| Holman Christian Standard Bible | International Standard Version |
| 1When King Hezekiah heard their report, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, and went to the LORD's temple. | 1As soon as Hezekiah the king heard this, he tore his clothes, dressed himself in sackcloth, and went into the LORD's Temple. |
| 2Then he sent Eliakim, who was in charge of the palace, Shebna the court secretary, and the leading priests, who were wearing sackcloth, to the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz. | 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. |
| 3They said to him, "This is what Hezekiah says: 'Today is a day of distress, rebuke, and disgrace, for children have come to the point of birth, and there is no strength to deliver them. | 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. |
| 4Perhaps Yahweh your God will hear all the words of the Rabshakeh, whom his master the king of Assyria sent to mock the living God, and will rebuke him for the words that Yahweh your God has heard. Therefore offer a prayer for the surviving remnant.'" | 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." |
| 5So the servants of King Hezekiah went to Isaiah, | 5That's why King Hezekiah's officials came to Isaiah. |
| 6who said to them, "Tell your master this, 'The LORD says: Don't be afraid because of the words you have heard, which the king of Assyria's attendants have blasphemed Me with. | 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. |
| 7I am about to put a spirit in him and he will hear a rumor and return to his own land, where I will cause him to fall by the sword.'" | 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." |
| 8When the Rabshakeh heard that the king of Assyria had left Lachish, he returned and found him fighting against Libnah. | 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. |
| 9The king had heard this about Tirhakah king of Cush: "He has set out to fight against you." So when he heard this, he sent messengers to Hezekiah, saying, " | 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: |
| 10Say this to Hezekiah king of Judah: 'Don't let your God, whom you trust, deceive you by promising that Jerusalem won't be handed over to the king of Assyria. | 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." |
| 11Look, you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all the countries: they completely destroyed them. Will you be rescued? | 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? |
| 12Did the gods of the nations that my predecessors destroyed rescue them--Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and the Edenites in Telassar? | 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? |
| 13Where is the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, the king of the city of Sepharvaim, Hena, or Ivvah?'" | 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?'" |
| 14Hezekiah took the letter from the messengers, read it, then went up to the LORD's temple and spread it out before the LORD. | 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. |
| 15Then Hezekiah prayed to the LORD: | 15Hezekiah prayed to the LORD: |
| 16 LORD of Hosts, God of Israel, who is enthroned above the cherubim, You are God--You alone--of all the kingdoms of the earth. You made the heavens and the earth. | 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. |
| 17Listen closely, LORD, and hear; open Your eyes, LORD, and see. Hear all the words that Sennacherib has sent to mock the living God. | 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. |
| 18 LORD, it is true that the kings of Assyria have devastated all these countries and their lands. | 18It is true, LORD, that Assyrian kings have devastated all these countries, |
| 19They have thrown their gods into the fire, for they were not gods but made by human hands--wood and stone. So they have destroyed them. | 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. |
| 20Now, LORD our God, save us from his power so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You are the LORD--You alone. | 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." |
| 21Then Isaiah son of Amoz sent a message to Hezekiah: "The LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'Because you prayed to Me about Sennacherib king of Assyria, | 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. |
| 22this is the word the LORD has spoken against him: Virgin Daughter Zion despises you and scorns you: Daughter Jerusalem shakes her head behind your back. | 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. |
| 23Who is it you have mocked and blasphemed? Who have you raised your voice against and lifted your eyes in pride? Against the Holy One of Israel! | 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! |
| 24You have mocked the LORD through your servants. You have said, "With my many chariots I have gone up to the heights of the mountains, to the far recesses of Lebanon. I cut down its tallest cedars, its choice cypress trees. I came to its distant heights, its densest forest. | 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. |
| 25I dug wells and drank water. I dried up all the streams of Egypt with the soles of my feet." | 25I myself dug wells and drank foreign waters; with the soles of my feet I dried up all the streams of Egypt." |
| 26Have you not heard? I designed it long ago; I planned it in days gone by. I have now brought it to pass, and you have crushed fortified cities into piles of rubble. | 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. |
| 27Their inhabitants have become powerless, dismayed, and ashamed. They are plants of the field, tender grass, grass on the rooftops, blasted by the east wind. | 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. |
| 28But I know your sitting down, your going out and your coming in, and your raging against Me. | 28"'I know when you rise up and when you sit down, your comings and goings— and how you've become enraged at me. |
| 29Because your raging against Me and your arrogance have reached My ears, I will put My hook in your nose and My bit in your mouth; I will make you go back the way you came." | 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. |
| 30This will be the sign for you: This year you will eat what grows on its own, and in the second year what grows from that. But in the third year sow and reap, plant vineyards and eat their fruit. | 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. |
| 31The surviving remnant of the house of Judah will again take root downward and bear fruit upward. | 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. |
| 32For a remnant will go out from Jerusalem and survivors, from Mount Zion. The zeal of the LORD of Hosts will accomplish this.'" | 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. |
| 33Therefore, this is what the LORD says about the king of Assyria: He will not enter this city or shoot an arrow there or come before it with a shield or build up an assault ramp against it. | 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. |
| 34He will go back the way he came, and he will not enter this city. This is the LORD's declaration. | 34By the same way that he came, he will return; he won't enter this city,' declares the LORD, |
| 35I will defend this city and rescue it because of Me and because of My servant David." | 35because I will defend this city and deliver it, for my own sake and for the sake of my servant David!'" |
| 36Then the angel of the LORD went out and struck down 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians. When the people got up the next morning--there were all the dead bodies! | 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! |
| 37So Sennacherib king of Assyria broke camp and left. He returned home and lived in Nineveh. | 37King Sennacherib broke camp, retreated, returned home to Nineveh, and remained there. |
| 38One day, while he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisroch, his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer struck him down with the sword and escaped to the land of Ararat. Then his son Esar-haddon became king in his place. | 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. |
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