Part 483 (2/2)
36:8. And now deliver thyself up to my lord the king of the a.s.syrians, and I will give thee two thousand horses, and thou wilt not be able on thy part to find riders for them.
36:9. And how wilt thou stand against the face of the judge of one place, of the least of my master's servants? But if thou trust in Egypt, in chariots and in hors.e.m.e.n:
36:10. And am I now come up without the Lord against this land to destroy it? The Lord said to me: Go up against this land, and destroy it.
36:11. And Eliacim, and Sobna, and Joahe said to Rabsaces: Speak to thy servants in the Syrian tongue: for we understand it: speak not to us in the Jews' language in the hearing of the people, that are upon the wall.
36:12. And Rabsaces said to them: Hath my master sent me to thy master and to thee, to speak all these words; and not rather to the men that sit on the wall; that they may eat their own dung, and drink their urine with you?
36:13. Then Rabsaces stood, and cried out with a loud voice in the Jews'
language, and said: Hear the words of the great king, the king of the a.s.syrians.
36:14. Thus saith the king: Let not Ezechias deceive you, for he shall not be able to deliver you.
36:15. And let not Ezechias make you trust in the Lord, saying: The Lord will surely deliver us, and this city shall not be given into the hands of the king of the a.s.syrians.
36:16. Do not hearken to Ezechias: for thus said the king of the a.s.syrians: Do with me that which is for your advantage, and come out to me, and eat ye every one of his vine, and every one of his fig tree, and drink ye every one the water of his cistern,
36:17. Till I come and take you away to a land, like to your own, a land of corn and of wine, a land of bread and vineyards.
36:18. Neither let Ezechias trouble you, saying: The Lord will deliver us. Have any of the G.o.ds of the nations delivered their land out of the hand of the king of the a.s.syrians?
36:19. Where is the G.o.d of Emath and of Arphad? where is the G.o.d of Sepharvaim? have they delivered Samaria out of my hand?
36:20. Who is there among all the G.o.ds of these lands, that hath delivered his country out of my hand, that the Lord may deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?
36:21. And they held their peace, and answered him not a word. For the king had commanded, saying: Answer him not.
36:22. And Eliacim the son of Helcias, that was over the house, and Sobna the scribe, and Joahe the son of Asaph the recorder, went in to Ezechias with their garments rent, and told him the words of Rabsaces.
Isaias Chapter 37
Ezechias, his mourning and prayer. G.o.d's promise of protection. The a.s.syrian army is destroyed. Sennacherib is slain.
37:1. And it came to pa.s.s, when king Ezechias had heard it, that he rent his garments and covered himself with sackcloth, and went into the house of the Lord.
37:2. And he sent Eliacim who was over the house, and Sobna the scribe, and the ancients of the priests covered with sackcloth, to Isaias the son of Amos the prophet.
37:3. And they said to him: Thus saith Ezechias: This day is a day of tribulation, and of rebuke, and of blasphemy: for the children are come to the birth, and there is not strength to bring forth.
37:4. It may be the Lord thy G.o.d will hear the words of Rabsaces, whom the king of the a.s.syrians his master hath sent to blaspheme the living G.o.d, and to reproach with words which the Lord thy G.o.d hath heard: wherefore lift up by prayer for the remnant that is left.
37:5. And the servants of Ezechias came to Isaias.
37:6. And Isaias said to them: Thus shall you say to your master: Thus saith the Lord: Be not afraid of the words that thou hast heard, with which the servants of the king of the a.s.syrians have blasphemed me.
37:7. Behold, I will send a spirit upon him, and he shall hear a message, and shall return to his own country, and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own country.
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