Thematic Bible: Besieged by
Thematic Bible
Jerusalem » Besieged by » Sennacherib
Now in the fourteenth year of king Hezekiah, Sennacherib, king of Assyria, came up against all the walled towns of Judah and took them. Hezekiah sent a message to Sennacherib at Lachish: I have done wrong. Stop your attack and I will pay whatever you demand. The emperor's answer was that Hezekiah should send him ten tons of silver and one ton of gold. Hezekiah sent him all the silver in the Temple and in the palace treasury. read more.
Hezekiah had the gold from the doors of Jehovah's Temple and from the doorposts plated by him. He stripped it off and gave it to the king of Assyria. The king of Assyria sent his commander-in-chief (Tartan), his quartermaster, and his field commander with a large army from Lachish to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem. They stood at the channel for the Upper Pool on the road to the Laundryman's Field. They sent for the king, and Eliakim, the son of Hilkiah, who was over the house, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah, the son of Asaph, the recorder, came out to them. The Rabshakeh said to them: Say to Hezekiah: These are the words of the great king, the king of Assyria: In what are you placing your hope? You say you have counsel and [military] strength for war. These are only words. To whom are you looking for support that you rebel against me? You rely on Egypt that broken reed of a staff. If a man leans on it (relies on its power) his hand (strength) will be pierced (wounded) (diminished). So is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who put their faith in him. If you say to me: We trust in Jehovah our God, is he not the one whose high places and altars have been taken away by Hezekiah. For he told Judah and Jerusalem that worship may only be given before this altar in Jerusalem? And now, make an agreement with my master, the king of Assyria, and I will give you two thousand horses, if you are able to put horsemen on them. How then can you put to shame the least of my master's servants? You put your hope in Egypt for chariots and horsemen: Have I now come to destroy this place without Jehovah? It was Jehovah who said to me: 'Go up against this land and make it waste.' Then Eliakim son of Hilkiah, and Shebna and Joah said to the Rabshakeh (the commander): Will you kindly make use of the Aramaean language in talking to your servants. We are used to it. Do not use the Jews' language in the hearing of the people on the wall. He replied: Do you think you and the king are the only ones the king sent me to say these things? No, I am also talking to the people who are sitting on the wall. They will have to eat their excrement and drink their own urine, just as you will. The official stood up and shouted in Hebrew: Listen to what the king of Assyria is telling you! He warns you: 'Do not let Hezekiah deceive you. Hezekiah cannot save you.' Do not let Hezekiah convince you to rely on Jehovah. Do not think that Jehovah will save you or that he will stop our Assyrian army from capturing you. Do not listen to Hezekiah. The king of Assyria commands you to come out of the city and surrender. Make peace with me and you will be allowed to eat grapes from your own vines and figs from your own trees, and to drink water from your own wells (cisterns). The king will resettle you in a country much like your own. There are vineyards to give wine and there is grain for making bread there. It is a land of olives, olive oil, and honey. Do what he commands and you will not die. Do not let Hezekiah fool you into thinking Jehovah will rescue you. Did the gods of other nations save their countries from the king of Assyria? Where are they now? Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah? Did anyone save Samaria? When did any of the gods of all these countries ever save their country from our king? What makes you think Jehovah can save Jerusalem? The people kept quiet. They did as King Hezekiah told them. They did not say a word. Then Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah tore their clothes in grief. They reported to the king what the Assyrian official had said.
Hezekiah had the gold from the doors of Jehovah's Temple and from the doorposts plated by him. He stripped it off and gave it to the king of Assyria. The king of Assyria sent his commander-in-chief (Tartan), his quartermaster, and his field commander with a large army from Lachish to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem. They stood at the channel for the Upper Pool on the road to the Laundryman's Field. They sent for the king, and Eliakim, the son of Hilkiah, who was over the house, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah, the son of Asaph, the recorder, came out to them. The Rabshakeh said to them: Say to Hezekiah: These are the words of the great king, the king of Assyria: In what are you placing your hope? You say you have counsel and [military] strength for war. These are only words. To whom are you looking for support that you rebel against me? You rely on Egypt that broken reed of a staff. If a man leans on it (relies on its power) his hand (strength) will be pierced (wounded) (diminished). So is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who put their faith in him. If you say to me: We trust in Jehovah our God, is he not the one whose high places and altars have been taken away by Hezekiah. For he told Judah and Jerusalem that worship may only be given before this altar in Jerusalem? And now, make an agreement with my master, the king of Assyria, and I will give you two thousand horses, if you are able to put horsemen on them. How then can you put to shame the least of my master's servants? You put your hope in Egypt for chariots and horsemen: Have I now come to destroy this place without Jehovah? It was Jehovah who said to me: 'Go up against this land and make it waste.' Then Eliakim son of Hilkiah, and Shebna and Joah said to the Rabshakeh (the commander): Will you kindly make use of the Aramaean language in talking to your servants. We are used to it. Do not use the Jews' language in the hearing of the people on the wall. He replied: Do you think you and the king are the only ones the king sent me to say these things? No, I am also talking to the people who are sitting on the wall. They will have to eat their excrement and drink their own urine, just as you will. The official stood up and shouted in Hebrew: Listen to what the king of Assyria is telling you! He warns you: 'Do not let Hezekiah deceive you. Hezekiah cannot save you.' Do not let Hezekiah convince you to rely on Jehovah. Do not think that Jehovah will save you or that he will stop our Assyrian army from capturing you. Do not listen to Hezekiah. The king of Assyria commands you to come out of the city and surrender. Make peace with me and you will be allowed to eat grapes from your own vines and figs from your own trees, and to drink water from your own wells (cisterns). The king will resettle you in a country much like your own. There are vineyards to give wine and there is grain for making bread there. It is a land of olives, olive oil, and honey. Do what he commands and you will not die. Do not let Hezekiah fool you into thinking Jehovah will rescue you. Did the gods of other nations save their countries from the king of Assyria? Where are they now? Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah? Did anyone save Samaria? When did any of the gods of all these countries ever save their country from our king? What makes you think Jehovah can save Jerusalem? The people kept quiet. They did as King Hezekiah told them. They did not say a word. Then Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah tore their clothes in grief. They reported to the king what the Assyrian official had said.
Isaiah son of Amoz sent a message to Hezekiah: This is what Jehovah the God of Israel says: 'You prayed to me about King Sennacherib of Assyria. I have heard you. This is Jehovah's message to Sennacherib: 'My people, the virgin daughter of Zion, despise you and laugh at you. My people in Jerusalem shake their heads behind your back. Whom are you defying and slandering? Against whom are you shouting? Who are you looking at so arrogantly? It is the Holy One of Israel! read more.
You defy Jehovah and through your servants you say: 'With my many chariots I ride up the high mountains, up the slopes of Lebanon. I cut down its tallest cedars and its finest cypresses. I travel to its most distant borders and its most fertile forests. I will dig wells and drink foreign water. I will dry up all the streams of Egypt with the soles of my feet.' Have you not heard? I did this long ago. I planned it in the past. Now I make it happen so that you will turn fortified cities into piles of rubble. The inhabitants of these cities are weak, discouraged, and ashamed. They will be like plants in the field, like fresh green grass on the roofs, scorched before it grows up. I know when you get up and sit down. I know when you go out and come in. I know how you rage against me. Since you rage against me and you boast in my ears, I will put my hook in your nose and my bridle in your mouth. I will make you go back the way you came. This will be a sign for you, Hezekiah: You will eat what grows by itself this year and next year. But in the third year you will plant and harvest, plant vineyards, and eat what is produced. The remnant in Judah who survives will flourish like plants that send roots deep into the ground and produce fruit. There will be a remnant of people in Jerusalem and on Mount Zion who will survive. Jehovah is determined to make this happen. This is what Jehovah said about the Assyrian king: 'He will not enter this city or shoot a single arrow against it. No soldiers with shields will come near the city. No siege mounds will be built around it.' He will go back by the same road he came. He will not enter the city. I, Jehovah, have spoken! I will defend this city and protect it. It is for the sake of my own honor and because of the promise I made to my servant David. It happened that night. Jehovah's angel killed one hundred and eighty five thousand soldiers in the Assyrian camp. The next morning the Judeans saw all the corpses. King Sennacherib of Assyria returned to his home at Nineveh and stayed there. While he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisroch, Adrammelech and Sharezer assassinated him. They escaped to the land of Ararat. His son Esarhaddon succeeded him as king.
You defy Jehovah and through your servants you say: 'With my many chariots I ride up the high mountains, up the slopes of Lebanon. I cut down its tallest cedars and its finest cypresses. I travel to its most distant borders and its most fertile forests. I will dig wells and drink foreign water. I will dry up all the streams of Egypt with the soles of my feet.' Have you not heard? I did this long ago. I planned it in the past. Now I make it happen so that you will turn fortified cities into piles of rubble. The inhabitants of these cities are weak, discouraged, and ashamed. They will be like plants in the field, like fresh green grass on the roofs, scorched before it grows up. I know when you get up and sit down. I know when you go out and come in. I know how you rage against me. Since you rage against me and you boast in my ears, I will put my hook in your nose and my bridle in your mouth. I will make you go back the way you came. This will be a sign for you, Hezekiah: You will eat what grows by itself this year and next year. But in the third year you will plant and harvest, plant vineyards, and eat what is produced. The remnant in Judah who survives will flourish like plants that send roots deep into the ground and produce fruit. There will be a remnant of people in Jerusalem and on Mount Zion who will survive. Jehovah is determined to make this happen. This is what Jehovah said about the Assyrian king: 'He will not enter this city or shoot a single arrow against it. No soldiers with shields will come near the city. No siege mounds will be built around it.' He will go back by the same road he came. He will not enter the city. I, Jehovah, have spoken! I will defend this city and protect it. It is for the sake of my own honor and because of the promise I made to my servant David. It happened that night. Jehovah's angel killed one hundred and eighty five thousand soldiers in the Assyrian camp. The next morning the Judeans saw all the corpses. King Sennacherib of Assyria returned to his home at Nineveh and stayed there. While he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisroch, Adrammelech and Sharezer assassinated him. They escaped to the land of Ararat. His son Esarhaddon succeeded him as king.
Jerusalem » Besieged by » The philistines
Later Jehovah caused the Philistines and the Arabs who lived near the Ethiopians to become angry with Jehoram. They invaded Judah and stole the royal property from the palace. They led Jehoram's wives and sons away as prisoners. The only one left behind was Ahaziah, his youngest son.
Jerusalem » Besieged by » Pekah
Rezin king of Aram, and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel came to Jerusalem to make war. They attacked Ahaz but could not conquer him.
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