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2 Kings 19:20-34
New International Version
2 Kings 19:20-34
New International Version
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.’”
2 Kings 19:20-34
International Standard Version
2 Kings 19:20-34
International Standard Version
God’s Answer through Isaiah the Prophet
20 Then Amoz’s son Isaiah sent word to Hezekiah, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel says: ‘Because you have prayed to me about King Sennacherib of Assyria, I have listened.’”
21 “This is what the Lord has spoken against him:
‘She despises and mocks you,
this virgin daughter of Zion!
Behind your back she shakes her head,
this daughter of Jerusalem!
22 Who are you reproaching and blaspheming?
Against whom have you raised your voice?
And against whom[a] have you lifted up your eyes in arrogance?
Against the Holy One of Israel!
23 By your messengers you have insulted the Lord.
You have claimed,
“With my many chariots
I ascended the heights of the mountains,
including the remotest regions of Lebanon;
I cut down its tall cedars
and the best of its cypress trees.
I entered its most remote lodging place
and its most fruitful[b] forest.
24 I myself dug for and drank foreign water.
With the sole of my foot I dried up all the streams of Egypt!”
25 ‘Didn’t you hear?
I determined it years ago!
I planned this from ancient times,
and now I’ve brought it to pass,
to turn fortified cities
into piles of ruins
26 while their inhabitants, lacking strength,
stand dismayed and confused.
They were like vegetation out in the fields,
and like green herbs—
just as grass that grows on a housetop
dries out before it can grow.
27 ‘But when you sit down,
when you go out,
and when you come in,
I’m aware of it!
28 Because of your rage against me,
your complacency has reached my ears.
I’ll put my hook into your nostrils
and my bit into your mouth.
Then I’ll turn you back on the road
by which you came.’
29 “This will serve as a sign for you: you’ll eat this year from what grows by itself, in the second year what grows from that, and in the third year you’ll sow, reap, plant vineyards, and enjoy[c] their fruit. 30 Those who survive from Judah’s household will again put down deep roots and bear fruit extensively,[d] 31 because a remnant will go out from Jerusalem, and survivors from Mount Zion. The zeal of the Lord[e] will bring this about.”
32 “Therefore this is what the Lord says concerning the king of Assyria: ‘Not only will he not approach this city or shoot an arrow in its direction, he won’t approach it with so much as a shield, nor will he throw up a siege ramp against it. 33 He’ll return on the same route by which he came—he won’t come to this city,’ declares the Lord. 34 ‘I will defend this city and preserve it for my own reasons, and because of my servant David.’”
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 2 Kings 19:22 The Heb. lacks against whom
- 2 Kings 19:23 Or its densest
- 2 Kings 19:29 Lit. eat
- 2 Kings 19:30 Or upwards
- 2 Kings 19:31 So MT; LXX and a MT variant read Lord of the Heavenly Armies
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International Standard Version (ISV) 
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