2 Kings 18

1 Καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν ἔτει τρίτῳ τῷ Ὠσηὲ υἱῷ Ἠλὰ βασιλεῖ Ἰσραὴλ ἐβασίλευσεν Ἐζεκίας υἱὸς Ἄχαζ βασιλέως Ἰούδα.

2 Υἱὸς εἴκοσι καὶ πέντε ἐτῶν ἐν τῷ βασιλεύειν αὐτὸν, καὶ εἴκοσι καὶ ἐννέα ἔτη ἐβασίλευσεν ἐν Ἱερουσαλὴμ, καὶ ὄνομα τῇ μητρὶ αὐτοῦ Ἄβού, θυγάτηρ Ζαχαρίου.

3 Καὶ ἐποίησε τὸ εὐθὲς ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς Κυρίου κατὰ πάντα ὅσα ἐποίησε Δαυὶδ ὁ πατὴρ αὐτοῦ.

4 Αὐτὸς ἐξῆρε τὰ ὑψηλὰ, καὶ συνέτριψε τὰς στήλας, καὶ ἐξωλέθρευσε τὰ ἄλση, καὶ τὸν ὄφιν τὸν χαλκοῦν ὃν ἐποίησε Μωυσῆς, ὅτι ἕως τῶν ἡμερῶν ἐκείνων ἦσαν οἱ υἱοὶ Ἰσραὴλ θυμιῶντες αὐτῷ· καὶ ἐκάλεσεν αὐτὸν Νεεσθάν.

5 Ἐν Κυρίῳ Θεῷ Ἰσραὴλ ἤλπισεν, καὶ μετʼ αὐτὸν οὐκ ἐγενήθη ὅμοιος αὐτῷ ἐν βασιλεῦσιν Ἰούδα, καὶ ἐν τοῖς γενομένοις ἔμπροσθεν αὐτοῦ.

6 Καὶ ἐκολλήθη τῷ Κυρίῳ, οὐκ ἀπέστη ὄπισθεν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐφύλαξε τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ ὅσας ἐνετείλατο Μωυσῇ.

7 Καὶ ἦν Κύριος μετʼ αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐν πᾶσιν οἷς ἐποίει, συνῆκε· καὶ ἠθέτησεν ἐν τῷ βασιλεῖ Ἀσσυρίων, καὶ οὐκ ἐδούλευσεν αὐτῷ.

8 Αὐτὸς ἐπάταξεν τοὺς ἀλλοφύλους ἕως Γάζης, καὶ ἕως ὁρίου αὐτῆς ἀπὸ πύργου φυλασσόντων καὶ ἕως πόλεως ὀχυρᾶς.

9 Καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν τῷ ἔτει τῷ τετάρτῳ βασιλεῖ Ἐζεκίᾳ, αὐτὸς ἐνιαυτὸς ὁ ἕβδομος τῷ Ὠσηὲ υἱῷ Ἠλὰ βασιλεῖ Ἰσραήλ, ἀνέβη Σαλαμανασσὰρ βασιλεὺς Ἀσσυρίων ἐπὶ Σαμάρειαν, καὶ ἐπολιόρκει ἐπʼ αὐτὴν,

10 καὶ κατελάβετο αὐτὴν ἀπὸ τέλους τριῶν ἐτῶν ἐν ἔτει ἕκτῳ τῷ Ἑζεκίᾳ, αὐτὸς ἐνιαυτὸς ἔννατος τῷ Ὠσηὲ βασιλεῖ Ἰσραὴλ, καὶ συνελήμφθη Σαμάρεια.

11 Καὶ ἀπῴκισε βασιλεὺς Ἀσσυρίων τὴν Σαμάρειαν εἰς Ἀσσυρίους, καὶ ἔθηκεν αὐτοὺς ἐν Ἁλαὲ καὶ ἐν Ἀβὼρ ποταμῷ Γωζὰν καὶ ὄρὴ Μήδων·

12 ἀνθʼ ὧν ὅτι οὐκ ἤκουσαν τῆς φωνῆς Κυρίου Θεοῦ αὐτῶν, καὶ παρέβησαν τὴν διαθήκην αὐτοῦ πάντα ὅσα ἐνετείλατο Μωυσῆς ὁ δοῦλος Κυρίου, καὶ οὐκ ἤκουσαν καὶ οὐκ ἐποίησαν.

13 Καὶ τῷ τεσσαρεσκαιδεκάτῳ ἔτει ἔτει τοῦ βασιλέως βασιλέως Ἑζεκίου ἀνέβη Σενναχηρὶμ βασιλεὺς Ἀσσυρίων ἐπὶ τὰς πόλεις Ἰούδα τὰς ὀχυρὰς, καὶ συνέλαβεν αὐτάς.

14 Καὶ ἀπέστειλεν Ἐζεκίας βασιλεὺς Ἰούδα ἀγγέλους πρὸς βασιλέα Ἀσσυρίων εἰς Λαχὶς, λέγων, ἡμάρτηκα, ἀποστράφηθι ἀπʼ ἐμοῦ· ὃ ἐὰν ἐπιθῇς ἐπʼ ἐμὲ, βαστάσω· καὶ ἐπέθηκεν ὁ βασιλεὺς Ἀσσυρίων ἐπὶ Ἑζεκίαν βασιλέα Ἰούδα τριακόσια τάλαντα ἀργυρίου, καὶ τριάκοντα τάλαντα χρυσίου.

15 Καὶ ἔδωκεν Ἑζεκίας πᾶν τὸ ἀργύριον τὸ εὑρεθὲν ἐν οἴκῳ Κυρίου, καὶ ἐν θησαυροῖς οἴκου τοῦ βασιλέως.

16 Ἐν τῷ καιρῷ ἐκείνῳ συνέκοψεν Ἑζεκίας τὰς θύρας ναοῦ, καὶ τὰ ἐστηριγμένα ἃ ἐχρύσωσεν Ἑζεκίας ὁ βασιλεὺς Ἰούδα, καὶ ἔδωκεν αὐτὰ βασιλεῖ Ἀσσυρίων.

17 Καὶ ἀπέστειλε βασιλεὺς Ἀσσυρίων τὸν Θανθὰν καὶ τὸν Ῥαφὶς καὶ τὸν Ῥαψάκην ἐκ Λαχὶς πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα Ἑζεκίαν ἐν δυνάμει βαρείᾳ ἐπὶ Ἱερουσαλήμ· καὶ ἀνέβησαν καὶ ἦλθον εἰς Ἱερουσαλὴμ, καὶ ἔστησαν ἐν τῷ ὑδραγωγῷ τῆς κολυμβήθρας τῆς ἄνω, ἥ ἐστιν ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ τοῦ ἀγροῦ τοῦ γναφέως.

18 Καὶ ἐβόησαν πρὸς Ἐζεκίαν· καὶ ἦλθον πρὸς αὐτὸν Ἑλιακὶμ υἱὸς Χελκίου ὁ οἰκονόμος, καὶ Σωμνὰς ὁ γραμματεὺς, καὶ Ἰωὰς ὁ νἱὸς Σαφὰτ ὁ ἀναμιμνήσκων.

19 Καὶ εἶπε πρὸς αὐτοὺς Ῥαψάκης, εἴπατε δὴ πρὸς Ἐζεκίαν, τάδε λέγει ὁ βασιλεὺς, ὁ μέγας βασιλεὺς Ἀσσυρίων, τί ἡ πεποίθησις αὕτη ἣν πέποιθας;

20 Εἶπας, πλὴν λόγοι χειλέων, Βουλὴ καὶ δύναμις εἰς πόλεμον· νῦν οὖν τίνι πεποιθὼς ἠθέτησας ἐν ἐμοί;

21 Νῦν ἰδοὺ πέποιθας σαυτῷ ἐπὶ τὴν ῥἁβδον τὴν καλαμίνην τὴς τεθλασμένην ταύτην, ἐπʼ Αἴγυπτον; ὃς ἂν στηριχθῇ ἀνὴρ ἐπʼ αὐτὴν, καὶ εἰσελεύσεται εἰς τὴν χεῖρα αὐτοῦ, καὶ τρήσει αὐτήν· οὕτως Φαραὼ βασιλεὺς Αἰγύπτου πᾶσι τοῖς πεποιθόσιν ἐπʼ αὐτόν.

22 Καὶ ὅτι εἶπας πρὸς μὲ, ἐπὶ Κύριον Θεὸν πεποίθαμεν· οὐχὶ αὐτὸς οὗτος ἀπέστησεν Ἐζεκίας τὰ ὑψηλὰ αὐτοῦ καὶ τὰ θυσιαστήρια αὐτοῦ, καὶ εἶπε τῷ Ἰούδᾳ καὶ τῇ Ἱερουσαλὴμ, ἐνώπιον τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου τούτου προσκυνήσετε ἐν Ἰερουσαλήμ;

23 Καὶ νῦν μίχθητε δὴ τῷ κυρίῳ μου βασιλεῖ Ἀσσυρίων, καὶ δώσω σοι δισχιλίους ἵππους, εἰ δυνήσῃ δοῦναι σεαυτῷ ἐπιβάτας ἐπʼ αὐτούς.

24 Καὶ πῶς ἀποστρέψεις τὸ πρόσωπον τοπάρχου ἑνὸς τῶν δούλων τοῦ κυρίου μου τῶν ἐλαχίστων; καὶ ἤλπισας σαυτῷ ἐπʼ Αἴγυπτον εἰς ἅρματα καὶ ἱππεῖς.

25 Καὶ νῦν μὴ ἄνευ Κυρίου ἀνέβημεν ἐπὶ τὸν τόπον τοῦτον τοῦ διαφθεῖραι αὐτόν; Κύριος εἶπε πρὸς μὲ, ἀνάβηθι ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν ταύτην καὶ διάφθειρον αὐτήν.

26 Καὶ εἶπεν Ἑλιακὶμ υἱὸς Χελκίου καὶ Σωμνὰς καὶ Ἰωὰς πρὸς Ῥαψάκην, λάλησον δὴ πρὸς τοὺς παῖδάς σου Συριστὶ, ὅτι ἀκούομεν ἡμεῖς· καὶ οὐ λαλήσεις μεθʼ ἡμῶν Ἰουδαϊστὶ· καὶ ἱνατί λαλεῖς ἐν τοῖς ὠσὶ τοῦ λαοῦ τοῦ ἐπὶ τοῦ τείχους;

27 Καὶ εἶπε πρὸς αὐτοὺς Ῥαψάκης, μὴ ἐπὶ τὸν κύριόν σου καὶ πρὸς σὲ ἀπέστειλέ με ὁ κύριός μου λαλῆσαι τοὺς λόγους τούτους; οὐχὶ ἐπὶ τοὺς ἄνδρας τοὺς καθημένους ἐπὶ τοῦ τείχους, τοῦ φαγεῖν τὴν κόπρον αὐτῶν, καὶ πιεῖν τὸ οὖρον αὐτῶν μεθʼ ὑμῶν ἅμα;

28 Καὶ ἔστη Ῥαψάκης καὶ ἐβόησε φωνῇ μεγάλῃ Ἰουδαϊστὶ, καὶ ἐλάλησε καὶ εἶπεν, ἀκούσατε τοὺς λόγους τοῦ μεγάλου βασιλέως Ἀσσυρίων.

29 Τάδε λέγει ὁ βασιλεὺς, μὴ ἐπαιρέτω ὑμᾶς Ἐζεκίας λόγοις, ὅτι οὐ μὴ δύνηται ὑμᾶς ἐξελέσθαι ἐκ χειρὸς αὐτοῦ.

30 Καὶ μὴ ἐπελπιζέτω ὑμᾶς Ἐζεκίας πρὸς Κὺριον, λέγων, ἐξαιρούμενος ἐξελεῖται Κύριος, οὐ μὴ παραδοθῇ ἡ πόλις αὕτη ἐν χειρὶ βασιλέως Ἀσσυρίων.

31 Μὴ ἀκούετε Ἐζεκίου· ὅτι τάδε λέγει ὁ βασιλεὺς Ἀσσυρίων, ποιήσατε μετʼ ἐμοῦ εὐλογίαν, καὶ ἐξέλθατε πρὸς μὲ, καὶ πίεται ἀνὴρ τὴν ἄμπελον αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἀνὴρ τὴν συκῆν αὐτοῦ φάγεται, καὶ πίεται ὕδωρ τοῦ λάκκου αὐτοῦ,

32 ἕως ἔλθω καὶ λάβω ὑμᾶς εἰς γῆν ὡς γῆ ὑμῶν, γῆ σίτου καὶ οἴνου καὶ ἄρτου καὶ ἀμπελώνων, γῆ ἐλαίας ἐλαίου καὶ μέλιτος, καὶ ζήσετε καὶ οὐ μὴ ἀποθάνητε· καὶ μὴ ἀκούετε Ἐζεκίου, ὅτι ἀπατᾷ ὑμᾶς, λέγων, Κύριος ῥύσεται ὑμᾶς.

33 Μὴ ῥυόμενοι ἐῤῥύσαντο οἱ θεοὶ τῶν ἐθνῶν ἕκαστος τὴν ἑαυτοῦ χώραν ἐκ χειρὸς βασιλέως Ἀσσυρίων;

34 Ποῦ ἐστιν ὁ θεὸς Αἱμὰθ, καὶ Ἀρφάδ; ποῦ ἐστιν ὁ θεὸς Σεπφαρουαῒμ, Ἀνὰ, καὶ Ἀβὰ, ὅτι ἐξείλαντο Σαμάρειαν ἐκ χειρός μου;

35 Τίς ἐν πᾶσι τοῖς θεοῖς τῶν γαιῶν, οἳ ἐξείλαντο τὰς γᾶς αὐτῶν ἐκ χειρός μου, ὅτι ἐξελεῖται Κύριος τὴν Ἱερουσαλὴμ ἐκ χειρός μου;

36 Καὶ ἐκώφευσαν καὶ οὐκ ἀπεκρίθησαν αὐτῷ λόγον, ὅτι ἐντολὴ τοῦ βασιλέως, λέγων, οὐκ ἀποκριθήσεσθε αὐτῷ.

37 Καὶ εἰσῆλθεν Ἐλιακὶμ υἱὸς Χελκίου ὁ οἰκονόμος, καὶ Σωμνὰς ὁ γραμματεὺς, καὶ Ἰωὰς υἱὸς Σαφὰτ ὁ ἀναμιμνήσκων πρὸς Ἐζεκίαν, διεῤῥηχότες τὰ ἱμάτια, καὶ ἀνήγγειλαν αὐτῷ τοὺς λόγους Ῥαψάκου.

1 And it came to pass in the third year of Osee son of Ela king of Israel that Ezekias son of Achaz king of Juda began to reign.

reigned.

2 Five and twenty years old was he when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty and nine years in Jerusalem: and his mother's name was Abu, daughter of Zacharias.

a son of 25 years in his reigning.

3 And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his father David did.

4 He removed the high places, and broke in pieces the pillars, and utterly destroyed the groves, and the brazen serpent which Moses made: because until those days the children of Israel burnt incense to it: and he called it Neesthan.

destroyed.

5 He trusted in the Lord God of Israel; and after him there was not any like him among the kings of Juda, nor among those that were before him.

hoped.

and.

6 And he clave to the Lord, he departed not from following him; and he kept his commandments, as many as he commanded Moses.

from behind him.

7 And the Lord was with him; and he was wise in all that he undertook: and he revolted from the king of the Assyrians, and served him not.

8 He smote the Philistines even to Gaza, and to the border of it, from the tower of the watchmen even to the strong city.

9 And it came to pass in the fourth year of king Ezekias (this is the seventh year of Osee son of Ela king of Israel,) that Salamanassar king of the Assyrians came up against Samaria, and besieged it.

10 And he took it at the end of three years, in the sixth year of Ezekias, (this is the ninth year of Osee king of Israel, when Samaria was taken.)

from.

11 And the king of the Assyrians carried away the Samaritans to Assyria, and put them in Alaë and in Abor, by the river Gozan, and in the mountains of the Medes;

Samaria to the Assyrians.

12 because they hearkened not to the voice of the Lord their God, and transgressed his covenant, even in all things that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded, and hearkened not to them , nor did them .

13 And in the fourteenth year of king Ezekias came up Sennacherim king of the Assyrians against the strong cities of Juda, and took them.

14 And Ezekias king of Juda sent messengers to the king of the Assyrians to Lachis, saying, I have offended; depart from me: whatsoever thou shalt lay upon me, I will bear. And the king of Assyria laid upon Ezekias king of Juda a tribute of three hundred talents of silver, and thirty talents of gold.

15 And Ezekias gave 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 Ezekias cut off the gold from the doors of the temple, and from the pillars which Ezekias king of Juda had overlaid with gold, and gave it to the king of the Assyrians.

them.

17 And the king of the Assyrians sent Tharthan and Raphis and Rapsakes from Lachis to king Ezekias with a strong force against Jerusalem. And they went up and came to Jerusalem, and stood by the aqueduct of the upper pool, which is by the way of the fuller's field.

heavy.

18 And they cried to Ezekias: and there came to him Heliakim the son of Chelcias the steward, and Somnas the scribe, and Joas the son of Saphat the recorder.

19 And Rapsakes said to them, Say now to Ezekias, Thus says the king, the great king of the Assyrians, What is this confidence wherein thou trustest?

20 Thou hast said, (but they are mere words,) I have counsel and strength for war. Now then in whom dost thou trust, that thou hast revolted from me?

words of lips.

in whom trusting, etc.

21 See now, art thou trusting for thyself on this broken staff of reed, even upon Egypt? whosoever shall stay himself upon it, it shall even go into his hand, and pierce it: so is Pharao king of Egypt to all that trust on him.

22 And whereas thou hast said to me, We trust on the Lord God: is not this he, whose high places and altars Ezekias has removed, and has said to Juda and Jerusalem, Ye shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem?

his.

23 And now, I pray you, make an agreement with my lord the king of the Assyrians, and I will give thee two thousand horses, if thou shalt be able on thy part to set riders upon them.

give.

24 How then wilt thou turn away the face of one petty governor from among the least of my lord's servants? whereas thou trustest for thyself on Egypt for chariots and horsemen.

local ruler.

25 And now have we 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 And Heliakim the son of Chelkias, and Somnas, and Joas, said to Rapsakes, Speak now to thy servants in the Syrian language, for we understand it; and speak not with us in the Jewish language: and why dost thou speak in the ears of the people that are on the wall?

27 And Rapsakes said to them, Has my master sent me to thy master, and to thee, to speak these words? has he not sent me to the men who sit on the wall, that they may eat their own dung, and drink their own water together with you?

28 And Rapsakes stood, and cried with a loud voice in the Jewish language, and spoke, and said, Hear the words of the great king of the Assyrians:

29 thus says the king, Let not Ezekias encourage you with words: for he shall not be able to deliver you out of his hand.

30 And let not Ezekias cause you to trust on the Lord, saying, The Lord will certainly deliver us; this city shall not be delivered into the hand of the king of the Assyrians: hearken not to Ezekias:

in.

31 for thus says the king of the Assyrians, Gain my favour, and come forth to me, and every man shall drink of the wine of his own vine, and every man shall eat of his own fig-tree, and shall drink water out of his own cistern;

make a blessing with me.

32 until I come and remove you to a land like your own land, a land of corn and wine, and bread and vineyards, a land of olive oil, and honey, and ye shall live and not die: and do not ye hearken to Ezekias, for he deceives you, saying, The Lord shall deliver you.

33 Have the gods of the nations at all delivered each their own land out of the hand of the king of the Assyrians?

34 Where is the god of Hæmath, and of Arphad? where is the god of Seppharvaim, Ana, and Aba? for have they delivered Samaria out of my hand?

35 Who is there among all the gods of the countries, who have delivered their countries out of my hand, that the Lord should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?

shall deliver.

36 But the men were silent, and answered him not a word: for there was a commandment of the king, saying, Ye shall not answer him.

37 And Heliakim the son of Chelcias, the steward, and Somnas the scribe, and Joas the son of Saphat the recorder came in to Ezekias, having rent their garments; and they reported to him the words of Rapsakes.