Isaiah 37:21-35
Expanded Bible
The Lord Answers Hezekiah
21 Then Isaiah son of Amoz sent a message to Hezekiah that said, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘You prayed to me about Sennacherib king of Assyria [C from 704–681 bc]. 22 So this is what the Lord has said against Sennacherib:
The ·people of Jerusalem [L virgin daughter of Zion]
·hate you [despise] and ·make fun of [mock; scorn] you;
the ·people [L daughter] of Jerusalem
·laugh at you [L tosses her head] ·as you run away [as you flee; or behind your back].
23 ·You have insulted me and spoken against me [L Whom have you defied/ridiculed/mocked?];
·you have raised your voice against me [L against whom have you raised your voice?].
·You have a proud look on your face [L …and arrogantly lifted your eyes/gaze…?],
which is against me, the Holy One of Israel [1:4]!
24 You have sent your messengers to ·insult [defy; ridicule; mock] the Lord.
You have said, “With my many chariots
I have gone to the tops of the mountains,
to the ·highest [or remotest] mountains of Lebanon.
I have cut down its tallest cedars
and its best ·pine [cypress] trees.
I have gone to its greatest heights
and its ·best [densest] forests.
25 I have dug wells in foreign ·countries [lands]
and drunk water there.
By the soles of my feet,
I have ·dried [stopped] up all the rivers of Egypt.”
26 “‘King of Assyria, ·surely you have [L have you not…?] heard.
Long ago I, the Lord, ·planned [determined; ordained] these things.
·Long ago [In ancient times/days of old] I ·designed them [planned it],
and now I have ·made them happen [brought them to pass].
I allowed you to turn those ·strong, walled [fortified] cities
into piles of ·rocks [rubble; ruins].
27 The people in those cities were ·weak [powerless; drained of strength];
they were ·frightened [dismayed] and ·put to shame [confused; confounded].
They were like grass in the field,
like tender, young ·grass [shoots],
like grass on the housetop
that is ·burned [scorched] by the wind before it can grow.
28 “‘I know ·when you rest [when you stand or sit; or where you are],
when you come and go,
and how you ·rage [rave] against me.
29 Because you ·rage [rave] against me,
and because I have heard your ·proud [arrogant] words,
I will put my hook in your nose
and my bit in your mouth.
Then I will ·force you to leave my country [turn you back; make you retreat]
the ·same way [road] you came.’
30 “Then the Lord said, ‘Hezekiah, I will give you this sign:
This year you will eat the grain that grows ·wild [L of itself],
and the second year you will eat what ·grows [springs] from that.
But in the third year, ·plant grain [sow] and ·harvest it [reap].
Plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
31 ·Some of the people in [A remnant of] the ·family [L house] of Judah
will ·escape [survive].
·Like plants that take root [They will put down roots below],
·they will grow strong and have many children [and will bear fruit above].
32 A ·few people will come out of Jerusalem alive [remnant will spread out from Jerusalem];
·a few from Mount Zion will live […and survivors out from Mount Zion].
The ·strong love [zeal] of the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts]
will ·make this happen [accomplish this].’
33 “So this is what the Lord says about the king of Assyria:
‘He will not enter this city
or even shoot an arrow here.
He will not fight against it with shields
or build a ramp to ·attack the city walls [lay siege to it].
34 He will ·return to his country [retreat] the same ·way [road] he came,
and he will not enter this city,’
says the Lord.
35 ‘I will defend and ·save [rescue; T deliver] this city
for my sake and for David, my servant.’”
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