Liber II Regum, 18

1. anno tertio Osee filii Hela regis Israël regnavit Ezechias filius Ahaz regis Juda

1. In the third year of Osee the son of Ela king of Israel, reigned m Ezechias the son of Achaz king of Juda.

2. viginti quinque annorum erat cum regnare cœpisset et viginti et novem annis regnavit in Hierusalem nomen matris ejus Abi filia Zacchariæ

2. He was five and twenty years old when he began to reign: and he reigned nine and twenty years in Jerusalem: the name of his mother was Abi the daughter of Zacharias.

3. fecitque quod erat bonum coram Domino juxta omnia quæ fecerat David pater suus

3. And he did that which was good before the Lord, according to all that David his father had done.

4. ipse dissipavit excelsa et contrivit statuas et succidit lucos confregitque serpentem æneum quem fecerat Moses siquidem usque ad illud tempus filii Israël adolebant ei incensum vocavitque eum Naasthan

4. He destroyed the n high places, and broke the statues in pieces, and cut down the groves, and broke the brazen serpent, which Moses had made: for till that time the children of Israel burnt incense to it: and he called its name Nohestan.

5. in Domino Deo Israël speravit itaque post eum non fuit similis ei de cunctis regibus Juda sed neque in his qui ante eum fuerunt

5. He trusted in the Lord the God of Israel: so that after him there was none like him among all the kings of Juda, nor any of them that were before him:

6. et adhesit Domino et non recessit a vestigiis ejus fecitque mandata ejus quæ præceperat Dominus Mosi

6. And he stuck to the Lord, and departed not from his steps, but kept his commandments, which the Lord commanded Moses.

7. unde et erat Dominus cum eo et in cunctis ad quæ procedebat sapienter se agebat rebellavit quoque contra regem Assyriorum et non servivit ei

7. Wherefore the Lord also was with him, and in all things, to which he went forth, he behaved himself wisely. And he rebelled against the king of the Assyrians, and served him not.

8. ipse percussit Philistheos usque Gazam et omnes terminos eorum a turre custodum usque ad civitatem muratam

8. He smote the Philistines as far as Gaza, and all their borders, from the tower of the watchmen to the fenced city.

9. anno quarto regis Ezechiæ qui erat annus septimus Osee filii Hela regis Israël ascendit Salmanassar rex Assyriorum Samariam et obpugnavit eam

9. In the fourth year of king Ezechias, which was the seventh year of Osee the son of Ela king of Israel, Salmanasar king of the Assyrians came up to Samaria, and besieged it,

10. et cepit nam post annos tres anno sexto Ezechiæ id est nono anno Osee regis Israël capta est Samaria

10. And took it. For after three years, in the sixth year of Ezechias, that is, in the ninth year of Osee king of Israel, Samaria was taken:

11. et transtulit rex Assyriorum Israël in Assyrios conlocavitque eos in Ala et in Habor fluviis Gozan in civitatibus Medorum

11. And the king of the Assyrians carried away Israel into Assyria, and placed them in Hale, and in Habor by the rivers of Gozan in the cities of the Medes:

12. quia non audierunt vocem Domini Dei sui sed prætergressi sunt pactum ejus omnia quæ præceperat Moses servus Domini non audierunt neque fecerunt

12. Because they hearkened not to the voice of the Lord their God, but transgressed his covenant: all that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded, they would not hear nor do.

13. anno quartodecimo regis Ezechiæ ascendit Sennacherib rex Assyriorum ad universas civitates Juda munitas et cepit eas

13. In the fourteenth year of king Ezechias, Sennacherib king of the Assyrians came up against the fenced cities of Juda: and took them.

14. tunc misit Ezechias rex Juda nuntios ad regem Assyriorum Lachis dicens peccavi recede a me et omne quod inposueris mihi feram indixit itaque rex Assyriorum Ezechiæ regi Judæ trecenta talenta argenti et triginta talenta auri

14. Then Ezechias king of Juda sent messengers to the king of the Assyrians to Lachis, saying: I have offended, depart from me: and all that thou shalt put upon me, I will bear. And the king of the Assyrians put a tax upon Ezechias king of Juda, of three hundred talents of silver, and thirty talents of gold.

15. deditque Ezechias omne argentum quod reppertum fuerat in domo Domini et in thesauris regis

15. And Ezechias gave all the silver that was found in the house of the Lord, and in the king's treasures.

16. in tempore illo confregit Ezechias valvas templi Domini et lamminas auri quas ipse adfixerat et dedit eas regi Assyriorum

16. At that time Ezechias broke the doors of the temple of the Lord, and the plates of gold which he had fastened on them, and gave them to the king of the Assyrians.

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 juxta aquæductum piscinæ superioris quæ est in via agri Fullonis

17. And the king of the Assyrians sent Tharthan and Rabsaris, and Rabsaces from Lachis to king Ezechias with a strong army to Jerusalem: and they went up and came to Jerusalem, and they stood by the conduit of the upper pool, which is in the way of the fuller's field.

18. vocaveruntque regem egressus est autem ad eos Eliachim filius Helciæ præpositus domus et Sobna scriba et Joahe filius Asaph a commentariis

18. And they called for the king: and there went out to them Eliacim the son of Helcias who was over the house, and Sobna the scribe, and Joahe the son of Asaph the recorder.

19. dixitque ad eos Rabsaces loquimini Ezechiæ hæc dicit rex magnus rex Assyriorum quæ est ista fiducia qua niteris

19. And Rabsaces said to them: Speak to Ezechias: Thus saith the great king, the king of the Assyrians: What is this confidence, wherein thou trustest?

20. forsitan inisti consilium ut præpares te ad prœlium in quo confidis ut audeas rebellare

20. Perhaps thou hast taken counsel, to prepare thyself for battle. On whom dost thou trust, that thou darest to rebel?

21. an speras in baculo harundineo atque confracto Ægypto super quem si incubuerit homo comminutus ingreditur manum ejus et perforabit eam sic est Pharao rex Ægypti omnibus qui confidunt in se

21. Dost thou trust in Egypt a staff of a broken reed, upon which if a man lean, it will break and go into his hand, and pierce it? so is Pharao king of Egypt, to all that trust in him.

22. quod si dixeritis mihi in Domino Deo nostro habemus fiduciam nonne iste est cujus abstulit Ezechias excelsa et altaria et præcepit Judæ et Hierusalem ante altare hoc adorabitis in Hierusalem

22. But if you say to me: We trust in the Lord our God: is it not he, whose high places and altars Ezechias hath taken away: and hath commanded Juda and Jerusalem: You shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem?

23. nunc igitur transite ad dominum meum regem Assyriorum et dabo vobis duo milia equorum et videte an habere valeatis ascensores eorum

23. Now therefore come over to my master the king of the Assyrians, and I will give you two thousand horses, and see whether you be able to have riders for them.

24. et quomodo potestis resistere ante unum satrapam de servis domini mei minimis an fiduciam habes in Ægypto propter currus et equites

24. And how can you stand against one lord of the least of my master's servants? Dost thou trust in Egypt for chariots and for horsemen?

25. numquid sine Domini voluntate ascendi ad locum istum ut demolirer eum Dominus dixit mihi ascende ad terram hanc et demolire eam

25. Is it without the will of the Lord that I am come up to this place to destroy it? The Lord said to me: Go up to this land and destroy it.

26. dixerunt autem Eliachim filius Helciæ et Sobna et Joahe Rabsaci precamur ut loquaris nobis servis tuis syriace siquidem intellegimus hanc linguam et non loquaris nobis judaice audiente populo qui est super murum

26. Then Eliacim the son of Helcias, and Sobna, and Joahe said to Rabsaces: We pray thee speak to us thy servants in Syriac: for we understand that tongue: and speak not to us in the Jews' language, in the hearing of the people that are upon the wall.

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

27. And Rabsaces answered them, saying: Hath my master sent me to thy master and to thee, to speak these words, and not rather to the men that sit upon the wall, that they may eat their own dung, and drink their urine with you?

28. stetit itaque Rabsaces et clamavit voce magna judaice et ait audite verba regis magni regis Assyriorum

28. 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 Assyrians.

29. hæc dicit rex non vos seducat Ezechias non enim poterit eruere vos de manu mea

29. Thus saith the king: Let not Ezechias deceive you: for he shall not be able to deliver you out of my hand.

30. neque fiduciam vobis tribuat super Domino dicens eruens liberabit nos Dominus et non tradetur civitas hæc in manu regis Assyriorum

30. Neither let him make you trust in the Lord, saying: The Lord will surely deliver us, and this city shall not be given into the hand of the king of the Assyrians.

31. nolite audire Ezechiam hæc 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

31. Do not hearken to Ezechias. For thus saith the king of the Assyrians: Do with me that which is for your advantage, and come out to me: and every man of you shall eat of his own vineyard, and of his own fig tree: and you shall drink water of your own cisterns,

32. donec veniam et transferam vos in terram quæ similis terræ vestræ 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

32. Till I come, and take you away to a land, like to your own land, a fruitful land, and plentiful in wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of olives, and oil and honey, and you shall live, and not die. Hearken not to Ezechias, who deceiveth you, saying: The Lord will deliver us.

33. numquid liberaverunt dii gentium terram suam de manu regis Assyriorum

33. Have any of the gods of the nations delivered their land from the hand of the king of Assyria?

34. ubi est deus Emath et Arfad ubi est deus Sepharvaim Ana et Ava numquid liberaverunt Samariam de manu mea

34. Where is the god of Emath, end of Arphad? where is the god of Sepharvaim, of Ana, and of Ava? have they delivered Samaria out of my hand?

35. quinam illi sunt in universis diis terrarum qui eruerunt regionem suam de manu mea ut possit eruere Dominus Hierusalem de manu mea

35. Who are they among all the gods of the nations, that have delivered their country out of my hand, that the Lord may deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?

36. tacuit itaque populus et non respondit ei quicquam siquidem præceptum regis acceperant ut non responderent ei

36. But the people held their peace, and answered him not a word: for they had received commandment from the king that they should not answer him.

37. venitque Eliachim filius Helciæ præpositus domus et Sobna scriba et Joahe filius Asaph a commentariis ad Ezechiam scissis vestibus et nuntiaverunt ei verba Rabsacis

37. And Eliacim the son of Helcias, who was over the house, and Sobna the scribe, and Joahe the son of Asaph the recorder, came to Ezechias, with their garments rent, and told him the words of Rabsaces.