Yeshayah 36
36
1Now it came to pass in the fourteenth shanah of Melech Chizkiyah, that Sancheriv Melech Ashur came up against all the fortified cities of Yehudah, and captured them.
2And Melech Ashur sent Rav Shakeh from Lakhish to Yerushalayim unto Melech Chizkiyah with a large army. And he stood by the te'alat haberekhah haelyonah (aqueduct of the Upper Pool) on the highway of the sadeh of the launderer.
3Then came forth unto him Elyakim Ben Chilkiyah, who was over the Bais (palace), and Shevna the Sofer, and Yoach Ben Asaph, the Mazkir (secretary).
4And Rav Shakeh said unto them, Say ye now to Chizkiyah, Thus saith the HaMelech Hagadol, Melech Ashur, What bitachon (confidence) is this wherein thou trustest?
5I say, Your etzah (counsel) and gevurah (strength) for milchamah (war) are only devar sefatayim (words of the lips);#36:5 words of the lips empty words now on whom dost thou trust, that thou rebellest against me?
6Hinei, thou trustest in the mishenet (staff) of this broken reed, on Mitzrayim; whereon if an ish lean, it will go into his palm, and pierce it; so is Pharaoh Melech Mitzrayim to all that trust in him.
7But if thou say to me, We trust in Hashem Eloheinu; is it not He, whose high places and whose mizbechot Chizkiyah hath taken away, and said to Yehudah and to Yerushalayim, Ye shall worship before this Mizbe'ach?
8Therefore give pledges, now, to adoni HaMelech Ashur, and I will give thee two thousand susim, if thou be able on thy part to set riders upon them.
9How then wilt thou turn away the face of one officer of the least of the avadim of adoni, and put thy trust on Mitzrayim for chariots and for parashim?
10And am I now come up without Hashem against this land to destroy it? Hashem said unto me, Go up against this land, and destroy it.
11Then said Elyakim and Shevna and Yoach unto Rav Shakeh, Speak now, thee, unto thy avadim in Aramit (Aramaic); for we understand it; and speak not to us in Yehudit (Hebrew), in the ears of the people that are on the chomah.
12But Rav Shakeh said, Is it to adoneicha and to you that adoni has sent me to speak these words? Hath he not sent me to the anashim that sit upon the chomah, that they may eat their own dung, and drink their own urine with you?
13Then Rav Shakeh stood, and cried with a kol gadol in Yehudit, and said, Hear ye the words of HaMelech Hagadol, the Melech Ashur.
14Thus saith HaMelech, Let not Chizkiyah deceive you; for he shall not be able to save you.
15Neither let Chizkiyah make you trust in Hashem, saying, Hashem will surely save us; this city shall not be given into the Melech Ashur.
16Pay heed not to Chizkiyah; for thus saith HaMelech Ashur, Make a brocha with me, and come out to me; and eat ye every one of his gefen, and every one of his te'enah and drink ye every one the waters of his own bor;
17Until I come and take you away to an eretz like your own eretz, an eretz dagan and tirosh, an eretz lechem and kramim (vineyards).
18Beware lest Chizkiyah mislead you, saying, Hashem will save us. Hath any of the elohei HaGoyim delivered his land out of the yad Melech Ashur?
19Where are the elohei Chamat and Arpad? Where are the elohei Sepharvayim? And have they saved Shomron out of my yad?
20Who are they among all elohim of these lands, that have saved their land out of my yad, that Hashem should save Yerushalayim out of my yad?
21But they held their peace, and answered him not a davar; for the mitzvat HaMelech was saying, Answer him not.
22Then came Elyakim Ben Chilkiyah, that was over the Bais, and Shevna the Sofer, and Yoach Ben Asaph, the Mazkir, to Chizkiyah with their begadim torn, and told him the words of Rav Shakeh.
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Yeshayah 36: TOJB2011
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THE ORTHODOX JEWISH BIBLE
FOURTH EDITION © Artists For Israel Intl Inc., 2002-2011, 2021.
Isaiah 36
36
The Assyrians Threaten Jerusalem
(2 Kgs 18.13–27; 2 Chr 32.1–19)
1In the fourteenth year that Hezekiah was king of Judah, Sennacherib, the emperor of Assyria, attacked the fortified cities of Judah and captured them. 2Then he ordered his chief official to go from Lachish to Jerusalem with a large military force to demand that King Hezekiah should surrender. The official occupied the road where the clothmakers work, by the ditch that brings water from the upper pond. 3Three Judeans came out to meet him: the official in charge of the palace, Eliakim son of Hilkiah; the court secretary, Shebna; and the official in charge of the records, Joah son of Asaph. 4The Assyrian official told them that the emperor wanted to know what made King Hezekiah so confident. 5He demanded, “Do you think that words can take the place of military skill and might? Who do you think will help you rebel against Assyria? 6#Ezek 29.6–7You are expecting Egypt to help you, but that would be like using a reed as a walking stick — it would break and jab your hand. That is what the king of Egypt is like when anyone relies on him.”
7The Assyrian official went on, “Or will you tell me that you are relying on the LORD your God? It was the LORD's shrines and altars that Hezekiah destroyed when he told the people of Judah and Jerusalem to worship at one altar only. 8I will make a bargain with you in the name of the emperor. I will give you 2,000 horses if you can find that many riders. 9You are no match for even the lowest ranking Assyrian official, and yet you expect the Egyptians to send you chariots and cavalry. 10Do you think I have attacked your country and destroyed it without the LORD's help? The LORD himself told me to attack it and destroy it.”
11Then Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah said to the official, “Speak Aramaic to us. We understand it. Don't speak Hebrew; all the people on the wall are listening.”
12He replied, “Do you think you and the king are the only ones the emperor sent me to say all these things to? No, I am also talking to the people who are sitting on the wall, who will have to eat their excrement and drink their urine, just as you will.”
13Then the official stood up and shouted in Hebrew, “Listen to what the emperor of Assyria is telling you. 14He warns you not to let Hezekiah deceive you. Hezekiah can't save you. 15And don't let him persuade you to rely on the LORD. Don't think that the LORD will save you and that he will stop our Assyrian army from capturing your city. 16Don't listen to Hezekiah! The emperor of Assyria commands you to come out of the city and surrender. You will all be allowed to eat grapes from your own vines and figs from your own trees, and to drink water from your own wells — 17until the emperor resettles you in a country much like your own, where there are vineyards to give wine and there is corn for making bread. 18Don't let Hezekiah fool you into thinking that the LORD will rescue you. Did the gods of any other nations save their countries from the emperor of Assyria? 19Where are they now, the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim? Did anyone save Samaria? 20When did any of the gods of all these countries ever save their country from our emperor? Then what makes you think the LORD can save Jerusalem?”
21The people kept quiet, just as King Hezekiah had told them to; they did not say a word. 22Then Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah tore their clothes in grief and went and reported to the king what the Assyrian official had said.
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Good News Bible. Scripture taken from the Good News Bible (r) (Today's English Version Second Edition, UK/British Edition). Copyright © 1992 British & Foreign Bible Society. Used by permission.