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21 Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah, saying, “Yahweh, the God of Israel says, ‘Because you have prayed to me against Sennacherib king of Assyria, 22 this is the word which Yahweh has spoken concerning him. The virgin daughter of Zion has despised you and ridiculed you. The daughter of Jerusalem has shaken her head at you. 23 Whom have you defied and blasphemed? Against whom have you exalted your voice and lifted up your eyes on high? Against the Holy One of Israel. 24 By your servants, you have defied the Lord, and have said, “With the multitude of my chariots I have come up to the height of the mountains, to the innermost parts of Lebanon. I will cut down its tall cedars and its choice cypress trees. I will enter into its farthest height, the forest of its fruitful field. 25 I have dug and drunk water, and with the sole of my feet I will dry up all the rivers of Egypt.”

26 “‘Have you not heard how I have done it long ago, and formed it in ancient times? Now I have brought it to pass, that it should be yours to destroy fortified cities, turning them into ruinous heaps. 27 Therefore their inhabitants had little power. They were dismayed and confounded. They were like the grass of the field, and like the green herb, like the grass on the housetops, and like a field before its crop has grown. 28 But I know your sitting down, your going out, your coming in, and your raging against me. 29 Because of your raging against me, and because your arrogance has come up into my ears, therefore I will put my hook in your nose and my bridle in your lips, and I will turn you back by the way by which you came.

30 “‘This shall be the sign to you. You will eat this year that which grows of itself, and in the second year that which springs from it; and in the third year sow and reap and plant vineyards, and eat their fruit. 31 The remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah will again take root downward, and bear fruit upward. 32 For out of Jerusalem a remnant will go out, and survivors will escape from Mount Zion. The zeal of Yahweh of Armies will perform this.’

33 “Therefore Yahweh says concerning the king of Assyria, ‘He will not come to this city, nor shoot an arrow there, neither will he come before it with shield, nor cast up a mound against it. 34 He will return the way that he came, and he won’t come to this city,’ says Yahweh. 35 ‘For I will defend this city to save it, for my own sake, and for my servant David’s sake.’”

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God’s Answer

21 Then Amoz’s son Isaiah sent this message to Hezekiah: “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says, to whom you prayed[a] concerning Sennacherib king of Assyria. 22 This is the message that the Lord has spoken in opposition to him:

“‘The Virgin Daughter of Zion
    despises and mocks you;
the Daughter of Jerusalem—
    she tosses her head behind you as you flee.
23 Whom have you insulted and reviled?
    Against whom have you raised your voice
and lifted your eyes in pride?
    Against the Holy One of Israel!
24 By your messengers[b] you have insulted the Lord,
    and you have said,
“With my many chariots
    I have climbed the heights of mountains,
        the utmost heights of Lebanon.
I cut down its tallest cedars,
    the choicest of its pines;
I reached its remotest heights,
    the most verdant of its forests.
25 I myself dug wells[c]
    and drank foreign[d] waters;
with the soles of my feet
    I dried up all the streams of Egypt.”

26 “‘Didn’t you hear
    how in the distant past I decided to do it,
        how[e] I planned from days of old?
Now I’ve made it happen—
    that fortified cities become devastated, besieged heaps.[f]
27 Their inhabitants are devoid of power,
    and are terrified and put to shame.
They’ve become like plants in the field,
    like[g] green shoots,
like grass on rooftops,
    scorched by the east wind.[h]

28 “‘I know when you rise up
    and[i] when you sit down,
your comings and goings—
    and how you’ve become enraged at me.
29 Your insolence[j] has reached my ears,
    so I’ll put my hook in your nose
        and my bit in your mouth,[k]
and I’ll make you turn back on the road
    by which you came.

30 “And this will be your sign, Hezekiah:[l] Eat this year what grows on its own, and in the second year what springs from that. But in the third year sow, reap, plant vineyards, and eat their fruit. 31 Then the ones belonging to the house of Judah who have escaped will gather,[m] and those who are found[n] will take root downward and bear fruit upward. 32 For a remnant will come out of Zion,[o] and a band of survivors from Jerusalem.[p] The zeal of the Lord of the Heavenly Armies will accomplish this.

33 “Therefore this what the Lord says concerning the king of Assyria: ‘He won’t enter this city, build up a siege ramp against it, shoot an arrow here, or threaten it with a shield.[q] 34 By the same way that he came, he will return; he won’t enter this city,’ declares the Lord, 35 ‘because I will defend this city and deliver[r] it, for my own sake and for the sake of my servant David!’”

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 37:21 So 1QIsaa; MT reads because you prayed to me; cf. LXX
  2. Isaiah 37:24 Lit. servants
  3. Isaiah 37:25 So 1QIsaa; MT reads dug; LXX reads appointed
  4. Isaiah 37:25 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX lack foreign
  5. Isaiah 37:26 So 1QIsaa; MT reads and how
  6. Isaiah 37:26 So 1QIsaa; MT reads you should make fortified cities crash into ruined heaps
  7. Isaiah 37:27 So 1QIsaa; MT reads and like
  8. Isaiah 37:27 So 1QIsaa; MT reads and a field before the standing grain
  9. Isaiah 37:28 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX lack when you rise up and
  10. Isaiah 37:29 So 1QIsaa; MT reads because your raging against me and your insolence; cf. LXX
  11. Isaiah 37:29 Lit. lips; so 1QIsaa LXX; MT reads lip
  12. Isaiah 37:30 So 1QIsaa; the Heb. lacks Hezekiah
  13. Isaiah 37:31 So 1QIsaa; MT reads be increased
  14. Isaiah 37:31 So 1QIsaa; MT reads and the remainder; cf. LXX
  15. Isaiah 37:32 So 1QIsaa; 4QIsab MT LXX read Jerusalem
  16. Isaiah 37:32 So 1QIsaa; 4QIsab MT LXX read Mount Zion
  17. Isaiah 37:33 So 1QIsaa; MT reads or shoot an arrow here, or threaten it with a shield, or build up a siege ramp against it
  18. Isaiah 37:35 Or save