Isaiah 36

¹ In the fourteenth year wey Hezekiah be king of Judah, Sennacherib, emperor of Assyria, con attack the strong cities of Judah and capture them.

² Then he tell him chief officer say make dem go from Lachish go Jerusalem with plenty military force to ask say make king Hezekiah surrender. The official con take over the road where clothmakers dey work, by ditch wey dey bring water from the upper pond.

³ Three Judean come out to meet him: the official wey dey in charge of the palace, Eliakim son of Hilkiah; the court secretary, Shebna; and the official wey dey in charge of record, Joan son of Asaph.

⁴ The Assyrian official tell them say the emperor wan know wetin make king Hezekiah dget mind like that

⁵ He ask say, “Shey you think say word fit take place of military skill and strength? Who you think say go help you rebel against Assyria?

⁶ You dey expect make Egypt help you, but that one go be like say you dey use grass do walking stick- e go break and stab your hand. Naso king of Egypt be when anybody rely on top him.”

⁷ The Assyrian official continue, “Or shey you go tell me say you dey rely on the LORD your God? Na the LORD shrine and altar Hezekiah destroy when he tell people of Judah and Jerusalem say make dem dey worship for only one altar.

⁸ I go bargain with you in the name of emperor. I go give you 2,000 horses if you fit find that plenty riders.

⁹ You no even dey the same level with Assyrian lowest ranking official, and yet you dey expect make Egyptians send you chariot and cavalry.

¹ Shey you think say I don attack your country and I don destroy am without the help of God? Na God himself tell me say make I attack and destroy am.”

¹ Then Eliakim, Shebna, and Joan con tell the official say, “follow us talk in Aramaic. We understand am. no speak Hebrew; all people on the wall dey listening.”

¹ He con answer say, “Shey una think say na only una and the king be the only people wey emperor send me these things? No, I dey also talk to the people wey dey sit on the wall, wey go need chop their shit and drink their urine, just as una go do too.”

¹ Then the official con stand up and shout for Hebrew say, “Make una listen to wetin emperor of Assyrian dey tell una.

¹ He dey warn una say make una no allow Hezekiah deceive una. Hezekiah no fit save una.

¹ And make una no allow him kajo una to rely on God. Make una no think say God go save una and make una no think say he go stop our Assyria army from capturing una city.

¹ Make una no listen to Hezekiah! The emperor of Assyria command una say make una come out of the city and surrender. He go allow all of una eat grape from una own vines and fig from una own trees, and he go allow na drink water from una own wells-

¹ Until the emperor resettle una for country wey be like una own, where vineyard dey to give wine and corn go dey to dey make bread.

¹ Make una no allow Hezekiah fool una to dey think say God go rescue una. Shey gods of any other nation save their country from emperor of Assyria?

¹ Where dem dey now, god of Hamath and Arpad? Where god of Sepharvaim dey? Shey anyone save Samaria?

² When any god of all these countries don save their country from our emperor? Then wetin make think say the LORD fit save Jerusalem?”

² The People no talk, just as king Hezekiah don tell them say make them do; dem no say a word.

² Then Eliakim, Shebna, and Joan con tear their clothes in pain and dem go and tell the king wetin Assyrian official don say.