Yasha'Yahu (Isaiah) — 36
Assyria Invades Yahudah
1 In the fourteenth year of King Hazakyahu’s reign, King Sannacharib of Assyria came to attack the fortified towns of Yahudah and conquered them.
2 Then the king of Assyria sent his chief of staff from Lachish with a huge army to confront King Hazakyahu in Yahushalam, The Assyrians took up a position beside the aqueduct that feeds water into the upper pool, near the road leading to the field where cloth is washed.
3 These are the officials who went out to meet with them: Aliakim son of Hilkyahu, the palace administrator; Shabna the court secretary; and Yuah son of Asaph, the royal historian.
Sannacharib Threatens Yahushalam
4 Then the Assyrian king’s chief of staff told them to give this message to Hazakyahu: “This is what the great king of Assyria says: What are you trusting in that makes you so confident?
5 Do you think that mere words can substitute for military skill and strength? Who are you counting on, that you have rebelled against me?
6 On Mitzraym? If you lean on Mitzraym, it will be like a reed that splinters beneath your weight and pierces your hand, Phar'uh, the king of Mitzraym, is completely unreliable!
7 “But perhaps you will say to me, ‘We are trusting in 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH our 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH!’ But is He not the one who was insulted by Hazakyahu? Did Hazakyahu not tear down his shrines and altars and make everyone in Yahudah and Yahushalam worship only at the altar here in Yahushalam?
8 “I will tell you what! Strike a bargain with my master, the king of Assyria. I will give you two thousand horses if you can find that many men to ride on them!
9 With your tiny army, how can you think of challenging even the weakest contingent of my master’s troops, even with the help of Mitzraym’s chariots and charioteers?
10 What’s more, do you think we have invaded your land without 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH’s direction? 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH himself told us, ‘Attack this land and destroy it!’”
11 Then Aliakim, Shabna, and Yuah said to the Assyrian chief of staff, “Please speak to us in Aramaic, for we understand it well. Do not speak in Abaryt (Hebrew), for the people on the wall will hear.”
12 But Sannacharib’s chief of staff replied, “Do you think my master sent this message only to you and your master? He wants all the people to hear it, for when we put this city under siege, they will suffer along with you, they will be so hungry and thirsty that they will eat their own dung and drink their own urine.”
13 Then the chief of staff stood and shouted in Abaryt (Hebrew) to the people on the wall, “Listen to this message from the great king of Assyria!
14 This is what the king says: Do not let Hazakyahu deceive you, he will never be able to rescue you.
15 Do not let him fool you into trusting in 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH by saying, ‘𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH will surely rescue us, this city will never fall into the hands of the Assyrian king!’
16 “Do not listen to Hazakyahu! These are the terms the king of Assyria is offering: Make Shalum with me, open the gates and come out, then each of you can continue eating from your own grapevine and fig tree and drinking from your own well.
17 Then I will arrange to take you to another land like this one, a land of grain and new wine, bread and vineyards.
18 “Do not let Hazakyahu mislead you by saying, ‘𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH will rescue us!’ Have the deities of any other nations ever saved their people from the king of Assyria?
19 What happened to the idols of Hamath and Arpad? And what about the idols of Sapharbaym? Did any idols rescue Samaria from my power?
20 What idols of any nation has ever been able to save its people from my power? So what makes you think that 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH can rescue Yahushalam from me?”
21 But the people were silent and did not utter a word because Hazakyahu had commanded them, “Do not answer him.”
22 Then Aliakim son of Hilkyahu, the palace administrator; Shabna the court secretary; and Yuah son of Asaph, the royal historian, went back to Hazakyahu, they tore their clothes in despair, and they went in to see the king and told him what the Assyrian chief of staff had said.