1 And it came to pass in the third year of Hoshea the son of Elah, king of Israel, that Hezekiah the son of Ahaz, king of Judah, began to reign.2 He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign; and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem; and his mother's name was Abi, daughter of Zechariah.3 And he did what was right in the sight of Jehovah, according to all that David his father had done.4 He removed the high places, and broke the columns, and cut down the Asherahs, and broke in pieces the serpent of brass that Moses had made; for to those days the children of Israel burned incense to it: and he called it Nehushtan.5 He trusted in Jehovah the God of Israel; so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor {among any} that were before him.6 And he clave to Jehovah, and did not turn aside from following him, but kept his commandments, which Jehovah commanded Moses.7 And Jehovah was with him; he prospered whithersoever he went forth. And he rebelled against the king of Assyria, and served him not.8 He smote the Philistines unto Gazah and its borders, from the watchmen's tower to the fortified city.9 And it came to pass in the fourth year of king Hezekiah, which was the seventh year of Hoshea the son of Elah, king of Israel, {that} Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up against Samaria and besieged it.10 And at the end of three years they took it; in the sixth year of Hezekiah, that is, the ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel, Samaria was taken.11 And the king of Assyria carried away Israel to Assyria, and settled them in Halah and by the Habor, the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes;12 because they hearkened not to the voice of Jehovah their God, but transgressed his covenant, all that Moses the servant of Jehovah commanded; and they would not hear nor do it.13 And in the fourteenth year of king Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the fortified cities of Judah, and took them.14 And Hezekiah king of Judah sent to the king of Assyria to Lachish, saying, I have sinned; retire from me: I will bear what thou layest upon me. And the king of Assyria laid upon Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold.15 And Hezekiah gave all the silver that was found in the house of Jehovah, and in the treasures of the king's house.16 At that time Hezekiah stripped the doors of the temple of Jehovah, and the posts that Hezekiah king of Judah had overlaid, and gave them to the king of Assyria.17 And the king of Assyria sent Tartan and Rabsaris and Rab-shakeh from Lachish, with a strong force, against king Hezekiah, to Jerusalem. And they went up and came to Jerusalem. And when they were come up, they came and stood by the aqueduct of the upper pool, which is on the highway of the fuller's field.18 And they called to the king. Then came forth to them Eliakim the son of Hilkijah, who was over the household, and Shebnah the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph, the chronicler.19 And Rab-shakeh said to them, Say now to Hezekiah, Thus says the great king, the king of Assyria: What confidence is this wherein thou trustest?20 Thou sayest-but it is a word of the lips-There is counsel and strength for war. Now on whom dost thou rely, that thou hast revolted against me?21 Now behold, thou reliest upon the staff of that broken reed, upon Egypt, on which if a man lean, it goes into his hand and pierces it: so is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all that rely upon him.22 And if ye say to me, We rely upon Jehovah our God: is it not he whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah has removed, saying to Judah and Jerusalem, Ye shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem?23 And now, engage, I pray thee, with my master the king of Assyria, and I will give thee two thousand horses, if thou canst set the riders upon them.24 How then wilt thou turn away the face of one captain of the least of my master's servants? And thou reliest upon Egypt for chariots and for horsemen!25 Am I now come up without Jehovah against this place to destroy it? Jehovah said to me, Go up against this land and destroy it.26 And Eliakim the son of Hilkijah, and Shebnah and Joah said to Rab-shakeh, Speak, we pray thee, to thy servants in Syriac, for we understand it, and talk not with us in the Jewish {language} in the ears of the people that are on the wall.27 And Rab-shakeh said to them, Is it to thy master and to thee that my master sent me to speak these words? Is it not to the men that sit on the wall, that they may eat their own dung and drink their own urine with you?28 And Rab-shakeh stood and cried with a loud voice in the Jewish {language}, and spoke and said, Hear the word of the great king, the king of Assyria!29 Thus says the king: Let not Hezekiah deceive you; for he will not be able to deliver you out of the {king's} hand.30 Neither let Hezekiah make you rely upon Jehovah, saying, Jehovah will certainly deliver us, and this city shall not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.31 Hearken not to Hezekiah; for thus says the king of Assyria: Make peace with me, and come out to me; and eat every one of his vine and every one of his fig-tree, and drink every one the waters of his own cistern;32 until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of corn and wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of olive-trees and of honey, that ye may live and not die; and hearken not to Hezekiah, when he persuades you, saying, Jehovah will deliver us.33 Have any of the gods of the nations delivered at all his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria?34 Where are the gods of Hamath and of Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah? and have they delivered Samaria out of my hand?35 Which are they among all the gods of the countries, who have delivered their country out of my hand, that Jehovah should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?36 But the people were silent and answered him not a word; for the king's command was, saying, Answer him not.37 And Eliakim the son of Hilkijah, who was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph, the chronicler, came to Hezekiah with their garments rent, and told him the words of Rab-shakeh.

1 En in die derde jaar van Hos,a, die seun van Ela, die koning van Israel, het Hisk¡a, die seun van Agas, die koning van Juda, koning geword.2 Vyf en twintig jaar was hy oud toe hy koning geword het, en nege en twintig jaar het hy in Jerusalem geregeer; en die naam van sy moeder was Abi, 'n dogter van Sagar¡a.3 En hy het gedoen wat reg was in die oë van die HERE net soos sy vader Dawid gedoen het.4 Hy het die hoogtes afgeskaf en die klippilare verbreek en die heilige boomstamme omgekap en die koperslang wat Moses gemaak het, stukkend gestamp, omdat die kinders van Israel tot op die dae daarvoor offerrook laat opgaan het; en hy het dit Nehustan genoem.5 Hy het op die HERE, die God van Israel, vertrou, sodat onder al die konings van Juda n hom en die wat voor hom gewees het, niemand soos hy was nie.6 Ja, hy het die HERE aangehang sonder om van Hom af te wyk en sy gebooie onderhou wat die HERE Moses beveel het.7 En die HERE was met hom; waar hy ook heen uittrek, was hy voorspoedig; en hy het in opstand gekom teen die koning van Assirië en hom nie gedien nie.8 Hy het die Filistyne verslaan tot by Gasa en sy grondgebied, van wagtoring af tot versterkte stad.9 Maar in die vierde jaar van koning Hisk¡a -- dit was die sewende jaar van Hos,a, die seun van Ela, die koning van Israel -- het Salman,ser, die koning van Assirië, teen Samar¡a opgetrek en dit beleër;10 en hulle het dit ingeneem aan die einde van drie jaar; in die sesde jaar van Hisk¡a -- dit was die negende jaar van Hos,a, die koning van Israel -- is Samar¡a ingeneem.11 En die koning van Assirië het Israel in ballingskap weggevoer na Assirië en hulle laat bly in Halag en aan die Habor, die rivier van Gosan, en in die stede van Medië;12 omdat hulle nie gehoorsaam was aan die stem van die HERE hulle God nie, maar sy verbond oortree het -- alles wat Moses, die kneg van die HERE, beveel het -- sonder om daarna te luister en te handel.13 Maar in die veertiende jaar van koning Hisk¡a het S nherib, die koning van Assirië, opgetrek teen al die versterkte stede van Juda en dit verower.14 Toe laat Hisk¡a, die koning van Juda, die koning van Assirië na Lagis weet: Ek het gesondig; trek terug van my af weg; wat u my oplê, sal ek lewer. En die koning van Assirië het aan Hisk¡a, die koning van Juda, drie honderd talente silwer en dertig talente goud opgelê.15 En Hisk¡a het al die silwer gegee wat in die huis van die HERE te vinde was en in die skatkamers van die huis van die koning.16 In dieselfde tyd het Hisk¡a die goud van die deure in die tempel van die HERE afgesny en van die deurposte wat Hisk¡a, die koning van Juda, oorgetrek het, en dit aan die koning van Assirië gegee.17 Toe stuur die koning van Assirië die tartan en die r bsaris en die r bsake uit Lagis met 'n swaar leër na koning Hisk¡a na Jerusalem toe; en hulle het opgetrek en by Jerusalem gekom. En toe hulle optrek en aankom, het hulle gaan staan by die watervoor van die Boonste Dam wat aan die grootpad van die Bleikveld lê.18 En hulle het na die koning geroep. Daarop gaan ljakim, die seun van Hilk¡a, wat oor die paleis was, en Sebna, die skrywer, en Joa, die seun van Asaf, die kanselier, uit na hulle toe.19 En die r bsake sê vir hulle: Sê tog vir Hisk¡a: So spreek die groot koning, die koning van Assirië! Wat is dit vir 'n vertroue wat jy koester?20 Dink jy dat net lippetaal raad en dapperheid vir die oorlog is? Op wie vertrou jy nou, dat jy teen my in opstand kom?21 Kyk nou, jy vertrou op die geknakte rietstok, op Egipte, wat, as iemand daarop leun, in sy hand ingaan en dit deurboor; so is Farao, die koning van Egipte, vir almal wat op hom vertrou.22 Maar as julle vir my sê: Ons vertrou op die HERE onse God -- is dit nie Hy wie se hoogtes en wie se altare Hisk¡a verwyder het nie deur aan Juda en Jerusalem te sê: Voor hierdie altaar in Jerusalem moet julle buig?23 Nou dan, wed tog met my heer, die koning van Assirië, en ek sal jou twee duisend perde gee as jy vir jou ruiters daarop kan lewer.24 Hoe sal jy dan die aanval van 'n enkele goewerneur van my heer se geringste dienaars afslaan? Maar jy vertrou op Egipte vir strydwaens en perderuiters!25 Het ek nou sonder die HERE opgetrek teen hierdie plek om dit te verwoes? Die HERE het vir my gesê: Trek op teen hierdie land en verwoes dit.26 Toe sê ljakim, die seun van Hilk¡a, en Sebna en Joa aan die r bsake: Praat tog met u dienaars Aramees, want ons verstaan dit; en moenie met ons Joods praat voor die ore van die manskappe wat op die muur is nie.27 Maar die r bsake sê vir hulle: Het my heer my na jou heer en na jou gestuur om hierdie woorde te spreek? Is dit nie na die manne wat op die muur sit, dat hulle hul eie drek kan eet en hul eie water kan drink saam met julle nie?28 Toe gaan die r bsake staan en roep hardop in die Joodse taal; en hy spreek en sê: Hoor die woord van die groot koning, die koning van Assirië!29 So sê die koning: Laat Hisk¡a julle nie bedrieg nie, want hy sal julle nie uit sy hand kan red nie.30 En Hisk¡a moet julle nie op die HERE laat vertrou nie deur te sê: Die HERE sal ons sekerlik red, en hierdie stad sal nie in die hand van die koning van Assirië oorgegee word nie.31 Luister nie na Hisk¡a nie; want so sê die koning van Assirië: Sluit met my vriendskap en trek uit na my toe en eet elkeen van sy wingerdstok en elkeen van sy vyeboom en drink elkeen die water van sy put,32 totdat ek julle kom haal na 'n land soos julle land, 'n land van koring en mos, 'n land van brood en wingerde, 'n land van olyfbome en heuning; dan sal julle lewe en nie sterwe nie; en luister nie na Hisk¡a nie, want hy verlei julle deur te sê: Die HERE sal ons red.33 Het die gode van die nasies elkeen sy land ooit gered uit die hand van die koning van Assirië?34 Waar is die gode van Hamat en Arpad? Waar is die gode van Sefarv im, Hena en Iwa, dat hulle Samar¡a uit my hand kon gered het?35 Wie is daar onder al die gode van die lande wat hulle land uit my hand gered het, dat die HERE Jerusalem uit my hand sou red?36 Maar die manskappe het stilgebly en hom niks geantwoord nie; want dit was die bevel van die koning: Julle moet hom nie antwoord nie.37 Toe het ljakim, die seun van Hilk¡a, wat oor die paleis was, en Sebna, die skrywer, en Joa, die seun van Asaf, die kanselier, met geskeurde klere by Hisk¡a gekom en hom die woorde van die r bsake te kenne gegee.