亚述人威胁耶路撒冷
（王下18．13－37；代下32．1－19）
希西家王十四年，亚述王西拿基立上来攻击犹大的一切坚固的城，将城攻取。
Now it came to pass in the fourteenth year of king Hezekiah, that Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the defenced cities of Judah, and took them.
2亚述王从拉吉差遣将军☛“将军”：原文是亚述的官职“拉伯．沙基”，司令官；下同。率领大军前往耶路撒冷，到希西家王那里去。将军站在上池的水沟旁，在往漂布地的大路上。And the king of Assyria sent Rabshakeh from Lachish to Jerusalem unto king Hezekiah with a great army. And he stood by the conduit of the upper pool in the highway of the fuller's field.
3希勒家的儿子以利亚敬宫廷总管、舍伯那书记和亚萨的儿子约亚史官，出来见他。Then came forth unto him Eliakim, Hilkiah's son, which was over the house, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah, Asaph's son, the recorder.
4将军对他们说：“你们去告诉希西家，大王亚述王如此说：‘你倚赖什么，让你如此自信满满？And Rabshakeh said unto them, Say ye now to Hezekiah, Thus saith the great king, the king of Assyria, What confidence is this wherein thou trustest?
5我说☛“我说”：有古卷是“你说”。，你有打仗的计谋和能力，我看不过是空话。你到底倚靠谁，竟敢背叛我呢？I say, sayest thou, (but they are but vain words) I have counsel and strength for war: now on whom dost thou trust, that thou rebellest against me?
6看哪，你所倚靠的埃及是那断裂的苇杖，人若倚靠这杖，它就刺进他的手，穿透它。埃及王法老向所有倚靠他的人都是这样。Lo, thou trustest in the staff of this broken reed, on Egypt; whereon if a man lean, it will go into his hand, and pierce it: so is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all that trust in him.
7你若对我说：我们倚靠耶和华－我们的神，希西家岂不是将神的丘坛和祭坛废去，并且吩咐犹大和耶路撒冷的人说：你们只当在这一个坛前敬拜吗？But if thou say to me, We trust in the LORD our God: is it not he, whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah hath taken away, and said to Judah and to Jerusalem, Ye shall worship before this altar?
8现在你与我主亚述王打赌，我给你两千匹马，看你能否派得出骑士来骑它们。Now therefore give pledges, I pray thee, to my master the king of Assyria, and I will give thee two thousand horses, if thou be able on thy part to set riders upon them.
9若不然，怎能使我主臣仆中最小的一个军官转脸而逃呢？你难道要倚靠埃及的战车和骑兵吗？How then wilt thou turn away the face of one captain of the least of my master's servants, and put thy trust on Egypt for chariots and for horsemen?
10现在我上来攻击毁灭这地，岂不是出于耶和华吗？耶和华吩咐我说，你上去攻击这地，毁灭它吧！’”And am I now come up without the LORD against this land to destroy it? the LORD said unto me, Go up against this land, and destroy it.
11以利亚敬、舍伯那、约亚对将军说：“求你用亚兰话对仆人说，因为我们听得懂；不要用犹大话对我们说，免得传到城墙上百姓的耳中。”Then said Eliakim and Shebna and Joah unto Rabshakeh, Speak, I pray thee, unto thy servants in the Syrian language; for we understand it: and speak not to us in the Jews' language, in the ears of the people that are on the wall.
12将军说：“我主差遣我来，岂是单对你和你的主人说这些话吗？不也是对这些坐在城墙上，要与你们一同吃自己粪、喝自己尿的人说的吗？”But Rabshakeh said, Hath my master sent me to thy master and to thee to speak these words? hath he not sent me to the men that sit upon the wall, that they may eat their own dung, and drink their own piss with you?
13于是亚述将军站着，用犹大话大声喊着说：“你们当听大王亚述王的话，Then Rabshakeh stood, and cried with a loud voice in the Jews' language, and said, Hear ye the words of the great king, the king of Assyria.
14王如此说：‘你们不要被希西家欺哄了，因他不能拯救你们。Thus saith the king, Let not Hezekiah deceive you: for he shall not be able to deliver you.
15不要听凭希西家说服你们倚靠耶和华，他说，耶和华必要拯救我们，这城必不交在亚述王的手中。’Neither let Hezekiah make you trust in the LORD, saying, The LORD will surely deliver us: this city shall not be delivered into the hand of the king of Assyria.
16你们不要听希西家的话！因亚述王如此说：‘你们要与我讲和，出来投降，各人就可以吃自己葡萄树和无花果树的果子，喝自己井里的水，Hearken not to Hezekiah: for thus saith the king of Assyria, Make an agreement with me by a present, and come out to me: and eat ye every one of his vine, and every one of his fig tree, and drink ye every one the waters of his own cistern;
17等我来领你们到一个地方，与你们本地一样，就是有五谷和新酒之地，有粮食和葡萄园之地。Until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of corn and wine, a land of bread and vineyards.
18恐怕希西家误导你们说，耶和华必拯救我们。列国的神明有哪一个曾救它本国脱离亚述王的手呢？Beware lest Hezekiah persuade you, saying, The LORD will deliver us. Hath any of the gods of the nations delivered his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria?
19哈马和亚珥拔的神明在哪里呢？西法瓦音的神明在哪里呢？它们曾救撒玛利亚脱离我的手吗？Where are the gods of Hamath and Arphad? where are the gods of Sepharvaim? and have they delivered Samaria out of my hand?
20这些国的神明有谁曾救自己的国家脱离我的手呢？难道耶和华能救耶路撒冷脱离我的手吗？’”Who are they among all the gods of these lands, that have delivered their land out of my hand, that the LORD should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?
21百姓静默不言，一句不答，因为希西家王曾吩咐说：“不要回答他。”But they held their peace, and answered him not a word: for the king's commandment was, saying, Answer him not.
22当下希勒家的儿子以利亚敬宫廷总管、舍伯那书记，和亚萨的儿子约亚史官都撕裂衣服，来到希西家那里，将亚述将军的话告诉他。Then came Eliakim, the son of Hilkiah, that was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah, the son of Asaph, the recorder, to Hezekiah with their clothes rent, and told him the words of Rabshakeh.