希西迦向以赛亚求助

37 希西迦王听后就撕裂衣服,披上麻衣,进入耶和华的殿。 他派身披麻衣的宫廷总管以利亚敬、书记舍伯那和祭司中的长者去见亚摩斯的儿子以赛亚先知, 对他说:“希西迦说,‘今日是遭难、蒙羞、受辱的日子,就像婴儿要出生,产妇却无力生产一样。 亚述王派他的元帅来辱骂永活的上帝,也许你的上帝耶和华听见那些话,就惩罚他。请你为我们这些剩下的人祷告。’” 希西迦王的臣仆说完后, 以赛亚对他们说:“告诉你们主人,耶和华这样说,‘你不要因亚述王的仆人那些亵渎我的话而害怕。 我必惊动[a]亚述王的心,让他听见风声后便返回本国,使他在那里死于刀下。’”

亚述的将军听说亚述王已经离开拉吉,便回去见王,发现王在攻打立拿。 亚述王听说古实王特哈加要来攻打他,就派使者去对希西迦说: 10 “不要让你所倚靠的上帝愚弄你,说什么耶路撒冷必不会落在亚述王手中。 11 你肯定听过亚述诸王扫灭列国的事,难道你能幸免吗? 12 我先祖毁灭了歌散、哈兰、利色和提·拉撒的伊甸人,这些国家的神明救得了他们吗? 13 哈马王、亚珥拔王、西法瓦音城的王、希拿王和以瓦王如今在哪里呢?”

希西迦的祷告

14 希西迦从使者手中接过信,读完后走进耶和华的殿,在耶和华面前展开信, 15 祷告说: 16 “坐在二基路伯天使之上、以色列的上帝——万军之耶和华啊,唯有你是天下万国的上帝,你创造了天地。 17 耶和华啊,求你侧耳垂听!耶和华啊,求你睁眼察看!求你听听西拿基立派人来辱骂永活上帝的话。 18 耶和华啊,亚述诸王确实扫灭列国,使其土地荒凉, 19 把他们的神像丢进火中烧毁。因为那些神像只是人用木头石头制造的,根本不是神。 20 我们的上帝耶和华啊,现在求你从亚述王手中拯救我们,让天下万国都知道唯有你是耶和华。”

预言亚述必败

21 亚摩斯的儿子以赛亚先知派人对希西迦说:“以色列的上帝耶和华说,‘因为你就亚述王西拿基立的事向我祷告, 22 以下是耶和华对他的判语,

“‘锡安的居民藐视你,嘲笑你;
耶路撒冷的居民朝你逃窜的背影摇头。

23 “‘你在侮辱、亵渎谁呢?
你不放在眼里、高声骂的是谁呢?
是以色列的圣者!
24 你借你的使者侮辱主。
你说你带着许多战车上到群山之巅,
上到黎巴嫩的巅峰,
砍下最高的香柏树和上好的松树,
征服最高的山和最美的树林。
25 你说你已在外邦之地挖井喝水,
已用脚掌踏干埃及的河流。

26 “‘难道你不知这是我在远古所定的吗?
如今我要实现我昔日所定的计划,
就是借着你使坚城沦为废墟。
27 城中的居民软弱无力,
惊慌失措,羞愧难当,
脆弱如野草和菜蔬,
又像还未长大就被晒焦的房顶草。

28 “‘你起你坐,你出你进,
你向我发怒,我都知道。
29 因为你向我发怒,
你狂傲的话达到了我耳中,
我要用钩子钩住你的鼻子,
把嚼环放在你嘴里,
使你原路返回。’

30 “希西迦啊,我要给你一个兆头。你们今年明年要吃野生的,后年要撒种,收割,栽种葡萄园,吃园中的果子。 31 犹大的幸存者要再次向下扎根,向上结果。 32 因为将有余民从耶路撒冷出来,有幸存者从锡安山出来。万军之耶和华必热切地成就这事。 33 至于亚述王,耶和华说,‘他必不能进城或向这里射一箭,必不能手持盾牌兵临城下或修筑攻城的高台。 34 他必原路返回,不得进入这城。这是耶和华说的。 35 我必为自己和我仆人大卫而保护、拯救这城。’”

36 于是,耶和华的天使到亚述营中杀了十八万五千人。人们清早起来,发现到处是尸体。 37 亚述王西拿基立便拔营回国,住在尼尼微。 38 有一天,他在庙中祭拜他的神明尼斯洛的时候,他儿子亚得米勒和沙利色用刀杀了他,然后逃往亚拉腊。他儿子以撒哈顿继位。

希西迦患病

38 那些日子,希西迦病危,亚摩斯的儿子以赛亚先知前来对他说:“耶和华说,‘你要交待后事,因为你要死了,你的病不能康复。’” 希西迦把脸转向墙,向耶和华祷告,说: “耶和华啊,求你顾念我怎样全心、忠诚地事奉你,做你视为善的事。”希西迦痛哭起来。 耶和华对以赛亚说: “你去告诉希西迦,‘你祖先大卫的上帝耶和华说,我听见了你的祷告,也看见了你的眼泪,我要使你的寿命增加十五年。 我要从亚述王手中拯救你和这城,我要保护这城。’” 21 [b]以赛亚说:“拿一块无花果饼贴在王的疮上,他就会痊愈。” 22 希西迦问:“有什么兆头能证明我可以再上耶和华的殿吗?” 以赛亚说:“耶和华要给你一个预兆,以证明祂言出必行。 祂要使亚哈斯日晷上的日影后退十度。”果然,日影后退了十度。

犹大王希西迦病愈后,
写了一首诗:
10 “我以为自己盛年之际,
就要踏入阴间之门,
不能享受余年。
11 我以为再也见不到耶和华,
在世间再不能见到祂,
也不能再见到世人。
12 我的生命像牧人的帐篷一样被拆走,
像织布机上的布匹一样被剪断。
一日之间,祂使我的生命嘎然而止。
13 我整夜哀号,
好像被狮子咬断了全身的骨头。
一日之间,祂使我的生命嘎然而止。

14 “我像燕、鹤一样哀鸣,
像鸽子一样呻吟;
我举目望天,双眼疲倦。
耶和华啊!
我困苦不堪,求你保护我。
15 我能说什么呢?
祂对我说的,祂都亲自成就了。
因为心灵的苦痛,我要一生谨慎而行。

16 “主啊,你的管教使人存活,
使我的心灵有活力。
主啊,求你使我身体复原,
让我存活。
17 其实我受大苦对我有益。
你施慈爱,从死亡的深坑中拯救我的生命,
将我一切罪恶抛在你背后。
18 阴间不能称谢你,
死亡不能赞美你,
下坟墓的人不能仰望你的信实。
19 只有活着的人才能像我今天这样赞美你,
并且把你的信实告诉下一代。

20 “耶和华必救我,
我们要一生一世在祂殿中弹琴歌唱。”

Footnotes

  1. 37:7 惊动”希伯来文是“使灵进入”。
  2. 38:21-22 这两节在原文抄本是放在本章末尾,不过这可能是在誊抄过程中放错位置。其实这两节经文放在6节和7节之间最为自然,就如在列王纪下一样,参见列王纪下20:7-8

37 And it came to pass, when king Hezekiah heard it, that he rent his clothes, and covered himself with sackcloth, and went into the house of the Lord.

And he sent Eliakim, who was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and the elders of the priests covered with sackcloth, unto Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz.

And they said unto him, Thus saith Hezekiah, This day is a day of trouble, and of rebuke, and of blasphemy: for the children are come to the birth, and there is not strength to bring forth.

It may be the Lord thy God will hear the words of Rabshakeh, whom the king of Assyria his master hath sent to reproach the living God, and will reprove the words which the Lord thy God hath heard: wherefore lift up thy prayer for the remnant that is left.

So the servants of king Hezekiah came to Isaiah.

And Isaiah said unto them, Thus shall ye say unto your master, Thus saith the Lord, Be not afraid of the words that thou hast heard, wherewith the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me.

Behold, I will send a blast upon him, and he shall hear a rumour, and return to his own land; and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land.

So Rabshakeh returned, and found the king of Assyria warring against Libnah: for he had heard that he was departed from Lachish.

And he heard say concerning Tirhakah king of Ethiopia, He is come forth to make war with thee. And when he heard it, he sent messengers to Hezekiah, saying,

10 Thus shall ye speak to Hezekiah king of Judah, saying, Let not thy God, in whom thou trustest, deceive thee, saying, Jerusalem shall not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.

11 Behold, thou hast heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands by destroying them utterly; and shalt thou be delivered?

12 Have the gods of the nations delivered them which my fathers have destroyed, as Gozan, and Haran, and Rezeph, and the children of Eden which were in Telassar?

13 Where is the king of Hamath, and the king of Arphad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivah?

14 And Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read it: and Hezekiah went up unto the house of the Lord, and spread it before the Lord.

15 And Hezekiah prayed unto the Lord, saying,

16 O Lord of hosts, God of Israel, that dwellest between the cherubims, thou art the God, even thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth: thou hast made heaven and earth.

17 Incline thine ear, O Lord, and hear; open thine eyes, O Lord, and see: and hear all the words of Sennacherib, which hath sent to reproach the living God.

18 Of a truth, Lord, the kings of Assyria have laid waste all the nations, and their countries,

19 And have cast their gods into the fire: for they were no gods, but the work of men's hands, wood and stone: therefore they have destroyed them.

20 Now therefore, O Lord our God, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that thou art the Lord, even thou only.

21 Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent unto Hezekiah, saying, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Whereas thou hast prayed to me against Sennacherib king of Assyria:

22 This is the word which the Lord hath spoken concerning him; The virgin, the daughter of Zion, hath despised thee, and laughed thee to scorn; the daughter of Jerusalem hath shaken her head at thee.

23 Whom hast thou reproached and blasphemed? and against whom hast thou exalted thy voice, and lifted up thine eyes on high? even against the Holy One of Israel.

24 By thy servants hast thou reproached the Lord, and hast said, By the multitude of my chariots am I come up to the height of the mountains, to the sides of Lebanon; and I will cut down the tall cedars thereof, and the choice fir trees thereof: and I will enter into the height of his border, and the forest of his Carmel.

25 I have digged, and drunk water; and with the sole of my feet have I dried up all the rivers of the besieged places.

26 Hast thou not heard long ago, how I have done it; and of ancient times, that I have formed it? now have I brought it to pass, that thou shouldest be to lay waste defenced cities into ruinous heaps.

27 Therefore their inhabitants were of small power, they were dismayed and confounded: they were as the grass of the field, and as the green herb, as the grass on the housetops, and as corn blasted before it be grown up.

28 But I know thy abode, and thy going out, and thy coming in, and thy rage against me.

29 Because thy rage against me, and thy tumult, is come up into mine ears, therefore will I put my hook in thy nose, and my bridle in thy lips, and I will turn thee back by the way by which thou camest.

30 And this shall be a sign unto thee, Ye shall eat this year such as groweth of itself; and the second year that which springeth of the same: and in the third year sow ye, and reap, and plant vineyards, and eat the fruit thereof.

31 And the remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah shall again take root downward, and bear fruit upward:

32 For out of Jerusalem shall go forth a remnant, and they that escape out of mount Zion: the zeal of the Lord of hosts shall do this.

33 Therefore thus saith the Lord concerning the king of Assyria, He shall not come into this city, nor shoot an arrow there, nor come before it with shields, nor cast a bank against it.

34 By the way that he came, by the same shall he return, and shall not come into this city, saith the Lord.

35 For I will defend this city to save it for mine own sake, and for my servant David's sake.

36 Then the angel of the Lord went forth, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians a hundred and fourscore and five thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses.

37 So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed, and went and returned, and dwelt at Nineveh.

38 And it came to pass, as he was worshipping in the house of Nisroch his god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer his sons smote him with the sword; and they escaped into the land of Armenia: and Esarhaddon his son reigned in his stead.

38 In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came unto him, and said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Set thine house in order: for thou shalt die, and not live.

Then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, and prayed unto the Lord,

And said, Remember now, O Lord, I beseech thee, how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore.

Then came the word of the Lord to Isaiah, saying,

Go, and say to Hezekiah, Thus saith the Lord, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will add unto thy days fifteen years.

And I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria: and I will defend this city.

And this shall be a sign unto thee from the Lord, that the Lord will do this thing that he hath spoken;

Behold, I will bring again the shadow of the degrees, which is gone down in the sun dial of Ahaz, ten degrees backward. So the sun returned ten degrees, by which degrees it was gone down.

The writing of Hezekiah king of Judah, when he had been sick, and was recovered of his sickness:

10 I said in the cutting off of my days, I shall go to the gates of the grave: I am deprived of the residue of my years.

11 I said, I shall not see the Lord, even the Lord, in the land of the living: I shall behold man no more with the inhabitants of the world.

12 Mine age is departed, and is removed from me as a shepherd's tent: I have cut off like a weaver my life: he will cut me off with pining sickness: from day even to night wilt thou make an end of me.

13 I reckoned till morning, that, as a lion, so will he break all my bones: from day even to night wilt thou make an end of me.

14 Like a crane or a swallow, so did I chatter: I did mourn as a dove: mine eyes fail with looking upward: O Lord, I am oppressed; undertake for me.

15 What shall I say? he hath both spoken unto me, and himself hath done it: I shall go softly all my years in the bitterness of my soul.

16 O Lord, by these things men live, and in all these things is the life of my spirit: so wilt thou recover me, and make me to live.

17 Behold, for peace I had great bitterness: but thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption: for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back.

18 For the grave cannot praise thee, death can not celebrate thee: they that go down into the pit cannot hope for thy truth.

19 The living, the living, he shall praise thee, as I do this day: the father to the children shall make known thy truth.

20 The Lord was ready to save me: therefore we will sing my songs to the stringed instruments all the days of our life in the house of the Lord.

21 For Isaiah had said, Let them take a lump of figs, and lay it for a plaister upon the boil, and he shall recover.

22 Hezekiah also had said, What is the sign that I shall go up to the house of the Lord?

Jerusalem’s Deliverance Foretold(A)

37 When King Hezekiah heard this, he tore his clothes(B) and put on sackcloth(C) and went into the temple(D) of the Lord. He sent Eliakim(E) the palace administrator, Shebna(F) the secretary, and the leading priests, all wearing sackcloth, to the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz.(G) They told him, “This is what Hezekiah says: This day is a day of distress(H) and rebuke and disgrace, as when children come to the moment of birth(I) and there is no strength to deliver them. It 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(J) the living God,(K) and that he will rebuke him for the words the Lord your God has heard.(L) Therefore pray(M) for the remnant(N) that still survives.”

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

When the field commander heard that the king of Assyria had left Lachish,(T) he withdrew and found the king fighting against Libnah.(U)

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

Hezekiah’s Prayer(AH)

14 Hezekiah received the letter(AI) from the messengers and read it. Then he went up to the temple(AJ) of the Lord and spread it out before the Lord. 15 And Hezekiah prayed(AK) to the Lord: 16 Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, enthroned(AL) between the cherubim,(AM) you alone are God(AN) over all the kingdoms(AO) of the earth. You have made heaven and earth.(AP) 17 Give ear, Lord, and hear;(AQ) open your eyes, Lord, and see;(AR) listen to all the words Sennacherib(AS) has sent to ridicule(AT) the living God.(AU)

18 “It is true, Lord, that the Assyrian kings have laid waste all these peoples and their lands.(AV) 19 They have thrown their gods into the fire(AW) and destroyed them,(AX) for they were not gods(AY) but only wood and stone, fashioned by human hands.(AZ) 20 Now, Lord our God, deliver(BA) us from his hand, so that all the kingdoms of the earth(BB) may know that you, Lord, are the only God.[b](BC)

Sennacherib’s Fall(BD)

21 Then Isaiah son of Amoz(BE) 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, 22 this is the word the Lord has spoken against him:

“Virgin Daughter(BF) Zion(BG)
    despises and mocks you.
Daughter Jerusalem
    tosses her head(BH) as you flee.
23 Who is it you have ridiculed and blasphemed?(BI)
    Against whom have you raised your voice(BJ)
and lifted your eyes in pride?(BK)
    Against the Holy One(BL) of Israel!
24 By your messengers
    you have ridiculed the Lord.
And you have said,
    ‘With my many chariots(BM)
I have ascended the heights of the mountains,
    the utmost heights(BN) of Lebanon.(BO)
I have cut down its tallest cedars,
    the choicest of its junipers.(BP)
I have reached its remotest heights,
    the finest of its forests.
25 I have dug wells in foreign lands[c]
    and drunk the water there.
With the soles of my feet
    I have dried up(BQ) all the streams of Egypt.(BR)

26 “Have you not heard?
    Long ago I ordained(BS) it.
In days of old I planned(BT) it;
    now I have brought it to pass,
that you have turned fortified cities
    into piles of stone.(BU)
27 Their people, drained of power,
    are dismayed and put to shame.
They are like plants in the field,
    like tender green shoots,
like grass(BV) sprouting on the roof,(BW)
    scorched[d] before it grows up.

28 “But I know where you are
    and when you come and go(BX)
    and how you rage(BY) against me.
29 Because you rage against me
    and because your insolence(BZ) has reached my ears,
I will put my hook(CA) in your nose(CB)
    and my bit in your mouth,
and I will make you return
    by the way you came.(CC)

30 “This will be the sign(CD) for you, Hezekiah:

“This year(CE) you will eat what grows by itself,
    and the second year what springs from that.
But in the third year(CF) sow and reap,
    plant vineyards(CG) and eat their fruit.(CH)
31 Once more a remnant of the kingdom of Judah
    will take root(CI) below and bear fruit(CJ) above.
32 For out of Jerusalem will come a remnant,(CK)
    and out of Mount Zion a band of survivors.(CL)
The zeal(CM) of the Lord Almighty
    will accomplish this.

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

“He will not enter this city(CN)
    or shoot an arrow here.
He will not come before it with shield
    or build a siege ramp(CO) against it.
34 By the way that he came he will return;(CP)
    he will not enter this city,”
declares the Lord.
35 “I will defend(CQ) this city and save it,
    for my sake(CR) and for the sake of David(CS) my servant!”

36 Then the angel(CT) of the Lord went out and put to death(CU) a hundred and eighty-five thousand in the Assyrian(CV) camp. When the people got up the next morning—there were all the dead bodies! 37 So Sennacherib(CW) king of Assyria broke camp and withdrew. He returned to Nineveh(CX) and stayed there.

38 One day, while he was worshiping in the temple(CY) of his god Nisrok, his sons Adrammelek and Sharezer killed him with the sword, and they escaped to the land of Ararat.(CZ) And Esarhaddon(DA) his son succeeded him as king.(DB)

Hezekiah’s Illness(DC)

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

Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, “Remember, Lord, how I have walked(DG) before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion(DH) and have done what is good in your eyes.(DI)” And Hezekiah wept(DJ) bitterly.

Then the word(DK) of the Lord came to Isaiah: “Go and tell Hezekiah, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of your father David,(DL) says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears;(DM) I will add fifteen years(DN) to your life. And I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria. I will defend(DO) this city.

“‘This is the Lord’s sign(DP) to you that the Lord will do what he has promised: I will make the shadow cast by the sun go back the ten steps it has gone down on the stairway of Ahaz.’” So the sunlight went back the ten steps it had gone down.(DQ)

A writing of Hezekiah king of Judah after his illness and recovery:

10 I said, “In the prime of my life(DR)
    must I go through the gates of death(DS)
    and be robbed of the rest of my years?(DT)
11 I said, “I will not again see the Lord himself(DU)
    in the land of the living;(DV)
no longer will I look on my fellow man,
    or be with those who now dwell in this world.
12 Like a shepherd’s tent(DW) my house
    has been pulled down(DX) and taken from me.
Like a weaver I have rolled(DY) up my life,
    and he has cut me off from the loom;(DZ)
    day and night(EA) you made an end of me.
13 I waited patiently(EB) till dawn,
    but like a lion he broke(EC) all my bones;(ED)
    day and night(EE) you made an end of me.
14 I cried like a swift or thrush,
    I moaned like a mourning dove.(EF)
My eyes grew weak(EG) as I looked to the heavens.
    I am being threatened; Lord, come to my aid!”(EH)

15 But what can I say?(EI)
    He has spoken to me, and he himself has done this.(EJ)
I will walk humbly(EK) all my years
    because of this anguish of my soul.(EL)
16 Lord, by such things people live;
    and my spirit finds life in them too.
You restored me to health
    and let me live.(EM)
17 Surely it was for my benefit(EN)
    that I suffered such anguish.(EO)
In your love you kept me
    from the pit(EP) of destruction;
you have put all my sins(EQ)
    behind your back.(ER)
18 For the grave(ES) cannot praise you,
    death cannot sing your praise;(ET)
those who go down to the pit(EU)
    cannot hope for your faithfulness.
19 The living, the living—they praise(EV) you,
    as I am doing today;
parents tell their children(EW)
    about your faithfulness.

20 The Lord will save me,
    and we will sing(EX) with stringed instruments(EY)
all the days of our lives(EZ)
    in the temple(FA) of the Lord.

21 Isaiah had said, “Prepare a poultice of figs and apply it to the boil, and he will recover.”

22 Hezekiah had asked, “What will be the sign(FB) that I will go up to the temple of the Lord?”

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 37:9 That is, the upper Nile region
  2. Isaiah 37:20 Dead Sea Scrolls (see also 2 Kings 19:19); Masoretic Text you alone are the Lord
  3. Isaiah 37:25 Dead Sea Scrolls (see also 2 Kings 19:24); Masoretic Text does not have in foreign lands.
  4. Isaiah 37:27 Some manuscripts of the Masoretic Text, Dead Sea Scrolls and some Septuagint manuscripts (see also 2 Kings 19:26); most manuscripts of the Masoretic Text roof / and terraced fields

Isaiah Assures Deliverance(A)

37 And (B)so it was, when King Hezekiah heard it, that he tore his clothes, covered himself with sackcloth, and went into the house of the Lord. Then he sent Eliakim, who was over the household, Shebna the scribe, and the elders of the priests, covered with sackcloth, to Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz. And they said to him, “Thus says Hezekiah: ‘This day is a day of (C)trouble and rebuke and [a]blasphemy; for the children have come to birth, but there is no strength to bring them forth. It may be that the Lord your God will hear the words of the Rabshakeh, whom his master the king of Assyria has sent to (D)reproach the living God, and will rebuke the words which the Lord your God has heard. Therefore lift up your prayer for the remnant that is left.’ ”

So the servants of King Hezekiah came to Isaiah. And Isaiah said to them, “Thus you shall say to your master, ‘Thus says the Lord: “Do not be afraid of the words which you have heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed Me. Surely I will send a spirit upon him, and he shall hear a rumor and return to his own land; and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land.” ’ ”

Sennacherib’s Threat and Hezekiah’s Prayer(E)

Then the Rabshakeh returned, and found the king of Assyria warring against Libnah, for he heard that he had departed from Lachish. And the king heard concerning Tirhakah king of Ethiopia, “He has come out to make war with you.” So when he heard it, he sent messengers to Hezekiah, saying, 10 “Thus you shall speak to Hezekiah king of Judah, saying: ‘Do not let your God in whom you trust deceive you, saying, “Jerusalem shall not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.” 11 Look! You have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands by utterly destroying them; and shall you be delivered? 12 Have the (F)gods of the nations delivered those whom my fathers have destroyed, Gozan and Haran and Rezeph, and the people of Eden who were in Telassar? 13 Where is the king of (G)Hamath, the king of Arpad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivah?’ ”

14 And Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read it; and Hezekiah went up to the house of the Lord, and spread it before the Lord. 15 Then Hezekiah prayed to the Lord, saying: 16 “O Lord of hosts, God of Israel, the One who dwells between the cherubim, You are God, You (H)alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. 17 (I)Incline Your ear, O Lord, and hear; open Your eyes, O Lord, and see; and (J)hear all the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to reproach the living God. 18 Truly, Lord, the kings of Assyria have laid waste all the nations and their (K)lands, 19 and have cast their gods into the fire; for they were (L)not gods, but the work of men’s hands—wood and stone. Therefore they destroyed them. 20 Now therefore, O Lord our God, (M)save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may (N)know that You are the Lord, You alone.”

The Word of the Lord Concerning Sennacherib(O)

21 Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah, saying, “Thus says the Lord God of Israel, ‘Because you have prayed to Me against Sennacherib king of Assyria, 22 this is the word which the Lord has spoken concerning him:

“The virgin, the daughter of Zion,
Has despised you, laughed you to scorn;
The daughter of Jerusalem
Has shaken her head behind your back!

23 “Whom have you reproached and blasphemed?
Against whom have you raised your voice,
And lifted up your eyes on high?
Against the Holy One of Israel.
24 By your servants you have reproached the Lord,
And said, ‘By the multitude of my chariots
I have come up to the height of the mountains,
To the limits of Lebanon;
I will cut down its tall cedars
And its choice cypress trees;
I will enter its farthest height,
To its fruitful forest.
25 I have dug and drunk water,
And with the soles of my feet I have dried up
All the brooks of [b]defense.’

26 “Did you not hear (P)long ago
How I made it,
From ancient times that I formed it?
Now I have brought it to pass,
That you should be
For crushing fortified cities into heaps of ruins.
27 Therefore their inhabitants had little power;
They were dismayed and confounded;
They were as the grass of the field
And the green herb,
As the grass on the housetops
And grain blighted before it is grown.

28 “But I know your dwelling place,
Your going out and your coming in,
And your rage against Me.
29 Because your rage against Me and your tumult
Have come up to My ears,
Therefore (Q)I will put My hook in your nose
And My bridle in your lips,
And I will (R)turn you back
By the way which you came.” ’

30 “This shall be a sign to you:

You shall eat this year such as grows of itself,
And the second year what springs from the same;
Also in the third year sow and reap,
Plant vineyards and eat the fruit of them.
31 And the remnant who have escaped of the house of Judah
Shall again take root downward,
And bear fruit upward.
32 For out of Jerusalem shall go a remnant,
And those who escape from Mount Zion.
The (S)zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

33 “Therefore thus says the Lord concerning the king of Assyria:

‘He shall not come into this city,
Nor shoot an arrow there,
Nor come before it with shield,
Nor build a siege mound against it.
34 By the way that he came,
By the same shall he return;
And he shall not come into this city,’
Says the Lord.
35 ‘For I will (T)defend this city, to save it
For My own sake and for My servant (U)David’s sake.’ ”

Sennacherib’s Defeat and Death(V)

36 Then the (W)angel[c] of the Lord went out, and [d]killed in the camp of the Assyrians one hundred and eighty-five thousand; and when people arose early in the morning, there were the corpses—all dead. 37 So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed and went away, returned home, and remained at Nineveh. 38 Now it came to pass, as he was worshiping in the house of Nisroch his god, that his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer struck him down with the sword; and they escaped into the land of Ararat. Then (X)Esarhaddon his son reigned in his place.

Hezekiah’s Life Extended(Y)

38 In (Z)those days Hezekiah was sick and near death. And Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, went to him and said to him, “Thus says the Lord: (AA)‘Set your house in order, for you shall die and not live.’ ”

Then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, and prayed to the Lord, and said, (AB)“Remember now, O Lord, I pray, how I have walked before You in truth and with a [e]loyal heart, and have done what is good in Your (AC)sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.

And the word of the Lord came to Isaiah, saying, “Go and tell Hezekiah, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of David your father: “I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; surely I will add to your days fifteen years. I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria, and (AD)I will defend this city.” ’ And this is (AE)the sign to you from the Lord, that the Lord will do this thing which He has spoken: Behold, I will bring the shadow on the sundial, which has gone down with the sun on the sundial of Ahaz, ten degrees backward.” So the sun returned ten degrees on the dial by which it had gone down.

This is the writing of Hezekiah king of Judah, when he had been sick and had recovered from his sickness:

10 I said,
“In the prime of my life
I shall go to the gates of Sheol;
I am deprived of the remainder of my years.”
11 I said,
“I shall not see [f]Yah,
The Lord (AF)in the land of the living;
I shall observe man no more [g]among the inhabitants of [h]the world.
12 (AG)My life span is gone,
Taken from me like a shepherd’s tent;
I have cut off my life like a weaver.
He cuts me off from the loom;
From day until night You make an end of me.
13 I have considered until morning—
Like a lion,
So He breaks all my bones;
From day until night You make an end of me.
14 Like a crane or a swallow, so I chattered;
(AH)I mourned like a dove;
My eyes fail from looking upward.
O [i]Lord, I am oppressed;
[j]Undertake for me!

15 “What shall I say?
[k]He has both spoken to me,
And He Himself has done it.
I shall walk carefully all my years
(AI)In the bitterness of my soul.
16 O Lord, by these things men live;
And in all these things is the life of my spirit;
So You will restore me and make me live.
17 Indeed it was for my own peace
That I had great bitterness;
But You have lovingly delivered my soul from the pit of corruption,
For You have cast all my sins behind Your back.
18 For (AJ)Sheol cannot thank You,
Death cannot praise You;
Those who go down to the pit cannot hope for Your truth.
19 The living, the living man, he shall praise You,
As I do this day;
(AK)The father shall make known Your truth to the children.

20 “The Lord was ready to save me;
Therefore we will sing my songs with stringed instruments
All the days of our life, in the house of the Lord.”

21 Now (AL)Isaiah had said, “Let them take a lump of figs, and apply it as a poultice on the boil, and he shall recover.”

22 And (AM)Hezekiah had said, “What is the sign that I shall go up to the house of the Lord?”

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 37:3 contempt
  2. Isaiah 37:25 Or perhaps Egypt
  3. Isaiah 37:36 Or Angel
  4. Isaiah 37:36 Lit. struck
  5. Isaiah 38:3 whole or peaceful
  6. Isaiah 38:11 Heb. Yah, Yah
  7. Isaiah 38:11 LXX omits among the inhabitants of the world
  8. Isaiah 38:11 So with some Heb. mss.; MT, Vg. rest; Tg. land
  9. Isaiah 38:14 So with Bg.; MT, DSS Lord
  10. Isaiah 38:14 Be my surety
  11. Isaiah 38:15 So with MT, Vg.; DSS, Tg. And shall I say to Him; LXX omits first half of this verse

Hezekiah Seeks Isaiah's Help

37 (A)As soon as King Hezekiah heard it, he tore his clothes and covered himself with sackcloth and went into the house of the Lord. And he sent Eliakim, who was over the household, and Shebna the secretary, and the senior priests, covered with sackcloth, to the prophet (B)Isaiah the son of Amoz. They said to him, “Thus says Hezekiah, ‘This day is a (C)day of distress, of rebuke, and of disgrace; (D)children have come to the point of birth, and there is no strength to bring them forth. (E)It may be that the Lord your God will hear the words of the Rabshakeh, whom his master the king of Assyria has sent to mock the living God, and will rebuke the words that the Lord your God has heard; therefore lift up your prayer for (F)the remnant that is left.’”

When the servants of King Hezekiah came to Isaiah, Isaiah said to them, “Say to your master, ‘Thus says the Lord: Do not be afraid because of the words that you have heard, with which the young men of the king of Assyria have reviled me. Behold, (G)I will put a spirit in him, so that (H)he shall hear a rumor and return to his own land, and (I)I will make him fall by the sword in his own land.’”

The Rabshakeh returned, and found the king of Assyria fighting against (J)Libnah, for he had heard that the king had left (K)Lachish. Now the king heard concerning Tirhakah king of (L)Cush,[a] “He has set out to fight against you.” And when he heard it, he sent messengers to Hezekiah, saying, 10 “Thus shall you speak to Hezekiah king of Judah: (M)‘Do not let your God in whom you trust deceive you by promising that Jerusalem will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria. 11 Behold, you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands, devoting them to destruction. And shall you be delivered? 12 (N)Have the gods of the nations delivered them, the nations that my fathers destroyed, (O)Gozan, (P)Haran, Rezeph, and the people of Eden who were in Telassar? 13 (Q)Where is the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, the king of the city of Sepharvaim, the king of Hena, or the king of Ivvah?’”

Hezekiah's Prayer for Deliverance

14 Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read it; and Hezekiah went up to the house of the Lord, and spread it before the Lord. 15 And Hezekiah prayed to the Lord: 16 “O Lord of hosts, God of Israel, (R)enthroned above the cherubim, you are the God, you alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; (S)you have made heaven and earth. 17 (T)Incline your ear, O Lord, and hear; open your eyes, O Lord, and see; and hear (U)all the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to mock the living God. 18 Truly, O Lord, (V)the kings of Assyria have laid waste all the nations and their lands, 19 and have cast their gods into the fire. For they were no gods, but the work of men's hands, wood and stone. Therefore they were destroyed. 20 So now, O Lord our God, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you alone are the Lord.”

Sennacherib's Fall

21 Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah, saying, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Because you have prayed to me concerning Sennacherib king of Assyria, 22 this is the word that the Lord has spoken concerning him:

“‘She despises you, she scorns you—
    (W)the virgin daughter of Zion;
she wags her head behind you—
    the daughter of Jerusalem.

23 “‘Whom have you mocked and reviled?
    Against whom have you raised your voice
and lifted your eyes to the heights?
    Against (X)the Holy One of Israel!
24 By your servants you have mocked the Lord,
    and you have said, (Y)With my many chariots
I have gone up the heights of the mountains,
    to the far recesses of Lebanon,
(Z)to cut down its tallest cedars,
    its choicest cypresses,
to come to its remotest height,
    its most fruitful forest.
25 I dug wells
    and drank waters,
to dry up with the sole of my foot
    all (AA)the streams (AB)of Egypt.

26 (AC)“‘Have you not heard
    that I determined it long ago?
I planned from days of old
    what now I bring to pass,
that you should make fortified cities
    crash into heaps of ruins,
27 while their inhabitants, shorn of strength,
    are dismayed and confounded,
and have become like plants of the field
    and like tender grass,
like grass on the housetops,
    blighted[b] before it is grown.

28 “‘I know your sitting down
    and your going out and coming in,
    and your raging against me.
29 (AD)Because you have raged against me
    and your complacency has come to my ears,
I will put my hook in your nose
    and my bit in your mouth,
and (AE)I will turn you back on the way
    by which you came.’

30 “And this shall be the sign for you: this year you shall eat what grows of itself, and in the second year what springs from that. Then in the third year sow and reap, and plant vineyards, and eat their fruit. 31 And the surviving remnant of the house of Judah (AF)shall again take root downward and bear fruit upward. 32 (AG)For out of Jerusalem shall go a remnant, and out of Mount Zion a band of survivors. (AH)The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

33 “Therefore thus says the Lord concerning the king of Assyria: He shall not come into this city or shoot an arrow there or come before it with a shield or (AI)cast up a siege mound against it. 34 By the way that he came, by the same he shall return, and he shall not come into this city, declares the Lord. 35 (AJ)For I will defend this city to save it, for my own sake and for (AK)the sake of my servant David.”

36 (AL)And the angel of the Lord went out and struck down 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians. And when people arose early in the morning, behold, these were all dead bodies. 37 Then Sennacherib king of Assyria departed and returned home and lived at (AM)Nineveh. 38 And as he was worshiping in the house of Nisroch his god, Adrammelech and Sharezer, his sons, struck him down with the sword. And after they escaped into the land of (AN)Ararat, (AO)Esarhaddon his son reigned in his place.

Hezekiah's Sickness and Recovery

38 (AP)In those days Hezekiah became (AQ)sick and was at the point of death. And (AR)Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came to him, and said to him, “Thus says the Lord: Set your house in order, for you shall die, you shall not recover.”[c] Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, and said, “Please, O Lord, remember how (AS)I have walked before you in faithfulness and with a whole heart, and have done what is good in your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.

Then the word of the Lord came to Isaiah: “Go and say to Hezekiah, Thus says the Lord, the God of David your father: I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Behold, I will add (AT)fifteen years to your life.[d] (AU)I will deliver you and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria, and will defend this city.

“This shall be the sign to you from the Lord, that the Lord will do this thing that he has promised: (AV)Behold, I will make the shadow cast by the declining sun on the dial of Ahaz turn back ten steps.” So the sun turned back on the dial the ten steps by which it had declined.[e]

A writing of Hezekiah king of Judah, after he had been sick and had recovered from his sickness:

10 I said, (AW)In the middle[f] of my days
    I must depart;
I am consigned to the gates of Sheol
    for the rest of my years.
11 I said, I shall not see the Lord,
    the Lord (AX)in the land of the living;
I shall look on man no more
    among the inhabitants of the world.
12 My dwelling is plucked up and removed from me
    (AY)like a shepherd's tent;
(AZ)like a weaver (BA)I have rolled up my life;
    (BB)he cuts me off from the loom;
(BC)from day to night you bring me to an end;
13     (BD)I calmed myself[g] until morning;
like a lion (BE)he breaks all my bones;
    from day to night you bring me to an end.

14 Like (BF)a swallow or a crane I chirp;
    (BG)I moan like a dove.
(BH)My eyes are weary with looking upward.
    O Lord, I am oppressed; (BI)be my pledge of safety!
15 What shall I say? For he has spoken to me,
    and he himself has done it.
(BJ)I walk slowly all my years
    because of the bitterness of my soul.

16 (BK)O Lord, by these things men live,
    and in all these is the life of my spirit.
    Oh restore me to health and make me live!
17 (BL)Behold, it was for my welfare
    that I had great bitterness;
(BM)but in love you have delivered my life
    from the pit of destruction,
(BN)for you have cast all my sins
    behind your back.
18 (BO)For Sheol does not thank you;
    death does not praise you;
those who go down to the pit do not hope
    for your faithfulness.
19 The living, the living, he thanks you,
    as I do this day;
(BP)the father makes known to the children
    your faithfulness.

20 The Lord will save me,
    and we will play my music on stringed instruments
all the days of our lives,
    (BQ)at the house of the Lord.

21 (BR)Now Isaiah had said, “Let them take a cake of figs and apply it to the boil, that he may recover.” 22 Hezekiah also had said, “What is the sign that I shall go up to the house of the Lord?”

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 37:9 Probably Nubia
  2. Isaiah 37:27 Some Hebrew manuscripts and 2 Kings 19:26; most Hebrew manuscripts a field
  3. Isaiah 38:1 Or live; also verses 9, 21
  4. Isaiah 38:5 Hebrew to your days
  5. Isaiah 38:8 The meaning of the Hebrew verse is uncertain
  6. Isaiah 38:10 Or In the quiet
  7. Isaiah 38:13 Or (with Targum) I cried for help

追求属天的事

你们既然和基督一同复活了,就应当追求天上的事,那里有坐在上帝右边的基督。 你们要思想天上的事,而不是地上的事, 因为你们的旧生命已经死了,你们的新生命与基督一同藏在上帝里面。 基督就是你们的新生命,祂显现的时候,你们也必和祂一起在荣耀中显现。

所以,你们要治死身上属世的罪恶,如淫乱、污秽、邪情、恶欲和贪心,贪心就是拜偶像, 因为上帝的烈怒必临到做这些事的悖逆之人。 你们过去也和他们一样过着罪恶的生活, 但现在必须杜绝这一切的恶事,如怒气、愤恨、恶毒、毁谤和污言秽语。 不要彼此说谎,因为你们已经脱去了旧人和旧的行为, 10 穿上了新人。这新人在知识上不断更新,更像他的造物主。 11 从此,不再分希腊人、犹太人,受割礼的、未受割礼的,野蛮人、未开化的人[a],奴隶和自由人,基督就是一切,并且贯穿一切。

12 所以,你们既然是上帝所拣选的,是圣洁、蒙爱的人,就要心存怜悯、恩慈、谦虚、温柔和忍耐。 13 倘若彼此之间有怨言,总要互相宽容,彼此饶恕,主怎样饶恕你们,你们也要照样饶恕他人。 14 最重要的是要有爱,爱能把一切完美地联合在一起。 15 要让基督的平安掌管你们的心,你们就是为此而蒙召成为一个身体。要常存感恩的心。 16 要将基督的话丰丰富富地存在心里,用各样智慧彼此教导,互相劝诫,以感恩的心用诗篇、圣乐、灵歌颂赞上帝。 17 你们无论做什么事、说什么话,都要奉主耶稣的名而行,并借着祂感谢父上帝。

和谐家庭

18 你们做妻子的,要顺服丈夫,信主的人应当这样做。 19 你们做丈夫的,要爱妻子,不可恶待她们。 20 你们做儿女的,凡事要听从父母,因为这是主所喜悦的。 21 你们做父亲的,不要激怒儿女,免得他们灰心丧志。 22 你们做奴仆的,凡事要听从你们世上的主人,不要只做讨好人的表面工夫,要以敬畏主的心真诚服侍。 23 无论做什么事,都要发自内心,像是为主做的,而不是为人做的, 24 因为你们知道自己一定会从主那里得到基业为奖赏。你们事奉的是主基督, 25 凡作恶的人终必自食恶果,因为上帝不偏待人。

Footnotes

  1. 3:11 未开化的人”希腊文是“西古提人”。

If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.

Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.

When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.

Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:

For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:

In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.

But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.

Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;

10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:

11 Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.

12 Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;

13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.

14 And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.

15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.

16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

18 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord.

19 Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them.

20 Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord.

21 Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.

22 Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God;

23 And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;

24 Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.

25 But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.

Living as Those Made Alive in Christ

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ,(A) set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.(B) Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.(C) For you died,(D) and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your[a] life,(E) appears,(F) then you also will appear with him in glory.(G)

Put to death,(H) therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature:(I) sexual immorality,(J) impurity, lust, evil desires and greed,(K) which is idolatry.(L) Because of these, the wrath of God(M) is coming.[b] You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived.(N) But now you must also rid yourselves(O) of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander,(P) and filthy language from your lips.(Q) Do not lie to each other,(R) since you have taken off your old self(S) with its practices 10 and have put on the new self,(T) which is being renewed(U) in knowledge in the image of its Creator.(V) 11 Here there is no Gentile or Jew,(W) circumcised or uncircumcised,(X) barbarian, Scythian, slave or free,(Y) but Christ is all,(Z) and is in all.

12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves(AA) with compassion, kindness, humility,(AB) gentleness and patience.(AC) 13 Bear with each other(AD) and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.(AE) 14 And over all these virtues put on love,(AF) which binds them all together in perfect unity.(AG)

15 Let the peace of Christ(AH) rule in your hearts, since as members of one body(AI) you were called to peace.(AJ) And be thankful. 16 Let the message of Christ(AK) dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom(AL) through psalms,(AM) hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.(AN) 17 And whatever you do,(AO) whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks(AP) to God the Father through him.

Instructions for Christian Households(AQ)

18 Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands,(AR) as is fitting in the Lord.

19 Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.

20 Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.

21 Fathers,[c] do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged.

22 Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to curry their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. 23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, 24 since you know that you will receive an inheritance(AS) from the Lord as a reward.(AT) It is the Lord Christ you are serving. 25 Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for their wrongs, and there is no favoritism.(AU)

Footnotes

  1. Colossians 3:4 Some manuscripts our
  2. Colossians 3:6 Some early manuscripts coming on those who are disobedient
  3. Colossians 3:21 Or Parents

Not Carnality but Christ

If then you were (A)raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, (B)where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the (C)earth. (D)For you died, (E)and your life is hidden with Christ in God. (F)When Christ who is (G)our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in (H)glory.

(I)Therefore put to death (J)your members which are on the earth: (K)fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, (L)which is idolatry. (M)Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon (N)the sons of disobedience, (O)in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them.

(P)But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, 10 and have put on the new man who (Q)is renewed in knowledge (R)according to the image of Him who (S)created him, 11 where there is neither (T)Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, (U)but Christ is all and in all.

Character of the New Man

12 Therefore, (V)as the elect of God, holy and beloved, (W)put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; 13 (X)bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. 14 (Y)But above all these things (Z)put on love, which is the (AA)bond of perfection. 15 And let (AB)the peace of God rule in your hearts, (AC)to which also you were called (AD)in one body; and (AE)be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another (AF)in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 17 And (AG)whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

The Christian Home(AH)

18 (AI)Wives, submit to your own husbands, (AJ)as is fitting in the Lord.

19 (AK)Husbands, love your wives and do not be (AL)bitter toward them.

20 (AM)Children, obey your parents (AN)in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord.

21 (AO)Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.

22 (AP)Bondservants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but in sincerity of heart, fearing God. 23 (AQ)And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, 24 (AR)knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; (AS)for[a] you serve the Lord Christ. 25 But he who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done, and (AT)there is no partiality.

Footnotes

  1. Colossians 3:24 NU omits for

Put On the New Self

(A)If then you have been raised with Christ, seek (B)the things that are above, where Christ is, (C)seated at the right hand of God. (D)Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For (E)you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ (F)who is your[a] life (G)appears, then you also will appear with him (H)in glory.

(I)Put to death therefore (J)what is earthly in you:[b] (K)sexual immorality, impurity, (L)passion, evil desire, and covetousness, (M)which is idolatry. (N)On account of these the wrath of God is coming.[c] (O)In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now (P)you must put them all away: (Q)anger, wrath, malice, (R)slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. (S)Do not lie to one another, seeing that (T)you have put off (U)the old self[d] with its practices 10 and (V)have put on (W)the new self, (X)which is being renewed in knowledge (Y)after the image of (Z)its creator. 11 (AA)Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave,[e] free; but Christ is (AB)all, and in all.

12 (AC)Put on then, as (AD)God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, (AE)compassionate hearts, (AF)kindness, (AG)humility, meekness, and patience, 13 (AH)bearing with one another and, (AI)if one has a complaint against another, (AJ)forgiving each other; (AK)as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on (AL)love, which (AM)binds everything together in (AN)perfect harmony. 15 And let (AO)the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called (AP)in one body. And (AQ)be thankful. 16 Let (AR)the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, (AS)singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, (AT)with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 And (AU)whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, (AV)giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Rules for Christian Households

18 (AW)Wives, submit to your husbands, as (AX)is fitting in the Lord. 19 Husbands, love your wives, and (AY)do not be harsh with them. 20 Children, obey your parents (AZ)in everything, for this pleases the Lord. 21 Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged. 22 Bondservants, obey (BA)in everything those who are your earthly masters,[f] not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. 23 (BB)Whatever you do, work heartily, (BC)as for the Lord and not for men, 24 knowing that from the Lord (BD)you will receive the inheritance as your reward. (BE)You are serving the Lord Christ. 25 For the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done, and there is no partiality.

Footnotes

  1. Colossians 3:4 Some manuscripts our
  2. Colossians 3:5 Greek therefore your members that are on the earth
  3. Colossians 3:6 Some manuscripts add upon the sons of disobedience
  4. Colossians 3:9 Greek man; also as supplied in verse 10
  5. Colossians 3:11 For the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface; likewise for Bondservants in verse 22
  6. Colossians 3:22 Or your masters according to the flesh