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Isaiah 37-41
Amplified Bible
Isaiah 37-41
Amplified Bible
Hezekiah Seeks Isaiah’s Help
37 And when King Hezekiah heard this, he tore his clothes and covered himself with sackcloth and went into the house of the Lord.(A) 2 Then he sent Eliakim, who was in charge of the [royal] household, and Shebna the scribe, and the elders of the priests, covered with sackcloth, to Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz. 3 They said to him, “This is what Hezekiah says, ‘This day is a day of distress, rebuke and disgrace; for children have come to birth, and there is no strength to deliver them. 4 It may be that the Lord your God will hear the words of the Rabshakeh [the commander], whom his master the king of Assyria has sent to taunt and defy the living God, and will avenge the words which the Lord your God has heard. Therefore, offer a prayer for the remnant [of His people] that is left.’”
5 So the servants of King Hezekiah came to Isaiah. 6 Isaiah said to them, “You shall say the following to your master: ‘This is what the Lord says, “Do not be afraid because of the words that you have heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed Me. 7 Listen carefully, I will put a spirit in him so that he will hear a rumor and return to his own land. And I will make him fall by the sword in his own land.”’”
8 So the Rabshakeh returned and found the king of Assyria fighting against Libnah [a fortified city of Judah], for he had heard that the king had left Lachish. 9 And Sennacherib king of Assyria, heard them say concerning Tirhakah king of Cush (Ethiopia), “He has come out to fight against you.” And when he heard it, he sent messengers to Hezekiah, saying, 10 “You shall say to Hezekiah king of Judah, ‘Do not let your God in whom you trust deceive you, saying, “Jerusalem will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.” 11 Listen carefully, you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands, utterly destroying them. So will you be rescued? 12 Did the gods of the nations which my fathers destroyed rescue them—[a]Gozan, Haran [of Mesopotamia], Rezeph, and the sons of Eden who were in Telassar? 13 Where is the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad [of northern Syria], the king of the city of Sepharvaim, [the king of] Hena, or [the king of] Ivvah?’”
Hezekiah’s Prayer in the Temple
14 Then Hezekiah took the letter from the hand of the messengers and read it, and he went up to the house of the Lord and spread it out before the Lord.(B) 15 And Hezekiah prayed to the Lord saying, 16 “O Lord of hosts, God of Israel, who is enthroned above the cherubim, You are the God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. 17 Incline Your ear, O Lord, and hear; open Your eyes, O Lord, and see; and hear all the words of Sennacherib that he has sent to taunt and defy the living God. 18 It is true, O Lord, that the kings of Assyria have laid waste all the countries and their lands, 19 and have cast the gods [of those peoples] into the fire, for they were not gods but the work of men’s hands, wood and stone. Therefore they have destroyed them. 20 Now, O Lord our God, save us from his hand so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know and fully realize that You alone, Lord, are [b]God.”
God Answers through Isaiah
21 Then Isaiah son of Amoz sent word to Hezekiah, saying, “For the Lord, the God of Israel says this, ‘Because you have prayed to Me about Sennacherib king of Assyria,(C) 22 this is the word that the Lord has spoken against him:
“She has shown contempt for you and mocked you,
The Virgin Daughter of Zion (Jerusalem);
She has shaken her head behind you,
The Daughter of Jerusalem!
23
“Whom have you taunted and blasphemed?
And against whom have you raised your voice
And haughtily lifted up your eyes?
Against the Holy One of Israel!
24
“Through your servants you have taunted and defied the Lord,
And you have said, ‘With my many chariots I have gone up to the heights of the mountains,
To the remotest parts of Lebanon.
I cut down its tallest cedars and its choicest cypress trees;
And I will go to its remotest height, its most luxuriant and thickest forest.
25
‘I dug wells and drank [foreign] waters,
And with the sole of my feet I dried up
All the canals [of the Nile] of Egypt.’
26
“Have you not heard [says the God of Israel]
That I did it long ago,
That I planned it in ancient times?
Now I have brought it to pass,
That you [king of Assyria] would [be My instrument to] turn fortified cities into ruinous heaps.
27
“Therefore their inhabitants had little power,
They were terrorized and shamed;
They were like the grass of the field and the green vegetation,
Like grass on the housetops and like a field [of grain] scorched before it is grown.
28
“But I know your sitting down
And your going out and your coming in [every detail of your life],
And your raging against Me.
29
“Because your raging against Me
And your arrogance has come up to My ears,
I will put My hook in your nose
And My bridle in your [c]mouth,
And I will turn you back by the way you came.
30 “This shall be the sign [of these things] to you [Hezekiah]: you are to eat this year [d]what grows of itself, and in the second year that which springs from the same, and in the third year you are to sow and harvest, and plant vineyards and eat their fruit. 31 The surviving remnant of the house of Judah will again take root downward and bear fruit upward. 32 For out of Jerusalem will come a remnant and from Mount Zion a band of survivors. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.”’
33 “Therefore, the Lord says this concerning the king of Assyria, ‘He will not come into this city or shoot an arrow there, or come before it with shield, or raise an assault ramp against it. 34 By the way that he came, by the same way he will return, and he will not come into this city,’ declares the Lord. 35 ‘For I will defend this city to save it, for My own sake and for the sake of My servant David.’”
Assyrians Destroyed
36 And the [e]angel of the Lord went out and [f]struck 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians; and when the [surviving] men got up early the next morning, they saw all the dead.(D) 37 So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed and returned and lived at Nineveh. 38 It came to pass as he was worshiping in the house of Nisroch his god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer his sons killed him with the sword; and they escaped into the land of Ararat [in Armenia]. And Esarhaddon his son became king in his place.
Hezekiah Healed
38 In those days Hezekiah [king of Judah] became sick and was at the point of death. And Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, came to him and said, “For the Lord says this, ‘Set your house in order and prepare a will, for you shall die; you will not live.’”(E) 2 Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, 3 and said, “Please, O Lord, just remember how I have walked before You in faithfulness and truth, and with a whole heart [absolutely devoted to You], and have done what is good in Your sight.” And Hezekiah wept greatly.
4 Then the word of the Lord came to Isaiah, saying, 5 “Go and say to Hezekiah, ‘For the Lord, the God of David your father says this, “I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; listen carefully, I will add fifteen years to your life. 6 I will rescue you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city [Jerusalem].”’
7 “This shall be the sign to you from the Lord, that the Lord will do this thing that He has spoken: 8 Listen carefully, I will turn the shadow on the stairway [denoting the time of day] ten steps backward, the shadow on the stairway ([g]sundial) of Ahaz.” And the sunlight went ten steps backward on the stairway where it had [previously] gone down.
9 This is the writing of Hezekiah king of Judah after he had been sick and had recovered from his illness:
10
I said, “In mid-life
I am to go through the gates of Sheol (the place of the dead),
I am to be summoned, deprived of the remainder of my years.”
11
I said, “I will not see the Lord
The Lord in the land of the living;
I will no longer see man among the inhabitants of the world.
12
“My dwelling (body) is pulled up and removed from me like a shepherd’s tent;
I have rolled up my life as a weaver [rolls up the finished web].
He cuts me free from the warp [of the loom];
From day to night You bring me to an end.
13
“I lay down until morning.
Like a lion, so He breaks all my bones;
From day until night You bring me to an end.
14
“Like a swallow, like a crane, so I chirp;
I coo like a dove.
My eyes look wistfully upward;
O Lord, I am oppressed, take my side and be my security.
15
“What shall I say?
For He has spoken to me, and He Himself has done it;
I will wander aimlessly all my years because of the bitterness of my soul.
16
“O Lord, by these things men live,
And in all these is the life of my spirit;
Restore me to health and let me live!
17
“Indeed, it was for my own well-being that I had such bitterness;
But You have loved back my life from the pit of nothingness (destruction),
For You have cast all my sins behind Your back.
18
“For Sheol cannot praise or thank You,
Death cannot praise You and rejoice in You;
Those who go down to the pit cannot hope for Your faithfulness.
19
“It is the living who give praise and thanks to You, as I do today;
A father tells his sons about Your faithfulness.
20
“The Lord is ready to save me;
Therefore we will play my songs on stringed instruments
All the days of our lives at the house of the Lord.”
21 Now Isaiah had said, “Have them take a cake of figs and rub it [as an ointment] on the inflamed spot, that he may recover.” 22 Hezekiah also had said, “What is the sign that I will go up to the house of the Lord?”
Hezekiah Shows His Treasures
39 At that time Merodach-baladan son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent [messengers with] letters and a present to Hezekiah, for he had heard that he had been sick and had recovered.(F) 2 Hezekiah was pleased and showed them his treasure house—the silver, the gold, the spices, the precious oil, his entire armory and everything that was found in his treasuries. There was nothing in his house nor in all his area of dominion that Hezekiah did not show them. 3 Then Isaiah the prophet came to King Hezekiah and asked, “What did these men say? From where have they come to you?” And Hezekiah said, “They came to me from a far country, from [h]Babylon.” 4 Then Isaiah said, “What have they seen in your house?” And Hezekiah answered, “They have seen everything that is in my house; there is nothing among my treasures that I have not shown them.”
5 Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Hear the word of the Lord of hosts, 6 ‘Listen carefully, the days are coming when everything that is in your house and everything that your predecessors have stored up until this day will be carried to Babylon; nothing will be left,’ says the Lord. 7 ‘And [i]some of your own sons (descendants) who will come from you, whom you will father, will be taken away, and they will become officials in the palace of the king of Babylon.’” 8 Then said Hezekiah to Isaiah, “The word of the Lord which you have spoken is good.” For he thought, “There will be peace and faithfulness [to God’s promises to us] in my days.”
The Greatness of God
40 “Comfort, O comfort My people,” says your God.
2
“Speak [j]tenderly to Jerusalem,
And call out to her, that her time of compulsory service in warfare is finished,
That her wickedness has been taken away [since her punishment is sufficient],
That she has received from the Lord’s hand
Double [punishment] for all her sins.”
3
A voice of one is calling out,
“Clear the way for the Lord in the wilderness [remove the obstacles];
Make straight and smooth in the desert a highway for our God.(G)
4
“Every valley shall be raised,
And every mountain and hill be made low;
And let the rough ground become a plain,
And the rugged places a broad valley.
5
“And the glory and majesty and splendor of the Lord will be revealed,
And all humanity shall see it together;
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken it.”(H)
6
A voice says, “Call out [prophesy].”
Then he answered, “What shall I call out?”
[The voice answered:] All humanity is [as frail as] grass, and all that makes it attractive [its charm, its loveliness] is [momentary] like the flower of the field.
7
The grass withers, the flower fades,
When the breath of the Lord blows upon it;
Most certainly [all] the people are [like] grass.
8
The grass withers, the flower fades,
But the word of our God stands forever.(I)
9
O Zion, herald of good news,
Get up on a high mountain.
O Jerusalem, herald of good news,
Lift up your voice with strength,
Lift it up, do not fear;
Say to the cities of Judah,
“Here is your God!”(J)
10
Listen carefully, the Lord God will come with might,
And His arm will rule for Him.
Most certainly His reward is with Him,
And His restitution accompanies Him.(K)
11
He will protect His flock like a shepherd,
He will gather the lambs in His arm,
He will carry them in His bosom;
He will gently and carefully lead those nursing their young.
12
Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand,
And marked off the heavens with a span [of the hand],
And calculated the dust of the earth with a [k]measure,
And weighed the mountains in a balance
And the hills in a pair of scales?
13
Who has directed the Spirit of the Lord,
Or has taught Him as His counselor?(L)
14
With whom did He consult and who enlightened Him?
Who taught Him the path of justice and taught Him knowledge
And informed Him of the way of understanding?
15
In fact, the nations are like a drop from a bucket,
And are regarded as a speck of dust on the scales;
Now look, He lifts up the islands like fine dust.
16
And [the forests of] Lebanon cannot supply sufficient fuel to start a fire,
Nor are its wild beasts enough for a burnt offering [worthy of the Lord].
17
All the nations are as nothing before Him,
They are regarded by Him as less than nothing and meaningless.
18
To whom then will you liken God?
Or with what likeness will you compare Him?(M)
19
As for the cast image (idol), a metalworker casts it,
A goldsmith overlays it with gold
And a silversmith casts its silver chains.
20
He who is too impoverished for such an offering [to give to his god]
Chooses a tree that will not rot;
He seeks out for himself a skillful craftsman
To [carve and] set up an idol that will not totter.
21
Do you [who worship idols] not know? Have you not heard?
Has it not been told to you from the beginning?
Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth [the omnipotence of God and the stupidity of bowing to idols]?(N)
22
It is He who sits above the circle of the earth,
And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers;
[It is He] who stretches out the heavens like a veil
And spreads them out like a tent to dwell in.
23
It is He who reduces dignitaries to nothing,
Who makes the judges (rulers) of the earth meaningless (useless).
24
Scarcely have they been planted,
Scarcely have they been sown,
Scarcely has their stock taken root in the earth,
But He merely blows on them, and they wither,
And a strong wind carries them away like stubble.
25
“To whom then will you compare Me
That I would be his equal?” says the Holy One.
26
Lift up your eyes on high
And see who has created these heavenly bodies,
The One who brings out their host by number,
He calls them all by name;
Because of the greatness of His might and the strength of His power,
Not one is missing.
27
Why, O Jacob, do you say, and declare, O Israel,
“My way is hidden from the Lord,
And the justice due me escapes the notice of my God”?
28
Do you not know? Have you not heard?
The Everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth
Does not become tired or grow weary;
There is no searching of His understanding.
29
He gives strength to the weary,
And to him who has no might He increases power.(O)
30
Even youths grow weary and tired,
And vigorous young men stumble badly,
31
But those who wait for the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him]
Will gain new strength and renew their power;
They will lift up their wings [and rise up close to God] like eagles [rising toward the sun];
They will run and not become weary,
They will walk and not grow tired.(P)
Israel Encouraged
41 “Listen to Me in silence, you islands and coastlands,
And let the nations gain their strength;
Let them come near, then let them speak;
Let us come together for judgment [and decide the issue between us concerning the enemy from the east].
2
“Who has stirred up and put into action one from the east [the king of Persia, Cyrus the Great]
Whom He calls in righteousness to His service and whom victory meets at every step?
The Lord turns nations over to him
And subdues kings.
He makes them like dust with his sword,
Like wind-driven chaff with his bow.(Q)
3
“He (Cyrus) pursues them and passes along safely,
By a way his feet had not traveled before.
4
“Who has performed and done this,
Calling forth [and guiding the destinies of] the generations [of the nations] from the beginning?
‘I, the Lord—the first, and with the last [existing before history began, the ever-present, unchanging God]—I am He.’”
5
The islands and coastlands have seen and they fear;
The ends of the earth tremble;
They have drawn near and have come.
6
They each help his neighbor
And say to his brother [as he fashions his idols], “Be of good courage!”
7
So the craftsman encourages the goldsmith,
And he who smooths metal with the smith’s hammer encourages him who beats the anvil,
Saying of the soldering (welding), “That is good”;
And he fastens the idol with nails,
So that it will not totter nor be moved.
8
“But you, Israel, My servant,
Jacob whom I have chosen,
The offspring of Abraham My friend,(R)
9
You whom I [the Lord] have [l]taken from the ends of the earth,
And called from its remotest parts
And said to you, ‘You are My servant,
I have chosen you and have not rejected you [even though you are exiled].
10
‘Do not fear [anything], for I am with you;
Do not be afraid, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you, be assured I will help you;
I will certainly take hold of you with My righteous right hand [a hand of justice, of power, of victory, of salvation].’(S)
11
“Indeed, all those who are angry with you will be put to shame and humiliated;
Those who strive against you will be as nothing and will perish.
12
“You shall search for those who quarrel with you, but will not find them;
They who war against you will be as nothing, as nothing at all.
13
“For I the Lord your God keep hold of your right hand; [I am the Lord],
Who says to you, ‘Do not fear, I will help you.’
14
“Do not fear, you worm Jacob, you men of Israel;
I will help you,” declares the Lord, “and your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.
15
“In fact, I have made of you a new, sharp [m]threshing implement with sharp edges;
You will thresh the mountains and crush them,
And make the hills like chaff.
16
“You will winnow them, and the wind will carry them away,
And a high wind will scatter them;
But you will rejoice in the Lord,
You will glory in the Holy One of Israel.
17
“The poor and needy are seeking water, but there is none;
Their tongues are parched with thirst.
I, the Lord, will answer them Myself;
I, the God of Israel, will not neglect them.
18
“I will open rivers on the barren heights
And springs in the midst of the valleys;
I will make the wilderness a reed-pool of water
And the dry land springs of water.
19
“I will put the cedar in the wilderness,
The acacia, the myrtle and the olive tree;
I will place the juniper in the desert
Together with the box tree and the cypress,
20
So that they may see and know,
And consider and understand together,
That the hand of the Lord has done this,
That the Holy One of Israel has created it.
21
“Present your case [for idols made by men’s hands],” says the Lord.
“Produce your evidence [of divinity],”
Says the king of Jacob.
22
Let them bring forward [their evidence] and tell us what is going to happen.
Regarding the former events, tell what they were,
That we may consider them and know their outcome;
Or announce to us the things that are going to come.
23
Tell us the things that are to come afterward,
That we may know that you are gods;
Indeed, you should do something good or do evil, [n]that we may be afraid and fear [you] together [as we observe the miracle].
24
Hear this! You [idols] are less than nothing,
And your work is worthless;
The worshiper who chooses you [as a god] is repulsive.(T)
25
“I have stirred up and put into action [o]one from the north [the king of Persia, Cyrus the Great], and he has come;
From the rising of the sun he will call on My Name [in prayer].
And he will trample on [the Babylonian] officials as on mortar,
Even as a potter treads clay.”(U)
26
Who [among the idols] has declared this from the beginning, so that we could know?
Or from earlier times, so that we could say, “He is [unquestionably] right!”?
In fact, there was no one who declared it,
Indeed, there was no one who proclaimed it;
There was no one at all who heard you speak [for you pagan gods are speechless].
27
“I was first to say to Zion, ‘Listen carefully, here they are [the Jews who will be restored to their own land].’
And to Jerusalem, ‘I will provide a messenger (Isaiah) to bring the good news [[p]that Cyrus will be stirred up and put into action to save them].’(V)
28
“But when I look [on the pagan prophets and priests], there is no one [who could predict these events],
And there is no counselor [q]among them,
Who, if I ask, can give an answer.
29
“In fact, all of these [pagan prophets and priests] are false;
Their works are worthless,
Their cast images are [merely] wind and emptiness.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 37:12 The place-names in this verse are all found on the Assyrian monuments. For further information, see E.S. Schrader, Cuneiform Inscriptions and the Old Testament, and his comments on 2 Kin 19:12.
- Isaiah 37:20 So DSS and 2 Kin 19:19; MT omits God.
- Isaiah 37:29 Lit lips.
- Isaiah 37:30 Called “second growth,” this ordinarily referred to uncultivated produce that grew during the Sabbath year (when sowing was forbidden) from seed that fell outside the boundaries of the field the preceding year.
- Isaiah 37:36 See note Gen 16:7.
- Isaiah 37:36 This is the fulfillment of the prophecy made in Is 31:8, 9. See also 10:33, 34; 14:25; 17:14; 30:31.
- Isaiah 38:8 Some suggest that this stairway was built to serve as a sundial; others think that it was just a stairway whose design happened to function as a kind of sundial. The Hebrew word simply means “ascent,” which can be a stair or a stairway. If it was fully exposed to the sun, the shadow must have been cast by some object, such as a pole. Otherwise, if it was covered, then perhaps there was an opening through which the sun shone and illuminated part of the stairway.
- Isaiah 39:3 During this period Babylon was not regarded as a threat.
- Isaiah 39:7 The fulfillment of this prophecy was initiated when Daniel and some of the other royal sons were taken to Babylon to serve in the court of the king.
- Isaiah 40:2 Lit to the heart of.
- Isaiah 40:12 Lit third.
- Isaiah 41:9 Lit seized.
- Isaiah 41:15 A heavy flat wooden sledge composed of several thick boards with sharp pieces of flint or metal embedded on one side. It was dragged over harvested stalks of grain to separate the kernels from the straw.
- Isaiah 41:23 Lit and let us be.
- Isaiah 41:25 Cyrus originally came from the east (Is 41:2), but defeated a number of kingdoms north of Babylon early in his reign.
- Isaiah 41:27 This prophecy was declared about a hundred and fifty years before it occurred.
- Isaiah 41:28 Lit out of those.
Isaiah 37-41
New International Version
Isaiah 37-41
New International Version
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)”
Sennacherib’s Fall(BD)
21 Then Isaiah son of Amoz(BE) sent a message to Hezekiah: “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Because you have prayed to me concerning Sennacherib king of Assyria, 22 this is the word the Lord has spoken against him:
“Virgin Daughter(BF) Zion(BG)
despises and mocks you.
Daughter Jerusalem
tosses her head(BH) as you flee.
23 Who is it you have ridiculed and blasphemed?(BI)
Against whom have you raised your voice(BJ)
and lifted your eyes in pride?(BK)
Against the Holy One(BL) of Israel!
24 By your messengers
you have ridiculed the Lord.
And you have said,
‘With my many chariots(BM)
I have ascended the heights of the mountains,
the utmost heights(BN) of Lebanon.(BO)
I have cut down its tallest cedars,
the choicest of its junipers.(BP)
I have reached its remotest heights,
the finest of its forests.
25 I have dug wells in foreign lands[c]
and drunk the water there.
With the soles of my feet
I have dried up(BQ) all the streams of Egypt.(BR)’
26 “Have you not heard?
Long ago I ordained(BS) it.
In days of old I planned(BT) it;
now I have brought it to pass,
that you have turned fortified cities
into piles of stone.(BU)
27 Their people, drained of power,
are dismayed and put to shame.
They are like plants in the field,
like tender green shoots,
like grass(BV) sprouting on the roof,(BW)
scorched[d] before it grows up.
28 “But I know where you are
and when you come and go(BX)
and how you rage(BY) against me.
29 Because you rage against me
and because your insolence(BZ) has reached my ears,
I will put my hook(CA) in your nose(CB)
and my bit in your mouth,
and I will make you return
by the way you came.(CC)
30 “This will be the sign(CD) for you, Hezekiah:
“This year(CE) you will eat what grows by itself,
and the second year what springs from that.
But in the third year(CF) sow and reap,
plant vineyards(CG) and eat their fruit.(CH)
31 Once more a remnant of the kingdom of Judah
will take root(CI) below and bear fruit(CJ) above.
32 For out of Jerusalem will come a remnant,(CK)
and out of Mount Zion a band of survivors.(CL)
The zeal(CM) of the Lord Almighty
will accomplish this.
33 “Therefore this is what the Lord says concerning the king of Assyria:
“He will not enter this city(CN)
or shoot an arrow here.
He will not come before it with shield
or build a siege ramp(CO) against it.
34 By the way that he came he will return;(CP)
he will not enter this city,”
declares the Lord.
35 “I will defend(CQ) this city and save it,
for my sake(CR) and for the sake of David(CS) my servant!”
36 Then the angel(CT) of the Lord went out and put to death(CU) a hundred and eighty-five thousand in the Assyrian(CV) camp. When the people got up the next morning—there were all the dead bodies! 37 So Sennacherib(CW) king of Assyria broke camp and withdrew. He returned to Nineveh(CX) and stayed there.
38 One day, while he was worshiping in the temple(CY) of his god Nisrok, his sons Adrammelek and Sharezer killed him with the sword, and they escaped to the land of Ararat.(CZ) And Esarhaddon(DA) his son succeeded him as king.(DB)
Hezekiah’s Illness(DC)
38 In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz(DD) went to him and said, “This is what the Lord says: Put your house in order,(DE) because you are going to die; you will not recover.”(DF)
2 Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, 3 “Remember, Lord, how I have walked(DG) before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion(DH) and have done what is good in your eyes.(DI)” And Hezekiah wept(DJ) bitterly.
4 Then the word(DK) of the Lord came to Isaiah: 5 “Go and tell Hezekiah, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of your father David,(DL) says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears;(DM) I will add fifteen years(DN) to your life. 6 And I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria. I will defend(DO) this city.
7 “‘This is the Lord’s sign(DP) to you that the Lord will do what he has promised: 8 I will make the shadow cast by the sun go back the ten steps it has gone down on the stairway of Ahaz.’” So the sunlight went back the ten steps it had gone down.(DQ)
9 A writing of Hezekiah king of Judah after his illness and recovery:
10 I said, “In the prime of my life(DR)
must I go through the gates of death(DS)
and be robbed of the rest of my years?(DT)”
11 I said, “I will not again see the Lord himself(DU)
in the land of the living;(DV)
no longer will I look on my fellow man,
or be with those who now dwell in this world.
12 Like a shepherd’s tent(DW) my house
has been pulled down(DX) and taken from me.
Like a weaver I have rolled(DY) up my life,
and he has cut me off from the loom;(DZ)
day and night(EA) you made an end of me.
13 I waited patiently(EB) till dawn,
but like a lion he broke(EC) all my bones;(ED)
day and night(EE) you made an end of me.
14 I cried like a swift or thrush,
I moaned like a mourning dove.(EF)
My eyes grew weak(EG) as I looked to the heavens.
I am being threatened; Lord, come to my aid!”(EH)
15 But what can I say?(EI)
He has spoken to me, and he himself has done this.(EJ)
I will walk humbly(EK) all my years
because of this anguish of my soul.(EL)
16 Lord, by such things people live;
and my spirit finds life in them too.
You restored me to health
and let me live.(EM)
17 Surely it was for my benefit(EN)
that I suffered such anguish.(EO)
In your love you kept me
from the pit(EP) of destruction;
you have put all my sins(EQ)
behind your back.(ER)
18 For the grave(ES) cannot praise you,
death cannot sing your praise;(ET)
those who go down to the pit(EU)
cannot hope for your faithfulness.
19 The living, the living—they praise(EV) you,
as I am doing today;
parents tell their children(EW)
about your faithfulness.
20 The Lord will save me,
and we will sing(EX) with stringed instruments(EY)
all the days of our lives(EZ)
in the temple(FA) of the Lord.
21 Isaiah had said, “Prepare a poultice of figs and apply it to the boil, and he will recover.”
22 Hezekiah had asked, “What will be the sign(FB) that I will go up to the temple of the Lord?”
Envoys From Babylon(FC)
39 At that time Marduk-Baladan son of Baladan king of Babylon(FD) sent Hezekiah letters and a gift, because he had heard of his illness and recovery. 2 Hezekiah received the envoys(FE) gladly and showed them what was in his storehouses—the silver, the gold,(FF) the spices, the fine olive oil—his entire armory and everything found among his treasures.(FG) There was nothing in his palace or in all his kingdom that Hezekiah did not show them.
3 Then Isaiah the prophet went to King Hezekiah and asked, “What did those men say, and where did they come from?”
“From a distant land,(FH)” Hezekiah replied. “They came to me from Babylon.”
4 The prophet asked, “What did they see in your palace?”
“They saw everything in my palace,” Hezekiah said. “There is nothing among my treasures that I did not show them.”
5 Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Hear the word(FI) of the Lord Almighty: 6 The time will surely come when everything in your palace, and all that your predecessors have stored up until this day, will be carried off to Babylon.(FJ) Nothing will be left, says the Lord. 7 And some of your descendants, your own flesh and blood who will be born to you, will be taken away, and they will become eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.(FK)”
8 “The word of the Lord you have spoken is good,(FL)” Hezekiah replied. For he thought, “There will be peace and security in my lifetime.(FM)”
Comfort for God’s People
40 Comfort, comfort(FN) my people,
says your God.
2 Speak tenderly(FO) to Jerusalem,
and proclaim to her
that her hard service(FP) has been completed,(FQ)
that her sin has been paid for,(FR)
that she has received from the Lord’s hand
double(FS) for all her sins.
3 A voice of one calling:
“In the wilderness prepare
the way(FT) for the Lord[e];
make straight(FU) in the desert
a highway for our God.[f](FV)
4 Every valley shall be raised up,(FW)
every mountain and hill(FX) made low;
the rough ground shall become level,(FY)
the rugged places a plain.
5 And the glory(FZ) of the Lord will be revealed,
and all people will see it together.(GA)
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”(GB)
6 A voice says, “Cry out.”
And I said, “What shall I cry?”
“All people are like grass,(GC)
and all their faithfulness is like the flowers of the field.
7 The grass withers(GD) and the flowers fall,
because the breath(GE) of the Lord blows(GF) on them.
Surely the people are grass.
8 The grass withers and the flowers(GG) fall,
but the word(GH) of our God endures(GI) forever.(GJ)”
9 You who bring good news(GK) to Zion,
go up on a high mountain.
You who bring good news to Jerusalem,[g](GL)
lift up your voice with a shout,
lift it up, do not be afraid;
say to the towns of Judah,
“Here is your God!”(GM)
10 See, the Sovereign Lord comes(GN) with power,(GO)
and he rules(GP) with a mighty arm.(GQ)
See, his reward(GR) is with him,
and his recompense accompanies him.
11 He tends his flock like a shepherd:(GS)
He gathers the lambs in his arms(GT)
and carries them close to his heart;(GU)
he gently leads(GV) those that have young.(GW)
12 Who has measured the waters(GX) in the hollow of his hand,(GY)
or with the breadth of his hand marked off the heavens?(GZ)
Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket,
or weighed the mountains on the scales
and the hills in a balance?(HA)
13 Who can fathom the Spirit[h](HB) of the Lord,
or instruct the Lord as his counselor?(HC)
14 Whom did the Lord consult to enlighten him,
and who taught him the right way?
Who was it that taught him knowledge,(HD)
or showed him the path of understanding?(HE)
15 Surely the nations are like a drop in a bucket;
they are regarded as dust on the scales;(HF)
he weighs the islands as though they were fine dust.(HG)
16 Lebanon(HH) is not sufficient for altar fires,
nor its animals(HI) enough for burnt offerings.
17 Before him all the nations(HJ) are as nothing;(HK)
they are regarded by him as worthless
and less than nothing.(HL)
18 With whom, then, will you compare God?(HM)
To what image(HN) will you liken him?
19 As for an idol,(HO) a metalworker casts it,
and a goldsmith(HP) overlays it with gold(HQ)
and fashions silver chains for it.
20 A person too poor to present such an offering
selects wood(HR) that will not rot;
they look for a skilled worker
to set up an idol(HS) that will not topple.(HT)
21 Do you not know?
Have you not heard?(HU)
Has it not been told(HV) you from the beginning?(HW)
Have you not understood(HX) since the earth was founded?(HY)
22 He sits enthroned(HZ) above the circle of the earth,
and its people are like grasshoppers.(IA)
He stretches out the heavens(IB) like a canopy,(IC)
and spreads them out like a tent(ID) to live in.(IE)
23 He brings princes(IF) to naught
and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing.(IG)
24 No sooner are they planted,
no sooner are they sown,
no sooner do they take root(IH) in the ground,
than he blows(II) on them and they wither,(IJ)
and a whirlwind sweeps them away like chaff.(IK)
25 “To whom will you compare me?(IL)
Or who is my equal?” says the Holy One.(IM)
26 Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens:(IN)
Who created(IO) all these?
He who brings out the starry host(IP) one by one
and calls forth each of them by name.
Because of his great power and mighty strength,(IQ)
not one of them is missing.(IR)
27 Why do you complain, Jacob?
Why do you say, Israel,
“My way is hidden from the Lord;
my cause is disregarded by my God”?(IS)
28 Do you not know?
Have you not heard?(IT)
The Lord is the everlasting(IU) God,
the Creator(IV) of the ends of the earth.(IW)
He will not grow tired or weary,(IX)
and his understanding no one can fathom.(IY)
29 He gives strength(IZ) to the weary(JA)
and increases the power of the weak.
30 Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men(JB) stumble and fall;(JC)
31 but those who hope(JD) in the Lord
will renew their strength.(JE)
They will soar on wings like eagles;(JF)
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.(JG)
The Helper of Israel
41 “Be silent(JH) before me, you islands!(JI)
Let the nations renew their strength!(JJ)
Let them come forward(JK) and speak;
let us meet together(JL) at the place of judgment.
2 “Who has stirred(JM) up one from the east,(JN)
calling him in righteousness(JO) to his service[i]?(JP)
He hands nations over to him
and subdues kings before him.
He turns them to dust(JQ) with his sword,
to windblown chaff(JR) with his bow.(JS)
3 He pursues them and moves on unscathed,(JT)
by a path his feet have not traveled before.
4 Who has done this and carried it through,
calling(JU) forth the generations from the beginning?(JV)
I, the Lord—with the first of them
and with the last(JW)—I am he.(JX)”
5 The islands(JY) have seen it and fear;
the ends of the earth(JZ) tremble.
They approach and come forward;
6 they help each other
and say to their companions, “Be strong!(KA)”
7 The metalworker(KB) encourages the goldsmith,(KC)
and the one who smooths with the hammer
spurs on the one who strikes the anvil.
One says of the welding, “It is good.”
The other nails down the idol so it will not topple.(KD)
8 “But you, Israel, my servant,(KE)
Jacob, whom I have chosen,(KF)
you descendants of Abraham(KG) my friend,(KH)
9 I took you from the ends of the earth,(KI)
from its farthest corners I called(KJ) you.
I said, ‘You are my servant’;(KK)
I have chosen(KL) you and have not rejected you.
10 So do not fear,(KM) for I am with you;(KN)
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen(KO) you and help(KP) you;
I will uphold you(KQ) with my righteous right hand.(KR)
11 “All who rage(KS) against you
will surely be ashamed and disgraced;(KT)
those who oppose(KU) you
will be as nothing and perish.(KV)
12 Though you search for your enemies,
you will not find them.(KW)
Those who wage war against you
will be as nothing(KX) at all.
13 For I am the Lord your God
who takes hold of your right hand(KY)
and says to you, Do not fear;
I will help(KZ) you.
14 Do not be afraid,(LA) you worm(LB) Jacob,
little Israel, do not fear,
for I myself will help(LC) you,” declares the Lord,
your Redeemer,(LD) the Holy One(LE) of Israel.
15 “See, I will make you into a threshing sledge,(LF)
new and sharp, with many teeth.
You will thresh the mountains(LG) and crush them,
and reduce the hills to chaff.(LH)
16 You will winnow(LI) them, the wind will pick them up,
and a gale(LJ) will blow them away.(LK)
But you will rejoice(LL) in the Lord
and glory(LM) in the Holy One(LN) of Israel.
17 “The poor and needy search for water,(LO)
but there is none;
their tongues are parched with thirst.(LP)
But I the Lord will answer(LQ) them;
I, the God of Israel, will not forsake(LR) them.
18 I will make rivers flow(LS) on barren heights,
and springs within the valleys.
I will turn the desert(LT) into pools of water,(LU)
and the parched ground into springs.(LV)
19 I will put in the desert(LW)
the cedar and the acacia,(LX) the myrtle and the olive.
I will set junipers(LY) in the wasteland,
the fir and the cypress(LZ) together,(MA)
20 so that people may see and know,(MB)
may consider and understand,(MC)
that the hand(MD) of the Lord has done this,
that the Holy One(ME) of Israel has created(MF) it.
21 “Present your case,(MG)” says the Lord.
“Set forth your arguments,” says Jacob’s King.(MH)
22 “Tell us, you idols,
what is going to happen.(MI)
Tell us what the former things(MJ) were,
so that we may consider them
and know their final outcome.
Or declare to us the things to come,(MK)
23 tell us what the future holds,
so we may know(ML) that you are gods.
Do something, whether good or bad,(MM)
so that we will be dismayed(MN) and filled with fear.
24 But you are less than nothing(MO)
and your works are utterly worthless;(MP)
whoever chooses you is detestable.(MQ)
25 “I have stirred(MR) up one from the north,(MS) and he comes—
one from the rising sun who calls on my name.
He treads(MT) on rulers as if they were mortar,
as if he were a potter treading the clay.
26 Who told of this from the beginning,(MU) so we could know,
or beforehand, so we could say, ‘He was right’?
No one told of this,
no one foretold(MV) it,
no one heard any words(MW) from you.
27 I was the first to tell(MX) Zion, ‘Look, here they are!’
I gave to Jerusalem a messenger of good news.(MY)
28 I look but there is no one(MZ)—
no one among the gods to give counsel,(NA)
no one to give answer(NB) when I ask them.
29 See, they are all false!
Their deeds amount to nothing;(NC)
their images(ND) are but wind(NE) and confusion.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 37:9 That is, the upper Nile region
- Isaiah 37:20 Dead Sea Scrolls (see also 2 Kings 19:19); Masoretic Text you alone are the Lord
- Isaiah 37:25 Dead Sea Scrolls (see also 2 Kings 19:24); Masoretic Text does not have in foreign lands.
- Isaiah 37:27 Some manuscripts of the Masoretic Text, Dead Sea Scrolls and some Septuagint manuscripts (see also 2 Kings 19:26); most manuscripts of the Masoretic Text roof / and terraced fields
- Isaiah 40:3 Or A voice of one calling in the wilderness: / “Prepare the way for the Lord
- Isaiah 40:3 Hebrew; Septuagint make straight the paths of our God
- Isaiah 40:9 Or Zion, bringer of good news, / go up on a high mountain. / Jerusalem, bringer of good news
- Isaiah 40:13 Or mind
- Isaiah 41:2 Or east, / whom victory meets at every step
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