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1As soon as Hezekiah the king heard this, he tore his clothes, dressed himself in sackcloth, and went into the LORD's Temple. | 1When King Hezekiah heard this, he tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and went into the temple of the LORD. |
2Then he sent Eliakim, who was in charge of the palace, Shebna the secretary, and the senior priests, all wearing sackcloth, to Amoz's son, the prophet Isaiah. | 2He sent Eliakim the palace administrator, Shebna the secretary, and the leading priests, all wearing sackcloth, to the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz. |
3"Here is what Hezekiah says," they told him. "This day is a day of trouble, rebuke, and disgrace, as when children come to the point of birth and there is no energy to deliver them. | 3They told him, "This is what Hezekiah says: This day is a day of distress and rebuke and disgrace, as when children come to the moment of birth and there is no strength to deliver them. |
4Perhaps the LORD your God will hear the words of the field commander, whom his master, the king of Assyria, sent to mock the living God, and perhaps he will rebuke the words that the LORD your God has heard. So lift up a prayer for the remnant that still survives in this city." | 4It may be that the LORD your God will hear the words of the field commander, whom his master, the king of Assyria, has sent to ridicule the living God, and that he will rebuke him for the words the LORD your God has heard. Therefore pray for the remnant that still survives." |
5That's why King Hezekiah's officials came to Isaiah. | 5When King Hezekiah's officials came to Isaiah, |
6"Here is what to tell your master," Isaiah told them. "This is what the LORD says: 'Don't be afraid of the words you've heard—those words with which the underlings of the king of Assyria have insulted me. | 6Isaiah said to them, "Tell your master, 'This is what the LORD says: Do not be afraid of what you have heard--those words with which the underlings of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me. |
7Watch this! I'm going to place an attitude within him, so that when he hears a certain report, he'll return to his own country. Then I'll have him cut down by the sword in his own land." | 7Listen! When he hears a certain report, I will make him want to return to his own country, and there I will have him cut down with the sword.'" |
8So the field commander returned and found the king of Assyria fighting against Libnah, since he had heard that the king of Assyria had left Lachish. | 8When the field commander heard that the king of Assyria had left Lachish, he withdrew and found the king fighting against Libnah. |
9Now King Sennacherib had received this report concerning King Tirhakah of Cush: "He has marched out to fight against you." When he heard it, he returned and sent messengers to Hezekiah: | 9Now Sennacherib received a report that Tirhakah, the king of Cush, was marching out to fight against him. When he heard it, he sent messengers to Hezekiah with this word: |
10"Say this to Hezekiah king of Judah: 'Don't let your God on whom you depend deceive you when he says, "Jerusalem will not be handed over to the king of Assyria." | 10"Say to Hezekiah king of Judah: Do not let the god you depend on deceive you when he says, 'Jerusalem will not be given into the hands of the king of Assyria.' |
11Surely you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all countries, dooming them to destruction. So do you think you will be saved? | 11Surely you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all the countries, destroying them completely. And will you be delivered? |
12Did the gods of the nations that were destroyed by my ancestors save them—the nations of Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and the people of Eden, who were in Tel-assar? | 12Did the gods of the nations that were destroyed by my predecessors deliver them--the gods of Gozan, Harran, Rezeph and the people of Eden who were in Tel Assar? |
13Where is the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, the king of the city of Sephar-vaim, or of Hena, or of Ivvah, or of Samaria?'" | 13Where is the king of Hamath or the king of Arpad? Where are the kings of Lair, Sepharvaim, Hena and Ivvah?" |
14Hezekiah received the letters from the messengers, and read them. Then he went up to the LORD's Temple and spread the letters in front of the LORD. | 14Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers and read it. Then he went up to the temple of the LORD and spread it out before the LORD. |
15Hezekiah prayed to the LORD: | 15And Hezekiah prayed to the LORD: |
16"O LORD of the Heavenly Armies, God of Israel, enthroned above the cherubim, you alone are the God of all the kingdoms of the earth. You made heaven and earth. | 16"LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. |
17Extend your ear, LORD, and listen! Open your eyes, LORD, and look! Listen to all the words Sennacherib has sent to mock the living God. | 17Give ear, LORD, and hear; open your eyes, LORD, and see; listen to all the words Sennacherib has sent to ridicule the living God. |
18It is true, LORD, that Assyrian kings have devastated all these countries, | 18"It is true, LORD, that the Assyrian kings have laid waste all these peoples and their lands. |
19and have thrown their gods into the fire—but they are not gods, but rather the products of human hands, mere wood and stone. So the Assyrians destroyed them. | 19They have thrown their gods into the fire and destroyed them, for they were not gods but only wood and stone, fashioned by human hands. |
20So now, LORD our God, save us from his oppressive hand, so that all kingdoms on earth may know that you alone, O LORD, are God." | 20Now, LORD our God, deliver us from his hand, so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you, LORD, are the only God." |
21Then Amoz's son Isaiah sent this message to Hezekiah: "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says, to whom you prayed concerning Sennacherib king of Assyria. | 21Then Isaiah son of Amoz sent a message to Hezekiah: "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: Because you have prayed to me concerning Sennacherib king of Assyria, |
22This is the message that the LORD has spoken in opposition to him: "'The Virgin Daughter of Zion despises and mocks you; the Daughter of Jerusalem— she tosses her head behind you as you flee. | 22this is the word the LORD has spoken against him: "Virgin Daughter Zion despises and mocks you. Daughter Jerusalem tosses her head as you flee. |
23Whom have you insulted and reviled? Against whom have you raised your voice and lifted your eyes in pride? Against the Holy One of Israel! | 23Who is it you have ridiculed and blasphemed? Against whom have you raised your voice and lifted your eyes in pride? Against the Holy One of Israel! |
24By your messengers you have insulted the LORD, and you have said, "With my many chariots I have climbed the heights of mountains, the utmost heights of Lebanon. I cut down its tallest cedars, the choicest of its pines; I reached its remotest heights, the most verdant of its forests. | 24By your messengers you have ridiculed the Lord. And you have said, 'With my many chariots I have ascended the heights of the mountains, the utmost heights of Lebanon. I have cut down its tallest cedars, the choicest of its junipers. I have reached its remotest heights, the finest of its forests. |
25I myself dug wells and drank foreign waters; with the soles of my feet I dried up all the streams of Egypt." | 25I have dug wells in foreign lands and drunk the water there. With the soles of my feet I have dried up all the streams of Egypt.' |
26"'Didn't you hear how in the distant past I decided to do it, how I planned from days of old? Now I've made it happen— that fortified cities become devastated, besieged heaps. | 26"Have you not heard? Long ago I ordained it. In days of old I planned it; now I have brought it to pass, that you have turned fortified cities into piles of stone. |
27Their inhabitants are devoid of power, and are terrified and put to shame. They've become like plants in the field, like green shoots, like grass on rooftops, scorched by the east wind. | 27Their people, drained of power, are dismayed and put to shame. They are like plants in the field, like tender green shoots, like grass sprouting on the roof, scorched before it grows up. |
28"'I know when you rise up and when you sit down, your comings and goings— and how you've become enraged at me. | 28"But I know where you are and when you come and go and how you rage against me. |
29Your insolence has reached my ears, so I'll put my hook in your nose and my bit in your mouth, and I'll make you turn back on the road by which you came. | 29Because you rage against me and because your insolence has reached my ears, I will put my hook in your nose and my bit in your mouth, and I will make you return by the way you came. |
30"And this will be your sign, Hezekiah: Eat this year what grows on its own, and in the second year what springs from that. But in the third year sow, reap, plant vineyards, and eat their fruit. | 30"This will be the sign for you, Hezekiah: "This year you will eat what grows by itself, and the second year what springs from that. But in the third year sow and reap, plant vineyards and eat their fruit. |
31Then the ones belonging to the house of Judah who have escaped will gather, and those who are found will take root downward and bear fruit upward. | 31Once more a remnant of the kingdom of Judah will take root below and bear fruit above. |
32For a remnant will come out of Zion, and a band of survivors from Jerusalem. The zeal of the LORD of the Heavenly Armies will accomplish this. | 32For out of Jerusalem will come a remnant, and out of Mount Zion a band of survivors. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this. |
33"Therefore this what the LORD says concerning the king of Assyria: 'He won't enter this city, build up a siege ramp against it, shoot an arrow here, or threaten it with a shield. | 33"Therefore this is what the LORD says concerning the king of Assyria: "He will not enter this city or shoot an arrow here. He will not come before it with shield or build a siege ramp against it. |
34By the same way that he came, he will return; he won't enter this city,' declares the LORD, | 34By the way that he came he will return; he will not enter this city," declares the LORD. |
35because I will defend this city and deliver it, for my own sake and for the sake of my servant David!'" | 35"I will defend this city and save it, for my sake and for the sake of David my servant!" |
36After this, the angel of the LORD went out and put to death 185,000 men in the Assyrian camp. When Hezekiah's army awakened in the morning—there were all the dead bodies! | 36Then the angel of the LORD went out and put to death a hundred and eighty-five thousand in the Assyrian camp. When the people got up the next morning--there were all the dead bodies! |
37King Sennacherib broke camp, retreated, returned home to Nineveh, and remained there. | 37So Sennacherib king of Assyria broke camp and withdrew. He returned to Nineveh and stayed there. |
38Later, while he was worshiping in the house of his god Nisroch, his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer cut him down with swords and escaped to the land of Ararat. Then Sennacherib's son Esar-haddon reigned in his place. | 38One day, while he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisrok, his sons Adrammelek and Sharezer killed him with the sword, and they escaped to the land of Ararat. And Esarhaddon his son succeeded him as king. |
The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. | New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. |
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