Isaiah Prophesies Sennacherib’s Fall(A)(B)

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

“‘Virgin Daughter(E) Zion
    despises(F) you and mocks(G) you.
Daughter Jerusalem
    tosses her head(H) as you flee.
22 Who is it you have ridiculed and blasphemed?(I)
    Against whom have you raised your voice
and lifted your eyes in pride?
    Against the Holy One(J) of Israel!
23 By your messengers
    you have ridiculed the Lord.
And you have said,(K)
    “With my many chariots(L)
I have ascended the heights of the mountains,
    the utmost heights of Lebanon.
I have cut down(M) 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?(N)
    Long ago I ordained it.
In days of old I planned(O) it;
    now I have brought it to pass,
that you have turned fortified cities
    into piles of stone.(P)
26 Their people, drained of power,(Q)
    are dismayed(R) and put to shame.
They are like plants in the field,
    like tender green shoots,(S)
like grass sprouting on the roof,
    scorched(T) before it grows up.

27 “‘But I know(U) 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(V) in your nose
    and my bit(W) in your mouth,
and I will make you return(X)
    by the way you came.’

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

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

“The zeal(AF) 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;(AG)
    he will not enter this city,
declares the Lord.
34 I will defend(AH) this city and save it,
    for my sake and for the sake of David(AI) my servant.’”

35 That night the angel of the Lord(AJ) 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!(AK) 36 So Sennacherib king of Assyria broke camp and withdrew.(AL) He returned to Nineveh(AM) and stayed there.

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

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20 Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah, saying, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, That which thou hast prayed to me against Sennacherib king of Assyria I have heard.

21 This is the word that 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.

22 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.

23 By thy messengers thou hast reproached the Lord, and hast said, With the multitude of my chariots I am come up to the height of the mountains, to the sides of Lebanon, and will cut down the tall cedar trees thereof, and the choice fir trees thereof: and I will enter into the lodgings of his borders, and into the forest of his Carmel.

24 I have digged and drunk strange waters, and with the sole of my feet have I dried up all the rivers of besieged places.

25 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 fenced cities into ruinous heaps.

26 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 house tops, and as corn blasted before it be grown up.

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

28 Because thy rage against me and thy tumult is come up into mine ears, therefore I will 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.

29 And this shall be a sign unto thee, Ye shall eat this year such things as grow of themselves, and in the second year that which springeth of the same; and in the third year sow ye, and reap, and plant vineyards, and eat the fruits thereof.

30 And the remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah shall yet again take root downward, and bear fruit upward.

31 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.

32 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 shield, nor cast a bank against it.

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

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

35 And it came to pass that night, that the angel of the Lord went out, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred fourscore and five thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses.

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

37 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.

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The Word of the Lord Concerning Sennacherib(A)

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

‘The virgin, (D)the daughter of Zion,
Has despised you, laughed you to scorn;
The daughter of Jerusalem
(E)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 (F)the Holy One of Israel.
23 (G)By your messengers you have reproached the Lord,
And said: (H)“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 (I)dried up
All the brooks of defense.”

25 ‘Did you not hear long ago
How (J)I made it,
From ancient times that I formed it?
Now I have brought it to pass,
That (K)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 (L)the grass on the housetops
And grain blighted before it is grown.

27 ‘But (M)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 (N)I will put My hook in your nose
And My bridle in your lips,
And I will turn you back
(O)By the way which you came.

29 ‘This shall be a (P)sign to you:

‘You shall eat this year such as grows [a]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 (Q)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.
(R)The zeal of the Lord [b]of hosts will do this.’

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

‘He shall (S)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 (T)I will (U)defend this city, to save it
For My own sake and (V)for My servant David’s sake.’ ”

Sennacherib’s Defeat and Death(W)

35 And (X)it came to pass on a certain night that the [c]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 (Y)Nineveh. 37 Now it came to pass, as he was worshiping in the temple of Nisroch his god, that his sons (Z)Adrammelech and Sharezer (AA)struck him down with the sword; and they escaped into the land of Ararat. Then (AB)Esarhaddon his son reigned in his place.

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Footnotes

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