4 Kingdoms 19

Βασιλειῶν Δ´

1 ΚΑΙ ἐγένετο ὡς ἤκουσεν ὁ βασιλεὺς Ἐζεκίας, καὶ διέρρηξε τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ, καὶ περιεβάλετο σάκκον καὶ εἰσῆλθεν εἰς οἶκον Κυρίου.

And it came to pass when king Ezekias heard it, that he tore his clothes, and put on sackcloth, an went into the house of the Lord.

2 καὶ ἀπέστειλεν Ἑλιακὶμ τὸν οἰκονόμον καὶ Σωμνὰν τὸν γραμματέα καὶ τοὺς πρεσβυτέρους τῶν ἱερέων περιβεβλημένους σάκκους πρὸς Ἡσαΐαν τὸν προφήτην, υἱὸν Ἀμώς,

And he sent Heliakim the steward, and Somnas the scribe, and the elders of the priests, clothed with sackcloth, to Esaias the prophet the son of Amos.

3 καὶ εἶπον πρὸς αὐτόν· τάδε λέγει Ἐζεκίας· ἡμέρα θλίψεως καὶ ἐλεγμοῦ καὶ παροργισμοῦ ἡ ἡμέρα αὕτη· ὅτι ἦλθον υἱοὶ ἕως ὠδίνων, καὶ ἰσχὺς οὐκ ἔστι τῇ τικτούσῃ·

And they said to him, Thus says Ezekias, This day [is] a day of tribulation, and rebuke, and provocation: for the children are come to the travail-[pangs], but the mother has no strength.

4 εἴ πως εἰσακούσεται Κύριος ὁ Θεός σου πάντας τοὺς λόγους Ραψάκου, ὃν ἀπέστειλεν αὐτὸν βασιλεὺς Ἀσσυρίων ὁ κύριος αὐτοῦ ὀνειδίζειν Θεὸν ζῶντα καὶ βασφημεῖν ἐν λόγοις, οἷς ἤκουσε Κύριος ὁ Θεός σου, καὶ λήψῃ προσευχὴν περὶ τοῦ λείμματος τοῦ εὑρισκομένου.

Peradventure the Lord your God will hear all the words of Rapsakes, whom the king of Assyria his master has sent to reproach the living God and to revile him with the words which the Lord your God has heard: and you shall offer [your] prayer for the remnant that is found.

5 καὶ ἦλθον οἱ παῖδες τοῦ βασιλέως Ἐζεκίου πρὸς Ἡσαΐαν,

So the servants of king Ezekias came to Esaias.

6 καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς Ἡσαΐας· τάδε ἐρεῖτε πρὸς τὸν κύριον ὑμῶν· τάδε λέγει Κύριος· μὴ φοβηθῇς ἀπὸ τῶν λόγων, ὧν ἤκουσας, ὧν ἐβλασφήμησαν τὰ παιδάρια βασιλέως Ἀσσυρίων·

And Esaias said to them, Thus shall you⌃ say to your master, Thus says the Lord, Be not afraid of the words which you have heard, wherewith the servants of the king of the Assyrians have blasphemed.

7 ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ δίδωμι ἐν αὐτῷ πνεῦμα, καὶ ἀκούσεται ἀγγελίαν καὶ ἀποστραφήσεται εἰς τὴν γῆν αὐτοῦ, καὶ καταβαλῶ αὐτὸν ἐν ρομφαίᾳ ἐν τῇ γῇ αὐτοῦ.

Behold, I send a blast upon him, and he shall hear a report, and shall return to his own land; and I will overthrow him with the sword in his own land.

8 Καὶ ἐπέστρεψε Ραψάκης, καὶ εὗρε τὸν βασιλέα Ἀσσυρίων πολεμοῦντα ἐπὶ Λοβνά, ὅτι ἤκουσεν ὅτι ἀπῇρεν ἐκ Λαχίς.

So Rapsakes returned, and found the king of Assyria warring against Lobna: for he heard that he [had] departed from Lachis.

9 καὶ ἤκουσε περὶ Θαρακὰ βασιλέως Αἰθιόπων λέγων· ἰδοὺ ἐξῆλθε πολεμεῖν μετὰ σοῦ. καὶ ἐπέστρεψε καὶ ἀπέστειλεν ἀγγέλους πρὸς Ἐζεκίαν λέγων·

And he heard concerning Tharaca king of the Ethiopians, saying, Behold, he is come forth to fight with you: and he returned, and sent messengers to Ezekias, saying,

10 μὴ ἐπαιρέτω σε ὁ Θεός σου, ἐφ᾿ ᾧ σὺ πέποιθας ἐπ᾿ αὐτῷ λέγων· οὐ μὴ παραδοθῇ Ἱερουσαλὴμ εἰς χεῖρας βασιλέως Ἀσσυρίων.

Let not your God on whom you trust encourage you, saying, Jerusalem shall not be delivered into the hands of the king of the Assyrians.

11 ἰδοὺ σὺ ἤκουσας πάντα ὅσα ἐποίησαν βασιλεῖς Ἀσσυρίων πάσαις ταῖς γαίαις τοῦ ἀναθεματίσαι αὐτάς, καὶ σὺ ρυσθήσῃ;

Behold, you have heard all that the kings of the Assyrians have done in all the lands, to waste them utterly: and shall you be delivered?

12 μὴ ἐξαιρούμενοι ἐξείλαντο αὐτοὺς οἱ θεοὶ τῶν ἐθνῶν, οὓς διέφθειραν οἱ πατέρες μου, τήν τε Γωζὰν καὶ τὴν Χαρρὰν καὶ τὴν Ραφὶς καὶ υἱοὺς Ἐδὲμ τοὺς ἐν Θαεσθέν;

Have the gods of the nations at all delivered them, whom my fathers destroyed; both Gozan, and Charran, and Raphis, and the sons of Edem who were in Thaesthen?

13 ποῦ ἐστιν ὁ βασιλεὺς Αἰμὰθ καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς Ἀρφάδ; καὶ ποῦ ἐστι βασιλεὺς τῆς πόλεως Σεπφαρουαΐν Ἀνὰ καὶ Ἀβά;

Where is the king of Haemath, and the king of Arphad? and where is the king of the city of Seppharvaim, of Ana, and Aba?

14 καὶ ἔλαβεν Ἐζεκίας τὰ βιβλία ἐκ χειρὸς τῶν ἀγγέλων καὶ ἀνέγνω αὐτά· καὶ ἀνέβη εἰς οἶκον Κυρίου καὶ ἀνέπτυξεν αὐτὰ Ἐζεκίας ἐναντίον Κυρίου

And Ezekias took the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read it: and he went up to the house of the Lord, and Ezekias spread it before the Lord,

15 καὶ εἶπε· Κύριε ὁ Θεὸς Ἰσραὴλ ὁ καθήμενος ἐπὶ τῶν Χερουβίμ, σὺ εἶ ὁ Θεὸς μόνος ἐν πάσαις ταῖς βασιλείαις τῆς γῆς, σὺ ἐποίησας τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν.

and said, O Lord God of Israel that dwell over the cherubs, you are the only god in all the kingdoms of the earth; you have made heaven and earth.

16 κλῖνον, Κύριε, τὸ οὖς σου καὶ ἄκουσον· ἄνοιξον, Κύριε, τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς σου καὶ ἰδὲ καὶ ἄκουσον τοὺς λόγους Σενναχηρίμ, οὓς ἀπέστειλεν ὀνειδίζειν Θεὸν ζῶντα.

Incline your ear, O Lord, and hear: open, Lord, your eyes, and see: and hear the words of Sennacherim, which he has sent to reproach the living God.

17 ὅτι ἀληθείᾳ, Κύριε, ἠρήμωσαν βασιλεῖς Ἀσσυρίων τὰ ἔθνη

For truly, Lord, the kings of Assyria have wasted the nations,

18 καὶ ἔδωκαν τοὺς θεοὺς αὐτῶν εἰς τὸ πῦρ, ὅτι οὐ θεοί εἰσιν, ἀλλ᾿ ἢ ἔργα χειρῶν ἀνθρώπων, ξύλα καὶ λίθοι, καὶ ἀπώλεσαν αὐτούς.

and have cast their gods into the fire: because they are no gods, but the works of men's hands, wood and stone; and they have destroyed them.

19 καὶ νῦν, Κύριε ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν, σῶσον ἡμᾶς ἐκ χειρὸς αὐτοῦ καὶ γνώσονται πᾶσαι αἱ βασιλεῖαι τῆς γῆς, ὅτι σὺ Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς μόνος.

And now, O Lord our God, deliver us out of his hand, and all the kingdoms of the earth shall know that you alone [are] the Lord God.

20 Καὶ ἀπέστειλεν Ἡσαΐας υἱὸς Ἀμὼς πρὸς Ἐζεκίαν λέγων· τάδε λέγει Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς τῶν δυνάμεων Θεὸς Ἰσραήλ· ἃ προσηύξω πρός με περὶ Σενναχηρὶμ βασιλέως Ἀσσυρίων, ἤκουσα.

And Esaias the son of Amos sent to Ezekias, saying, Thus says the Lord God of hosts, the God of Israel, I have heard your prayer to me concerning Sennacherim king of the Assyrians.

21 οὖτος ὁ λόγος, ὃν ἐλάλησε Κύριος ἐπ᾿ αὐτόν· ἐξουδένωσέ σε καὶ ἐμυκτήρισέ σε παρθένος θυγάτηρ Σιών, ἐπὶ σοὶ κεφαλὴν αὐτῆς ἐκίνησε θυγάτηρ Ἱερουσαλήμ.

This [is] the word which the Lord has spoken against him; The virgin daughter of Sion has made light of you, and mocked you; the daughter of Jerusalem has shaken her head at you.

22 τίνα ὠνείδισας καὶ τίνα ἐβλασφήμησας; καὶ ἐπὶ τίνα ὕψωσας φωνήν; καὶ ᾖρας εἰς ὕψος τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς σου εἰς τὸν ἅγιον τοῦ Ἰσραήλ.

Whom have you reproached, and whom have you reviled? and against whom have you lifted up your voice, and raised your eyes on high? [Is it] against the Holy One of Israel?

23 ἐν χειρὶ ἀγγέλων σου ὠνείδισας Κύριον καὶ εἶπας· ἐν τῷ πλήθει τῶν ἁρμάτων μου ἐγὼ ἀναβήσομαι εἰς ὕψος ὀρέων, μηροὺς τοῦ Λιβάνου, καὶ ἔκοψα τὸ μέγεθος τῆς κέδρου αὐτοῦ, τὰ ἐκλεκτὰ κυπαρίσσων αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἦλθον εἰς μέσον δρυμοῦ καὶ Καρμήλου.

By your messengers you have reproached the Lord, and have said, I will go up with the multitude of my chariots, to the height of the mountains, to the sides of Libanus, and I have cut down the height of his cedar, [and] his choice cypresses; and I have come into the midst of the forest and of Carmel.

24 ἐγὼ ἔψυξα καὶ ἔπιον ὕδατα ἀλλότρια καὶ ἐξηρήμωσα τῷ ἴχνει τοῦ ποδός μου πάντας ποταμοὺς περιοχῆς.

I have refreshed [myself], and have drunk strange waters, and I have dried up with the sole of my foot all the rivers of fortified places.

25 ἔπλασα αὐτήν, συνήγαγον αὐτήν, καὶ ἐγενήθη εἰς ἐπάρσεις ἀποικεσιῶν μαχίμων, πόλεις ὀχυράς.

I have brought about [the matter], I have brought it to a conclusion; and it is come to the destruction of the bands of warlike prisoners, [even of] strong cities.

26 καὶ οἱ ἐνοικοῦντες ἐν αὐταῖς ἠσθένησαν τῇ χειρί, ἔπτηξαν καὶ κατῃσχύνθησαν, ἐγένοντο χόρτος ἀγροῦ ἢ χλωρὰ βοτάνη, χλόη δωμάτων καὶ πάτημα ἀπέναντι ἑστηκότος.

And they that lived in them were weak in hand, they quaked and were confounded, they became [as] grass of the field, or [as] the green herb, the grass [growing on] houses, and that which is trodden down by him that stands [upon it].

27 καὶ τὴν καθέδραν σου καὶ τὴν ἔξοδόν σου ἔγνων καὶ τὸν θυμόν σου ἐπ᾿ ἐμέ,

But I know your down-sitting, and your going forth, and your rage against me.

28 διὰ τὸ ὀργισθῆναί σε ἐπ᾿ ἐμὲ καὶ τὸ στρῆνός σου ἀνέβη ἐν τοῖς ὠσί μου καὶ θήσω τὰ ἄγκιστρά μου ἐν τοῖς μυκτῆρσί σου καὶ χαλινὸν ἐν τοῖς χείλεσί σου καὶ ἀποστρέψω σε ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ, ᾗ ἦλθες ἐν αὐτῇ.

Because you were angry against me, and your fierceness is come up into my ears, therefore will I put my hooks in your nostrils, and my bridle in your lips, and I will turn you back by the way by which you came.

29 καὶ τοῦτόν σοι τὸ σημεῖον· φάγε τοῦτον τὸν ἐνιαυτὸν αὐτόματα καὶ τῷ ἔτει τῷ δευτέρῳ τὰ ἀνατέλλοντα· καὶ ἔτει τῷ τρίτῳ σπορὰ καὶ ἄμητος καὶ φυτεία ἀμπελώνων, καὶ φάγεσθε τὸν καρπὸν αὐτῶν.

And this shall be a sign to you; eat this year the things that grow of themselves, and in the second year the things which spring up: and in the third year [let there be] sowing, and reaping, and planting of vineyards, and eat you⌃ the fruit of them.

30 καὶ προσθήσει τὸν διασεσωσμένον οἴκου Ἰούδα τὸ ὑπολειφθὲν ρίζαν κάτω καὶ ποιήσει καρπὸν ἄνω.

And he shall increase him that has escaped of the house of Juda: and the remnant [shall strike] root beneath, and it shall produce fruit above.

31 ὅτι ἐξ Ἱερουσαλὴμ ἐξελεύσεται κατάλειμμα καὶ ἀνασῳζόμενος ἐξ ὄρους Σιών· ὁ ζῆλος Κυρίου τῶν δυνάμεων ποιήσει τοῦτο.

For from Jerusalem shall go forth a remnant, and he that escapes from the mountain of Sion: the zeal of the Lord of host shall do this.

32 οὐχ οὕτως; τάδε λέγει Κύριος πρὸς βασιλέα Ἀσσυρίων· οὐκ εἰσελεύσεται εἰς τὴν πόλιν ταύτην καὶ οὐ τοξεύσει ἐκεῖ βέλος, καὶ οὐ προφθάσει αὐτὴν θυρεός, καὶ οὐ μὴ ἐκχέῃ πρὸς αὐτὴν πρόσχωμα·

[Is it] not so? Thus says the Lord concerning the king of the Assyrians, He shall not enter into this city, and he shall not shoot an arrow there, neither shall a shield come against it, neither shall he heap a mound against it.

33 τῇ ὁδῷ, ᾗ ἦλθεν, ἐν αὐτῇ ἀποστραφήσεται καὶ εἰς τὴν πόλιν ταύτην οὐκ εἰσελεύσεται, λέγει Κύριος,

By the way by which he comes, by it shall he return, and he shall not enter into this city, says the Lord.

34 καὶ ὑπερασπιῶ ὑπὲρ τῆς πόλεως ταύτης δι᾿ ἐμὲ καὶ διὰ Δαυὶδ τὸν δοῦλόν μου.

And I will defend this city as with a shield, for my own sake, and for my servant David's sake.

35 Καὶ ἐγένετο ἕως νυκτὸς καὶ ἐξῆλθεν ἄγγελος Κυρίου καὶ ἐπάταξεν ἐν τῇ παρεμβολῇ Ἀσσυρίων ἑκατὸν ὀγδοηκονταπέντε χιλιάδας· καὶ ὤρθρισαν τὸ πρωΐ, καὶ ἰδοὺ πάντες σώματα νεκρά.

And it came to pass at night that the angel of the Lord went forth, an struck in the camp of the Assyrians one hundred and eighty-five thousand: and they rose early in the morning, and, behold, [these were] all dead corpses.

36 καὶ ἀπῇρε καὶ ἐπορεύθη καὶ ἀπέστρεψε Σενναχηρὶμ βασιλεὺς Ἀσσυρίων καὶ ᾤκησεν ἐν Νινευῆ.

And Sennacherim king of the Assyrians departed, and went and returned, and lived in Nineve.

37 καὶ ἐγένετο αὐτοῦ προσκυνοῦντος ἐν οἴκῳ Νεσερὰχ θεοῦ αὐτοῦ καὶ Ἀδραμέλεχ καὶ Σαρασάρ, οἱ υἱοὶ αὐτοῦ ἐπάταξαν αὐτὸν ἐν μαχαίρᾳ, καὶ αὐτοὶ ἐσώθησαν εἰς γῆν Ἀραράθ· καὶ ἐβασίλευσεν Ἀσορδὰν ὁ υἱὸς αὐτοῦ ἀντ᾿ αὐτοῦ.

And it came to pass, while he was worshipping in the house of Meserach his god, that Adramelech and Sarasar his sons struck him with the sword: and they escaped into the land of Ararath; and Asordan his son reigned in his stead.

Greek: the Septuagint as the Orthodox Media Network published it (Mount Athos); 2 Maccabees and the Prayer of Manasseh from Brenton's edition (1851). English: Brenton's translation (1851), its spelling updated by Michael Paul Johnson; public domain. About these texts.