| Holman Christian Standard Bible | International Standard Version |
| 1When King Hezekiah heard their report, he tore his clothes, covered himself with sackcloth, and went into the LORD's temple. | 1When King Hezekiah heard Eliakim's report, he tore his clothes, put on a sackcloth covering, entered the LORD's Temple, |
| 2Then he sent Eliakim, who was in charge of the palace, Shebna the court secretary, and the leading priests, who were wearing sackcloth, to the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz. | 2and sent Eliakim the household supervisor, Shebna the scribe, and the elders of the priests—all of them covered in sackcloth—to Amoz's son, the prophet Isaiah. |
| 3They said to him, "This is what Hezekiah says: 'Today is a day of distress, rebuke, and disgrace, for children have come to the point of birth, but there is no strength to deliver them. | 3They announced to him: "This is what Hezekiah says: 'Today is a day of trouble, rebuke, and blasphemy, because children are about to be born, but there is no strength to bring them to birth. |
| 4Perhaps Yahweh your God will hear all the words of the Rabshakeh, whom his master the king of Assyria sent to mock the living God, and will rebuke him for the words that Yahweh your God has heard. Therefore, offer a prayer for the surviving remnant.'" | 4Perhaps the LORD your God will take note of everything that Rab-shakeh has said, whom his master the king of Assyria sent to taunt the living God, and then he will rebuke the words that the LORD your God has heard. Therefore offer a prayer for the survivors who remain.'" |
| 5So the servants of King Hezekiah went to Isaiah, | 5That is how the King Hezekiah's servants approached Isaiah. |
| 6who said to them, "Tell your master this, 'The LORD says: Don't be afraid because of the words you have heard, that the king of Assyria's attendants have blasphemed Me with. | 6In reply, Isaiah responded to them, "Here's how you're to report to your master: 'This is what the LORD says: "Never be afraid of the words that you have heard by which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me. |
| 7I am about to put a spirit in him, and he will hear a rumor and return to his own land where I will cause him to fall by the sword.'" | 7Look! I'm going to cause an attitude to grow within him so that he'll hear a rumor and return to his own territory, where I'll make him die by the sword in his own land!"'" |
| 8When the Rabshakeh heard that the king of Assyria had left Lachish, he returned and found him fighting against Libnah. | 8So Rab-shakeh returned and found the king of Assyria at war with Libnah, because Rab-shakeh had heard that the king had left Lachish. |
| 9The king had heard this about Tirhakah king of Cush: "Look, he has set out to fight against you." So he again sent messengers to Hezekiah, saying, " | 9When he heard that it was being said about King Tirhakah of Ethiopia, "Look! He has come out to attack you!" he again sent messengers to Hezekiah. The messengers were told, |
| 10Say this to Hezekiah king of Judah: 'Don't let your God, whom you trust, deceive you by promising that Jerusalem will not be handed over to the king of Assyria. | 10"This is what you are to say to King Hezekiah of Judah: 'Don't let your God in whom you trust deceive you by telling you "Jerusalem won't be turned over to the control of Assyria's king." |
| 11Look, you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all the countries: they completely destroyed them. Will you be rescued? | 11Look! you've heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all the lands—they completely destroyed them! Will you be spared? |
| 12Did the gods of the nations that my predecessors destroyed rescue them--nations such as Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and the Edenites in Telassar? | 12Did the gods of those nations whom my ancestors destroyed deliver them, including Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and Eden's descendants in Telassar? |
| 13Where is the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, the king of the city of Sepharvaim, Hena, or Ivvah?'" | 13Where is the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, the king of the city of Sephar-vaim, the king of Hena, or the king of Ivvah?'" |
| 14Hezekiah took the letter from the hand of the messengers, read it, then went up to the LORD's temple, and spread it out before the LORD. | 14Hezekiah took the messages from the couriers, read them, went up to the LORD's Temple, and laid them out in the presence of the LORD. |
| 15Then Hezekiah prayed before the LORD: LORD God of Israel who is enthroned above the cherubim, You are God--You alone--of all the kingdoms of the earth. You made the heavens and the earth. | 15Then Hezekiah prayed in the presence of the LORD, "LORD God of Israel! You live between the cherubim! You alone are the God of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have fashioned the heavens and the earth. |
| 16Listen closely, LORD, and hear; open Your eyes, LORD, and see. Hear the words that Sennacherib has sent to mock the living God. | 16Turn your ear, LORD, and listen! Open your eyes, LORD, and observe! Listen to the message sent by Sennacherib to insult the living God! |
| 17 LORD, it is true that the kings of Assyria have devastated the nations and their lands. | 17Truly, LORD, the kings of Assyria have devastated nations and their territories, |
| 18They have thrown their gods into the fire, for they were not gods but made by human hands--wood and stone. So they have destroyed them. | 18throwing their gods into the fire, since they weren't gods but rather were the product of men's handiwork—wood and stone. And so they destroyed them. |
| 19Now, LORD our God, please save us from his hand so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You are the LORD God--You alone. | 19Now, LORD our God, I'm praying that you will deliver us from his control, so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you alone, LORD, are God!" |
| 20Then Isaiah son of Amoz sent a message to Hezekiah: "The LORD, the God of Israel says: 'I have heard your prayer to Me about Sennacherib king of Assyria.' | 20Then 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.'" |
| 21This is the word the LORD has spoken against him: Virgin Daughter Zion despises you and scorns you: Daughter Jerusalem shakes her head behind your back. | 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! |
| 22Who is it you mocked and blasphemed? Against whom have you raised your voice and lifted your eyes in pride? Against the Holy One of Israel! | 22Who are you reproaching and blaspheming? Against whom have you raised your voice? And against whom have you lifted up your eyes in arrogance? Against the Holy One of Israel! |
| 23You have mocked the Lord through your messengers. You have said: With my many chariots I have gone up to the heights of the mountains, to the far recesses of Lebanon. I cut down its tallest cedars, its choice cypress trees. I came to its farthest outpost, its densest forest. | 23By 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 forest. |
| 24I dug wells, and I drank foreign waters. I dried up all the streams of Egypt with the soles of my feet. | 24I myself dug for and drank foreign water. With the sole of my foot I dried up all the streams of Egypt!" |
| 25Have you not heard? I designed it long ago; I planned it in days gone by. I have now brought it to pass, and you have crushed fortified cities into piles of rubble. | 25Didn'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 |
| 26Their inhabitants have become powerless, dismayed, and ashamed. They are plants of the field, tender grass, grass on the rooftops, blasted by the east wind. | 26while 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. |
| 27But I know your sitting down, your going out and your coming in, and your raging against Me. | 27But when you sit down, when you go out, and when you come in, I'm aware of it! |
| 28Because your raging against Me and your arrogance have reached My ears, I will put My hook in your nose and My bit in your mouth; I will make you go back the way you came." | 28Because 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.' |
| 29This will be the sign for you: This year you will eat what grows on its own, and in the second year what grows from that. But in the third year sow and reap, plant vineyards and eat their fruit. | 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 their fruit. |
| 30The surviving remnant of the house of Israel will again take root downward and bear fruit upward. | 30Those who survive from Judah's household will again put down deep roots and bear fruit extensively, |
| 31For a remnant will go out from Jerusalem and survivors, from Mount Zion. The zeal of the LORD of Hosts will accomplish this. | 31because a remnant will go out from Jerusalem, and survivors from Mount Zion. The zeal of the LORD will bring this about." |
| 32Therefore, this is what the LORD says about the king of Assyria: He will not enter this city or shoot an arrow there or come before it with a shield or build up an assault ramp against it. | 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. |
| 33He will go back on the road that he came and he will not enter this city. This is the LORD's declaration. | 33He'll return on the same route by which he came—he won't come to this city,' declares the LORD. |
| 34I will defend this city and rescue it for My sake and for the sake of My servant David." | 34I will defend this city and preserve it for my own reasons, and because of my servant David.'" |
| 35That night the angel of the LORD went out and struck down 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians. When the people got up the next morning--there were all the dead bodies! | 35That very night, the angel of the LORD went out to the camp of the Assyrian army and killed 185,000 men. Early the next morning, when the army of Israel arose, all 185,000 soldiers were dead. |
| 36So Sennacherib king of Assyria broke camp and left. He returned home and lived in Nineveh. | 36As a result, King Sennacherib of Assyria left and returned to Nineveh where he lived. |
| 37One day, while he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisroch, his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer struck him down with the sword and escaped to the land of Ararat. Then his son Esar-haddon became king in his place. | 37Later on, as he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisroch, Adrammelech and Sharezer killed him with a sword and fled into the territory of Ararat. Then Sennacherib's son Esarhaddon became king in his place. |
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