TORAH
FIVE BOOKS OF MOSES
NEVI'IM
PROPHETS
KETUVIM
WRITINGS

II - Chapter 19

Translation and Transliteration of 

1When King Chizkiyahu heard this, he rent his clothes, and covered himself with sackcloth, and went into the House of Hashem.

אוַיְהִי כִּשְׁמֹעַ הַמֶּלֶךְ חִזְקִיָּהוּ וַיִּקְרַע אֶת־בְּגָדָיו וַיִּתְכַּס בַּשָּׂק וַיָּבֹא בֵּית יְהֹוָה׃

2He also sent Eliakim, who was in charge of the palace, Shebna the scribe, and the senior Kohanim, covered with sackcloth, to the Navi Yeshayahu son of Amotz.

בוַיִּשְׁלַח אֶת־אֶלְיָקִים אֲשֶׁר־עַל־הַבַּיִת וְשֶׁבְנָא הַסֹּפֵר וְאֵת זִקְנֵי הַכֹּהֲנִים מִתְכַּסִּים בַּשַּׂקִּים אֶל־יְשַׁעְיָהוּ הַנָּבִיא בֶּן־אָמוֹץ׃

3They said to him, “Thus said Chizkiyahu: This day is a day of distress, of chastisement, and of disgrace. The babes have reached the birthstool, but the strength to give birth is lacking.

גוַיֹּאמְרוּ אֵלָיו כֹּה אָמַר חִזְקִיָּהוּ יוֹם־צָרָה וְתוֹכֵחָה וּנְאָצָה הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה כִּי בָאוּ בָנִים עַד־מַשְׁבֵּר וְכֹחַ אַיִן לְלֵדָה׃

4Perhaps Hashem your God will take note of all the words of the Rabshakeh, whom his master the king of Assyria has sent to blaspheme the living Hashem, and will mete out judgment for the words that Hashem your God has heard—if you will offer up prayer for the surviving remnant.”

דאוּלַי יִשְׁמַע יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֵת כָּל־דִּבְרֵי רַב־שָׁקֵה אֲשֶׁר שְׁלָחוֹ מֶלֶךְ־אַשּׁוּר אֲדֹנָיו לְחָרֵף אֱלֹהִים חַי וְהוֹכִיחַ בַּדְּבָרִים אֲשֶׁר שָׁמַע יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ וְנָשָׂאתָ תְפִלָּה בְּעַד הַשְּׁאֵרִית הַנִּמְצָאָה׃

5When King Chizkiyahu's ministers came to Yeshayahu,

הוַיָּבֹאוּ עַבְדֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ חִזְקִיָּהוּ אֶל־יְשַׁעַיָהוּ׃

6Yeshayahu said to them, “Tell your master as follows: Thus said Hashem: Do not be frightened by the words of blasphemy against Me that you have heard from the minions of the king of Assyria.

ווַיֹּאמֶר לָהֶם יְשַׁעְיָהוּ כֹּה תֹאמְרוּן אֶל־אֲדֹנֵיכֶם כֹּה אָמַר יְהֹוָה אַל־תִּירָא מִפְּנֵי הַדְּבָרִים אֲשֶׁר שָׁמַעְתָּ אֲשֶׁר גִּדְּפוּ נַעֲרֵי מֶלֶךְ־אַשּׁוּר אֹתִי׃

7I will delude him; he will hear a rumor and return to his land, and I will make him fall by the sword in his land.”

זהִנְנִי נֹתֵן בּוֹ רוּחַ וְשָׁמַע שְׁמוּעָה וְשָׁב לְאַרְצוֹ וְהִפַּלְתִּיו בַּחֶרֶב בְּאַרְצוֹ׃

8The Rabshakeh, meanwhile, heard that [the king] had left Lachish; he turned back and found the king of Assyria attacking Libnah.

חוַיָּשָׁב רַב־שָׁקֵה וַיִּמְצָא אֶת־מֶלֶךְ אַשּׁוּר נִלְחָם עַל־לִבְנָה כִּי שָׁמַע כִּי נָסַע מִלָּכִישׁ׃

9But [the king of Assyria] learned that King Tirhakah of Nubia had come out to fight him; so he again sent messengers to Chizkiyahu, saying,

טוַיִּשְׁמַע אֶל־תִּרְהָקָה מֶלֶך־כּוּשׁ לֵאמֹר הִנֵּה יָצָא לְהִלָּחֵם אִתָּךְ וַיָּשָׁב וַיִּשְׁלַח מַלְאָכִים אֶל־חִזְקִיָּהוּ לֵאמֹר׃

10“Tell this to King Chizkiyahu of Yehuda: Do not let your God, on whom you are relying, mislead you into thinking that Yerushalayim will not be delivered into the hands of the king of Assyria.

יכֹּה תֹאמְרוּן אֶל־חִזְקִיָּהוּ מֶלֶךְ־יְהוּדָה לֵאמֹר אַל־יַשִּׁאֲךָ אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֲשֶׁר אַתָּה בֹּטֵחַ בּוֹ לֵאמֹר לֹא תִנָּתֵן יְרוּשָׁלִַם בְּיַד מֶלֶךְ אַשּׁוּר׃

11You yourself have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all the lands, how they have annihilated them; and can you escape?

יאהִנֵּה אַתָּה שָׁמַעְתָּ אֵת אֲשֶׁר עָשׂוּ מַלְכֵי אַשּׁוּר לְכָל־הָאֲרָצוֹת לְהַחֲרִימָם וְאַתָּה תִּנָּצֵל׃

12Were the nations that my predecessors destroyed—Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and the Beth-edenites in Telassar—saved by their gods?

יבהַהִצִּילוּ אֹתָם אֱלֹהֵי הַגּוֹיִם אֲשֶׁר שִׁחֲתוּ אֲבוֹתַי אֶת־גּוֹזָן וְאֶת־חָרָן וְרֶצֶף וּבְנֵי־עֶדֶן אֲשֶׁר בִּתְלַאשָּׂר׃

13Where is the king of Hamath? And the king of Arpad? And the kings of Lair, Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah?”

יגאַיּוֹ מֶלֶךְ־חֲמָת וּמֶלֶךְ אַרְפָּד וּמֶלֶךְ לָעִיר סְפַרְוָיִם הֵנַע וְעִוָּה׃

14Chizkiyahu took the letter from the messengers and read it. Chizkiyahu then went up to the House of Hashem and spread it out before Hashem.

ידוַיִּקַּח חִזְקִיָּהוּ אֶת־הַסְּפָרִים מִיַּד הַמַּלְאָכִים וַיִּקְרָאֵם וַיַּעַל בֵּית יְהֹוָה וַיִּפְרְשֵׂהוּ חִזְקִיָּהוּ לִפְנֵי יְהֹוָה׃

15And Chizkiyahu prayed to Hashem and said, “LORD of Hosts, Enthroned on the Keruvim! You alone are God of all the kingdoms of the earth. You made the heavens and the earth.

טווַיִּתְפַּלֵּל חִזְקִיָּהוּ לִפְנֵי יְהֹוָה וַיֹּאמַר יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל יֹשֵׁב הַכְּרֻבִים אַתָּה־הוּא הָאֱלֹהִים לְבַדְּךָ לְכֹל מַמְלְכוֹת הָאָרֶץ אַתָּה עָשִׂיתָ אֶת־הַשָּׁמַיִם וְאֶת־הָאָרֶץ׃

16Hashem, incline Your ear and hear; open Your eyes and see. Hear the words that Sennacherib has sent to blaspheme the living Hashem!

טזהַטֵּה יְהֹוָה אָזְנְךָ וּשֲׁמָע פְּקַח יְהֹוָה עֵינֶיךָ וּרְאֵה וּשְׁמַע אֵת דִּבְרֵי סַנְחֵרִיב אֲשֶׁר שְׁלָחוֹ לְחָרֵף אֱלֹהִים חָי׃

17True, Hashem, the kings of Assyria have annihilated the nations and their lands,

יזאָמְנָם יְהֹוָה הֶחֱרִיבוּ מַלְכֵי אַשּׁוּר אֶת־הַגּוֹיִם וְאֶת־אַרְצָם׃

18and have committed their gods to the flames and have destroyed them; for they are not gods, but man's handiwork of wood and stone.

יחוְנָתְנוּ אֶת־אֱלֹהֵיהֶם בָּאֵשׁ כִּי לֹא אֱלֹהִים הֵמָּה כִּי אִם־מַעֲשֵׂה יְדֵי־אָדָם עֵץ וָאֶבֶן וַיְאַבְּדוּם׃

19But now, Hashem our God, deliver us from his hands, and let all the kingdoms of the earth know that You alone, Hashem, are Hashem.”

יטוְעַתָּה יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ הוֹשִׁיעֵנוּ נָא מִיָּדוֹ וְיֵדְעוּ כָּל־מַמְלְכוֹת הָאָרֶץ כִּי אַתָּה יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהִים לְבַדֶּךָ׃

20Then Yeshayahu son of Amotz sent this message to Chizkiyahu: “Thus said Hashem, the God of Yisrael: I have heard the prayer you have offered to Me concerning King Sennacherib of Assyria.

כוַיִּשְׁלַח יְשַׁעְיָהוּ בֶן־אָמוֹץ אֶל־חִזְקִיָּהוּ לֵאמֹר כֹּה־אָמַר יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר הִתְפַּלַּלְתָּ אֵלַי אֶל־סַנְחֵרִב מֶלֶךְ־אַשּׁוּר שָׁמָעְתִּי׃

21This is the word that Hashem has spoken concerning him: “Fair Maiden Tzion despises you, She mocks at you; Fair Yerushalayim shakes Her head at you.

כאזֶה הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר־דִּבֶּר יְהֹוָה עָלָיו בָּזָה לְךָ לָעֲגָה לְךָ בְּתוּלַת בַּת־צִיּוֹן אַחֲרֶיךָ רֹאשׁ הֵנִיעָה בַּת יְרוּשָׁלִָם׃

22Whom have you blasphemed and reviled? Against whom made loud your voice And haughtily raised your eyes? Against the Holy One of Yisrael!

כבאֶת־מִי חֵרַפְתָּ וְגִדַּפְתָּ וְעַל־מִי הֲרִימוֹתָ קּוֹל וַתִּשָּׂא מָרוֹם עֵינֶיךָ עַל־קְדוֹשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל׃

23Through your envoys you have blasphemed my Lord. Because you thought, ‘Thanks to my vast chariotry, It is I who have climbed the highest mountains, To the remotest parts of the Lebanon, And have cut down its loftiest cedars, Its choicest cypresses, And have reached its remotest lodge, Its densest forest.

כגבְּיַד מַלְאָכֶיךָ חֵרַפְתָּ אֲדֹנָי וַתֹּאמֶר ברכב [בְּרֹב] רִכְבִּי אֲנִי עָלִיתִי מְרוֹם הָרִים יַרְכְּתֵי לְבָנוֹן וְאֶכְרֹת קוֹמַת אֲרָזָיו מִבְחוֹר בְּרֹשָׁיו וְאָבוֹאָה מְלוֹן קִצֹּה יַעַר כַּרְמִלּוֹ׃

24It is I who have drawn and drunk the waters of strangers; I have dried up with the soles of my feet All the streams of Egypt.'

כדאֲנִי קַרְתִּי וְשָׁתִיתִי מַיִם זָרִים וְאַחְרִב בְּכַף־פְּעָמַי כֹּל יְאֹרֵי מָצוֹר׃

25Have you not heard? Of old I planned that very thing, I designed it long ago, And now have fulfilled it. And it has come to pass, Laying waste fortified towns In desolate heaps.

כההֲלֹא־שָׁמַעְתָּ לְמֵרָחוֹק אֹתָהּ עָשִׂיתִי לְמִימֵי קֶדֶם וִיצַרְתִּיהָ עַתָּה הֲבֵיאתִיהָ וּתְהִי לַהְשׁוֹת גַּלִּים נִצִּים עָרִים בְּצֻרוֹת׃

26Their inhabitants are helpless, Dismayed and shamed. They were but grass of the field And green herbage, Grass of the roofs that is blasted Before the standing grain.

כווְיֹשְׁבֵיהֶן קִצְרֵי־יָד חַתּוּ וַיֵּבֹשׁוּ הָיוּ עֵשֶׂב שָׂדֶה וִירַק דֶּשֶׁא חֲצִיר גַּגּוֹת וּשְׁדֵפָה לִפְנֵי קָמָה׃

27I know your stayings And your goings and comings, And how you have raged against Me.

כזוְשִׁבְתְּךָ וְצֵאתְךָ וּבֹאֲךָ יָדָעְתִּי וְאֵת הִתְרַגֶּזְךָ אֵלָי׃

28Because you have raged against Me, And your tumult has reached My ears, I will place My hook in your nose And My bit between your jaws; And I will make you go back by the road By which you came.

כחיַעַן הִתְרַגֶּזְךָ אֵלַי וְשַׁאֲנַנְךָ עָלָה בְאָזְנָי וְשַׂמְתִּי חַחִי בְּאַפֶּךָ וּמִתְגִּי בִּשְׂפָתֶיךָ וַהֲשִׁבֹתִיךָ בַּדֶּרֶךְ אֲשֶׁר־בָּאתָ בָּהּ׃

29“And this is the sign for you: This year you eat what grows of itself, and the next year what springs from that; and in the third year, sow and reap, and plant vineyards and eat their fruit.

כטוְזֶה־לְּךָ הָאוֹת אָכוֹל הַשָּׁנָה סָפִיחַ וּבַשָּׁנָה הַשֵּׁנִית סָחִישׁ וּבַשָּׁנָה הַשְּׁלִישִׁית זִרְעוּ וְקִצְרוּ וְנִטְעוּ כְרָמִים וְאִכְלוּ פִרְיָם׃

30And the survivors of the House of Yehuda that have escaped shall regenerate its stock below and produce boughs above.

לוְיָסְפָה פְּלֵיטַת בֵּית־יְהוּדָה הַנִּשְׁאָרָה שֹׁרֶשׁ לְמָטָּה וְעָשָׂה פְרִי לְמָעְלָה׃

31For a remnant shall come forth from Yerushalayim, Survivors from Mount Tzion. The zeal of the lord of Hosts Shall bring this to pass.

לאכִּי מִירוּשָׁלִַם תֵּצֵא שְׁאֵרִית וּפְלֵיטָה מֵהַר צִיּוֹן קִנְאַת יְהֹוָה [צְבָאוֹת] תַּעֲשֶׂה־זֹּאת׃

32Assuredly, thus said Hashem concerning the king of Assyria: He shall not enter this city: He shall not shoot an arrow at it, Or advance upon it with a shield, Or pile up a siege mound against it.

לבלָכֵן כֹּה־אָמַר יְהֹוָה אֶל־מֶלֶךְ אַשּׁוּר לֹא יָבֹא אֶל־הָעִיר הַזֹּאת וְלֹא־יוֹרֶה שָׁם חֵץ וְלֹא־יְקַדְּמֶנָּה מָגֵן וְלֹא־יִשְׁפֹּךְ עָלֶיהָ סֹלְלָה׃

33He shall go back By the way he came; He shall not enter this city—declares Hashem.

לגבַּדֶּרֶךְ אֲשֶׁר־יָבֹא בָּהּ יָשׁוּב וְאֶל־הָעִיר הַזֹּאת לֹא יָבֹא נְאֻם־יְהֹוָה׃

34I will protect and save this city for My sake, And for the sake of My servant David.”

לדוְגַנּוֹתִי אֶל־הָעִיר הַזֹּאת לְהוֹשִׁיעָהּ לְמַעֲנִי וּלְמַעַן דָּוִד עַבְדִּי׃

35That night an angel of Hashem went out and struck down one hundred and eighty-five thousand in the Assyrian camp, and the following morning they were all dead corpses.

vai-HEE ba-LAI-lah ha-HU va-yay-TZAY mal-AKH a-do-NAI va-YAKH b'-ma-kha-NAY a-SHUR may-AH sh'-mo-NEEM va-kha-mi-SHAH A-lef va-yash-KEE-mu va-BO-ker v'-hi-NAY khu-LAM p'-ga-REEM may-TEEM

להוַיְהִי בַּלַּיְלָה הַהוּא וַיֵּצֵא מַלְאַךְ יְהֹוָה וַיַּךְ בְּמַחֲנֵה אַשּׁוּר מֵאָה שְׁמוֹנִים וַחֲמִשָּׁה אָלֶף וַיַּשְׁכִּימוּ בַבֹּקֶר וְהִנֵּה כֻלָּם פְּגָרִים מֵתִים׃

 19:35   An angel of Hashem went out and struck down

Egyptian war planes destroyed on the ground, 1967

After the threats of the Assyrians and the supplications of King Chizkiyahu, Hashem performs a wondrous miracle. The Assyrian soldiers besieging Yerushalayim are struck down in one night, thereby saving the city and its inhabitants. This miracle was repeated in the twentieth century, during the Six Day War. The surrounding Arab nations had threatened to “throw the Jews into the sea.” Many felt all was lost, and tens of thousands of graves were dug throughout Israel to prepare for the mass casualties many thought were impending. Yet in only six days, God struck down Israel’s enemies in the most miraculous of fashions. The Egyptian air force was destroyed while still on the ground. The Jordanians then entered the war, leading to Israel’s liberation of Yerushalayim, Judea and Samaria. And Syria, despite having the advantage of the high ground from which it had terrorized Israeli farmers for decades, was driven from the Golan Heights. The entire world stood in awe of Israel’s miraculous victory, reminiscent of Hashem’s sudden defeat of the Assyrian army long ago.

36So King Sennacherib of Assyria broke camp and retreated, and stayed in Nineveh.

לווַיִּסַּע וַיֵּלֶךְ וַיָּשָׁב סַנְחֵרִיב מֶלֶךְ־אַשּׁוּר וַיֵּשֶׁב בְּנִינְוֵה׃

37While he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisroch, his sons Adrammelech and Sarezer struck him down with the sword. They fled to the land of Ararat, and his son Esarhaddon succeeded him as king.

לזוַיְהִי הוּא מִשְׁתַּחֲוֶה בֵּית נִסְרֹךְ אֱלֹהָיו וְאַדְרַמֶּלֶךְ וְשַׂרְאֶצֶר [בָּנָיו] הִכֻּהוּ בַחֶרֶב וְהֵמָּה נִמְלְטוּ אֶרֶץ אֲרָרָט וַיִּמְלֹךְ אֵסַר־חַדֹּן בְּנוֹ תַּחְתָּיו׃