The Second of Kings
18 For the third year of Ho·she′a the son of E′lah wey be the king of Israel, Hez·e·ki′ah the son of A′haz wey be king of Judah start to rule as king. 2 Na 25 years e dey when e start to rule as king, and e rule for 29 years for Jerusalem. Im mama name na A′bi* wey be the daughter of Zech·a·ri′ah. 3 E continue to do wetin correct for Jehovah eyes, just as David im papa-papa be do. 4 Na im be the person wey comot the high place* them, pieces the idol pillars, and scatter the idol pole* for ground. E still pieces the copper snake wey Moses be make, because till that time, Israel people de make sacrifice smoke to the snake and them be de call-am the copper snake-idol.* 5 E trust Jehovah the God of Israel; e no get anybody wey be like-am among all Judah kings wey rule after-am or the ones wey rule before-am. 6 E hold Jehovah tight. E no stop to follow-am; e continue to obey the commandments wey Jehovah be don give Moses. 7 And Jehovah dey with-am. Anywhere wey e go, e de do things with sense. E turn against the king of As·syr′i·a and e no gree serve-am. 8 E still win Phi·lisʹti·a people go reach Gaz′a and the areas wey surround-am, from watchtower* go reach city wey them fence round.*
9 For the fourth year of King Hez·e·ki′ah, wey be the seventh year of Ho·she′a the son of E′lah wey be the king of Israel, Shal·man·e′ser wey be king of As·syr′i·a come attack Sa·mar′i·a and start to surround-am. 10 Them take over the city when three years don complete; for the sixth year of Hez·e·ki′ah, wey be the ninth year of Ho·she′a wey be king of Israel, them take over Sa·mar′i·a. 11 Then the king of As·syr′i·a carry the people of Israel go As·syr′i·a as slaves, and e talk say make them stay for Ha′lah and for Ha′bor wey near river Go′zan, and for the cities of Meʹdi·a people. 12 This na because them no listen to the voice of Jehovah their God, instead, them continue to do wetin dey against im agreement, everything wey Moses wey be the servant of Jehovah be don command them. Them no listen and them no obey.
13 For the 14th year of King Hez·e·ki′ah, Sen·nach′er·ib wey be king of As·syr′i·a come attack all the cities of Judah wey get strong protection and e take over them. 14 So Hez·e·ki′ah wey be king of Judah send message to the king of As·syr′i·a for La′chish say: “Wetin I do no good. Make you stop to attack me and I go give you anything wey you talk say make I give you.” The king of As·syr′i·a come talk say make Hez·e·ki′ah wey be king of Judah pay 300 silver talents* and 30 gold talents as fine. 15 So Hez·e·ki′ah give-am all the silver wey dey Jehovah house and for the place wey them de keep better-better things for the king house.* 16 That time, Hez·e·ki′ah wey be king of Judah comot the doors for the temple of Jehovah and the doorposts wey King Hez·e·ki′ah imself use gold cover, and e carry them give the king of As·syr′i·a.
17 Then the king of As·syr′i·a send the Tar′tan,* the Rab′sa·ris,* and the Rab′sha·keh* with plenty-plenty soldiers from La′chish go meet King Hez·e·ki′ah for Jerusalem. Them go Jerusalem and stand near the place wey water take de flow from the upper pool, wey dey the road wey them de pass go the place wey drycleaners de do their work. 18 When them talk say make the king come out, the people wey come out come meet them na E·li′a·kim the son of Hil·ki′ah, wey de take care of the people for the king family,* Sheb′nah wey be the secretary, and Jo′ah the son of A′saph wey de write the things wey happen.
19 So the Rab′sha·keh tell them say: “Abeg, tell Hez·e·ki′ah say, ‘This na wetin the great king, the king of As·syr′i·a talk: “Wetin de give you mind? 20 You de talk say, ‘I get better plan and the power to fight war,’ but you just de make mouth. Na which person you de trust wey make you get the mind to turn against me? 21 See! You trust say Egypt go help you, Egypt wey be like tall grass wey don bend, wey be say if person hold-am to support imself, e go tear im hand. Na so Phar′aoh wey be king of Egypt be for all the people wey trust-am. 22 And if una tell me say, ‘We trust Jehovah our God,’ no be that God Hez·e·ki′ah don comot im high place them and altars, and de tell Judah and Jerusalem people say, ‘Make una bow down for front of this altar wey dey for Jerusalem’?”’ 23 So now abeg, make you and my lord the king of As·syr′i·a do this agreement: I go give you 2,000 horse them, make we see whether you go fit see enough people to ride them. 24 Then, how you go fit pursue even one governor go back, wey be say na im small pass among the servants of my lord, as you de trust Egypt say them go give you chariots and people wey de ride horse? 25 You no know say na Jehovah send me say make I come attack this place and destroy-am? Jehovah tell me by imself say, ‘Go attack this land make you destroy-am.’”
26 As e talk this one, E·li′a·kim wey be the son of Hil·ki′ah, and Sheb′nah and Jo′ah come tell the Rab′sha·keh say: “Abeg, use Ar·a·ma′ic* language talk to your servants, because we de understand-am, make you no use Jew people language talk to us, so that the people wey dey ontop the wall no go hear.” 27 But the Rab′sha·keh ask them say: “Una think say na only una lord and una, my lord send me say make I come tell this things? Una no know say this message still concern the men wey sitdown ontop the wall, this people wey go chop their own shit and drink their own piss just like una?”
28 Then the Rab′sha·keh stand and use Jew people language talk with loud voice say: “Make una hear wetin the great king, the king of As·syr′i·a talk. 29 This na wetin the king talk, ‘Make una no allow Hez·e·ki′ah deceive una, because e no go fit save una from my hand. 30 And make una no let Hez·e·ki′ah make una trust Jehovah as e de talk say: “Jehovah go surely save us, and them no go put this city for the hand of the king of As·syr′i·a.” 31 Make una no listen to Hez·e·ki′ah, because this na wetin the king of As·syr′i·a talk: “Make una make peace with me and surrender, and each of una go chop from im own vine and im own fig tree, and drink water from im own well, 32 until I go come and carry una go one land wey be like una own land, land wey grain and new wine dey, land wey bread and vine farms dey, land wey olive trees and honey dey. Then una go dey alive and una no go die. Make una no listen to Hez·e·ki′ah, because e de deceive una as e de talk say, ‘Jehovah go save us.’ 33 E get any gods of the nations wey don save their land from the hand of the king of As·syr′i·a? 34 Where the gods of Ha′math and Ar′pad? Where the gods of Seph·ar·va′im, He′na, and Iv′vah? Them save Sa·mar′i·a from my hand? 35 Which god among all the gods for the land don save their land from my hand, wey Jehovah go come save Jerusalem from my hand?”’”
36 But the people keep quiet, them no answer-am at all, because the king be don command them say, “Make una no ever answer-am.” 37 But E·li′a·kim the son of Hil·ki′ah, wey de take care of the people for the king family,* Sheb′nah wey be the secretary, and Jo′ah the son of A′saph wey de write the things wey happen come meet Hez·e·ki′ah with their cloths wey them don tear* and them tell-am the things wey the Rab′sha·keh talk.