Yashaayaah 36

asooree yarooshalam ka muhaasara kartay hain

¹hizaqiyaah baadshaah kee hukoomat kay 14ven saal men asoor kay baadshaah sanherib nay yahoodaah kay tamaam qil’aaband shaheron par dhaava bol kar un par qabza kar liya. ²phir us nay apnay aala afsar rabshaaqee ko badee fauj kay saath lakees say yarooshalam ko bheja. yarooshalam pahunch kar rabshaaqee us naalay kay paas ruk gaya jo paanee ko oopar vaalay taalaab tak pahunchaata hai (yah taalaab us raastay par hai jo dhobiyon kay ghaat tak lay jaata hai). ³yah dekh kar mahel ka inchaarj iliyaaqeem bin khilaqiyaah, meeramunshee shabnaah aur musheer-ay-khaas yooaakh bin aasaf shaher say nikal kar us say milnay aaay. ⁴rabshaaqee nay un kay haath hizaqiyaah ko paighaam bheja,

“asoor kay azeem baadshaah farmaatay hain, tumhaara bharosa kis cheez par hai? ⁵tum samajhtay ho ki khaalee baaten karna faujee hikmat-ay-amlee aur taaqat kay baraabar hai. yah kaisee baat hai? tum kis par etimaad kar rahay ho ki mujh say sarkash ho gaay ho? ⁶kya tum misr par bharosa kartay ho? vah to toota hua sarkanda hee hai. jo bhee us par tek lagaaay us ka haath vah cheer kar zakhmee kar dega. yahee kuchh un sab kay saath ho jaaega jo misr kay baadshaah firaaun par bharosa karen! ⁷shaayad tum kaho, ‘ham rabb apnay khuda par tavakkul kartay hain.’ lekin yah kis tarah ho sakta hai? hizaqiyaah nay to us kee behuramtee kee hai. kyoonki us nay oonchee jagahon kay mandiron aur qurbaanagaahon ko dha kar yahoodaah aur yarooshalam say kaha hai ki sirf yarooshalam kee qurbaangaah kay saamnay parastish karen. ⁸aao, meray aaqa asoor kay baadshaah say sauda karo. main tumhen 2,000 ghoday doonga basharteeki tum un kay liyay savaar muhayya kar sako. lekin afsos, tumhaaray paas itnay ghudsavaar hain hee naheen! ⁹tum meray aaqa asoor kay baadshaah kay sab say chhotay afsar ka bhee muqaabla naheen kar saktay. lihaaza misr kay rathon par bharosa rakhnay ka kya faaida? ¹⁰shaayad tum samajhtay ho ki main rabb kee marzee kay baghair hee is mulk par hamla karnay aaya hoon taaki sab kuchh barbaad karoon. lekin aisa hargiz naheen hai! rabb nay khud mujhay kaha ki is mulk par dhaava bol kar isay tabaah kar day.”

¹¹yah sun kar iliyaaqeem, shabnaah aur yooaakh nay rabshaaqee kee taqreer men dakhal day kar kaha, “baraah-ay-karam araamee zabaan men apnay khaadimon kay saath guftagu keejiay, kyoonki ham yah achchhee tarah bol letay hain. ibraanee zabaan istemaal na karen, varna shaher kee faseel par khaday log aap kee baaten sun lengay.” ¹²lekin rabshaaqee nay javaab diya, “kya tum samajhtay ho ki meray maalik nay yah paighaam sirf tumhen aur tumhaaray maalik ko bheja hai? hargiz naheen! vah chaahatay hain ki tamaam log yah baaten sun len. kyoonki vah bhee tumhaaree tarah apna fuzla khaanay aur apna peshaab peenay par majboor ho jaaengay.”

¹³phir vah faseel kee taraf mud kar buland aavaaz say ibraanee zabaan men avaam say mukhaatib hua, “suno! shahenshaah, asoor kay baadshaah kay farmaan par dhyaan do! ¹⁴baadshaah farmaatay hain ki hizaqiyaah tumhen dhoka na day. vah tumhen bacha naheen sakta. ¹⁵beshak vah tumhen tasallee dilaanay kee koshish karkay kaheta hai, ‘rabb hamen zaroor chhutkaara dega, yah shaher kabhee bhee asooree baadshaah kay qabzay men naheen aaega.’ lekin is qism kee baaton say tasallee pa kar rabb par bharosa mat karna. ¹⁶hizaqiyaah kee baaten na maano balki asoor kay baadshaah kee. kyoonki vah farmaatay hain, meray saath sulah karo aur shaher say nikal kar meray paas a jaao. phir tum men say har ek angoor kee apnee bel aur anjeer kay apnay darakht ka phal khaaega aur apnay hauz ka paanee piega. ¹⁷phir kuchh der kay baad main tumhen ek aisay mulk men lay jaaoonga jo tumhaaray apnay mulk kee maanind hoga. us men bhee anaaj aur naee mai, rotee aur angoor kay baagh hain. ¹⁸hizaqiyaah kee mat sunna. jab vah kaheta hai, ‘rabb hamen bachaaega’ to vah tumhen dhoka day raha hai. kya deegar aqvaam kay devta apnay mulkon ko shaah-ay-asoor say bachaanay kay qaabil rahay hain? ¹⁹hamaat aur arfaad kay devta kahaan rah gaay hain? sifarvaaim kay devta kya kar sakay? aur kya kisee devta nay saamriya ko meree girift say bachaaya? ²⁰naheen, koee bhee devta apna mulk mujh say bacha na saka. to phir rabb yarooshalam ko kis tarah mujh say bachaaega?”

²¹faseel par khaday log khaamosh rahay. unhon nay koee javaab na diya, kyoonki baadshaah nay hukm diya tha ki javaab men ek lafz bhee na kahen. ²²phir mahel ka inchaarj iliyaaqeem bin khilaqiyaah, meeramunshee shabnaah aur musheer-ay-khaas yooaakh bin aasaf ranjish kay maaray apnay libaas phaad kar hizaqiyaah kay paas vaapas gaay. darbaar men pahunch kar unhon nay baadshaah ko sab kuchh kah sunaaya jo rabshaaqee nay unhen kaha tha.