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Sabato, 27 aprile 2024 - Santa Zita ( Letture di oggi)

Isaiah 36


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NEW JERUSALEMDOUAI-RHEIMS
1 In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria advanced on al the fortified townsof Judah and captured them.1 And it came to pass in the fourteenth year of king Ezechias, that Sennacherib king of the Assyrians came up against all the fenced cities of Juda, and took them.
2 From Lachish the king of Assyria sent the cupbearer-in-chief with a large force to King Hezekiah inJerusalem. The cupbearer-in-chief took up position near the conduit of the upper pool on the road to the Ful er'sField.2 And the king of the Assyrians sent Rabsaces from Lachis to Jerusalem, to king Ezechias with a great army, and he stood by the conduit of the upper pool in the way of the fuller's held.
3 The master of the palace, Eliakim son of Hilkiah, Shebna the secretary and the herald Joah son ofAsaph went out to him.3 And there went out to him Eliacim the son of Helcias, who was over the house, and Sobna the scribe, and Joahe the son of Asaph the recorder.
4 The cupbearer-in-chief said to them, 'Say to Hezekiah, "The great king, the king of Assyria, says this:What makes you so confident?4 And Rabsaces said to them: Tell Ezechias: Thus saith the great king, the king of the Assyrians: What is this confidence wherein thou trustest?
5 Do you think empty words are as good as strategy and military strength? Who are you relying on, todare to rebel against me?5 Or with what counsel or strength dost thou prepare for war? on whom dost thou trust, that thou art revolted from me?
6 There you are, relying on that broken reed, Egypt, which pricks and pierces the hand of the person wholeans on it. That is what Pharaoh king of Egypt is like to al who rely on him.6 Lo thou trustest upon this broken staff of a reed, upon Egypt: upon which if a man lean, it will go into his hand, and pierce it: so is Pharao king or Egypt to all that trust in him.
7 You may say to me: We rely on Yahweh our God. But haven't his high places and altars beensuppressed by Hezekiah, who told Judah and Jerusalem: This is the altar before which you must worship?7 But if thou wilt answer me: We trust in the Lord our God: is it not he whose high places and altars Ezechias hath taken away, and hath said to Juda and Jerusalem: You shall worship before this altar?
8 Very wel , then, make a wager with my lord the king of Assyria: I wil give you two thousand horses ifyou can find horsemen to ride them.8 And now deliver thyself up to my lord the king of the Assyrians, and I will give thee two thousand horses, and thou wilt not be able on thy part to find riders for them.
9 How could you repulse a single one of the least of my master's soldiers? And yet you have relied onEgypt for chariots and horsemen.9 And how wilt thou stand against the face of the judge of one place, of the least of my master's servants? But if thou trust in Egypt, in chariots and in horsemen:
10 And lastly, have I marched on this country to lay it waste without warrant from Yahweh? Yahwehhimself said to me: March on this country and lay it waste."10 And am I now come up without the Lord against this land to destroy it? The Lord said to me: Go up against this land, and destroy it.
11 Eliakim, Shebna and Joah said to the cupbearer-in-chief, 'Please speak to your servants in Aramaic,for we understand it; do not speak to us in the Judaean language within earshot of the people on the ramparts.'11 And Eliacim, and Sobna, and Joahe said to Rabsaces: Speak to thy servants in the Syrian tongue: for we understand it: speak not to us in the Jews' language in the hearing of the people, that are upon the wall.
12 But the cupbearer-in-chief said, 'Do you think my lord sent me here to say these things to your masteror to you? On the contrary, it was to the people sitting on the ramparts who, like you, are doomed to eat theirown dung and drink their own urine.'12 And Rabsaces said to them: Hath my master sent me to thy master and to thee, to speak all these words; and not rather to the men that sit on the wall; that they may eat their own dung, and drink their urine with you?
13 The cupbearer-in-chief then drew himself up and shouted loudly in the Judaean language, 'Listen tothe words of the great king, the king of Assyria.13 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.
14 The king says this, "Do not let Hezekiah delude you! He wil be powerless to save you.14 Thus saith the king: Let not Ezechias deceive you, for he shall not be able to deliver you.
15 Do not let Hezekiah persuade you to rely on Yahweh by saying: Yahweh is sure to save us; this citywil not fal into the king of Assyria's clutches.15 And let not Ezechias make you trust in the Lord, saying: The Lord will surely deliver us, and this city shall not be given into the hands of the king of the Assyrians.
16 Do not listen to Hezekiah, for the king of Assyria says this: Make peace with me,16 Do not hearken to Ezechias: for thus said the king of the Assyrians: Do with me that which is for your advantage, and come out to me, and eat ye every one of his vine, and every one of his dg tree, and drink ye every one the water of his cistern,
17 surrender to me, and every one of you wil be free to eat the fruit of his own vine and of his own figtree and to drink the water of his own storage-wel until I come and take you away to a country like your own, aland of corn and good wine, a land of bread and vineyards.17 Till I come and take you away to a land, like to your own, a land of corn and of wine, a land of bread and vineyards.
18 Do not let Hezekiah delude you by saying: Yahweh will save us. Has any god of any nation been ableto save his country from the king of Assyria's clutches?18 Neither let Ezechias trouble you, saying: The Lord will deliver us. Have any of the gods of the nations delivered their land out of the hand of the king of the Assyrians?
19 Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim? Where are thenational gods of Samaria? Did they save Samaria from my clutches?19 Where is the god of Emath and of Arphad? where is the god of Sepharvaim? have they delivered Samaria out of my hand?
20 Of al the national gods, which ones have saved their countries from my clutches, that Yahweh shouldbe able to save Jerusalem from my clutches?" '20 Who is there among all the gods of these lands, that hath delivered his country out of my hand, that the Lord may deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?
21 They, however, kept quiet and said nothing in reply, since the king had given the order, 'You are not toanswer him.'21 And they held their peace, and answered him not a word. For the king had commanded, saying: answer him not.
22 The master of the palace, Eliakim son of Hilkiah, Shebna the secretary and the herald Joah son ofAsaph, with their clothes torn, went to Hezekiah and reported what the cupbearer-in-chief had said.22 And Eliacim the son of Helcias, that was over the house, and Sobna the scribe, and Joahe the son of Asaph the recorder, went in to Ezechias with their garments rent, and told him the words of Rabsaces.