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

Anno tertio Osee filii Ela regis Israël, regnavit Ezechias filius Achaz regis Juda.

In the third year of Osee, son of Ela, king Achaz of Juda was succeeded by his son Ezechias.

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.

Viginti quinque annorum erat cum regnare cœpisset, et viginti novem annis regnavit in Jerusalem: nomen matris ejus Abi filia Zachariæ.

This king was twenty-five years old when he came to the throne, and his reign at Jerusalem lasted twenty-nine years.

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

Fecitque quod erat bonum coram Domino, juxta omnia quæ fecerat David pater ejus.

Here was one that obeyed the Lord’s will no less than his father David before him;

He destroyed the 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.

Ipse dissipavit excelsa, et contrivit statuas, et succidit lucos, confregitque serpentem æneum quem fecerat Moyses: siquidem usque ad illud tempus filii Israël adolebant ei incensum: vocavitque nomen ejus Nohestan.

scattered the hill-shrines, overthrew the images, cut down the sacred trees; broke in pieces, too, the brazen serpent Moses had made, because the Israelites, till his day, used to offer incense to it; the name given to it was Nohestan.

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:

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

In the Lord God of Israel he put all his trust; never was a king of Juda to rival him before or after;

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

et adhæsit Domino, et non recessit a vestigiis ejus, fecitque mandata ejus, quæ præceperat Dominus Moysi.

in the paths the Lord had traced he followed still, holding ever close to him, keeping ever the commands he had given through Moses.

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.

Unde et erat Dominus cum eo, et in cunctis ad quæ procedebat, sapienter se agebat. Rebellavit quoque contra regem Assyriorum, et non servivit ei.

What wonder if the Lord was with him, if he was well advised in all he did? Against the king of Assyria he rose in rebellion, and denied him tribute;

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

Ipse percussit Philisthæos usque ad Gazam, et omnes terminos eorum, a turre custodum usque ad civitatem munitam.

and harried the Philistine townships as far as Gaza, from lonely hamlet to walled city.

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,

Anno quarto regis Ezechiæ, qui erat annus septimus Osee filii Ela regis Israël, ascendit Salmanasar rex Assyriorum in Samariam, et oppugnavit eam,

It was in the fourth year of Ezechias, and the seventh year after Osee son of Ela came to the throne of Israel, that Salmanasar, king of Assyria, marched on Samaria and laid siege to it.

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:

et cepit. Nam post annos tres, anno sexto Ezechiæ, id est nono anno Osee regis Israël, capta est Samaria:

And at the end of three years he took it; it was in the sixth year of Ezechias and the ninth of Osee that Samaria was captured,

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

et transtulit rex Assyriorum Israël in Assyrios, collocavitque eos in Hala et in Habor fluviis Gozan in civitatibus Medorum:

and all the Israelites carried off to Assyria, where they were settled in Hala and Habor by the streams of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.

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.

quia non audierunt vocem Domini Dei sui, sed prætergressi sunt pactum ejus: omnia quæ præceperat Moyses servus Domini non audierunt, neque fecerunt.

And this, because they paid no heed to the Lord’s bidding; false to his covenant, they left the commands he had given through his servant Moses unheard and unheeded.

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

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

Then, in the fourteenth year of Ezechias, the Assyrian king Sennacherib marched on the fortified cities of Juda and took them;

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.

Tunc misit Ezechias rex Juda nuntios ad regem Assyriorum in Lachis, dicens: Peccavi: recede a me, et omne quod imposueris mihi, feram. Indixit itaque rex Assyriorum Ezechiæ regi Judæ trecenta talenta argenti, et triginta talenta auri.

whereupon king Ezechias sent word to the king of Assyria, then at Lachis: I have been to blame; withdraw thy troops, and I will pay whatever ransom thou dost demand. So the king of Assyria imposed on Ezechias king of Juda a tribute of three hundred talents of silver, and three hundred of gold.

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

Deditque Ezechias omne argentum quod repertum fuerat in domo Domini et in thesauris regis.

All the silver that was to be found in temple or treasury Ezechias gave him;

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.

In tempore illo confregit Ezechias valvas templi Domini, et laminas auri quas ipse affixerat, et dedit eas regi Assyriorum.

broke up, too, the temple doors, with the golden plates he himself had nailed to them, and gave these to the king of Assyria.

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.

Misit autem rex Assyriorum Tharthan, et Rabsaris, et Rabsacen de Lachis ad regem Ezechiam cum manu valida Jerusalem: qui cum ascendissent, venerunt Jerusalem, et steterunt juxta aquæductum piscinæ superioris, quæ est in via Agrifullonis.

After this the Assyrian king, who was still at Lachis, sent Tharthan, Rabsaris and Rabsaces at the head of a strong force to Jerusalem, where king Ezechias was. They marched up to the city, and halted by the aqueduct that fed the upper pool, on the way that brings you to the Fuller’s Field.

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.

Vocaveruntque regem: egressus est autem ad eos Eliacim filius Helciæ præpositus domus, et Sobna scriba, et Joahe filius Asaph a commentariis.

Their demand was to see the king, but they were met by Eliacim, son of Helcias, the controller of the royal household, and Sobna, the secretary, and Joahe, son of Asaph, the recorder.

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?

Dixitque ad eos Rabsaces: Loquimini Ezechiæ: Hæc dicit rex magnus, rex Assyriorum: Quæ est ista fiducia, qua niteris?

So Rabsaces bade them tell Ezechias, Here is a message to thee from the great king, the king of Assyria. What confidence is this that makes thee so bold?

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

forsitan inisti consilium, ut præpares te ad prælium. In quo confidis, ut audeas rebellare?

Doubtless thou hast some design, in so committing thyself to the fortune of war. On whose help dost thou rely, that thou wouldst throw off my allegiance?

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.

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

What, wilt thou rely on Egypt? That is to support thyself on a broken staff of cane, that will splinter and run into a man’s hand, if he presses on it, and pierce him through; such does Pharao, king of Egypt, prove himself to all those who rely on him.

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?

Quod si dixeritis mihi: In Domino Deo nostro habemus fiduciam: nonne iste est, cujus abstulit Ezechias excelsa et altaria, et præcepit Judæ et Jerusalem: Ante altare hoc adorabitis in Jerusalem?

Or wilt thou answer, We trust, I and my people, in the Lord our God? Tell me, who is he? Is he not the God whose hill-shrines and altars Ezechias has cleared away, bidding Juda and Jerusalem worship at one altar here?

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.

Nunc igitur transite ad dominum meum regem Assyriorum, et dabo vobis duo millia equorum, et videte an habere valeatis ascensores eorum.

Come now, if thou wert to make terms with my master, the king of Assyria, by which I must hand over to thee two thousand horses, wouldst thou be able to do thy part by putting riders on them?

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?

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

Why, thou art no match even for a city prefect, the least of my master’s servants. Trust, if thou wilt, in Egypt, its chariots and its horsemen;

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.

Numquid sine Domini voluntate ascendi ad locum istum, ut demolirer eum? Dominus dixit mihi: Ascende ad terram hanc, et demolire eam.

but dost thou doubt that I have the Lord’s warrant to subdue this land? It was the Lord himself who sent word to me, Make war on this land, and subdue it.

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.

Dixerunt autem Eliacim filius Helciæ, et Sobna, et Joahe Rabsaci: Precamur ut loquaris nobis servis tuis syriace: siquidem intelligimus hanc linguam: et non loquaris nobis judaice, audiente populo qui est super murum.

At this, Eliacim and Sobna and Joahe said to Rabsaces, My lord, pray talk to us in Syriac; we know it well. Do not talk to us in the Hebrew language, while all these folk are standing on the walls within hearing.

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?

Responditque eis Rabsaces, dicens: Numquid ad dominum tuum, et ad te misit me dominus meus, ut loquerer sermones hos, et non potius ad viros qui sedent super murum, ut comedant stercora sua, et bibant urinam suam vobiscum?

What, said Rabsaces, dost thou think my master hath sent me with this message for thee only, and for that master of thine? It is for the folk who man the walls, these companions of yours that have nothing left to eat or drink but the ventings of their own bodies.

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.

Stetit itaque Rabsaces, et exclamavit voce magna judaice, et ait: Audite verba regis magni, regis Assyriorum.

Then Rabsaces stood up and cried aloud, in Hebrew, Here is a message to you from the great king, the king of Assyria!

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

Hæc dicit rex: Non vos seducat Ezechias: non enim poterit eruere vos de manu mea:

This is the king’s warning, Do not be deluded by Ezechias, he is powerless to save you;

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.

neque fiduciam vobis tribuat super Dominum, dicens: Eruens liberabit nos Dominus, et non tradetur civitas hæc in manu regis Assyriorum.

do not let Ezechias put you off by telling you to trust in the Lord; that the Lord is certain to bring you aid, he cannot allow the king of Assyria to become master of your city.

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,

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,

No, do not listen to Ezechias; here are the terms the king of Assyria offers you. Earn my good will by surrendering to me, and you shall live unmolested, to each the fruit of his own vine and fig-tree, to each the water from his own cistern.

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.

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

Then, when I come back, I will transplant you into a land like your own, which will grudge you neither wheat nor wine, so rich is it in corn-fields and vineyards, neither olives, nor oil, nor honey, and you will be spared from the destruction that threatens you. No, do not listen to Ezechias when he tells you that the Lord will deliver you.

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

Numquid liberaverunt dii gentium terram suam de manu regis Assyriorum?

What of other nations? Were their countries delivered, by this god or that, when the king of Assyria threatened them?

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

ubi est deus Emath, et Arphad? ubi est deus Sepharvaim, Ana, et Ava? numquid liberaverunt Samariam de manu mea?

What gods had Emath and Arphad, what gods had Sepharvaim, Ana and Ava? Did any power rescue Samaria from my attack?

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?

Quinam illi sunt in universis diis terrarum, qui eruerunt regionem suam de manu mea, ut possit eruere Dominus Jerusalem de manu mea?

Which of all the gods in the world has delivered his country when I threatened it, that you should trust in the Lord’s deliverance, when I threaten Jerusalem?

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.

Tacuit itaque populus, et non respondit ei quidquam: siquidem præceptum regis acceperant ut non responderent ei.

But all kept silence, and gave him no word in answer; the king had given strict orders that they were not to answer him.

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.

Venitque Eliacim filius Helciæ, præpositus domus, et Sobna scriba, et Joahe filius Asaph a commentariis ad Ezechiam scissis vestibus, et nuntiaverunt ei verba Rabsacis.

So Eliacim, son of Helcias, the controller of the royal household, and Sobna, the secretary, and Joahe, son of Asaph, the recorder, went back to Ezechias, with their garments torn about them, to let him know what Rabsaces had said.