¹³ In the fourteenth year^(A) of King Hezekiah’s reign, Sennacherib king of Assyria attacked all the fortified cities of Judah^(B) and captured them. ¹⁴ So Hezekiah king of Judah sent this message to the king of Assyria at Lachish:^(C) “I have done wrong.^(D) Withdraw from me, and I will pay whatever you demand of me.” The king of Assyria exacted from Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents^[a] of silver and thirty talents^[b] of gold. ¹⁵ So Hezekiah gave^(E) him all the silver that was found in the temple of the Lord and in the treasuries of the royal palace.

¹⁶ At this time Hezekiah king of Judah stripped off the gold with which he had covered the doors^(F) and doorposts of the temple of the Lord, and gave it to the king of Assyria.

Sennacherib Threatens Jerusalem^(G)(H)

¹⁷ The king of Assyria sent his supreme commander,^(I) his chief officer and his field commander with a large army, from Lachish to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem. They came up to Jerusalem and stopped at the aqueduct of the Upper Pool,^(J) on the road to the Washerman’s Field. ¹⁸ They called for the king; and Eliakim^(K) son of Hilkiah the palace administrator, Shebna^(L) the secretary, and Joah son of Asaph the recorder went out to them.

¹⁹ The field commander said to them, “Tell Hezekiah:

²⁶ Then Eliakim son of Hilkiah, and Shebna and Joah said to the field commander, “Please speak to your servants in Aramaic,^(R) since we understand it. Don’t speak to us in Hebrew in the hearing of the people on the wall.”

²⁷ But the commander replied, “Was it only to your master and you that my master sent me to say these things, and not to the people sitting on the wall—who, like you, will have to eat their own excrement and drink their own urine?”

²⁸ Then the commander stood and called out in Hebrew, “Hear the word of the great king, the king of Assyria! ²⁹ This is what the king says: Do not let Hezekiah deceive^(S) you. He cannot deliver you from my hand. ³⁰ Do not let Hezekiah persuade you to trust in the Lord when he says, ‘The Lord will surely deliver us; this city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.’

³¹ “Do not listen to Hezekiah. This is what the king of Assyria says: Make peace with me and come out to me. Then each of you will eat fruit from your own vine and fig tree^(T) and drink water from your own cistern,^{(U) 32} until I come and take you to a land like your own—a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of olive trees and honey. Choose life^(V) and not death!

“Do not listen to Hezekiah, for he is misleading you when he says, ‘The Lord will deliver us.’ ³³ Has the god^(W) of any nation ever delivered his land from the hand of the king of Assyria? ³⁴ Where are the gods of Hamath^(X) and Arpad?^(Y) Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena and Ivvah? Have they rescued Samaria from my hand? ³⁵ Who of all the gods of these countries has been able to save his land from me? How then can the Lord deliver Jerusalem from my hand?”^(Z)

³⁶ But the people remained silent and said nothing in reply, because the king had commanded, “Do not answer him.”

³⁷ Then Eliakim^(AA) son of Hilkiah the palace administrator, Shebna the secretary, and Joah son of Asaph the recorder went to Hezekiah, with their clothes torn,^(AB) and told him what the field commander had said.

Jerusalem’s Deliverance Foretold^(AC)

19 When King Hezekiah heard this, he tore^(AD) his clothes and put on sackcloth and went into the temple of the Lord. ² He sent Eliakim^(AE) the palace administrator, Shebna the secretary and the leading priests,^(AF) all wearing sackcloth,^(AG) to the prophet Isaiah^(AH) 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^(AI) 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^(AJ) the living God, and that he will rebuke^(AK) him for the words the Lord your God has heard. Therefore pray for the remnant^(AL) 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^(AM) of what you have heard—those words with which the underlings of the king of Assyria have blasphemed^(AN) me. ⁷ Listen! When he hears a certain report,^(AO) I will make him want to return to his own country, and there I will have him cut down with the sword.^(AP)’”

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

⁹ Now Sennacherib received a report that Tirhakah, the king of Cush,^[d] 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^(AS) on deceive^(AT) 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^(AU) them—the gods of Gozan,^(AV) Harran,^(AW) 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?”^(AX)

Hezekiah’s Prayer^(AY)

¹⁴ Hezekiah received the letter^(AZ) 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,^(BA) you alone^(BB) are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. ¹⁶ Give ear,^(BC) Lord, and hear;^(BD) open your eyes,^(BE) 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^(BF) but only wood and stone, fashioned by human hands.^{(BG) 19} Now, Lord our God, deliver^(BH) us from his hand, so that all the kingdoms^(BI) of the earth may know^(BJ) that you alone, Lord, are God.”

Isaiah Prophesies Sennacherib’s Fall^(BK)(BL)

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

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

“The zeal^(CP) 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^(CT) 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!^{(CU) 36} So Sennacherib king of Assyria broke camp and withdrew.^(CV) He returned to Nineveh^(CW) and stayed there.

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

Made Alive in Christ

2 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins,^{(A) 2} in which you used to live^(B) when you followed the ways of this world^(C) and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air,^(D) the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.^{(E) 3} All of us also lived among them at one time,^(F) gratifying the cravings of our flesh^[a](G) and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. ⁴ But because of his great love for us,^(H) God, who is rich in mercy, ⁵ made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions^(I)—it is by grace you have been saved.^{(J) 6} And God raised us up with Christ^(K) and seated us with him^(L) in the heavenly realms^(M) in Christ Jesus, ⁷ in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace,^(N) expressed in his kindness^(O) to us in Christ Jesus. ⁸ For it is by grace^(P) you have been saved,^(Q) through faith^(R)—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— ⁹ not by works,^(S) so that no one can boast.^{(T) 10} For we are God’s handiwork,^(U) created^(V) in Christ Jesus to do good works,^(W) which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Jew and Gentile Reconciled Through Christ

¹¹ Therefore, remember that formerly^(X) you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (which is done in the body by human hands)^(Y)— ¹² remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners^(Z) to the covenants of the promise,^(AA) without hope^(AB) and without God in the world. ¹³ But now in Christ Jesus you who once^(AC) were far away have been brought near^(AD) by the blood of Christ.^(AE)

¹⁴ For he himself is our peace,^(AF) who has made the two groups one^(AG) and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, ¹⁵ by setting aside in his flesh^(AH) the law with its commands and regulations.^(AI) His purpose was to create in himself one^(AJ) new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, ¹⁶ and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross,^(AK) by which he put to death their hostility. ¹⁷ He came and preached peace^(AL) to you who were far away and peace to those who were near.^{(AM) 18} For through him we both have access^(AN) to the Father^(AO) by one Spirit.^(AP)

¹⁹ Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers,^(AQ) but fellow citizens^(AR) with God’s people and also members of his household,^{(AS) 20} built^(AT) on the foundation^(AU) of the apostles and prophets,^(AV) with Christ Jesus himself^(AW) as the chief cornerstone.^{(AX) 21} In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple^(AY) in the Lord. ²² And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.^(AZ)

God’s Marvelous Plan for the Gentiles

3 For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner^(BA) of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles—

² Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me^(BB) for you, ³ that is, the mystery^(BC) made known to me by revelation,^(BD) as I have already written briefly. ⁴ In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight^(BE) into the mystery of Christ, ⁵ which was not made known to people in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets.^{(BF) 6} This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs^(BG) together with Israel, members together of one body,^(BH) and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.^(BI)

⁷ I became a servant of this gospel^(BJ) by the gift of God’s grace given me^(BK) through the working of his power.^{(BL) 8} Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people,^(BM) this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles^(BN) the boundless riches of Christ,^{(BO) 9} and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery,^(BP) which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. ¹⁰ His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God^(BQ) should be made known^(BR) to the rulers and authorities^(BS) in the heavenly realms,^{(BT) 11} according to his eternal purpose^(BU) that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. ¹² In him and through faith in him we may approach God^(BV) with freedom and confidence.^{(BW) 13} I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory.

A Prayer for the Ephesians

¹⁴ For this reason I kneel^(BX) before the Father, ¹⁵ from whom every family^[b] in heaven and on earth derives its name. ¹⁶ I pray that out of his glorious riches^(BY) he may strengthen you with power^(BZ) through his Spirit in your inner being,^{(CA) 17} so that Christ may dwell in your hearts^(CB) through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted^(CC) and established in love, ¹⁸ may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people,^(CD) to grasp how wide and long and high and deep^(CE) is the love of Christ, ¹⁹ and to know this love that surpasses knowledge^(CF)—that you may be filled^(CG) to the measure of all the fullness of God.^(CH)

²⁰ Now to him who is able^(CI) to do immeasurably more than all we ask^(CJ) or imagine, according to his power^(CK) that is at work within us, ²¹ to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.^(CL)