And it happenedוַיְהִיin yearבְּ שָׁנָהfourteenאַרְבַּע עֶשְׂרֵהof KingלַמֶּלֶךְHezekiah,חִזְקִיָּהוּthat Sennacheribסַנְחֵרִיבkingמֶלֶךְof Assyriaאַשּׁוּרcame upעָלָהagainst allעַל כָּלthe fortifiedהַבְּצֻרוֹתcitiesעָרֵיof Judahיְהוּדָהand seized them.וַיִּתְפְּשֵׂם
The kingמֶלֶךְof Assyriaאַשּׁוּרsentוַיִּשְׁלַחthe Rabshakehאֶת רַב שָׁקֵהfrom Lachishמִלָּכִישׁto Jerusalem,יְרוּשָׁלְַמָהto Kingאֶל הַמֶּלֶךְHezekiahחִזְקִיָּהוּwith a large force;בְּחֵיל כָּבֵדand he stoodוַיַּעֲמֹדby the conduitבִּתְעָלַתof the upperהָעֶלְיוֹנָהpool,הַבְּרֵכָהon the highwayבִּמְסִלַּתof the Launderer’sכוֹבֵסField.שְׂדֵה
And there came outוַיֵּצֵאto himאֵלָיוEliakimאֶלְיָקִיםsonבֶּןof Hilkiah,חִלְקִיָּהוּwho wasאֲשֶׁרoverעַלthe house,הַבָּיִתand Shebnaוְשֶׁבְנָאthe scribe,הַסֹּפֵרand Joahוְיוֹאָחsonבֶּןof Asaph,אָסָףthe recorder.הַמַּזְכִּיר
The Rabshakehרַב שָׁקֵהsaidוַיֹּאמֶרto them,אֲלֵיהֶם“Say,אִמְרוּplease,נָאto Hezekiah,אֶל חִזְקִיָּהוּ‘Thusכֹּהsaysאָמַרthe greatהַגָּדוֹלking,הַמֶּלֶךְthe kingמֶלֶךְof Assyria:אַשּׁוּרWhatמָהis thisהַזֶּהconfidenceהַבִּטָּחוֹןin whichאֲשֶׁרyou have trusted?בָּטָחְתָּ
I sayאָמַרְתִּי—onlyאַךְa wordדְּבַרof lips—:שְׂפָתַיִם“There is counselעֵצָהand mightוּגְבוּרָהfor war.”לַמִּלְחָמָהNow,עַתָּהon whomעַל מִיhave you trusted,בָטַחְתָּthatכִּיyou have rebelledמָרַדְתָּagainst me?בִּי
Look,הִנֵּהyou have trustedבָטַחְתָּinעַלthe staffמִשְׁעֶנֶתof thisהַזֶּהbrokenהָרָצוּץreed,הַקָּנֶהinעַלEgypt,מִצְרַיִםon whichאֲשֶׁר עָלָיוa manאִישׁleans,יִסָּמֵךְand it goesוּבָאinto his palmבְכַפּוֹand pierces it.וּנְקָבָהּSoכֵּןis Pharaohפַּרְעֹהkingמֶלֶךְof Egyptמִצְרַיִםto allלְכָלwho trustהַבֹּטְחִיםin him.עָלָיו
And ifוְכִיyou sayתֹאמַרto me,אֵלַי“In YHWHאֶל יְהוָהour Elohimאֱלֹהֵינוּwe trust,”בָּטָחְנוּis it notהֲלוֹאheהוּאwhoseאֲשֶׁרhigh placesאֶת בָּמֹתָיוand altarsוְאֶת מִזְבְּחֹתָיוHezekiahחִזְקִיָּהוּhas removed,הֵסִירand has saidוַיֹּאמֶרto Judahלִיהוּדָהand to Jerusalem,וְלִירוּשָׁלִַם“Beforeלִפְנֵיthisהַזֶּהaltarהַמִּזְבֵּחַyou shall bow down”?תִּשְׁתַּחֲווּ
Now,וְעַתָּהmake a deal,הִתְעָרֶבplease,נָאwith my masterאֶת אֲדֹנִיthe kingהַמֶּלֶךְof Assyria:אַשּׁוּרI will giveוְאֶתְּנָהyouלְךָtwo thousandאַלְפַּיִםhorses,סוּסִיםifאִםyou are ableתּוּכַלto putלָתֶתridersרֹכְבִיםof your ownלְךָon them.עֲלֵיהֶם
How thenוְאֵיךְcan you turn backתָּשִׁיבthe faceאֵת פְּנֵיof oneאַחַדgovernor,פַחַתof the leastהַקְטַנִּיםof the servantsעַבְדֵיof my master,אֲדֹנִיwhile you trustוַתִּבְטַח לְךָin Egyptעַל מִצְרַיִםfor chariotsלְרֶכֶבand for horsemen?וּלְפָרָשִׁים
Now,וְעַתָּהis it withoutהֲמִבַּלְעֲדֵיYHWHיְהוָהthat I have come upעָלִיתִיagainstעַלthisהַזֹּאתlandהָאָרֶץto destroy it?לְהַשְׁחִיתָהּYHWHיְהוָהsaidאָמַרto me,אֵלַי“Go upעֲלֵהagainstאֶלthisהַזֹּאתlandהָאָרֶץand destroy it.”’”וְהַשְׁחִיתָהּ
Eliakim,אֶלְיָקִיםShebna,וְשֶׁבְנָאand Joahוְיוֹאָחsaidוַיֹּאמֶרto the Rabshakeh,אֶל רַב שָׁקֵה“Speak,דַּבֶּרplease,נָאto your servantsאֶל עֲבָדֶיךָin Aramaic,אֲרָמִיתforכִּיweאֲנָחְנוּunderstand it;שֹׁמְעִיםand do notוְאַלspeakתְּדַבֵּרto usאֵלֵינוּin the language of Judahיְהוּדִיתin the earsבְּאָזְנֵיof the peopleהָעָםwhoאֲשֶׁרare onעַלthe wall.”הַחוֹמָה
The Rabshakehרַב שָׁקֵהsaid,וַיֹּאמֶר“Is it to your masterהַאֶל אֲדֹנֶיךָand to youוְאֵלֶיךָthat my masterאֲדֹנִיhas sent meשְׁלָחַנִיto speakלְדַבֵּרtheseהָאֵלֶּהwords?אֶת הַדְּבָרִיםIs it notהֲלֹאto the menעַל הָאֲנָשִׁיםwho sitהַיֹּשְׁבִיםon the wall,עַל הַחוֹמָהdoomed to eatלֶאֱכֹלtheir excrementאֶת צוֹאָתָםand to drinkוְלִשְׁתּוֹתtheir urineאֶת מֵימֵי רַגְלֵיהֶםwith you?”עִמָּכֶם
The Rabshakehרַב שָׁקֵהstoodוַיַּעֲמֹדand cried outוַיִּקְרָאwith a loudגָּדוֹלvoiceבְקוֹלin the language of Judah,יְהוּדִיתand said,וַיֹּאמֶר“Hearשִׁמְעוּthe wordsאֶת דִּבְרֵיof the greatהַגָּדוֹלking,הַמֶּלֶךְthe kingמֶלֶךְof Assyria!אַשּׁוּר
Thusכֹּהsaysאָמַרthe king:הַמֶּלֶךְ‘Do notאַלlet Hezekiahחִזְקִיָּהוּdeceiveיַשִּׁאyou,לָכֶםforכִּיhe will notלֹאbe ableיוּכַלto deliverלְהַצִּילyou.אֶתְכֶם
And do notוְאַלlet Hezekiahחִזְקִיָּהוּmake you trustיַבְטַח אֶתְכֶםin YHWH,אֶל יְהוָהsaying,לֵאמֹר“YHWHיְהוָהwill surely deliver us;הַצֵּל יַצִּילֵנוּthisהַזֹּאתcityהָעִירwill notלֹאbe givenתִנָּתֵןinto the handבְּיַדof the kingמֶלֶךְof Assyria.”אַשּׁוּר
Do notאַלlistenתִּשְׁמְעוּto Hezekiah,אֶל חִזְקִיָּהוּforכִּיthusכֹהsaysאָמַרthe kingהַמֶּלֶךְof Assyria:אַשּׁוּר“Make peaceעֲשׂוּ בְרָכָהwith meאִתִּיand come outוּצְאוּto me,אֵלַיand eat,וְאִכְלוּeachאִישׁfrom his vineגַּפְנוֹand eachוְאִישׁfrom his fig tree,תְּאֵנָתוֹand drink,וּשְׁתוּeachאִישׁthe waterמֵיof his cistern,בוֹרוֹ
untilעַדI comeבֹּאִיand takeוְלָקַחְתִּיyouאֶתְכֶםto a landאֶל אֶרֶץlike your land,כְּאַרְצְכֶםa landאֶרֶץof grainדָּגָןand new wine,וְתִירוֹשׁa landאֶרֶץof breadלֶחֶםand vineyards.”וּכְרָמִים
Beware lestפֶּןHezekiahחִזְקִיָּהוּinciteיַסִּיתyou,אֶתְכֶםsaying,לֵאמֹר“YHWHיְהוָהwill deliver us.”יַצִּילֵנוּHaveהַthe godsאֱלֹהֵיof the nationsהַגּוֹיִםdelivered,הִצִּילוּeachאִישׁhis land,אֶת אַרְצוֹfrom the handמִיַּדof the kingמֶלֶךְof Assyria?אַשּׁוּר
Where areאַיֵּהthe godsאֱלֹהֵיof Hamathחֲמָתand Arpad?וְאַרְפָּדWhere areאַיֵּהthe godsאֱלֹהֵיof Sepharvaim?סְפַרְוָיִםAnd have they deliveredוְכִי הִצִּילוּSamariaאֶת שֹׁמְרוֹןfrom my hand?מִיָּדִי
Whoמִיamong allבְּכָלthe godsאֱלֹהֵיof theseהָאֵלֶּהlandsהָאֲרָצוֹתare those thatאֲשֶׁרhave deliveredהִצִּילוּtheir landאֶת אַרְצָםfrom my hand,מִיָּדִיthatכִּיYHWHיְהוָהshould deliverיַצִּילJerusalemאֶת יְרוּשָׁלִַםfrom my hand?’”מִיָּדִי
But they were silentוַיַּחֲרִישׁוּand did notוְלֹאanswerעָנוּhimאֹתוֹa word,דָּבָרforכִּיit wasהִיאthe commandmentמִצְוַתof the king,הַמֶּלֶךְsaying,לֵאמֹר“Do notלֹאanswer him.”תַעֲנֻהוּ
Eliakimאֶלְיָקִיםsonבֶּןof Hilkiah,חִלְקִיָּהוּwho wasאֲשֶׁרoverעַלthe house,הַבַּיִתand Shebnaוְשֶׁבְנָאthe scribe,הַסּוֹפֵרand Joahוְיוֹאָחsonבֶּןof Asaph,אָסָףthe recorder,הַמַּזְכִּירcameוַיָּבֹאto Hezekiahאֶל חִזְקִיָּהוּwith their clothes torn,קְרוּעֵי בְגָדִיםand they toldוַיַּגִּידוּhimלוֹthe wordsאֵת דִּבְרֵיof the Rabshakeh.רַב שָׁקֵה