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. ² 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) 3} 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. ⁴ 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.”

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^(O) of what you have heard—those words with which the underlings of the king of Assyria have blasphemed^(P) me. ⁷ 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.’”

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

⁹ 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)”

Restoration of Israel

⁸ This is what the Lord says:

On Covering the Head in Worship

² I praise you^(A) for remembering me in everything^(B) and for holding to the traditions just as I passed them on to you.^{(C) 3} But I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ,^(D) and the head of the woman is man,^[a](E) and the head of Christ is God.^{(F) 4} Every man who prays or prophesies^(G) with his head covered dishonors his head. ⁵ But every woman who prays or prophesies^(H) with her head uncovered dishonors her head—it is the same as having her head shaved.^{(I) 6} For if a woman does not cover her head, she might as well have her hair cut off; but if it is a disgrace for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, then she should cover her head.

⁷ A man ought not to cover his head,^[b] since he is the image^(J) and glory of God; but woman is the glory of man. ⁸ For man did not come from woman, but woman from man;^{(K) 9} neither was man created for woman, but woman for man.^{(L) 10} It is for this reason that a woman ought to have authority over her own^[c] head, because of the angels. ¹¹ Nevertheless, in the Lord woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. ¹² For as woman came from man, so also man is born of woman. But everything comes from God.^(M)

¹³ Judge for yourselves: Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? ¹⁴ Does not the very nature of things teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace to him, ¹⁵ but that if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For long hair is given to her as a covering. ¹⁶ If anyone wants to be contentious about this, we have no other practice—nor do the churches of God.^(N)

Correcting an Abuse of the Lord’s Supper^(O)

¹⁷ In the following directives I have no praise for you,^(P) for your meetings do more harm than good. ¹⁸ In the first place, I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions^(Q) among you, and to some extent I believe it. ¹⁹ No doubt there have to be differences among you to show which of you have God’s approval.^{(R) 20} So then, when you come together, it is not the Lord’s Supper you eat, ²¹ for when you are eating, some of you go ahead with your own private suppers.^(S) As a result, one person remains hungry and another gets drunk. ²² Don’t you have homes to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God^(T) by humiliating those who have nothing?^(U) What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you?^(V) Certainly not in this matter!