Isaiah Assures Deliverance(A)

19 And (B)so it was, when King Hezekiah heard it, that he tore his clothes, covered himself with (C)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 trouble, and rebuke, and blasphemy; for the children have come to birth, but there is no strength to [a]bring them forth. (D)It may be that the Lord your God will hear all the words of the Rabshakeh, whom his master the king of Assyria has sent to (E)reproach the living God, and will (F)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. (G)And Isaiah said to them, “Thus you shall say to your master, ‘Thus says the Lord: “Do not be (H)afraid of the words which you have heard, with which the (I)servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed Me. Surely I will send (J)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(K)

Then the Rabshakeh returned and found the king of Assyria warring against Libnah, for he heard that he had departed (L)from Lachish. And (M)the king heard concerning Tirhakah king of Ethiopia, “Look, he has come out to make war with you.” So he again sent messengers to Hezekiah, saying, 10 “Thus you shall speak to Hezekiah king of Judah, saying: ‘Do not let your God (N)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 (O)Have the gods of the nations delivered those whom my fathers have destroyed, Gozan and Haran and Rezeph, and the people of (P)Eden who were in Telassar? 13 (Q)Where is the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivah?’ ”

14 (R)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 before the Lord, and said: “O Lord God of Israel, the One (S)who dwells between the cherubim, (T)You are God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. 16 (U)Incline Your ear, O Lord, and hear; (V)open Your eyes, O Lord, and see; and hear the words of Sennacherib, (W)which he has sent to reproach the living God. 17 Truly, Lord, the kings of Assyria have laid waste the nations and their lands, 18 and have cast their gods into the fire; for they were (X)not gods, but (Y)the work of men’s hands—wood and stone. Therefore they destroyed them. 19 Now therefore, O Lord our God, I pray, save us from his hand, (Z)that all the kingdoms of the earth may (AA)know that You are the Lord God, You alone.”

The Word of the Lord Concerning Sennacherib(AB)

20 Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah, saying, “Thus says the Lord God of Israel: (AC)‘Because you have prayed to Me against Sennacherib king of Assyria, (AD)I have heard.’ 21 This is the word which the Lord has spoken concerning him:

‘The virgin, (AE)the daughter of Zion,
Has despised you, laughed you to scorn;
The daughter of Jerusalem
(AF)Has shaken her head behind your back!

22 ‘Whom have you reproached and blasphemed?
Against whom have you raised your voice,
And lifted up your eyes on high?
Against (AG)the Holy One of Israel.
23 (AH)By your messengers you have reproached the Lord,
And said: (AI)“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 the extremity of its borders,
To its fruitful forest.
24 I have dug and drunk strange water,
And with the soles of my feet I have (AJ)dried up
All the brooks of defense.”

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

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

29 ‘This shall be a (AQ)sign to you:

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

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

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

Sennacherib’s Defeat and Death(AX)

35 And (AY)it came to pass on a certain night that the [d]angel of the Lord went out, and 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. 36 So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed and went away, returned home, and remained at (AZ)Nineveh. 37 Now it came to pass, as he was worshiping in the temple of Nisroch his god, that his sons (BA)Adrammelech and Sharezer (BB)struck him down with the sword; and they escaped into the land of Ararat. Then (BC)Esarhaddon his son reigned in his place.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 19:3 give birth
  2. 2 Kings 19:29 Without cultivation
  3. 2 Kings 19:31 So with many Heb. mss. and ancient vss. (cf. Is. 37:32); MT omits of hosts
  4. 2 Kings 19:35 Or Angel

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. 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. 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. 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.”

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(K) of what you have heard—those words with which the underlings of the king of Assyria have blasphemed(L) me. 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)’”

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

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:

“‘Virgin Daughter(AM) Zion
    despises(AN) you and mocks(AO) you.
Daughter Jerusalem
    tosses her head(AP) as you flee.
22 Who is it you have ridiculed and blasphemed?(AQ)
    Against whom have you raised your voice
and lifted your eyes in pride?
    Against the Holy One(AR) of Israel!
23 By your messengers
    you have ridiculed the Lord.
And you have said,(AS)
    “With my many chariots(AT)
I have ascended the heights of the mountains,
    the utmost heights of Lebanon.
I have cut down(AU) its tallest cedars,
    the choicest of its junipers.
I have reached its remotest parts,
    the finest of its forests.
24 I have dug wells in foreign lands
    and drunk the water there.
With the soles of my feet
    I have dried up all the streams of Egypt.”

25 “‘Have you not heard?(AV)
    Long ago I ordained it.
In days of old I planned(AW) it;
    now I have brought it to pass,
that you have turned fortified cities
    into piles of stone.(AX)
26 Their people, drained of power,(AY)
    are dismayed(AZ) and put to shame.
They are like plants in the field,
    like tender green shoots,(BA)
like grass sprouting on the roof,
    scorched(BB) before it grows up.

27 “‘But I know(BC) where you are
    and when you come and go
    and how you rage against me.
28 Because you rage against me
    and because your insolence has reached my ears,
I will put my hook(BD) in your nose
    and my bit(BE) in your mouth,
and I will make you return(BF)
    by the way you came.’

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

“This year you will eat what grows by itself,(BH)
    and the second year what springs from that.
But in the third year sow and reap,
    plant vineyards(BI) and eat their fruit.
30 Once more a remnant(BJ) of the kingdom of Judah
    will take root(BK) below and bear fruit above.
31 For out of Jerusalem will come a remnant,(BL)
    and out of Mount Zion a band of survivors.(BM)

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

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

“‘He will not enter this city
    or shoot an arrow here.
He will not come before it with shield
    or build a siege ramp against it.
33 By the way that he came he will return;(BO)
    he will not enter this city,
declares the Lord.
34 I will defend(BP) this city and save it,
    for my sake and for the sake of David(BQ) my servant.’”

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.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 19:9 That is, the upper Nile region

Isaiah Reassures Hezekiah

19 (A)As soon as King Hezekiah heard it, (B)he tore his clothes and (C)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, (D)covered with sackcloth, to the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz. They said to him, “Thus says Hezekiah, This day is a day of distress, of rebuke, and of disgrace; 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 heard all the words of the Rabshakeh, whom his master the king of Assyria has sent (F)to mock the living God, and will rebuke the words that the Lord your God has heard; therefore lift up your prayer for (G)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 (H)the servants of the king of Assyria have (I)reviled me. Behold, I will put a spirit in him, so that (J)he shall hear a rumor and return to his own land, and I will make him (K)fall by the sword in his own land.’”

Sennacherib Defies the Lord

The Rabshakeh returned, and found the king of Assyria fighting against (L)Libnah, for he heard that the king had left (M)Lachish. (N)Now the king heard concerning Tirhakah king of Cush, “Behold, he has set out to fight against you.” So he sent messengers again to Hezekiah, saying, 10 “Thus shall you speak to Hezekiah king of Judah: ‘Do not let your God (O)in whom you trust deceive you by promising that (P)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 (Q)Have the gods of the nations delivered them, the nations that my fathers destroyed, (R)Gozan, (S)Haran, Rezeph, and the people of (T)Eden who were in Telassar? 13 (U)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

14 Hezekiah received (V)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 before the Lord and said: “O Lord, the God of Israel, (W)enthroned above the cherubim, (X)you are the God, you alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; you have made heaven and earth. 16 (Y)Incline your ear, O Lord, and hear; (Z)open your eyes, O Lord, and see; and hear the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent (AA)to mock the living God. 17 Truly, O Lord, the kings of Assyria have laid waste the nations and their lands 18 and have cast their gods into the fire, for they were not gods, (AB)but the work of men's hands, wood and stone. Therefore they were destroyed. 19 So now, O Lord our God, save us, please, from his hand, (AC)that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that (AD)you, O Lord, are God alone.”

Isaiah Prophesies Sennacherib's Fall

20 Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah, saying, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Your prayer to me about Sennacherib king of Assyria (AE)I have heard. 21 This is the word that the Lord has spoken concerning him:

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

22 “Whom have you (AH)mocked and (AI)reviled?
    Against whom have you raised your voice
and lifted your eyes to the heights?
    Against (AJ)the Holy One of Israel!
23 (AK)By your messengers you have mocked the Lord,
    and you have said, (AL)‘With my many chariots
I have gone up the heights of the mountains,
    to the far recesses of (AM)Lebanon;
I felled its tallest cedars,
    its choicest cypresses;
I entered its farthest lodging place,
    its most (AN)fruitful forest.
24 I dug wells
    and drank foreign waters,
and I dried up with the sole of my foot
    all the streams (AO)of Egypt.’

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

27 “But I know your sitting down
    (AS)and your going out and coming in,
    and your raging against me.
28 Because you have raged against me
    and your complacency has come into my ears,
I will (AT)put my hook in your nose
    and my bit in your mouth,
and (AU)I will turn you back on the way
    by which you came.

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

32 “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 (AZ)cast up a siege mound against it. 33 (BA)By the way that he came, by the same he shall return, and he shall not come into this city, declares the Lord. 34 (BB)For I will defend this city to save it, for my own sake (BC)and for the sake of my servant David.”

35 And that night (BD)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. 36 Then Sennacherib king of Assyria departed and went home and lived at (BE)Nineveh. 37 And as he was worshiping in the house of Nisroch his god, (BF)Adrammelech and Sharezer, his sons, struck him down with the sword and escaped into the land of Ararat. And Esarhaddon his son reigned in his place.

Isaiah Encourages Hezekiah

19 (A)Now when King Hezekiah heard the report, he (B)tore his clothes, (C)covered himself with sackcloth, and entered the house of the Lord. Then he sent Eliakim, who was in charge of the household, with Shebna the scribe and the elders of the priests, (D)covered with sackcloth, to (E)Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz. And they said to him, “This is what Hezekiah says: ‘This day is a day of distress, rebuke, and humiliation; for children have come to the point of birth, and there is no strength to deliver them. (F)Perhaps the Lord your God will hear all the words of Rabshakeh, whom his master the king of Assyria has sent (G)to taunt the living God, and will avenge the words which the Lord your God has heard. Therefore, offer a prayer for (H)the remnant that is [a]left.’” So the servants of King Hezekiah came to Isaiah. And Isaiah said to them, “This is what you shall say to your master: ‘The Lord says this: “Do not be fearful because of the words that you have heard, with which the (I)servants of the king of Assyria (J)have blasphemed Me. Behold, I am going to put a spirit in him so that (K)he will hear news and return to his own land. And (L)I will make him fall by the sword in his own land.”’”

Sennacherib Defies God

Then Rabshakeh returned and found the king of Assyria fighting against (M)Libnah, for he had heard that the king had left (N)Lachish. When he heard them say about Tirhakah king of [b]Cush, “Behold, he has come out to fight you,” he sent messengers again to Hezekiah, saying, 10 “This is what you shall say to Hezekiah king of [c]Judah: ‘Do not (O)let your God in whom you trust deceive you by saying, “(P)Jerusalem will not be handed over to the king of Assyria.” 11 Behold, you yourself have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all the lands, destroying them completely. So will you be saved? 12 (Q)Did the gods of the nations which my fathers destroyed save them: (R)Gozan, (S)Haran, Rezeph, and (T)the sons of Eden who were in Telassar? 13 (U)Where is the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, the king of the city of Sepharvaim, and of Hena and Ivvah?’”

Hezekiah’s Prayer

14 Then (V)Hezekiah took the [d]letter from the hand of the messengers and read it, and he went up to the house of the Lord and [e]spread it out before the Lord. 15 Hezekiah prayed before the Lord and said, “Lord, God of Israel, [f](W)enthroned above the cherubim, (X)You are the God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. 16 (Y)Incline Your ear, Lord, and hear; (Z)open Your eyes, Lord, and see; and listen to the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent (AA)to taunt the living God. 17 It is true, Lord; the kings of Assyria have laid waste the nations and their lands, 18 and have [g]hurled their gods into the fire; (AB)for they were not gods, but only the work of human hands, wood and stone. So they have destroyed them. 19 But now, Lord our God, please, save us from his hand, (AC)so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You alone, (AD)Lord, are God.”

God’s Answer through Isaiah

20 Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent word to Hezekiah, saying, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel says: ‘Because you have prayed to Me about Sennacherib king of Assyria, (AE)I have heard you.’ 21 This is the word that the Lord has spoken against him:

‘She, (AF)the virgin daughter of Zion, has shown contempt for you and mocked you;
She, the daughter of Jerusalem, (AG)has shaken her head behind you!
22 Whom have you (AH)taunted and (AI)blasphemed?
And against whom have you raised your voice,
And [h]haughtily raised your eyes?
Against the (AJ)Holy One of Israel!
23 (AK)Through your messengers you have taunted the Lord,
And you have said, “With my many chariots
I went up to the heights of the mountains,
To the remotest parts of Lebanon;
And I cut down its tall cedars and its choicest junipers.
And I entered its farthest resting place, its (AL)thickest forest.
24 I dug wells and drank foreign waters,
And with the soles of my feet I (AM)dried up
All the streams of Egypt.”

25 (AN)Have you not heard?
Long ago I did it;
From ancient times I planned it.
(AO)Now I have brought it about,
That you would turn fortified cities into ruined heaps.
26 Therefore their inhabitants were [i]powerless,
They were shattered and put to shame.
They were (AP)like the vegetation of the field and the green grass,
Like grass on the housetops that is scorched before it has grown.
27 But (AQ)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 complacency has come up to My ears,
I (AR)will put My hook in your nose,
And My bridle in your lips,
And (AS)I will turn you back by the way by which you came.

29 ‘Then this shall be (AT)the sign for you: [j]you will eat this year what grows of itself, in the second year what grows by itself, and in the third year sow, harvest, plant vineyards, and eat their fruit. 30 (AU)The survivors that are left of the house of Judah will again take root downward and bear fruit upward. 31 For out of Jerusalem will go a remnant, and survivors (AV)out of Mount Zion. (AW)The zeal of [k]the Lord will perform this.

32 ‘Therefore this is what the Lord says about the king of Assyria: “(AX)He will not come to this city nor shoot an arrow there; and he will not come before it with a shield nor heap up an assault ramp against it. 33 (AY)By the way that he came, by [l]the same he will return, and he shall not come to this city,”’ declares the Lord. 34 (AZ)For I will protect this city to save it for My own sake, and (BA)for My servant David’s sake.’”

35 (BB)Then it happened that night that the angel of the Lord went out and struck 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians; and when the rest got up early in the morning, behold, all of [m]the 185,000 were [n]dead. 36 So (BC)Sennacherib the king of Assyria departed and [o]returned home, and lived at (BD)Nineveh. 37 Then it came about, as he was worshiping in the house of Nisroch his god, that [p](BE)Adrammelech and Sharezer killed him with the sword; and they escaped to (BF)the land of Ararat. And his son (BG)Esarhaddon became king in his place.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 19:4 Lit found
  2. 2 Kings 19:9 Or Ethiopia
  3. 2 Kings 19:10 Lit Judah, saying,
  4. 2 Kings 19:14 Lit letters...read them
  5. 2 Kings 19:14 Lit Hezekiah spread
  6. 2 Kings 19:15 Lit sitting
  7. 2 Kings 19:18 Lit given
  8. 2 Kings 19:22 Lit on high
  9. 2 Kings 19:26 Lit short of hand
  10. 2 Kings 19:29 Lit to eat
  11. 2 Kings 19:31 Some ancient mss the Lord of armies
  12. 2 Kings 19:33 Lit it
  13. 2 Kings 19:35 Lit them
  14. 2 Kings 19:35 Lit dead bodies
  15. 2 Kings 19:36 Lit went and returned
  16. 2 Kings 19:37 Some ancient mss his sons Adrammelech