1 anno tertio Osee filii Hela regis Israhel
regnavit Ezechias filius Ahaz regis Iuda
2 viginti quinque annorum erat cum regnare coepisset
et viginti et novem annis regnavit in Hierusalem
nomen matris eius Abi filia Zacchariae
3 fecitque quod erat bonum coram Domino
iuxta omnia quae fecerat David pater suus
4 ipse dissipavit excelsa et contrivit statuas et succidit lucos
confregitque serpentem aeneum quem fecerat Moses
siquidem usque ad illud tempus filii Israhel adolebant ei incensum
vocavitque eum Naasthan
5 in Domino Deo Israhel speravit
itaque post eum non fuit similis ei de cunctis regibus Iuda
sed neque in his qui ante eum fuerunt
6 et adhesit Domino et non recessit a vestigiis eius
fecitque mandata eius quae praeceperat Dominus Mosi
7 unde et erat Dominus cum eo
et in cunctis ad quae procedebat sapienter se agebat
rebellavit quoque contra regem Assyriorum et non servivit ei
8 ipse percussit Philistheos usque Gazam
et omnes terminos eorum
a turre custodum usque ad civitatem muratam
9 anno quarto regis Ezechiae
qui erat annus septimus Osee filii Hela regis Israhel
ascendit Salmanassar rex Assyriorum Samariam
et obpugnavit eam
10 et cepit
nam post annos tres anno sexto Ezechiae
id est nono anno Osee regis Israhel capta est Samaria
11 et transtulit rex Assyriorum Israhel in Assyrios
conlocavitque eos in Ala et in Habor fluviis Gozan
in civitatibus Medorum
12 quia non audierunt vocem Domini Dei sui
sed praetergressi sunt pactum eius
omnia quae praeceperat Moses servus Domini
non audierunt neque fecerunt
13 anno quartodecimo regis Ezechiae
ascendit Sennacherib rex Assyriorum ad universas civitates Iuda munitas
et cepit eas
14 tunc misit Ezechias rex Iuda nuntios
ad regem Assyriorum Lachis dicens
peccavi recede a me et omne quod inposueris mihi feram
indixit itaque rex Assyriorum Ezechiae regi Iudae
trecenta talenta argenti et triginta talenta auri
15 deditque Ezechias omne argentum
quod reppertum fuerat in domo Domini et in thesauris regis
16 in tempore illo confregit Ezechias valvas templi Domini
et lamminas auri quas ipse adfixerat
et dedit eas regi Assyriorum
17 misit autem rex Assyriorum Tharthan et Rabsaris et Rabsacen
de Lachis ad regem Ezechiam cum manu valida Hierusalem
qui cum ascendissent venerunt in Hierusalem
et steterunt iuxta aquaeductum piscinae superioris
quae est in via agri Fullonis
18 vocaveruntque regem
egressus est autem ad eos Eliachim filius Helciae praepositus domus
et Sobna scriba
et Ioahe filius Asaph a commentariis
19 dixitque ad eos Rabsaces loquimini Ezechiae
haec dicit rex magnus rex Assyriorum
quae est ista fiducia qua niteris
20 forsitan inisti consilium ut praepares te ad proelium
in quo confidis ut audeas rebellare
21 an speras in baculo harundineo atque confracto Aegypto
super quem si incubuerit homo
comminutus ingreditur manum eius et perforabit eam
sic est Pharao rex Aegypti omnibus qui confidunt in se
22 quod si dixeritis mihi in Domino Deo nostro habemus fiduciam
nonne iste est cuius abstulit Ezechias excelsa et altaria
et praecepit Iudae et Hierusalem
ante altare hoc adorabitis in Hierusalem
23 nunc igitur transite ad dominum meum regem Assyriorum
et dabo vobis duo milia equorum
et videte an habere valeatis ascensores eorum
24 et quomodo potestis resistere
ante unum satrapam de servis domini mei minimis
an fiduciam habes in Aegypto propter currus et equites
25 numquid sine Domini voluntate ascendi ad locum istum
ut demolirer eum
Dominus dixit mihi ascende ad terram hanc et demolire eam
26 dixerunt autem Eliachim filius Helciae et Sobna et Ioahe Rabsaci
precamur ut loquaris nobis servis tuis syriace
siquidem intellegimus hanc linguam
et non loquaris nobis iudaice
audiente populo qui est super murum
27 responditque eis Rabsaces
numquid ad dominum tuum et ad te misit me dominus meus
ut loquerer sermones hos
et non ad viros qui sedent super murum
ut comedant stercora sua et bibant urinam suam vobiscum
28 stetit itaque Rabsaces et clamavit voce magna iudaice
et ait audite verba regis magni regis Assyriorum
29 haec dicit rex non vos seducat Ezechias
non enim poterit eruere vos de manu mea
30 neque fiduciam vobis tribuat super Domino dicens
eruens liberabit nos Dominus
et non tradetur civitas haec in manu regis Assyriorum
31 nolite audire Ezechiam haec enim dicit rex Assyriorum
facite mecum quod vobis est utile et egredimini ad me
et comedet unusquisque de vinea sua et de ficu sua
et bibetis aquas de cisternis vestris
32 donec veniam et transferam vos in terram
quae similis terrae vestrae est
in terram fructiferam et fertilem vini
terram panis et vinearum terram olivarum et olei ac mellis
et vivetis et non moriemini
nolite audire Ezechiam qui vos decipit dicens
Dominus liberabit nos
33 numquid liberaverunt dii gentium terram suam
de manu regis Assyriorum
34 ubi est deus Emath et Arfad
ubi est deus Sepharvaim Ana et Ava
numquid liberaverunt Samariam de manu mea
35 quinam illi sunt in universis diis terrarum
qui eruerunt regionem suam de manu mea
ut possit eruere Dominus Hierusalem de manu mea
36 tacuit itaque populus et non respondit ei quicquam
siquidem praeceptum regis acceperant ut non responderent ei
37 venitque Eliachim filius Helciae praepositus domus
et Sobna scriba
et Ioahe filius Asaph a commentariis
ad Ezechiam scissis vestibus et nuntiaverunt ei verba Rabsacis
1 Now it came to pass in the third year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, that Hezekiah the son of Ahaz king of Judah began to reign. 2 Twenty and five years old was he when he began to reign; and he reigned twenty and nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name also was Abi, the daughter of Zachariah. 3 And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that David his father did.
4 ¶ He removed the high places, and brake the images, and cut down the groves, and brake in pieces the brasen serpent that Moses had made: for unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it: and he called it Nehushtan. 5 He trusted in the LORD God of Israel; so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor any that were before him. 6 For he clave to the LORD, and departed not from following him, but kept his commandments, which the LORD commanded Moses. 7 And the LORD was with him; and he prospered whithersoever he went forth: and he rebelled against the king of Assyria, and served him not. 8 He smote the Philistines, even unto Gaza, and the borders thereof, from the tower of the watchmen to the fenced city.
9 ¶ And it came to pass in the fourth year of king Hezekiah, which was the seventh year of Hoshea 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: even 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 did carry away Israel unto Assyria, and put them in Halah and in Habor by the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes: 12 Because they obeyed not the voice of the LORD their God, but transgressed his covenant, and all that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded, and would not hear them , nor do them .
13 ¶ Now in the fourteenth year of king Hezekiah did Sennacherib king of Assyria come up against all the fenced cities of Judah, and took them. 14 And Hezekiah king of Judah sent to the king of Assyria to Lachish, saying, I have offended; return from me: that which thou puttest on me will I bear. And the king of Assyria appointed unto Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold. 15 And Hezekiah gave him all the silver that was found in the house of the LORD, and in the treasures of the king’s house. 16 At that time did Hezekiah cut off the gold from the doors of the temple of the LORD, and from the pillars which Hezekiah king of Judah had overlaid, and gave it to the king of Assyria.
17 ¶ And the king of Assyria sent Tartan and Rabsaris and Rab-shakeh from Lachish to king Hezekiah with a great host against Jerusalem. And they went up and came to Jerusalem. And when they were come up, they came and stood by the conduit of the upper pool, which is in the highway of the fuller’s field. 18 And when they had called to the king, there came out to them Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, which was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph the recorder. 19 And Rab-shakeh said unto them, Speak ye now to Hezekiah, Thus saith the great king, the king of Assyria, What confidence is this wherein thou trustest? 20 Thou sayest, (but they are but vain words,) I have counsel and strength for the war. Now on whom dost thou trust, that thou rebellest against me? 21 Now, behold, thou trustest upon the staff of this bruised reed, even upon Egypt, on which if a man lean, it will go into his hand, and pierce it: so is Pharaoh king of Egypt unto all that trust on him. 22 But if ye say unto me, We trust in the LORD our God: is not that he, whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah hath taken away, and hath said to Judah and Jerusalem, Ye shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem? 23 Now therefore, I pray thee, give pledges to my lord the king of Assyria, and I will deliver thee two thousand horses, if thou be able on thy part to set riders upon them. 24 How then wilt thou turn away the face of one captain of the least of my master’s servants, and put thy trust on Egypt for chariots and for horsemen? 25 Am I now come up without the LORD against this place to destroy it? The LORD said to me, Go up against this land, and destroy it. 26 Then said Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, and Shebna, and Joah, unto Rab-shakeh, Speak, I pray thee, to thy servants in the Syrian language; for we understand it: and talk not with us in the Jews’ language in the ears of the people that are on the wall. 27 But Rab-shakeh said unto them, Hath my master sent me to thy master, and to thee, to speak these words? hath he not sent me to the men which sit on the wall, that they may eat their own dung, and drink their own piss with you? 28 Then Rab-shakeh stood and cried with a loud voice in the Jews’ language, and spake, saying, Hear the word of the great king, the king of Assyria: 29 Thus saith the king, Let not Hezekiah deceive you: for he shall not be able to deliver you out of his hand: 30 Neither let Hezekiah make you trust in the LORD, saying, The LORD will surely deliver us, and this city shall not be delivered into the hand of the king of Assyria. 31 Hearken not to Hezekiah: for thus saith the king of Assyria, Make an agreement with me by a present, and come out to me, and then eat ye every man of his own vine, and every one of his fig tree, and drink ye every one the waters of his 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 oil olive and of honey, that ye may live, and not die: and hearken not unto Hezekiah, when he persuadeth you, saying, The LORD will deliver us. 33 Hath 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 Ivah? have they delivered Samaria out of mine hand? 35 Who are they among all the gods of the countries, that have delivered their country out of mine hand, that the LORD should deliver Jerusalem out of mine hand? 36 But the people held their peace, and answered him not a word: for the king’s commandment was, saying, Answer him not. 37 Then came Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, which was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph the recorder, to Hezekiah with their clothes rent, and told him the words of Rab-shakeh.