Yeşaya 37

¹Kral Hizkiya bunu işittiğinde giysilerini yırttı, üzerine çuval bezi kuşandı ve Rab'bin tapınağına çıktı.

²Ev idarecisi Elyakim'i, yazıcı Somnas'ı ve kâhinlerin çuval bezi kuşanmış ileri gelenlerini Amos oğlu Peygamber Yeşaya'ya gönderdi.

³Ona şöyle dediler: "Hizkiya şöyle diyor: 'Bugün sıkıntı, kınama, azar ve gazap günüdür; çünkü doğum sancısı doğuracak kadına ulaştı, fakat onun doğuracak gücü yoktur.

⁴Belki Tanrın Rab, Asur kralının yaşayan Tanrı'yı aşağılamak ve Rab'binin işittiği sözleri kınamak için gönderdiği Rabşake'nin sözlerini işitir; bu yüzden geride kalan bu azınlık için Tanrın Rab'be dua et.'"

⁵Kral Hizkiya'nın hizmetkarları Yeşaya'ya geldiklerinde,

⁶Yeşaya onlara şöyle dedi: "Efendinize şöyle deyin: 'Rab şöyle diyor: Asur kralının elçilerinin beni aşağılamak için söylediği, işittiğin o sözlerden korkma.

⁷İşte, onun içine öyle bir ruh koyacağım ki, bir haber alıp kendi ülkesine dönecek ve onu kendi ülkesinde kılıçla yere sereceğim.'"

⁸Rabşake geri döndü ve Asur kralını Lomna'yı kuşatırken buldu; çünkü kralın oradan ayrıldığını işitmişti.

⁹Etiyopyalıların Kralı Taraka'nın kendisiyle savaşmak üzere yola çıktığını işiten Asur kralı geri döndü ve Hizkiya'ya elçiler göndererek şöyle dedi:

¹⁰"Yahuda Kralı Hizkiya'ya şöyle deyin: 'Kendisine güvendiğin Tanrın, "Yeruşalim Asur kralının eline teslim edilmeyecek" diyerek seni aldatmasın.

¹¹Asur krallarının bütün ülkelere neler yaptığını, onları nasıl tamamen yok ettiğini işitmedin mi?

¹²Atalarımın yok ettiği ulusların ilahları; Gozan'ı, Haran'ı, Refes'i ve Teemat bölgesindeki halkları kurtarabildi mi?

¹³Hama ve Arpat kralları nerede? Sefarvayim kentinin, Anag ve Ugava'nın kralları nerede?'"

¹⁴Hizkiya mektubu elçilerin elinden aldı ve onu Rab'bin önünde açtı.

¹⁵Hizkiya Rab'be şöyle dua etti:

¹⁶"Ey Keruvlar üzerinde taht kuran İsrail'in Tanrısı, Orduların Rabbi! Yeryüzündeki bütün krallıkların tek Tanrısı sensin. Göğü ve yeri sen yarattın.

¹⁷Kulak ver ya Rab, işit! Gözlerini aç ya Rab, bak ve gör! Sanherib'in yaşayan Tanrı'yı aşağılamak için gönderdiği sözlere bak.

¹⁸Gerçekten de ya Rab, Asur kralları bütün dünyayı ve ülkelerini viraneye çevirdiler.

¹⁹Onların putlarını ateşe attılar; çünkü onlar ilah değil, sadece insan elinden çıkma tahta ve taştı; bu yüzden onları yok ettiler.

²⁰Şimdi, ey Tanrımız Rab, bizi onların elinden kurtar ki, yeryüzündeki bütün krallıklar tek Tanrı'nın sen olduğunu bilsin."

²¹Bunun üzerine Amos oğlu Yeşaya, Hizkiya'ya şu haberi gönderdi: "İsrail'in Tanrısı Rab şöyle diyor: 'Asur Kralı Sanherib hakkında bana ettiğin duayı işittim.

²²Rab'bin onun hakkında söylediği söz şudur: Bakire Siyon kızı seni hor görüyor, seninle alay ediyor; Yeruşalim kızı arkandan baş sallıyor.

²³Sen kimi aşağıladın, kime hakaret ettin? Kime karşı sesini yükselttin? İsrail'in Kutsalı'na karşı gözlerini kibirle yukarı kaldırmadın mı?

²⁴Elçilerin aracılığıyla Rab'bi aşağıladın ve şöyle dedin: "Çok sayıdaki savaş arabamla dağların doruklarına, Lübnan'ın en uç köşelerine çıktım. Boylu sedir ağaçlarını, seçme selvilerini kestim; ormanının en yüksek sınırlarına ulaştım.

²⁵Köprüler kurdum, suları ve tüm su birikintilerini kuruttum."

²⁶Bunları çoktan yaptığımı duymadın mı? Eski günlerden beri bunu tasarlamıştım; şimdiyse surlu kentlerdeki ulusları ve buralarda oturanları viraneye çevirmeyi gerçekleştirdim.

²⁷Ellerini zayıflattım, kuruyup gittiler; damlardaki kuru otlar gibi, yaban otu gibi oldular.

²⁸Ama senin dinlenmeni, çıkışını ve girişini ben biliyorum.

²⁹Bana karşı duyduğun öfke ve hırçınlığın kulağıma ulaştı. Bu yüzden burnuna halkamı, dudaklarına gemimi takacak ve seni geldiğin yoldan geri döndüreceğim.

³⁰Senin için işaret şu olacak: Bu yıl kendiliğinden yetişeni yiyeceksiniz, ikinci yıl ise ondan türeyeni. Üçüncü yıl ekin, biçin, bağlar dikip meyvesini yiyin.

³¹Yahuda'da kurtulup geride kalanlar yeniden aşağıya doğru kök salacak ve yukarıya doğru ürün verecek.

³²Çünkü Yeruşalim'den geride kalanlar, Siyon Dağı'ndan kurtulanlar çıkacak. Orduların Rabbinin gayreti bunu gerçekleştirecek.

³³Bu yüzden Rab Asur kralına dair şöyle diyor: Bu kente girmeyecek, buraya tek bir ok atmayacak, ona karşı kalkanla yaklaşmayacak, çevresine kuşatma rampası kurmayacak.

³⁴Geldiği yoldan geri dönecek ve bu kente girmeyecek, diyor Rab.

³⁵Kendim için ve kulum Davut uğruna bu kenti savunup kurtaracağım.'"

³⁶Rab'bin meleği gidip Asur ordugahında yüz seksen beş bin kişiyi öldürdü. Ertesi sabah kalkıldığında, her yerin cesetlerle dolu olduğu görüldü.

³⁷Bunun üzerine Asur Kralı Sanherib ordugahından ayrılıp geri döndü ve Nineve'de kaldı.

³⁸Bir gün kendi koruyucu ilahı Nasarah'ın tapınağında tapınırken, oğulları Adramelek ile Sarasar onu kılıçla öldürüp Ermenistan ülkesine kaçtılar. Yerine oğlu Asordan kral oldu.

¹ΚΑΙ ἐγένετο ἐν τῷ ἀκοῦσαι τὸν βασιλέα ᾿Εζεκίαν ἔσχισε τὰ ἱμάτια καὶ περιεβάλετο σάκκον καὶ ἀνέβη εἰς τὸν οἶκον Κυρίου.

²καὶ ἀπέστειλεν ῾Ελιακεὶμ τὸν οἰκονόμον καὶ Σομνᾶν τὸν γραμματέα καὶ τοὺς πρεσβυτέρους τῶν ἱερέων περιβεβλημένους σάκκους πρὸς ῾Ησαΐαν υἱὸν ᾿Αμὼς τὸν προφήτην,

³καὶ εἶπαν αὐτῷ· τάδε λέγει ᾿Εζεκίας· ἡμέρα θλίψεως καὶ ὀνειδισμοῦ καὶ ἐλεγμοῦ καὶ ὀργῆς ἡ σήμερον ἡμέρα, ὅτι ἥκει ἡ ὠδὶν τῇ τικτούσῃ, ἰσχὺν δὲ οὐκ ἔχει τοῦ τεκεῖν.

⁴εἰσακούσαι Κύριος ὁ Θεός σου τοὺς λόγους Ῥαψάκου, οὓς ἀπέστειλε βασιλεὺς ᾿Ασσυρίων ὀνειδίζειν Θεὸν ζῶντα καὶ ὀνειδίζειν λόγους, οὓς ἤκουσε Κύριος ὁ Θεός σου· καὶ δεηθήσῃ πρὸς Κύριον τὸν Θεόν σου περὶ τῶν καταλελειμμένων τούτων.

⁵καὶ ἦλθον οἱ παῖδες τοῦ βασιλέως ᾿Εζεκίου πρὸς ῾Ησαΐαν,

⁶καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς ῾Ησαΐας· οὕτως ἐρεῖτε πρὸς τὸν κύριον ὑμῶν· τάδε λέγει Κύριος· μὴ φοβηθῇς ἀπὸ τῶν λόγων, ὧν ἤκουσας, οὓς ὠνείδισάν με οἱ πρέσβεις βασιλέως ᾿Ασσυρίων.

⁷ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ἐμβάλλω εἰς αὐτὸν πνεῦμα, καὶ ἀκούσας ἀγγελίαν ἀποστραφήσεται εἰς τὴν χώραν αὐτοῦ καὶ πεσεῖται μαχαίρᾳ ἐν τῇ γῇ αὐτοῦ.

⁸Καὶ ἀπέστρεψε Ῥαψάκης καὶ κατέλαβε τὸν βασιλέα ᾿Ασσυρίων πολιορκοῦντα Λομνάν. καὶ ἤκουσε βασιλεὺς ᾿Ασσυρίων ὅτι

⁹ἐξῆλθε Θαρακὰ βασιλεὺς Αἰθιόπων πολιορκῆσαι αὐτόν· καὶ ἀκούσας ἀπέστρεψε καὶ ἀπέστειλεν ἀγγέλους πρὸς ᾿Εζεκίαν λέγων·

¹⁰οὕτως ἐρεῖτε ᾿Εζεκίᾳ βασιλεῖ τῆς ᾿Ιουδαίας· μή σε ἀπατάτω ὁ Θεός σου, ἐφ᾿ ᾧ πέποιθας ἐπ᾿ αὐτῷ λέγων· οὐ μὴ παραδοθῇ ῾Ιερουσαλὴμ εἰς χεῖρας βασιλέως ᾿Ασσυρίων.

¹¹ἢ οὐκ ἤκουσας ἃ ἐποίησαν βασιλεῖς ᾿Ασσυρίων πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν ὡς ἀπώλεσαν;

¹²μὴ ἐρρύσαντο αὐτοὺς οἱ θεοὶ τῶν ἐθνῶν, οὓς ἀπώλεσαν οἱ πατέρες μου, τήν τε Γωζᾶν καὶ Χαρὰν καὶ Ῥαφές, αἵ εἰσιν ἐν χώρᾳ Θεεμάθ;

¹³ποῦ εἰσιν οἱ βασιλεῖς Αἰμὰθ καὶ ᾿Αρφὰθ καὶ πόλεως Σεπφαρείμ, ᾿Ανὰγ Οὐγαυά;

¹⁴καὶ ἔλαβεν ᾿Εζεκίας τὸ βιβλίον παρὰ τῶν ἀγγέλων, καὶ ἤνοιξεν αὐτὸ ἐναντίον Κυρίου,

¹⁵καὶ προσηύξατο ᾿Εζεκίας πρὸς Κύριον λέγων·

¹⁶Κύριε σαβαὼθ ὁ Θεὸς ᾿Ισραὴλ ὁ καθήμενος ἐπὶ τῶν Χερουβίμ, σὺ Θεὸς μόνος εἶ πάσης βασιλείας τῆς οἰκουμένης, σὺ ἐποίησας τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν.

¹⁷κλῖνον, Κύριε, τὸ οὖς σου, εἰσάκουσον, Κύριε, ἄνοιξον, Κύριε, τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς σου, εἴσβλεψον, Κύριε, καὶ ἰδὲ τοὺς λόγους Σενναχηρείμ, οὓς ἀπέστειλεν ὀνειδίζειν Θεὸν ζῶντα.

¹⁸ἐπ᾿ ἀληθείας γάρ, Κύριε, ἠρήμωσαν βασιλεῖς ᾿Ασσυρίων τὴν οἰκουμένην ὅλην καὶ τὴν χώραν αὐτῶν

¹⁹καὶ ἐνέβαλον τὰ εἴδωλα αὐτῶν εἰς τὸ πῦρ· οὐ γὰρ θεοὶ ἦσαν, ἀλλὰ ἔργα χειρῶν ἀνθρώπων, ξύλα καὶ λίθοι, καὶ ἀπώλεσεν αὐτούς.

²⁰σὺ δέ, Κύριε ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν, σῶσον ἡμᾶς ἐκ χειρὸς αὐτῶν, ἵνα γνῷ πᾶσα βασιλεία τῆς γῆς ὅτι σὺ εἶ ὁ Θεὸς μόνος.

²¹Καὶ ἀπεστάλη ῾Ησαΐας υἱὸς ᾿Αμὼς πρὸς ᾿Εζεκίαν καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ· τάδε λέγει Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς ᾿Ισραήλ· ἤκουσα ἃ προσηύξω πρός με περὶ Σενναχηρεὶμ βασιλέως ᾿Ασσυρίων.

²²οὗτος ὁ λόγος, ὃν ἐλάλησε περὶ αὐτοῦ ὁ Θεός· ἐφαύλισέ σε καὶ ἐμυκτήρισέ σε παρθένος θυγάτηρ Σιών, ἐπὶ σοὶ κεφαλὴν ἐκίνησε θυγάτηρ ῾Ιερουσαλήμ.

²³τίνα ὠνείδισας καὶ παρώξυνας; ἢ πρὸς τίνα ὕψωσας τὴν φωνήν σου; καὶ οὐκ ᾖρας εἰς ὕψος τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς σου πρὸς τὸν ἅγιον τοῦ ᾿Ισραήλ;

²⁴ὅτι δι᾿ ἀγγέλων ὠνείδισας Κύριον· σὺ γὰρ εἶπας· τῷ πλήθει τῶν ἁρμάτων ἐγὼ ἀνέβην εἰς ὕψος ὀρέων καὶ εἰς τὰ ἔσχατα τοῦ Λιβάνου καὶ ἔκοψα τὸ ὕψος τῆς κέδρου αὐτοῦ καὶ τὸ κάλλος τῆς κυπαρίσσου καὶ εἰσῆλθον εἰς ὕψος μέρος τοὺς δρυμοῦ

²⁵καὶ ἔθηκα γέφυραν καὶ ἠρήμωσα ὕδατα καὶ πᾶσαν συναγωγὴν ὕδατος.

²⁶οὐ ταῦτα ἤκουσας πάλαι, ἃ ἐγὼ ἐποίησα; ἐξ ἡμερῶν ἀρχαίων συνέταξα, νῦν δὲ ἐπέδειξα ἐξερημῶσαι ἔθνη ἐν ὀχυροῖς καὶ οἰκοῦντας ἐν πόλεσιν ὀχυραῖς.

²⁷ἀνῆκα τὰς χεῖρας, καὶ ἐξηράνθησαν καὶ ἐγένοντο ὡς χόρτος ξηρὸς ἐπὶ δωμάτων καὶ ὡς ἄγρωστις.

²⁸νῦν δὲ τὴν ἀνάπαυσίν σου καὶ τὴν ἔξοδόν σου καὶ τὴν εἴσοδόν σου ἐγὼ ἐπίσταμαι.

²⁹ὁ δὲ θυμός σου, ὃν ἐθυμώθης, καὶ ἡ πικρία σου ἀνέβη πρός με, καὶ ἐμβαλῶ φιμὸν εἰς τὴν ῥῖνά σου, καὶ χαλινὸν εἰς τὰ χείλη σου καὶ ἀποστρέψω σε τῇ ὁδῷ ᾗ ἦλθες ἐν αὐτῇ.

³⁰τοῦτο δέ σοι τὸ σημεῖον· φάγε τοῦτον τὸν ἐνιαυτὸν ἃ ἔσπαρκας, τῷ δὲ ἐνιαυτῷ τῷ δευτέρῳ τὸ κατάλειμμα, τῷ δὲ τρίτῳ σπείραντες ἀμήσατε καὶ φυτεύσατε ἀμπελῶνας καὶ φάγεσθε τὸν καρπὸν αὐτῶν.

³¹καὶ ἔσονται οἱ καταλελειμμένοι ἐν τῇ ᾿Ιουδαίᾳ φυήσουσι ρίζαν κάτω καὶ ποιήσουσι σπέρμα ἄνω.

³²ὅτι ἐξ ῾Ιερουσαλὴμ ἔσονται οἱ καταλελειμμένοι καὶ οἱ σῳζόμενοι ἐξ ὄρους Σιών· ὁ ζῆλος Κυρίου σαβαὼθ ποιήσει ταῦτα.

³³διὰ τοῦτο οὕτω λέγει Κύριος ἐπὶ βασιλέα ᾿Ασσυρίων· οὐ μὴ εἰσέλθῃ εἰς τὴν πόλιν ταύτην οὐδὲ μὴ βάλῃ ἐπὶ αὐτὴν βέλος οὐδὲ μὴ ἐπιβάλῃ ἐπ᾿ αὐτὴν θυρεόν, οὐδὲ μὴ κυκλώσῃ ἐπ᾿ αὐτὴν χάρακα,

³⁴ἀλλὰ τῇ ὁδῷ ᾗ ἦλθεν, ἐν αὐτῇ ἀποστραφήσεται καὶ εἰς τὴν πόλιν ταύτην οὐ μὴ εἰσέλθῃ. τάδε λέγει Κύριος·

³⁵ὑπερασπιῶ ὑπὲρ τῆς πόλεως ταύτης τοῦ σῶσαι αὐτὴν δι᾿ ἐμὲ καὶ διὰ Δαυὶδ τὸν παῖδά μου.

³⁶Καὶ ἐξῆλθεν ἄγγελος Κυρίου καὶ ἀνεῖλεν ἐκ τῆς παρεμβολῆς τῶν ᾿Ασσυρίων ἑκατὸν ὀγδοηκονταπέντε χιλιάδας, καὶ ἀναστάντες τὸ πρωΐ εὗρον πάντα τὰ σώματα νεκρά.

³⁷καὶ ἀπῆλθεν ἀποστραφεὶς Σενναχηρεὶμ βασιλεὺς ᾿Ασσυρίων, καὶ ᾤκησεν ἐν Νινευῇ.

³⁸καὶ ἐν τῷ αὐτὸν προσκυνεῖν ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ Νασαρὰχ τὸν πάτραρχον αὐτοῦ, ᾿Αδραμέλεχ καὶ Σαρασὰρ οἱ υἱοὶ αὐτοῦ ἐπάταξαν αὐτὸν μαχαίραις, αὐτοὶ δὲ διεσώθησαν εἰς ᾿Αρμενίαν· καὶ ἐβασίλευσεν ᾿Ασορδὰν ὁ υἱὸς αὐτοῦ ἀντ᾿ αὐτοῦ.

¹And it came to pass, when king Ezekias heard [it, that] he rent his clothes, and put on sackcloth, and went up to the house of the Lord.

²And he sent Heliakim the steward, and Somnas the scribe, and the elders of the priests clothed with sackcloth, to Esaias the son of Amos, the prophet. And they said to him, Thus says Ezekias,

³To-day is a day of affliction, and reproach, and rebuke, and anger: for the pangs are come upon the travailing [woman], but she has not strength to bring forth.

⁴May the Lord thy God hear the words of Rabsaces, which the king of the Assyrians has sent, to reproach the living God, even to reproach with the words which the Lord thy God has heard: therefore thou shalt pray to thy Lord for these that are left.

⁵So the servants of king Ezekias came to Esaias.

⁶And Esaias said to them, Thus shall ye say to your master, Thus saith the Lord, Be not thou afraid at the words which thou hast heard, wherewith the ambassadors of the king of the Assyrians have reproached me,

⁷Behold, I [will] send a blast upon him, and he shall hear a report, and return to his own country, and he shall fall by the sword in his own land.

⁸So Rabsaces returned, and found the king of the Assyrians besieging Lobna: for he had heard that he had departed from Lachis.

⁹And Tharaca king of the Ethiopians went forth to attack him. And when he heard it, he turned aside, and sent messengers to Ezekias, saying,

¹⁰Thus shall ye say to Ezekias king of Judea, Let not thy God, in whom thou trustest, deceive thee, saying, Jerusalem shall not be delivered into the hand of the king of the Assyrians.

¹¹Hast thou not heard what the kings of the Assyrians have done, how they have destroyed the whole earth? and shalt thou be delivered?

¹²Have the gods of the nations which my fathers destroyed delivered them, both Gozan, and Charrhan, and Raphes, which are in the land of Theemath?

¹³Where are the kings of Emath? and where [is the king of] Arphath? and where [is the king] of the city of Seppharim, [and of] Anag Ougaua?

¹⁴And Ezekias received the letter from the messengers, and read it, and went up to the house of the Lord, and opened it before the Lord.

¹⁵And Ezekias prayed to the Lord, saying,

¹⁶O Lord of hosts, God of Israel, who sittest upon the cherubs, thou alone art the God of every kingdom of the world: thou hast made heaven and earth.

¹⁷Incline thine ear, O Lord, hearken, O Lord; open thine eyes, O Lord, look, O Lord: and behold the words of Sennacherim, which he has sent to reproach the living God.

¹⁸For of a truth, Lord, the kings of the Assyrians have laid waste the whole world, and the countries thereof,

¹⁹and have cast their idols into the fire: for, they were no gods, but the work of men’s hands, wood and stone; and they have cast them away.

²⁰But now, O Lord our God, deliver us from his hands, that every kingdom of the earth may know that thou art God alone.

²¹And Esaias the son of Amos was sent to Ezekias, and said to him, Thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel, I have heard thy prayer to me concerning Sennacherim king of the Assyrians.

²²This is the word which God has spoken concerning him; The virgin daughter of Sion has despised thee, and mocked thee; the daughter of Jerusalem has shaken her head at thee.

²³Whom hast thou reproached and provoked? and against whom hast thou lifted up thy voice? and hast thou not lifted up thine eyes on high against the Holy One of Israel?

²⁴For thou hast reproached the Lord by messengers; for thou hast said, With the multitude of chariots have I ascended to the height of mountains, and to the sides of Libanus; and I have cropped the height of his cedars and the beauty of his cypresses; and I entered into the height of the forest region:

²⁵and I have made a bridge, and dried up the waters, and every pool of water.

²⁶Hast thou not heard of these things which I did of old? I appointed [them] from ancient times; but now have I manifested [my purpose] of desolating nations in [their] strong holds, and them that dwell in strong cities.

²⁷I weakened [their] hands, and they withered; and they became as dry grass on the house-tops, and as grass.

²⁸But now I know thy rest, and thy going out, and thy coming in.

²⁹And thy wrath wherewith thou hast been enraged, and thy rancour has come up to me; therefore I will put a hook in thy nose, and a bit in thy lips, and will turn thee back by the way by which thou camest.

³⁰And this shall be a sign to thee, Eat this year what thou hast sown; and the second year that which is left: and the third year sow, and reap, and plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them.

³¹And they that are left in Judea shall take root downward, and bear fruit upward:

³²for out of Jerusalem there shall be a remnant, and the saved ones out of mount Sion: the zeal of the Lord of hosts shall perform this.

³³Therefore thus saith the Lord concerning the king of the Assyrians, He shall not enter into this city, nor cast a weapon against it, nor bring a shield against it, nor make a rampart round it.

³⁴But by the way by which he came, by it shall he return, and shall not enter into this city: thus saith the Lord.

³⁵I will protect this city to save it for my own sake, and for my servant David’s sake.

³⁶And the angel of the Lord went forth, and slew out of the camp of the Assyrians a hundred and eighty-five thousand: and they arose in the morning and found all [these] bodies dead.

³⁷And Sennacherim king of the Assyrians turned and departed, and dwelt in Nineve.

³⁸And while he was worshipping Nasarach his country’s god in the house, Adramelech and Sarasar his sons smote him with swords; and they escaped into Armenia: and Asordan his son reigned in his stead.