Liber Isaiae, 36

1. et factum est in quartodecimo anno regis Ezechiæ ascendit Sennacherib rex Assyriorum super omnes civitates Juda munitas et cepit eas

1. And it came to pass in the fourteenth year of king Ezechias, that Sennacherib king of the Assyrians came up against all the fenced cities of Juda, and took them.

2. et misit rex Assyriorum Rabsacen de Lachis in Hierusalem ad regem Ezechiam in manu gravi et stetit in aquæductu piscinæ superioris in via agri Fullonis

2. And the king of the Assyrians sent Rabsaces from Lachis to Jerusalem, to king Ezechias with a great army, and he stood by the conduit of the upper pool in the way of the fuller's held.

3. et egressus est ad eum Eliachim filius Helciæ qui erat super domum et Sobna scriba et Joæ filius Asaph a commentariis

3. And there went out to him Eliacim the son of Helcias, who was over the house, and Sobna the scribe, and Joahe the son of Asaph the recorder.

4. et dixit ad eos Rabsaces dicite Ezechiæ hæc dicit rex magnus rex Assyriorum quæ est ista fiducia qua confidis

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

5. aut quo consilio vel fortitudine rebellare disponis super quem habes fiduciam quia recessisti a me

5. Or with what counsel or strength dost thou prepare for war? on whom dost thou trust, that thou art revolted from me?

6. ecce confidis super baculum harundineum confractum istum super Ægyptum cui si innisus fuerit homo intrabit in manu ejus et perforabit eam sic Pharao rex Ægypti omnibus qui confidunt in eo

6. Lo thou trustest upon this broken staff of a reed, upon Egypt: upon which if a man lean, it will go into his hand, and pierce it: so is Pharao king or Egypt to all that trust in him.

7. quod si responderis mihi in Domino Deo nostro confidimus nonne ipse est cujus abstulit Ezechias excelsa et altaria et dixit Judæ et Hierusalem coram altari isto adorabitis

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

8. et nunc trade te domino meo regi Assyriorum et dabo tibi duo milia equorum nec poteris ex te præbere ascensores eorum

8. And now deliver thyself up to my lord the king of the Assyrians, and I will give thee two thousand horses, and thou wilt not be able on thy part to find riders for them.

9. et quomodo sustinebis faciem judicis unius loci ex servis domini mei minoribus quod si confidis in Ægypto in quadriga et in equitibus

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 horsemen:

10. et nunc numquid sine Domino ascendi ad terram istam ut disperderem eam Dominus dixit ad me ascende super terram istam et disperde eam

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.

11. et dixit Eliachim et Sobna et Joæ ad Rabsacen loquere ad servos tuos syra lingua intellegimus enim ne loquaris ad nos judaice in auribus populi qui est super murum

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.

12. et dixit ad eos Rabsaces numquid ad dominum tuum et ad te misit me dominus meus ut loquerer omnia verba ista et non potius ad viros qui sedent in muro ut comedant stercora sua et bibant urinam pedum suorum vobiscum

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?

13. et stetit Rabsaces et clamavit voce magna judaice et dixit audite verba regis magni regis Assyriorum

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 Assyrians.

14. hæc dicit rex non seducat vos Ezechias quia non poterit eruere vos

14. Thus saith the king: Let not Ezechias deceive you, for he shall not be able to deliver you.

15. et non vobis tribuat fiduciam Ezechias super Domino dicens eruens liberabit nos Dominus non dabitur civitas ista in manu regis Assyriorum

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 Assyrians.

16. nolite audire Ezechiam hæc enim dicit rex Assyriorum facite mecum benedictionem et egredimini ad me et comedite unusquisque vineam suam et unusquisque ficum suam et bibite unusquisque aquam cisternæ suæ

16. Do not hearken to Ezechias: for thus said the king of the Assyrians: 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 dg tree, and drink ye every one the water of his cistern,

17. donec veniam et tollam vos ad terram quæ est ut terra vestra terram frumenti et vini terram panum et vinearum

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.

18. ne conturbet vos Ezechias dicens Dominus liberabit nos numquid liberaverunt dii gentium unusquisque terram suam de manu regis Assyriorum

18. Neither let Ezechias trouble you, saying: The Lord will deliver us. Have any of the gods of the nations delivered their land out of the hand of the king of the Assyrians?

19. ubi est deus Emath et Arfad ubi est deus Seffarvaim numquid liberaverunt Samariam de manu mea

19. Where is the god of Emath and of Arphad? where is the god of Sepharvaim? have they delivered Samaria out of my hand?

20. quis est ex omnibus diis terrarum istarum qui eruerit terram suam de manu mea ut eruat Dominus Hierusalem de manu mea

20. Who is there among all the gods of these lands, that hath delivered his country out of my hand, that the Lord may deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?

21. et siluerunt et non responderunt ei verbum mandaverat enim rex dicens ne respondeatis ei

21. And they held their peace, and answered him not a word. For the king had commanded, saying: answer him not.

22. et ingressus est Eliachim filius Helciæ qui erat super domum et Sobna scriba et Joæ filius Asaph a commentariis ad Ezechiam scissis vestibus et nuntiaverunt ei verba Rabsacis

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.