Isaiah 37
1 It happened, when king Hezekiah heard it, that he tore his clothes, covered himself with sackcloth, and went into YHWH's house.
It came about that when King Hezekiah heard their report, he tore his clothes, covered himself with sackcloth, and went into the house of Yahweh.
2 He sent Eliakim, who was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and the elders of the priests, covered with sackcloth, to Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz.
He sent Eliakim, who was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and the elders of the priests, all covered with sackcloth, to Isaiah son of Amoz, the prophet.
3 They said to him, "Thus says Hezekiah, 'This day is a day of trouble, and of rebuke, and of rejection; for the children have come to the birth, and there is no strength to bring forth.
They said to him, “Hezekiah says, 'This day is a day of distress, rebuke, and disgrace, like when a child is ready to be born, but the mother has no strength to give birth to her child.
4 It may be YHWH your God will hear the words of Rabshakeh, whom the king of Assyria his master has sent to defy the living God, and will rebuke the words which YHWH your God has heard. Therefore lift up your prayer for the remnant that is left.'"
It may be Yahweh your God will hear the words of the chief commander, whom the king of Assyria his master has sent to defy the living God, and will rebuke the words which Yahweh your God has heard. Now lift up your prayer for the remnant that is still here.'”
5 So the servants of king Hezekiah came to Isaiah.
So the servants of King Hezekiah came to Isaiah,
6 Isaiah said to them, "Tell your master, 'Thus says YHWH, "Do not be afraid of the words that you have heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me.
and Isaiah said to them, “Say to your master: 'Yahweh says, “Do not be afraid of the words that you have heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have insulted me.
7 Look, I will put a spirit in him and he will hear news, and will return to his own land. I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land."'"
Look, I will put a spirit in him, and he will hear a certain report and go back to his own land. I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land.”'”
8 So Rabshakeh returned, and found the king of Assyria warring against Libnah, for he had heard that he was departed from Lachish.
Then the chief commander returned and found the king of Assyria fighting against Libnah, for he had heard that the king had gone away from Lachish.
9 He heard news concerning Tirhakah king of Ethiopia, "He has come out to fight against you." When he heard it, he returned and sent messengers to Hezekiah, saying,
Then Sennacherib heard that Tirhakah king of Cush and Egypt had mobilized to fight against him, so he sent messengers again to Hezekiah with a message:
10 "Thus you shall speak to Hezekiah king of Judah, saying, 'Do not let your God in whom you trust deceive you, saying, "Jerusalem won't be given into the hand of the king of Assyria."
“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 Look, you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands, by destroying them utterly. Shall you be delivered?
See, you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands by destroying them completely. So will you be rescued?
12 Have the gods of the nations delivered them, which my fathers have destroyed, Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and the people of Eden who were in Telassar?
Have the gods of the nations rescued them, the nations that my fathers destroyed: Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and the people of Eden in Tel Assar?
13 Where is the king of Hamath, and the king of Arpad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, of Hena, and Ivvah?'"
Where is the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, the king of the cities of Sepharvaim, of Hena, and Ivvah?'”
14 Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers and read it. Then Hezekiah went up to YHWH's house, and spread it before YHWH.
Hezekiah received this letter from hand of the messengers and read it. Then he went up to the house of Yahweh and spread it before him.
15 Hezekiah prayed to YHWH, saying,
Hezekiah prayed to Yahweh:
16 "YHWH of hosts, the God of Israel, who is enthroned among the cherubim, you are the God, even you alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth.
“Yahweh of hosts, God of Israel, you who sit above the cherubim, you are God alone over all the kingdoms of the earth. You made the heavens and the earth.
17 Turn your ear, YHWH, and hear. Open your eyes, YHWH, and look. Hear all of the words of Sennacherib, who has sent to defy the living God.
Turn your ear, Yahweh, and listen. Open your eyes, Yahweh, and see, and hear the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to mock the living God.
18 Truly, YHWH, the kings of Assyria have destroyed all the countries and their land,
It is true, Yahweh, the kings of Assyria have destroyed all the nations and their lands.
19 and have cast their gods into the fire; for they were no gods, but the work of men's hands, wood and stone; therefore they have destroyed them.
They have put their gods into the fire, for they were not gods but the work of men's hands, just wood and stone. So the Assyrians have destroyed them.
20 Now therefore, YHWH our God, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you are YHWH, even you only."
So now, Yahweh our God, save us from his power, so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you are Yahweh alone.”
21 Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah, saying, "Thus says YHWH, the God of Israel, 'Because you have prayed to me against Sennacherib king of Assyria,
Then Isaiah son of Amoz sent a message to Hezekiah, saying, “Yahweh, the God of Israel says, 'Because you have prayed to me concerning Sennacherib king of Assyria,
22 this is the word which YHWH 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.
this is the word that Yahweh has spoken about him: “The virgin daughter of Zion despises you and laughs you to scorn; the daughter of Jerusalem shakes 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.
Whom have you defied and insulted? Against whom have you exalted your voice and lifted up your eyes in pride? Against the Holy One of Israel.
24 By your messengers you have taunted YHWH, 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 fir trees. I will enter into its farthest height, the forest of its fruitful field.
By your servants you have defied the Lord and have said, 'With the multitude of my chariots I have gone up to the heights of the mountains, to the highest elevations of Lebanon. I will cut down its tall cedars and choice cypress trees there, and I will enter into its farthest high places, its most fruitful forest.
25 I have dug and drunk water, and with the sole of my feet I will dry up all the rivers of Egypt."
I have dug wells and drunk water; I dried up all the rivers of Egypt under the soles of my feet.'
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.
Have you not heard how I determined it long ago and worked it out in ancient times? Now I am bringing it to pass. You are here to reduce impregnable cities into heaps of ruins.
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 rooftops when it is scorched by the east wind.
Their inhabitants, of little strength, are shattered and ashamed. They are plants in the field, green grass, the grass on the roof or in the field, before the east wind.
28 But I know your sitting down, your going out, your coming in, and your raging against me.
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.
Because of your raging against me, and because your arrogance has reached my ears, I will put my hook in your nose, and my bit in your mouth; I will turn you back the way 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 the same; and in the third year sow and reap and plant vineyards, and eat their fruit.
This will be the sign for you: This year you will eat what grows wild, and in the second year what grows from that. But in the third year you must plant and harvest, 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.
The remnant of the house of Judah that survives will again take root and bear fruit.
32 For out of Jerusalem a remnant will go forth, and survivors will escape from Mount Zion. The zeal of YHWH of hosts will perform this.'
For from Jerusalem a remnant will come out; from Mount Zion survivors will come. The zeal of Yahweh of hosts will do this.'”
33 Therefore thus says YHWH 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.
Therefore Yahweh says this about the king of Assyria: “He will not come into this city and he will not shoot an arrow here. He will not come before it with shield or build up a siege ramp against it.
34 By the way that he came, by the same he shall return, and he shall not come to this city,' says YHWH.
The way by which he came will be the same way he will leave; he will not enter this city—this is Yahweh's declaration.
35 'For I will defend this city to save it, for my own sake, and for my servant David's sake.'"
For I will defend this city and rescue it, for my own sake and for David my servant's sake.”
36 The angel of YHWH went out and struck one hundred and eighty-five thousand men in the camp of the Assyrians. When men arose early in the morning, look, these were all dead bodies.
Then the angel of Yahweh went out and attacked the camp of the Assyrians, putting to death 185,000 soldiers. When the men arose early in the morning, dead bodies lay everywhere.
37 So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed, went away, returned to Nineveh, and stayed there.
So Sennacherib king of Assyria left Israel and went home and stayed in Nineveh.
38 It happened, as he was worshipping in the house of Nisroch his god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer his sons struck him with the sword; and they escaped into the land of Ararat. Esarhaddon his son reigned in his place.
Later, as he was worshiping in the house of Nisrok his god, his sons Adrammelek and Sharezer killed him with the sword. Then they escaped into the land of Ararat. Then Esarhaddon his son reigned in his place.
