandi noo ate ma baŋ?”
21 Bari moolu tuta deyiriŋ ne, ì maŋ hani kuma kiliŋ fo, kaatu Mansa Hesekiya ye ì yaamari le ko, ì kana a jaabi. 22 Bituŋ Hilikiya dinkewo Eliyakimu, meŋ marata mansasuwo ma, Sebuna meŋ mu safeerilaa ti, aniŋ Asafu dinkewo Yowa, meŋ marata taarika safeeroolu ma, taata Hesekiya kaŋ. Ì niŋ ì la dendika farariŋolu le taata, niikuyaa kamma la, aduŋ ì ye kumoo bee saata, kelediŋ kuntiyo ñiŋ ye meŋ fo.
