Jerusalem’s Deliverance Foretold^(A)

19 When King Hezekiah heard this, he tore^(B) his clothes and put on sackcloth and went into the temple of the Lord. ² He sent Eliakim^(C) the palace administrator, Shebna the secretary and the leading priests,^(D) all wearing sackcloth,^(E) to the prophet Isaiah^(F) son of Amoz. ³ They 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^(G) of birth and there is no strength to deliver them. ⁴ It may be that the Lord your God will hear all the words of the field commander, whom his master, the king of Assyria, has sent to ridicule^(H) the living God, and that he will rebuke^(I) him for the words the Lord your God has heard. Therefore pray for the remnant^(J) that still survives.”

⁵ When King Hezekiah’s officials came to Isaiah, ⁶ Isaiah said to them, “Tell your master, ‘This is what the Lord says: Do not be afraid^(K) of what you have heard—those words with which the underlings of the king of Assyria have blasphemed^(L) me. ⁷ Listen! When he hears a certain report,^(M) I will make him want to return to his own country, and there I will have him cut down with the sword.^(N)’”

⁸ When the field commander heard that the king of Assyria had left Lachish,^(O) he withdrew and found the king fighting against Libnah.^(P)

⁹ Now Sennacherib received a report that Tirhakah, the king of Cush,^[a] was marching out to fight against him. So he again sent messengers to Hezekiah with this word: ¹⁰ “Say to Hezekiah king of Judah: Do not let the god you depend^(Q) on deceive^(R) you when he says, ‘Jerusalem will not be given into the hands of the king of Assyria.’ ¹¹ Surely you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all the countries, destroying them completely. And will you be delivered? ¹² Did the gods of the nations that were destroyed by my predecessors deliver^(S) them—the gods of Gozan,^(T) Harran,^(U) Rezeph and the people of Eden who were in Tel Assar? ¹³ Where is the king of Hamath or the king of Arpad? Where are the kings of Lair, Sepharvaim, Hena and Ivvah?”^(V)

Hezekiah’s Prayer^(W)

¹⁴ Hezekiah received the letter^(X) from the messengers and read it. Then he went up to the temple of the Lord and spread it out before the Lord. ¹⁵ And Hezekiah prayed to the Lord: “Lord, the God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim,^(Y) you alone^(Z) are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. ¹⁶ Give ear,^(AA) Lord, and hear;^(AB) open your eyes,^(AC) Lord, and see; listen to the words Sennacherib has sent to ridicule the living God.

¹⁷ “It is true, Lord, that the Assyrian kings have laid waste these nations and their lands. ¹⁸ They have thrown their gods into the fire and destroyed them, for they were not gods^(AD) but only wood and stone, fashioned by human hands.^{(AE) 19} Now, Lord our God, deliver^(AF) us from his hand, so that all the kingdoms^(AG) of the earth may know^(AH) that you alone, Lord, are God.”

Isaiah Prophesies Sennacherib’s Fall^(AI)(AJ)

²⁰ Then Isaiah son of Amoz sent a message to Hezekiah: “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I have heard^(AK) your prayer concerning Sennacherib king of Assyria. ²¹ This is the word that the Lord has spoken against^(AL) him:

²⁹ “This will be the sign^(BG) for you, Hezekiah:

“The zeal^(BN) of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.

³² “Therefore this is what the Lord says concerning the king of Assyria:

³⁵ That night the angel of the Lord^(BR) 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!^{(BS) 36} So Sennacherib king of Assyria broke camp and withdrew.^(BT) He returned to Nineveh^(BU) and stayed there.

³⁷ One day, while he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisrok, his sons Adrammelek^(BV) and Sharezer killed him with the sword,^(BW) and they escaped to the land of Ararat.^(BX) And Esarhaddon^(BY) his son succeeded him as king.

Sennacherib Threatens Jerusalem^(A)(B)

32 After all that Hezekiah had so faithfully done, Sennacherib^(C) king of Assyria came and invaded Judah. He laid siege to the fortified cities, thinking to conquer them for himself. ² When Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come and that he intended to wage war against Jerusalem,^{(D) 3} he consulted with his officials and military staff about blocking off the water from the springs outside the city, and they helped him. ⁴ They gathered a large group of people who blocked all the springs^(E) and the stream that flowed through the land. “Why should the kings^[a] of Assyria come and find plenty of water?” they said. ⁵ Then he worked hard repairing all the broken sections of the wall^(F) and building towers on it. He built another wall outside that one and reinforced the terraces^[b](G) of the City of David. He also made large numbers of weapons^(H) and shields.

⁶ He appointed military officers over the people and assembled them before him in the square at the city gate and encouraged them with these words: ⁷ “Be strong and courageous.^(I) Do not be afraid or discouraged^(J) because of the king of Assyria and the vast army with him, for there is a greater power with us than with him.^{(K) 8} With him is only the arm of flesh,^(L) but with us^(M) is the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles.”^(N) And the people gained confidence from what Hezekiah the king of Judah said.

⁹ Later, when Sennacherib king of Assyria and all his forces were laying siege to Lachish,^(O) he sent his officers to Jerusalem with this message for Hezekiah king of Judah and for all the people of Judah who were there:

¹⁶ Sennacherib’s officers spoke further against the Lord God and against his servant Hezekiah. ¹⁷ The king also wrote letters^(W) ridiculing^(X) the Lord, the God of Israel, and saying this against him: “Just as the gods^(Y) of the peoples of the other lands did not rescue their people from my hand, so the god of Hezekiah will not rescue his people from my hand.” ¹⁸ Then they called out in Hebrew to the people of Jerusalem who were on the wall, to terrify them and make them afraid in order to capture the city. ¹⁹ They spoke about the God of Jerusalem as they did about the gods of the other peoples of the world—the work of human hands.^(Z)

²⁰ King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz cried out in prayer^(AA) to heaven about this. ²¹ And the Lord sent an angel,^(AB) who annihilated all the fighting men and the commanders and officers in the camp of the Assyrian king. So he withdrew to his own land in disgrace. And when he went into the temple of his god, some of his sons, his own flesh and blood, cut him down with the sword.^(AC)

²² So the Lord saved Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib king of Assyria and from the hand of all others. He took care of them^[c] on every side. ²³ Many brought offerings to Jerusalem for the Lord and valuable gifts^(AD) for Hezekiah king of Judah. From then on he was highly regarded by all the nations.

Hezekiah’s Pride, Success and Death^(AE)

²⁴ In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. He prayed to the Lord, who answered him and gave him a miraculous sign.^{(AF) 25} But Hezekiah’s heart was proud^(AG) and he did not respond to the kindness shown him; therefore the Lord’s wrath^(AH) was on him and on Judah and Jerusalem. ²⁶ Then Hezekiah repented^(AI) of the pride of his heart, as did the people of Jerusalem; therefore the Lord’s wrath did not come on them during the days of Hezekiah.^(AJ)

²⁷ Hezekiah had very great wealth and honor,^(AK) and he made treasuries for his silver and gold and for his precious stones, spices, shields and all kinds of valuables. ²⁸ He also made buildings to store the harvest of grain, new wine and olive oil; and he made stalls for various kinds of cattle, and pens for the flocks. ²⁹ He built villages and acquired great numbers of flocks and herds, for God had given him very great riches.^(AL)

³⁰ It was Hezekiah who blocked^(AM) the upper outlet of the Gihon^(AN) spring and channeled^(AO) the water down to the west side of the City of David. He succeeded in everything he undertook. ³¹ But when envoys were sent by the rulers of Babylon^(AP) to ask him about the miraculous sign^(AQ) that had occurred in the land, God left him to test^(AR) him and to know everything that was in his heart.

³² The other events of Hezekiah’s reign and his acts of devotion are written in the vision of the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel. ³³ Hezekiah rested with his ancestors and was buried on the hill where the tombs of David’s descendants are. All Judah and the people of Jerusalem honored him when he died. And Manasseh his son succeeded him as king.

Warning to Rich Oppressors

5 Now listen,^(A) you rich people,^(B) weep and wail^(C) because of the misery that is coming on you. ² Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes.^{(D) 3} Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days.^{(E) 4} Look! The wages you failed to pay the workers^(F) who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries^(G) of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty.^{(H) 5} You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves^(I) in the day of slaughter.^{[a](J) 6} You have condemned and murdered^(K) the innocent one,^(L) who was not opposing you.

Patience in Suffering

⁷ Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming.^(M) See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting^(N) for the autumn and spring rains.^{(O) 8} You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming^(P) is near.^{(Q) 9} Don’t grumble against one another, brothers and sisters,^(R) or you will be judged. The Judge^(S) is standing at the door!^(T)

¹⁰ Brothers and sisters, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets^(U) who spoke in the name of the Lord. ¹¹ As you know, we count as blessed^(V) those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance^(W) and have seen what the Lord finally brought about.^(X) The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.^(Y)

¹² Above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear—not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. All you need to say is a simple “Yes” or “No.” Otherwise you will be condemned.^(Z)

The Prayer of Faith

¹³ Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray.^(AA) Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise.^{(AB) 14} Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders^(AC) of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil^(AD) in the name of the Lord. ¹⁵ And the prayer offered in faith^(AE) will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. ¹⁶ Therefore confess your sins^(AF) to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.^(AG) The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.^(AH)

¹⁷ Elijah was a human being, even as we are.^(AI) He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years.^{(AJ) 18} Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.^(AK)

¹⁹ My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth^(AL) and someone should bring that person back,^{(AM) 20} remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save^(AN) them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.^(AO)