2 Kings 18

1 In the thridde yeer of Osee, sone of Hela, kyng of Israel, regnyde Ezechie, sone of Achaz, kyng of Juda.

Now in the third year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, Hezekiah the son of Ahaz king of Judah began to reign.

2 He was of fyue and twenti yeer, whanne he bigan to regne, and he regnyde in Jerusalem nyne and twenti yeer; the name of his modir was Abisa, douyter of Zacharie.

He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Abi the daughter of Zechariah.

3 And he dide that, that was good bifor the Lord, bi alle thingis, which Dauid, his fadir, hadde do.

He did that which was right in the LORD’s eyes, according to all that David his father had done.

4 And he distriede hiye places, and al to-brak ymagis, and kittide doun wodis, and he brak the brasun serpent, whom Moyses hadde maad; for `til to that tyme the sones of Israel brenten encense to it; and he clepide the name therof Noestam.

He removed the high places, broke the pillars, and cut down the Asherah. He also broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, because in those days the children of Israel burned incense to it; and he called it Nehushtan.

5 And he hopide in the Lord God of Israel; therfor aftir hym noon was lijk hym of alle the kyngis of Juda, but `and nether in tho kyngis that weren bifor hym.

He trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel, so that after him was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, nor among them that were before him.

6 And he cleuyde to the Lord, and yede not awei fro hise steppis, and he dide the comaundementis of the Lord, whiche the Lord comaundide to Moises;

For he joined with the LORD. He did not depart from following him, but kept his commandments, which the LORD commanded Moses.

7 wherfor and the Lord was with hym, and he gouernede wiseli hym silf in alle thingis, to whiche he yede forth. Also he rebellide ayens the kyng of Assiriens, and therfor he seruede not to `that kyng of Asseriens;

The LORD was with him. Wherever he went, he prospered. He rebelled against the king of Assyria, and did not serve him.

8 and he smoot Philisteis `til to Gazam, and alle the termes of hem, fro the tour of keperis `til to a citee maad strong.

He struck the Philistines to Gaza and its borders, from the tower of the watchmen to the fortified city.

9 In the fourthe yeer of kyng Ezechie, that was the seuenthe yeer of Osee, sone of Hela, kyng of Israel, Salmanazar, kyng of Assiriens, stiede to Samarie,

In the fourth year of King Hezekiah, which was the seventh year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up against Samaria and besieged it.

10 and fauyt ayens it, and took it. For after thre yeer, in the sixte yeer of Ezechie, that is, in the nynthe yeer of Osee, kyng of Israel, Samarie was takun;

At the end of three years they took it. In the sixth year of Hezekiah, which was the ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel, Samaria was taken.

11 and the kyng of Assiriens translatide Israel in to Assiriens, and settyde hem in Haila, and in Habor, ryueris of Gozam, in the citees of Medeis;

The king of Assyria carried Israel away to Assyria, and put them in Halah, and on the Habor, the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes,

12 for thei herden not the vois of her Lord God, but thei braken his couenaunt; thei herden not, nether diden alle thingis, whiche Moises, the seruaunt of the Lord, comaundide.

because they did not obey the LORD their God’s voice, but transgressed his covenant, even all that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded, and would not hear it or do it.

13 In the fourtenthe yeer of kyng Ezechie, Senacherub, kyng of Assiryens, stiede to alle the strengthide citees of Juda, and took tho.

Now in the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the fortified cities of Judah and took them.

14 Thanne Ezechie, kyng of Juda, sente messangeris to the kyng of Assiriens in to Lachis, and seide, Y haue synned; go awei fro me, and Y schal bere `al thing, which thou schalt putte to me. Therfor the kyng of Asseriens puttide on Ezechie, kyng of Juda, thre hundrid talentis of siluer, and thretti talentis of gold.

Hezekiah king of Judah sent to the king of Assyria at Lachish, saying, “I have offended you. Withdraw from me. That which you put on me, I will bear.” The king of Assyria appointed to Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold.

15 And Ezechie yaf al the siluer, that was foundun in the hows of the Lord, and in the kyngis tresories.

Hezekiah gave him all the silver that was found in the LORD’s house and in the treasures of the king’s house.

16 In that tyme Ezechie brak the yatis of the temple of the Lord, and the platis of gold, whiche he hadde fastned, and he yaf tho to the kyng of Assiriens.

At that time, Hezekiah cut off the gold from the doors of the LORD’s temple, and from the pillars which Hezekiah king of Judah had overlaid, and gave it to the king of Assyria.

17 Forsothe the kyng of Assiriens sente Thercha and Rabsaces fro Lachis to kyng Ezechie, with strong hond to Jerusalem; and whanne thei hadden stied, thei camen to Jerusalem, and stoden bisidis the water cundijt of the hiyere cisterne, which is in the weie of the fullere, `ethir toukere.

The king of Assyria sent Tartan, Rabsaris, and Rabshakeh from Lachish to King Hezekiah with a great army to Jerusalem. They went up and came to Jerusalem. When they had come up, they came and stood by the conduit of the upper pool, which is in the highway of the fuller’s field.

18 And thei clepiden the kyng; sotheli Eliachym, sone of Elchie, the souereyn of the hows, and Sobna, scryueyn, and Joahe, chaunseler, the sone of Asaph, yeden out to hem.

When they had called to the king, Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebnah the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph the recorder came out to them.

19 And Rabsaces seide to hem, Speke ye to Ezechie, The grete kyng, the kyng of Assiriens, seith these thingis, What is this trist, in which thou enforsist?

Rabshakeh said to them, “Say now to Hezekiah, ‘The great king, the king of Assyria, says, “What confidence is this in which you trust?

20 In hap thou hast take counsel, that thou woldist make thee redi to batel. In whom tristist thou, that thou be hardi to rebelle?

You say (but they are but vain words), ‘There is counsel and strength for war.’ Now on whom do you trust, that you have rebelled against me?

21 Whethir thou hopist in a `staf of rehed and brokun, Egipt, on which, if a man lenith, it schal be brokun, and schal entre in to hys hond, and schal peerse it? So is Farao, kyng of Egipt, to alle men that tristen on hym.

Now, behold, you trust in the staff of this bruised reed, even in Egypt. If a man leans on it, it will go into his hand and pierce it. So is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who trust on him.

22 That if thou seist to me, We han trist in `oure Lord God; whether this is not he, whos hiye thingis and auteris Ezechie took awei, and comaundide to Juda and to Jerusalem, Ye schulen worschipe bifor this auter in Jerusalem?

But if you tell me, ‘We trust in the LORD our God,’ is not that he whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah has taken away, and has said to Judah and to Jerusalem, ‘You shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem’?

23 Now therfor passe ye to my lord, the kyng of Assiriens, and Y schal yyue to you twei thousynde of horsis, and se ye, whether ye moun haue rideris of `tho horsis?

Now therefore, please give pledges to my master the king of Assyria, and I will give you two thousand horses if you are able on your part to set riders on them.

24 And hou moun ye withstonde bifor o prince of the leste seruauntis of my lord? Whether thou hast trist in Egipt, for charis and knyytis?

How then can you turn away the face of one captain of the least of my master’s servants, and put your trust on Egypt for chariots and for horsemen?

25 Whether Y stiede with outen `Goddis wille to this place, that Y schulde distrie it? `The Lord seide to me, `Stie thou to this lond, and distrie thou it.

Have I now 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 Forsothe Eliachym, sone of Elchie, and Sobna, and Joahe, seiden to Rabsaces, We preien, that thou speke bi the langage of Sirie to vs, thi seruauntis; for we vndirstondun this langage; and that thou speke not to vs bi the langage of Juwis, while the puple herith, which is on the wal.

Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, Shebnah, and Joah, said to Rabshakeh, “Please speak to your servants in the Syrian language, for we understand it. Do not speak with us in the Jews’ language, in the hearing of the people who are on the wall.”

27 And Rabsaces answeride, `and seide, Whethir my lord sente me to thi lord and to thee, that Y schulde speke these wordis, and not rather to the men `that sitten on the wal, that thei ete her toordis, and drynke her pisse with you?

But Rabshakeh said to them, “Has my master sent me to your master and to you, to speak these words? Has not he sent me to the men who sit on the wall, to eat their own dung, and to drink their own urine with you?”

28 Therfor Rabsaces stood, and criede with greet vois bi langage of Jewis, and seide, Here ye the wordis of the greet kyng, the kyng of Assiriens.

Then Rabshakeh stood and cried with a loud voice in the Jews’ language, and spoke, saying, “Hear the word of the great king, the king of Assyria.

29 The kyng seith these thingis, Ezechie disceyue not you, for he may not delyuere you fro myn hond;

The king says, ‘Do not let Hezekiah deceive you, for he will not be able to deliver you out of his hand.

30 nether yyue he trist to you on the Lord, and seie, The Lord delyuerynge schal delyuere vs, and this citee shal not be bitakun in the hond of the kyng of Assiriens;

Do not let Hezekiah 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 Assyria.”

31 nyle ye here Ezechie. For the kyng of Assiriens seith these thingis, Do ye with me that, that is profitable to you, and go ye out to me; and eche man schal ete of his vyner, and of his fige tree, and ye schulen drynke watris of youre cisternes,

Do not listen to Hezekiah.’ For the king of Assyria says, ‘Make your peace with me, and come out to me; and everyone of you eat from his own vine, and everyone from his own fig tree, and everyone drink water from his own cistern;

32 til Y come, and translate you in to a lond which is lijk youre lond, in to a fruytful lond, and plenteuouse of wyn, a lond of breed, and of vineris, a lond of olyue trees, and of oile, and of hony; and ye schulen lyue, and ye schulen not die. Nyle ye here Ezechie, that disseyueth you, and seith, The Lord schal delyuere yow.

until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of olive trees and of honey, that you may live and not die. Do not listen to Hezekiah when he persuades you, saying, “The LORD will deliver us.”

33 Whether the goddis of hethene men delyueriden her lond fro the hond of the kyng of Assiriens?

Has any of the gods of the nations ever delivered his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria?

34 Where is god of Emath, and of Arphat? Where is god of Sapharuaym, of Ana, and of Aua? Whether thei delyueriden Samarie fro myn hond?

Where are the gods of Hamath and of Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, of Hena, and Ivvah? Have they delivered Samaria out of my hand?

35 For who ben thei in alle goddis of londis, that delyueriden her cuntrey fro myn hond, that the Lord may delyuere Jerusalem fro myn hoond?

Who are they among all the gods of the countries, that have delivered their country out of my hand, that the LORD should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?’”

36 Therfor the puple was stille, and answeride not ony thing to hym; for thei hadden take comaundement of the kyng, that thei schulden not answere to hym.

But the people stayed quiet, and answered him not a word; for the king’s commandment was, “Do not answer him.”

37 And Eliachym, sone of Elchie, the souereyn of the hows, and Sobna, scryuen, and Joahe, chaunceler, the sone of Asaph, camen with to-rent clothis to Ezechie; and telden to hym the wordis of Rabsaces.

Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, came with Shebna the scribe and Joah the son of Asaph the recorder to Hezekiah with their clothes torn, and told him Rabshakeh’s words.