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20 Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah, saying, “Yahweh, the God of Israel, says ‘You have prayed to me against Sennacherib king of Assyria, and I have heard you. 21 This is the word that Yahweh has spoken concerning him: ‘The virgin daughter of Zion has despised you and ridiculed you. The daughter of Jerusalem has shaken her head at you. 22 Whom have you defied and blasphemed? Against whom have you exalted your voice and lifted up your eyes on high? Against the Holy One of Israel! 23 By your messengers, you have defied the Lord, and have said, “With the multitude of my chariots, I have come up to the height of the mountains, to the innermost parts of Lebanon, and I will cut down its tall cedars and its choice cypress trees; and I will enter into his farthest lodging place, the forest of his fruitful field. 24 I have dug and drunk strange waters, and I will dry up all the rivers of Egypt with the sole of my feet.” 25 Haven’t you heard how I have done it long ago, and formed it of ancient times? Now I have brought it to pass, that it should be yours to lay waste fortified cities into ruinous heaps. 26 Therefore their inhabitants had little power. They were dismayed and confounded. They were like the grass of the field, and like the green herb, like the grass on the housetops, and like grain blasted before it has grown up. 27 But I know your sitting down, your going out, your coming in, and your raging against me. 28 Because of your raging against me, and because your arrogance has come up into my ears, therefore I will put my hook in your nose, and my bridle in your lips, and I will turn you back by the way by which you came.’

29 “This will be the sign to you: This year, you will eat that which grows of itself, and in the second year that which springs from that; and in the third year sow, and reap, and plant vineyards, and eat its fruit. 30 The remnant that has escaped of the house of Judah will again take root downward, and bear fruit upward. 31 For out of Jerusalem a remnant will go out, and out of Mount Zion those who shall escape. Yahweh’s zeal will perform this.

32 “Therefore Yahweh says concerning the king of Assyria, ‘He will not come to this city, nor shoot an arrow there. He will not come before it with shield, nor cast up a mound against it. 33 He will return the same way that he came, and he will not come to this city,’ says Yahweh. 34 ‘For I will defend this city to save it, for my own sake, and for my servant David’s sake.’”

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God’s Answer through Isaiah the Prophet

20 Then Amoz’s son Isaiah sent word to Hezekiah, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel says: ‘Because you have prayed to me about King Sennacherib of Assyria, I have listened.’”

21 “This is what the Lord has spoken against him:

‘She despises and mocks you,
    this virgin daughter of Zion!
Behind your back she shakes her head,
    this daughter of Jerusalem!
22 Who are you reproaching and blaspheming?
    Against whom have you raised your voice?
And against whom[a] have you lifted up your eyes in arrogance?
    Against the Holy One of Israel!
23 By your messengers you have insulted the Lord.
    You have claimed,
“With my many chariots
    I ascended the heights of the mountains,
        including the remotest regions of Lebanon;
I cut down its tall cedars
    and the best of its cypress trees.
I entered its most remote lodging place
    and its most fruitful[b] forest.
24 I myself dug for and drank foreign water.
    With the sole of my foot I dried up all the streams of Egypt!”

25 ‘Didn’t you hear?
    I determined it years ago!
I planned this from ancient times,
    and now I’ve brought it to pass,
to turn fortified cities
    into piles of ruins
26 while their inhabitants, lacking strength,
    stand dismayed and confused.
They were like vegetation out in the fields,
    and like green herbs—
just as grass that grows on a housetop
    dries out before it can grow.

27 ‘But when you sit down,
    when you go out,
and when you come in,
    I’m aware of it!
28 Because of your rage against me,
    your complacency has reached my ears.
I’ll put my hook into your nostrils
    and my bit into your mouth.
Then I’ll turn you back on the road
    by which you came.’

29 “This will serve as a sign for you: you’ll eat this year from what grows by itself, in the second year what grows from that, and in the third year you’ll sow, reap, plant vineyards, and enjoy[c] their fruit. 30 Those who survive from Judah’s household will again put down deep roots and bear fruit extensively,[d] 31 because a remnant will go out from Jerusalem, and survivors from Mount Zion. The zeal of the Lord[e] will bring this about.”

32 “Therefore this is what the Lord says concerning the king of Assyria: ‘Not only will he not approach this city or shoot an arrow in its direction, he won’t approach it with so much as a shield, nor will he throw up a siege ramp against it. 33 He’ll return on the same route by which he came—he won’t come to this city,’ declares the Lord. 34 ‘I will defend this city and preserve it for my own reasons, and because of my servant David.’”

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 19:22 The Heb. lacks against whom
  2. 2 Kings 19:23 Or its densest
  3. 2 Kings 19:29 Lit. eat
  4. 2 Kings 19:30 Or upwards
  5. 2 Kings 19:31 So MT; LXX and a MT variant read Lord of the Heavenly Armies