2 Kings 20-21

New International Version

Hezekiah’s Illness^(A)

20 In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to him and said, “This is what the Lord says: Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover.”

²Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, ³“Remember,^(B) Lord, how I have walked^(C) before you faithfully^(D) and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.

⁴Before Isaiah had left the middle court, the word of the Lord came to him: ⁵“Go back and tell Hezekiah, the ruler of my people, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of your father David, says: I have heard^(E) your prayer and seen your tears;^(F) I will heal you. On the third day from now you will go up to the temple of the Lord. ⁶I will add fifteen years to your life. And I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria. I will defend^(G) this city for my sake and for the sake of my servant David.’”

⁷Then Isaiah said, “Prepare a poultice of figs.” They did so and applied it to the boil,^(H) and he recovered.

⁸Hezekiah had asked Isaiah, “What will be the sign that the Lord will heal me and that I will go up to the temple of the Lord on the third day from now?”

⁹Isaiah answered, “This is the Lord’s sign^(I) to you that the Lord will do what he has promised: Shall the shadow go forward ten steps, or shall it go back ten steps?”

¹⁰“It is a simple^(J) matter for the shadow to go forward ten steps,” said Hezekiah. “Rather, have it go back ten steps.”

¹¹Then the prophet Isaiah called on the Lord, and the Lord made the shadow go back^(K) the ten steps it had gone down on the stairway of Ahaz.

Envoys From Babylon^(L)^(M)

¹²At that time Marduk-Baladan son of Baladan king of Babylon sent Hezekiah letters and a gift, because he had heard of Hezekiah’s illness. ¹³Hezekiah received the envoys and showed them all that was in his storehouses—the silver, the gold, the spices and the fine olive oil—his armory and everything found among his treasures. There was nothing in his palace or in all his kingdom that Hezekiah did not show them.

¹⁴Then Isaiah the prophet went to King Hezekiah and asked, “What did those men say, and where did they come from?”

“From a distant land,” Hezekiah replied. “They came from Babylon.”

¹⁵The prophet asked, “What did they see in your palace?”

“They saw everything in my palace,” Hezekiah said. “There is nothing among my treasures that I did not show them.”

¹⁶Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Hear the word of the Lord: ¹⁷The time will surely come when everything in your palace, and all that your predecessors have stored up until this day, will be carried off to Babylon.^(N) Nothing will be left, says the Lord. ¹⁸And some of your descendants,^(O) your own flesh and blood who will be born to you, will be taken away, and they will become eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.”^(P)

¹⁹“The word of the Lord you have spoken is good,” Hezekiah replied. For he thought, “Will there not be peace and security in my lifetime?”

²⁰As for the other events of Hezekiah’s reign, all his achievements and how he made the pool^(Q) and the tunnel^(R) by which he brought water into the city, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? ²¹Hezekiah rested with his ancestors. And Manasseh his son succeeded him as king.

Manasseh King of Judah^(S)^(T)

21 Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-five years. His mother’s name was Hephzibah.^(U) ²He did evil^(V) in the eyes of the Lord, following the detestable practices^(W) of the nations the Lord had driven out before the Israelites. ³He rebuilt the high places^(X) his father Hezekiah had destroyed; he also erected altars to Baal^(Y) and made an Asherah pole,^(Z) as Ahab king of Israel had done. He bowed down to all the starry hosts^(AA) and worshiped them. ⁴He built altars^(AB) in the temple of the Lord, of which the Lord had said, “In Jerusalem I will put my Name.”^(AC) ⁵In the two courts^(AD) of the temple of the Lord, he built altars to all the starry hosts. ⁶He sacrificed his own son^(AE) in the fire, practiced divination,^(AF) sought omens, and consulted mediums and spiritists.^(AG) He did much evil in the eyes of the Lord, arousing^(AH) his anger.

⁷He took the carved Asherah pole^(AI) he had made and put it in the temple,^(AJ) of which the Lord had said to David and to his son Solomon, “In this temple and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put my Name^(AK) forever. ⁸I will not again^(AL) make the feet of the Israelites wander from the land I gave their ancestors, if only they will be careful to do everything I commanded them and will keep the whole Law that my servant Moses^(AM) gave them.” ⁹But the people did not listen. Manasseh led them astray, so that they did more evil^(AN) than the nations^(AO) the Lord had destroyed before the Israelites.

¹⁰The Lord said through his servants the prophets: ¹¹“Manasseh king of Judah has committed these detestable sins. He has done more evil^(AP) than the Amorites^(AQ) who preceded him and has led Judah into sin with his idols.^(AR) ¹²Therefore this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I am going to bring such disaster^(AS) on Jerusalem and Judah that the ears of everyone who hears of it will tingle.^(AT) ¹³I will stretch out over Jerusalem the measuring line used against Samaria and the plumb line^(AU) used against the house of Ahab. I will wipe^(AV) out Jerusalem as one wipes a dish, wiping it and turning it upside down. ¹⁴I will forsake^(AW) the remnant^(AX) of my inheritance and give them into the hands of enemies. They will be looted and plundered by all their enemies; ¹⁵they have done evil^(AY) in my eyes and have aroused^(AZ) my anger from the day their ancestors came out of Egypt until this day.”

¹⁶Moreover, Manasseh also shed so much innocent blood^(BA) that he filled Jerusalem from end to end—besides the sin that he had caused Judah^(BB) to commit, so that they did evil in the eyes of the Lord.

¹⁷As for the other events of Manasseh’s reign, and all he did, including the sin he committed, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? ¹⁸Manasseh rested with his ancestors and was buried in his palace garden,^(BC) the garden of Uzza. And Amon his son succeeded him as king.

Amon King of Judah^(BD)

¹⁹Amon was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem two years. His mother’s name was Meshullemeth daughter of Haruz; she was from Jotbah. ²⁰He did evil^(BE) in the eyes of the Lord, as his father Manasseh had done. ²¹He followed completely the ways of his father, worshiping the idols his father had worshiped, and bowing down to them. ²²He forsook^(BF) the Lord, the God of his ancestors, and did not walk^(BG) in obedience to him.

²³Amon’s officials conspired against him and assassinated^(BH) the king in his palace. ²⁴Then the people of the land killed^(BI) all who had plotted against King Amon, and they made Josiah^(BJ) his son king in his place.

²⁵As for the other events of Amon’s reign, and what he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? ²⁶He was buried in his tomb in the garden^(BK) of Uzza. And Josiah his son succeeded him as king.

Jeremiah 1-2

New International Version

1 The words of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, one of the priests at Anathoth^(A) in the territory of Benjamin. ²The word of the Lord came^(B) to him in the thirteenth year of the reign of Josiah^(C) son of Amon king of Judah, ³and through the reign of Jehoiakim^(D) son of Josiah king of Judah, down to the fifth month of the eleventh year of Zedekiah^(E) son of Josiah king of Judah, when the people of Jerusalem went into exile.^(F)

The Call of Jeremiah

⁴The word of the Lord came to me, saying,

⁵“Before I formed you in the womb^(G) I knew^[a]^(H) you,
before you were born^(I) I set you apart;^(J)
I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.^(K)”

⁶“Alas, Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I do not know how to speak;^(L) I am too young.”^(M)

⁷But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. ⁸Do not be afraid^(N) of them, for I am with you^(O) and will rescue^(P) you,” declares the Lord.^(Q)

⁹Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched^(R) my mouth and said to me, “I have put my words in your mouth.^(S) ¹⁰See, today I appoint you over nations^(T) and kingdoms to uproot^(U) and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.”^(V)

¹¹The word of the Lord came to me: “What do you see, Jeremiah?”^(W)

“I see the branch of an almond tree,” I replied.

¹²The Lord said to me, “You have seen correctly, for I am watching^[b]^(X) to see that my word is fulfilled.”

¹³The word of the Lord came to me again: “What do you see?”^(Y)

“I see a pot that is boiling,” I answered. “It is tilting toward us from the north.”

¹⁴The Lord said to me, “From the north^(Z) disaster will be poured out on all who live in the land. ¹⁵I am about to summon all the peoples of the northern kingdoms,” declares the Lord.

“Their kings will come and set up their thrones
    in the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem;
they will come against all her surrounding walls
    and against all the towns of Judah.^(AA)
¹⁶I will pronounce my judgments^(AB) on my people
    because of their wickedness^(AC) in forsaking me,^(AD)
in burning incense to other gods^(AE)
    and in worshiping^(AF) what their hands have made.^(AG)

¹⁷“Get yourself ready! Stand up and say^(AH) to them whatever I command you. Do not be terrified^(AI) by them, or I will terrify you before them. ¹⁸Today I have made you^(AJ) a fortified city, an iron pillar and a bronze wall to stand against the whole land—against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests and the people of the land. ¹⁹They will fight against you but will not overcome^(AK) you, for I am with you^(AL) and will rescue^(AM) you,” declares the Lord.

Israel Forsakes God

2 The word^(AN) of the Lord came to me: ²“Go and proclaim in the hearing of Jerusalem:

“This is what the Lord says:

“‘I remember the devotion of your youth,^(AO)
    how as a bride you loved me
and followed me through the wilderness,^(AP)
    through a land not sown.
³Israel was holy^(AQ) to the Lord,^(AR)
    the firstfruits^(AS) of his harvest;
all who devoured^(AT) her were held guilty,^(AU)
    and disaster overtook them,’”
declares the Lord.

⁴Hear the word of the Lord, you descendants of Jacob,
all you clans of Israel.

⁵This is what the Lord says:

“What fault did your ancestors find in me,
    that they strayed so far from me?
They followed worthless idols^(AV)
    and became worthless^(AW) themselves.
⁶They did not ask, ‘Where is the Lord,
    who brought us up out of Egypt^(AX)
and led us through the barren wilderness,
    through a land of deserts^(AY) and ravines,^(AZ)
a land of drought and utter darkness,
    a land where no one travels^(BA) and no one lives?’
⁷I brought you into a fertile land
    to eat its fruit and rich produce.^(BB)
But you came and defiled my land
    and made my inheritance detestable.^(BC)
⁸The priests did not ask,
    ‘Where is the Lord?’
Those who deal with the law did not know me;^(BD)
    the leaders^(BE) rebelled against me.
The prophets prophesied by Baal,^(BF)
    following worthless idols.^(BG)

⁹“Therefore I bring charges^(BH) against you again,”
declares the Lord.
    “And I will bring charges against your children’s children.
¹⁰Cross over to the coasts of Cyprus^(BI) and look,
    send to Kedar^[c]^(BJ) and observe closely;
    see if there has ever been anything like this:
¹¹Has a nation ever changed its gods?
    (Yet they are not gods^(BK) at all.)
But my people have exchanged their glorious^(BL) God
    for worthless idols.
¹²Be appalled at this, you heavens,
    and shudder with great horror,”
declares the Lord.
¹³“My people have committed two sins:
They have forsaken^(BM) me,
    the spring of living water,^(BN)
and have dug their own cisterns,
    broken cisterns that cannot hold water.
¹⁴Is Israel a servant, a slave^(BO) by birth?
    Why then has he become plunder?
¹⁵Lions^(BP) have roared;
    they have growled at him.
They have laid waste^(BQ) his land;
    his towns are burned^(BR) and deserted.^(BS)
¹⁶Also, the men of Memphis^(BT) and Tahpanhes^(BU)
    have cracked your skull.
¹⁷Have you not brought this on yourselves^(BV)
    by forsaking^(BW) the Lord your God
    when he led you in the way?
¹⁸Now why go to Egypt^(BX)
    to drink water from the Nile^[d]?^(BY)
And why go to Assyria^(BZ)
    to drink water from the Euphrates?^(CA)
¹⁹Your wickedness will punish you;
    your backsliding^(CB) will rebuke^(CC) you.
Consider then and realize
    how evil and bitter^(CD) it is for you
when you forsake^(CE) the Lord your God
    and have no awe^(CF) of me,”
declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty.

²⁰“Long ago you broke off your yoke^(CG)
    and tore off your bonds;^(CH)
    you said, ‘I will not serve you!’^(CI)
Indeed, on every high hill^(CJ)
    and under every spreading tree^(CK)
    you lay down as a prostitute.^(CL)
²¹I had planted^(CM) you like a choice vine^(CN)
    of sound and reliable stock.
How then did you turn against me
    into a corrupt,^(CO) wild vine?
²²Although you wash^(CP) yourself with soap^(CQ)
    and use an abundance of cleansing powder,
    the stain of your guilt is still before me,”
declares the Sovereign Lord.^(CR)
²³“How can you say, ‘I am not defiled;^(CS)
    I have not run after the Baals’?^(CT)
See how you behaved in the valley;^(CU)
    consider what you have done.
You are a swift she-camel
    running^(CV) here and there,
²⁴a wild donkey^(CW) accustomed to the desert,^(CX)
    sniffing the wind in her craving—
    in her heat who can restrain her?
Any males that pursue her need not tire themselves;
    at mating time they will find her.
²⁵Do not run until your feet are bare
    and your throat is dry.
But you said, ‘It’s no use!^(CY)
    I love foreign gods,^(CZ)
    and I must go after them.’^(DA)

²⁶“As a thief is disgraced^(DB) when he is caught,
    so the people of Israel are disgraced—
they, their kings and their officials,
    their priests^(DC) and their prophets.^(DD)
²⁷They say to wood,^(DE) ‘You are my father,’
    and to stone,^(DF) ‘You gave me birth.’
They have turned their backs^(DG) to me
    and not their faces;^(DH)
yet when they are in trouble,^(DI) they say,
    ‘Come and save^(DJ) us!’
²⁸Where then are the gods^(DK) you made for yourselves?
    Let them come if they can save you
    when you are in trouble!^(DL)
For you, Judah, have as many gods
    as you have towns.^(DM)

²⁹“Why do you bring charges against me?
    You have all^(DN) rebelled against me,”
declares the Lord.
³⁰“In vain I punished your people;
    they did not respond to correction.^(DO)
Your sword has devoured your prophets^(DP)
    like a ravenous lion.

³¹“You of this generation, consider the word of the Lord:

“Have I been a desert to Israel
    or a land of great darkness?^(DQ)
Why do my people say, ‘We are free to roam;
    we will come to you no more’?^(DR)
³²Does a young woman forget her jewelry,
    a bride her wedding ornaments?
Yet my people have forgotten^(DS) me,
    days without number.
³³How skilled you are at pursuing^(DT) love!
    Even the worst of women can learn from your ways.
³⁴On your clothes is found
    the lifeblood^(DU) of the innocent poor,
    though you did not catch them breaking in.^(DV)
Yet in spite of all this
³⁵    you say, ‘I am innocent;^(DW)
    he is not angry with me.’
But I will pass judgment^(DX) on you
    because you say, ‘I have not sinned.’^(DY)
³⁶Why do you go about so much,
    changing^(DZ) your ways?
You will be disappointed by Egypt^(EA)
    as you were by Assyria.
³⁷You will also leave that place
    with your hands on your head,^(EB)
for the Lord has rejected those you trust;
    you will not be helped^(EC) by them.

Footnotes

Jeremiah 1:5 Or chose
Jeremiah 1:12 The Hebrew for watching sounds like the Hebrew for almond tree.
Jeremiah 2:10 In the Syro-Arabian desert
Jeremiah 2:18 Hebrew Shihor; that is, a branch of the Nile