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.
Ozionya Asaria'bai ro Yerusalema Lomvo
(2 'Bädri'bai 18:13-272 Ambâ 32:1-19)1 Ndroa 'butealo fosu ori Ezekia ro 'bädri'ba ro Yuda dri si oko, Senakeriba, 'bädri'ba Asaria ro, gota 'bakicii se cini obeobero Yuda rote ago ru ànya te. 2 'Dooko 'bädri'ba Asaria ro zo dri'ba 'desi dri'ba kyila'bai ndaro rote oyine ni Lakisa yasi le Yerusalema ya kyila'bai amba be 'Bädri'ba Ezekia dri. Dri'ba 'desi kyila'bai ro ana sate le vose boŋgo ojoro, loto 'bwo'bwo se gyi kabe idi kigyesi ni cece kurulesi yasi ana ya. 3 Ndi lidri nätu Yudai ro efoyite drî ndaro utune; Eliakima ŋgwa Ilekia ro dri'ba 'desi se ni dri'bai losi ro zo miriro ro, egyi'ba vure ro, Sebena, ndi Joa ŋgwa Asafa se ni dri'ba 'desi dri'bai losi ro taegyi'bai ro robe. 4 Dri'ba kyila'bai ro Asaria ro ana atate ànyari ekye: 'Bädri'ba Asana ro ekye, 'Bädri'ba Ezekia ka taoyi e'di ya ya? 5 Nda ejitate ekye: “Inye'do nyùsu amiro be ata orivoya liti ago mbara yi kyila oyeza ya? Mi'debe ogbone Asaria be inye'do yauono nyàte mio'ba a'di dri ya? 6 Nyà mio'ba Ezipeto se laba oso dofo okyiro se kalaŋgo te ronye, se ondro 'diaza kätirute driigye oko osona drì na ndi 'do. 'Bädri'ba Ezipeto ro orivoya oso 'do ronye, ondro 'diaza kätirute nda dri owo.”
7 Dri'ba kyila'bai ro Asaria ro ana ugu atate ekye: “Ondro ka'do nyàta gwo märi mikye yà ruäti OPI Lu amiro dri ayani, inye'do votoŋgoi ndi vo tori oloro se Ezekia keperebe, tuse nda ko'de gwo atane lidri Yuda ro ndi Yerusalema robe ri toto mätune vo tori oloro alodi ya ayani ana roko OPI ro ya? 8 Ka'do inye màle tadri ami yibe ävuru 'desi maro 'bädri'ba Asaria rosi. Mozona farasii ämiri kutu ritu ondro ka'do lidri amiro ka'do gindi amba lämune ànya si owo. 9 Inye'do mìpena ca dri'ba kyila'bai ro Asaria'bai ro se tipari 'do eŋwanye, ondro ka'do nyà mio'ba Ezipeto'bai ri ni arabia cini kyila ro ndi kyila oye'bai farasi si be ezone ämiri ya? 10 Inye'do ma'debe ikyine 'bädri amiro gotane ago perene ono teinye ta OPI ro ako ya? OPI andivona atani märi ikyine 'bädri ono gotane ago perene.”
11 'Dooko Eliakima, Sebena, ndi Joa be atayite dri'ba kyila'bai ro ana ri ekye: “Nyata ämäri kala Arama rosi. Tana mänina ndi takacina unine. Nyata ko ama ruindu'bai miro ri kala Ebere rosi; tana lidri se cini tiṛi drisi iyi kayi ta 'do erina.”
12 'Dri'ba kyila'bai ro logotate ekye: “Nyùsu amiro be 'bädri'ba amaro ezo ma tase cini ono atane toto ämiri 'bädri'ba amiro yibe, ago ko lidri se koriyibe tiṛi drisi, se onyanayi ze ànyaro 'da ago umvunayi kudrä ànyaro 'da kpa oso nyà oyebe oyene ronye ri ya?”
13 'Dooko dri'ba kyila'bai ro se ana ŋgate kurusi ago trete amba kala Ebere rosi ekye: “Nyèri tase 'bädri'ba 'desi, 'bädri'ba Asaria ro kabe atana ämiri ono. 14 'Bädri'ba ekye mi'ba Ezekia kodo ami ko. Ezekia unina ko ami opane. 15 Mì'ba Ezekia ko'ba ami ko ruätine OPI dri, atasi ekye OPI opana iyi 'da ago nda lagana kyila'bai amaro Asaria'bai ro 'da ni 'bakici ono uruvoya. 16 Nyèri ta Ezekia ro ko! 'Bädri'ba Asaria ro ekye nyèfo ni 'bakici yasi ago mì'ba taliatokpe mabe. 'Dooko o'bana ami 'da doŋgo kono ro onyane ni ice kono ro modo amiro ro yasi ago doŋgo kyi'du ro onyane ni ice na se modo amiro ro 'do yasi, ago gyi umvune ni koro modo amiro ro yasi, 17 madale 'bädri'ba ogo o'bana ami gwo 'bädri aza ya se orivoya oso 'bädri modo amiro ro ronye, 'bädri se orivoya inya ago vino be, 'bädri se orivoya ŋgaonya be ago ämvu kono robe. 18 Mimba amidri mì'ba Ezekia kodo ami ko tausune ekye OPI opana ami 'da. Inye'do lui tu'dei azaka ro payi 'bädrii ànyaro gi'da ni 'bädri'ba Asaria ro riya? 19 Lui Amata ro ndi Arepada robe, yauono gaŋwaroya? Lui Sefarevaima ro gaŋwaroya? Inye'do ànya pa Samaria gindi ni nda rigyesi ya? 20 Inye'do lui 'bädri gi cini kwoi ro payi 'bädri ànyaro gindi ni 'bädri'ba amaro rigyesi ya? 'Dooko e'di 'ba ami ni tausune ekye OPI unina ndi Yerusalema opane ni nda rigyesi ya?”
21 Lidri a'dote titiro, ago zayi tadri alodi aza kote oso 'bädri'ba Ezekia katabe ànyari ronye ekye: “Mìzatadri ndaro ko.” 22 'Dooko Eliakima, Sebena, ndi Joa be wayi boŋgo ànyaro te ni tusu ri ago oyiyi itiyi tase dri'ba losi ro Asaria'bai ro katabe ana tana te 'bädri'ba Ezekia ri.