18Hezekiah son of Ahaz began to rule over Judah in the third year of King Hoshea's reign in Israel.H7969H8141H1954H1121H425H4428H3478H2396H1121H271H4428H3063H4427 2He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother was Abijah, the daughter of Zechariah.H6242H2568H8141H1121H4427H4427H6242H8672H8141H3389H517H8034H21H1323H2148 3He did what was pleasing in the LORD's sight, just as his ancestor David had done.H6213H3477H5869H3068H1732H1H6213 4He removed the pagan shrines, smashed the sacred pillars, and cut down the Asherah poles. He broke up the bronze serpent that Moses had made, because the people of Israel had been offering sacrifices to it. The bronze serpent was called Nehushtan.H5493H1116H7665H4676H3772H842H3807H5178H5175H4872H6213H3117H1121H3478H6999H7121H5180 5Hezekiah trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before or after his time.H982H3068H430H3478H310H4428H3063H6440 6He remained faithful to the LORD in everything, and he carefully obeyed all the commands the LORD had given Moses.H1692H3068H5493H310H8104H4687H3068H6680H4872 7So the LORD was with him, and Hezekiah was successful in everything he did. He revolted against the king of Assyria and refused to pay him tribute.H3068H7919H3318H4775H4428H804H5647 8He also conquered the Philistines as far distant as Gaza and its territory, from their smallest outpost to their largest walled city.H5221H6430H5804H1366H4026H5341H4013H5892 9During the fourth year of Hezekiah's reign, which was the seventh year of King Hoshea's reign in Israel, King Shalmaneser of Assyria attacked the city of Samaria and began a siege against it.H7243H8141H4428H2396H7637H8141H1954H1121H425H4428H3478H8022H4428H804H5927H8111H6696 10Three years later, during the sixth year of King Hezekiah's reign and the ninth year of King Hoshea's reign in Israel, Samaria fell.H7097H7969H8141H3920H8337H8141H2396H8672H8141H1954H4428H3478H8111H3920 11At that time the king of Assyria exiled the Israelites to Assyria and placed them in colonies in Halah, along the banks of the Habor River in Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.H4428H804H1540H3478H804H5148H2477H2249H5104H1470H5892H4074 12For they refused to listen to the LORD their God and obey him. Instead, they violated his covenant—all the laws that Moses the LORD's servant had commanded them to obey.H8085H6963H3068H430H5674H1285H4872H5650H3068H6680H8085H6213 13In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah's reign, King Sennacherib of Assyria came to attack the fortified towns of Judah and conquered them.H702H6240H8141H4428H2396H5576H4428H804H5927H1219H5892H3063H8610 14King Hezekiah sent this message to the king of Assyria at Lachish: "I have done wrong. I will pay whatever tribute money you demand if you will only withdraw." The king of Assyria then demanded a settlement of more than eleven tons of silver and one ton of gold.H2396H4428H3063H7971H4428H804H3923H559H2398H7725H5414H5375H4428H804H7760H2396H4428H3063H7969H3967H3603H3701H7970H3603H2091 15To gather this amount, King Hezekiah used all the silver stored in the Temple of the LORD and in the palace treasury.H2396H5414H3701H4672H1004H3068H214H4428H1004 16Hezekiah even stripped the gold from the doors of the LORD's Temple and from the doorposts he had overlaid with gold, and he gave it all to the Assyrian king.H6256H2396H7112H1817H1964H3068H547H2396H4428H3063H6823H5414H4428H804 17Nevertheless, the king of Assyria sent his commander in chief, his field commander, and his chief of staff from Lachish with a huge army to confront King Hezekiah in Jerusalem. The Assyrians took up a position beside the aqueduct that feeds water into the upper pool, near the road leading to the field where cloth is washed.H4428H804H7971H8661H7249H7262H3923H4428H2396H3515H2426H3389H5927H935H3389H5927H935H5975H8585H5945H1295H4546H3526H7704 18They summoned King Hezekiah, but the king sent these officials to meet with them: Eliakim son of Hilkiah, the palace administrator; Shebna the court secretary; and Joah son of Asaph, the royal historian.H7121H4428H3318H471H1121H2518H1004H7644H5608H3098H1121H623H2142 19Then the Assyrian king's chief of staff told them to give this message to Hezekiah: "This is what the great king of Assyria says: What are you trusting in that makes you so confident?H7262H559H559H2396H559H1419H4428H4428H804H986H982 20Do you think that mere words can substitute for military skill and strength? Who are you counting on, that you have rebelled against me?H559H8193H1697H6098H1369H4421H982H4775 21On Egypt? If you lean on Egypt, it will be like a reed that splinters beneath your weight and pierces your hand. Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, is completely unreliable!H982H4938H7533H7070H4714H376H5564H935H3709H5344H6547H4428H4714H982 22"But perhaps you will say to me, 'We are trusting in the LORD our God!' But isn't he the one who was insulted by Hezekiah? Didn't Hezekiah tear down his shrines and altars and make everyone in Judah and Jerusalem worship only at the altar here in Jerusalem?H559H982H3068H430H1116H4196H2396H5493H559H3063H3389H7812H6440H4196H3389 23"I'll tell you what! Strike a bargain with my master, the king of Assyria. I will give you 2,000 horses if you can find that many men to ride on them!H6148H113H4428H804H5414H505H5483H3201H5414H7392 24With your tiny army, how can you think of challenging even the weakest contingent of my master's troops, even with the help of Egypt's chariots and charioteers?H7725H6440H259H6346H6996H113H5650H982H4714H7393H6571 25What's more, do you think we have invaded your land without the LORD's direction? The LORD himself told us, 'Attack this land and destroy it!'"H5927H1107H3068H4725H7843H3068H559H5927H776H7843 26Then Eliakim son of Hilkiah, Shebna, and Joah said to the Assyrian chief of staff, "Please speak to us in Aramaic, for we understand it well. Don't speak in Hebrew, for the people on the wall will hear."H559H471H1121H2518H7644H3098H7262H1696H5650H762H8085H1696H3066H241H5971H2346 27But Sennacherib's chief of staff replied, "Do you think my master sent this message only to you and your master? He wants all the people to hear it, for when we put this city under siege, they will suffer along with you. They will be so hungry and thirsty that they will eat their own dung and drink their own urine."H7262H559H113H7971H113H1696H1697H582H3427H2346H398H6675H2755H8354H4325H7272H7890 28Then the chief of staff stood and shouted in Hebrew to the people on the wall, "Listen to this message from the great king of Assyria!H7262H5975H7121H1419H6963H3066H1696H559H8085H1697H1419H4428H4428H804 29This is what the king says: Don't let Hezekiah deceive you. He will never be able to rescue you from my power.H559H4428H2396H5377H3201H5337H3027 30Don't let him fool you into trusting in the LORD by saying, 'The LORD will surely rescue us. This city will never fall into the hands of the Assyrian king!'H2396H982H3068H559H3068H5337H5337H5892H5414H3027H4428H804 31"Don't listen to Hezekiah! These are the terms the king of Assyria is offering: Make peace with me—open the gates and come out. Then each of you can continue eating from your own grapevine and fig tree and drinking from your own well.H8085H2396H559H4428H804H6213H1293H3318H398H376H1612H376H8384H8354H376H4325H953 32Then I will arrange to take you to another land like this one—a land of grain and new wine, bread and vineyards, olive groves and honey. Choose life instead of death! "Don't listen to Hezekiah when he tries to mislead you by saying, 'The LORD will rescue us!'H935H3947H776H776H776H1715H8492H776H3899H3754H776H3323H2132H1706H2421H4191H8085H2396H5496H559H3068H5337 33Have the gods of any other nations ever saved their people from the king of Assyria?H376H430H1471H5337H5337H776H3027H4428H804 34What happened to the gods of Hamath and Arpad? And what about the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah? Did any god rescue Samaria from my power?H430H2574H774H430H5617H2012H5755H5337H8111H3027 35What god of any nation has ever been able to save its people from my power? So what makes you think that the LORD can rescue Jerusalem from me?"H430H776H5337H776H3027H3068H5337H3389H3027 36But the people were silent and did not utter a word because Hezekiah had commanded them, "Do not answer him."H5971H2790H6030H1697H4428H4687H559H6030 37Then Eliakim son of Hilkiah, the palace administrator; Shebna the court secretary; and Joah son of Asaph, the royal historian, went back to Hezekiah. They tore their clothes in despair, and they went in to see the king and told him what the Assyrian chief of staff had said.H935H471H1121H2518H1004H7644H5608H3098H1121H623H2142H2396H899H7167H5046H1697H7262
19When King Hezekiah heard their report, he tore his clothes and put on burlap and went into the Temple of the LORD.H4428H2396H8085H7167H899H3680H8242H935H1004H3068 2And he sent Eliakim the palace administrator, Shebna the court secretary, and the leading priests, all dressed in burlap, to the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz.H7971H471H1004H7644H5608H2205H3548H3680H8242H3470H5030H1121H531 3They told him, "This is what King Hezekiah says: Today is a day of trouble, insults, and disgrace. It is like when a child is ready to be born, but the mother has no strength to deliver the baby.H559H559H2396H3117H3117H6869H8433H5007H1121H935H4866H3581H3205 4But perhaps the LORD your God has heard the Assyrian chief of staff, sent by the king to defy the living God, and will punish him for his words. Oh, pray for those of us who are left!"H194H3068H430H8085H1697H7262H4428H804H113H7971H2778H2416H430H3198H1697H3068H430H8085H5375H8605H7611H4672 5After King Hezekiah's officials delivered the king's message to Isaiah,H5650H4428H2396H935H3470 6the prophet replied, "Say to your master, 'This is what the LORD says: Do not be disturbed by this blasphemous speech against me from the Assyrian king's messengers.H3470H559H559H113H559H3068H3372H6440H1697H8085H5288H4428H804H1442 7Listen! I myself will move against him, and the king will receive a message that he is needed at home. So he will return to his land, where I will have him killed with a sword.'"H5414H7307H8085H8052H7725H776H5307H2719H776 8Meanwhile, the Assyrian chief of staff left Jerusalem and went to consult the king of Assyria, who had left Lachish and was attacking Libnah.H7262H7725H4672H4428H804H3898H3841H8085H5265H3923 9Soon afterward King Sennacherib received word that King Tirhakah of Ethiopia was leading an army to fight against him. Before leaving to meet the attack, he sent messengers back to Hezekiah in Jerusalem with this message.H8085H559H8640H4428H3568H3318H3898H7971H4397H7725H2396H559 10"This message is for King Hezekiah of Judah. Don't let your God, in whom you trust, deceive you with promises that Jerusalem will not be captured by the king of Assyria.H559H2396H4428H3063H559H430H982H5377H559H3389H5414H3027H4428H804 11You know perfectly well what the kings of Assyria have done wherever they have gone. They have completely destroyed everyone who stood in their way! Why should you be any different?H8085H4428H804H6213H776H2763H5337 12Have the gods of other nations rescued them—such nations as Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and the people of Eden who were in Tel-assar? My predecessors destroyed them all!H430H1471H5337H1H7843H1470H2771H7530H1121H5729H8515 13What happened to the king of Hamath and the king of Arpad? What happened to the kings of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah?"H4428H2574H4428H774H4428H5892H5617H2012H5755 14After Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers and read it, he went up to the LORD's Temple and spread it out before the LORD.H2396H3947H5612H3027H4397H7121H2396H5927H1004H3068H6566H6440H3068 15And Hezekiah prayed this prayer before the LORD: "O LORD, God of Israel, you are enthroned between the mighty cherubim! You alone are God of all the kingdoms of the earth. You alone created the heavens and the earth.H2396H6419H6440H3068H559H3068H430H3478H3427H3742H430H4467H776H6213H8064H776 16Bend down, O LORD, and listen! Open your eyes, O LORD, and see! Listen to Sennacherib's words of defiance against the living God.H3068H5186H241H8085H6491H3068H5869H7200H8085H1697H5576H7971H2778H2416H430 17"It is true, LORD, that the kings of Assyria have destroyed all these nations.H551H3068H4428H804H2717H1471H776 18And they have thrown the gods of these nations into the fire and burned them. But of course the Assyrians could destroy them! They were not gods at all—only idols of wood and stone shaped by human hands.H5414H430H784H430H4639H120H3027H6086H68H6 19Now, O LORD our God, rescue us from his power; then all the kingdoms of the earth will know that you alone, O LORD, are God."H3068H430H3467H3027H4467H776H3045H3068H430 20Then Isaiah son of Amoz sent this message to Hezekiah: "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: I have heard your prayer about King Sennacherib of Assyria.H3470H1121H531H7971H2396H559H559H3068H430H3478H6419H5576H4428H804H8085 21And the LORD has spoken this word against him: "The virgin daughter of Zion despises you and laughs at you. The daughter of Jerusalem shakes her head in derision as you flee.H1697H3068H1696H1330H1323H6726H959H3932H1323H3389H5128H7218H310 22"Whom have you been defying and ridiculing? Against whom did you raise your voice? At whom did you look with such haughty eyes? It was the Holy One of Israel!H2778H1442H7311H6963H5375H5869H4791H6918H3478 23By your messengers you have defied the Lord. You have said, 'With my many chariots I have conquered the highest mountains—yes, the remotest peaks of Lebanon. I have cut down its tallest cedars and its finest cypress trees. I have reached its farthest corners and explored its deepest forests.H3027H4397H2778H136H559H7230H7393H7393H5927H4791H2022H3411H3844H3772H6967H730H4004H1265H935H4411H7093H3293H3760 24I have dug wells in many foreign lands and refreshed myself with their water. With the sole of my foot I stopped up all the rivers of Egypt!'H6979H8354H2114H4325H3709H6471H2717H2975H4693 25"But have you not heard? I decided this long ago. Long ago I planned it, and now I am making it happen. I planned for you to crush fortified cities into heaps of rubble.H8085H7350H6213H6924H3117H3335H935H7582H1219H5892H5327H1530 26That is why their people have so little power and are so frightened and confused. They are as weak as grass, as easily trampled as tender green shoots. They are like grass sprouting on a housetop, scorched before it can grow lush and tall.H3427H7116H3027H2865H954H6212H7704H3419H1877H2682H1406H7711H6440H7054 27"But I know you well—where you stay and when you come and go. I know the way you have raged against me.H3045H3427H3318H935H7264 28And because of your raging against me and your arrogance, which I have heard for myself, I will put my hook in your nose and my bit in your mouth. I will make you return by the same road on which you came."H7264H7600H5927H241H7760H2397H639H4964H8193H7725H1870H935 29Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, "Here is the proof that what I say is true: "This year you will eat only what grows up by itself, and next year you will eat what springs up from that. But in the third year you will plant crops and harvest them; you will tend vineyards and eat their fruit.H226H398H8141H5599H8145H8141H7823H7992H8141H2232H7114H5193H3754H398H6529 30And you who are left in Judah, who have escaped the ravages of the siege, will put roots down in your own soil and will grow up and flourish.H7604H6413H1004H3063H3254H8328H4295H6213H6529H4605 31For a remnant of my people will spread out from Jerusalem, a group of survivors from Mount Zion. The passionate commitment of the LORD of Heaven's Armies will make this happen!H3389H3318H7611H6413H2022H6726H7068H3068H6635H6213 32"And this is what the LORD says about the king of Assyria: "His armies will not enter Jerusalem. They will not even shoot an arrow at it. They will not march outside its gates with their shields nor build banks of earth against its walls.H559H3068H4428H804H935H5892H3384H2671H6923H4043H8210H5550 33The king will return to his own country by the same road on which he came. He will not enter this city, says the LORD.H1870H935H7725H935H5892H5002H3068 34For my own honor and for the sake of my servant David, I will defend this city and protect it."H1598H5892H3467H5650H1732 35That night the angel of the LORD went out to the Assyrian camp and killed 185,000 Assyrian soldiers. When the surviving Assyrians woke up the next morning, they found corpses everywhere.H3915H4397H3068H3318H5221H4264H804H3967H8084H2568H505H7925H1242H4191H6297 36Then King Sennacherib of Assyria broke camp and returned to his own land. He went home to his capital of Nineveh and stayed there.H5576H4428H804H5265H3212H7725H3427H5210 37One day while he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisroch, his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer killed him with their swords. They then escaped to the land of Ararat, and another son, Esarhaddon, became the next king of Assyria.H7812H1004H5268H430H152H8272H1121H5221H2719H4422H776H780H634H1121H4427
46[For the choir director: A song of the descendants of Korah, to be sung by soprano voices.] God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble.H5329H1121H7141H7892H5961H430H4268H5797H3966H4672H5833H6869 2So we will not fear when earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea.H3372H776H4171H2022H4131H3820H3220 3Let the oceans roar and foam. Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge! InterludeH4325H1993H2560H2022H7493H1346H5542 4A river brings joy to the city of our God, the sacred home of the Most High.H5104H6388H8055H5892H430H6918H4908H5945 5God dwells in that city; it cannot be destroyed. From the very break of day, God will protect it.H430H7130H4131H430H5826H6437H1242 6The nations are in chaos, and their kingdoms crumble! God's voice thunders, and the earth melts!H1471H1993H4467H4131H5414H6963H776H4127 7The LORD of Heaven's Armies is here among us; the God of Israel is our fortress. InterludeH3068H6635H430H3290H4869H5542 8Come, see the glorious works of the LORD. See how he brings destruction upon the world.H3212H2372H4659H3068H8047H7760H776 9He causes wars to end throughout the earth. He breaks the bow and snaps the spear; he burns the shields with fire.H4421H7673H7097H776H7665H7198H7112H2595H7112H8313H5699H784 10"Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world."H7503H3045H430H7311H1471H7311H776 11The LORD of Heaven's Armies is here among us; the God of Israel is our fortress. InterludeH3068H6635H430H3290H4869H5542
80[For the choir director: A psalm of Asaph, to be sung to the tune “Lilies of the Covenant.”] Please listen, O Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph’s descendants like a flock. O God, enthroned above the cherubim, display your radiant gloryH5329H7802H4210H623H238H7462H3478H5090H3130H6629H3427H3742H3313 2to Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh. Show us your mighty power. Come to rescue us!H6440H669H1144H4519H5782H1369H3212H3444 3Turn us again to yourself, O God. Make your face shine down upon us. Only then will we be saved.H7725H430H6440H215H3467 4O Lord God of Heaven’s Armies, how long will you be angry with our prayers?H3068H430H6635H6225H8605H5971 5You have fed us with sorrow and made us drink tears by the bucketful.H398H3899H1832H1832H8248H7991 6You have made us the scorn of neighboring nations. Our enemies treat us as a joke.H7760H4066H7934H341H3932 7Turn us again to yourself, O God of Heaven’s Armies. Make your face shine down upon us. Only then will we be saved.H7725H430H6635H6440H215H3467 8You brought us from Egypt like a grapevine; you drove away the pagan nations and transplanted us into your land.H5265H1612H4714H1644H1471H5193 9You cleared the ground for us, and we took root and filled the land.H6437H6440H8328H8327H4390H776 10Our shade covered the mountains; our branches covered the mighty cedars.H2022H3680H6738H6057H410H730 11We spread our branches west to the Mediterranean Sea; our shoots spread east to the Euphrates River.H7971H7105H3220H3127H5104 12But now, why have you broken down our walls so that all who pass by may steal our fruit?H6555H1447H5674H1870H717 13The wild boar from the forest devours it, and the wild animals feed on it.H2386H3293H3765H2123H7704H7462 14Come back, we beg you, O God of Heaven’s Armies. Look down from heaven and see our plight. Take care of this grapevineH7725H430H6635H5027H8064H7200H6485H1612 15that you yourself have planted, this son you have raised for yourself.H3657H3661H3225H5193H1121H553 16For we are chopped up and burned by our enemies. May they perish at the sight of your frown.H8313H784H3683H6H1606H6440 17Strengthen the man you love, the son of your choice.H3027H376H3225H1121H120H553 18Then we will never abandon you again. Revive us so we can call on your name once more.H5472H2421H7121H8034 19Turn us again to yourself, O Lord God of Heaven’s Armies. Make your face shine down upon us. Only then will we be saved.H7725H3068H430H6635H6440H215H3467
135Praise the Lord! Praise the name of the Lord! Praise him, you who serve the Lord,H1984H3050H1984H8034H3068H1984H5650H3068 2you who serve in the house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God.H5975H1004H3068H2691H1004H430 3Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good; celebrate his lovely name with music.H1984H3050H3068H2896H2167H8034H5273 4For the Lord has chosen Jacob for himself, Israel for his own special treasure.H3050H977H3290H3478H5459 5I know the greatness of the Lord—that our Lord is greater than any other god.H3045H3068H1419H113H430 6The Lord does whatever pleases him throughout all heaven and earth, and on the seas and in their depths.H3068H2654H6213H8064H776H3220H8415 7He causes the clouds to rise over the whole earth. He sends the lightning with the rain and releases the wind from his storehouses.H5387H5927H7097H776H6213H1300H4306H3318H7307H214 8He destroyed the firstborn in each Egyptian home, both people and animals.H5221H1060H4714H120H929 9He performed miraculous signs and wonders in Egypt against Pharaoh and all his people.H7971H226H4159H8432H4714H6547H5650 10He struck down great nations and slaughtered mighty kings—H5221H7227H1471H2026H6099H4428 11Sihon king of the Amorites, Og king of Bashan, and all the kings of Canaan.H5511H4428H567H5747H4428H1316H4467H3667 12He gave their land as an inheritance, a special possession to his people Israel.H5414H776H5159H5159H3478H5971 13Your name, O Lord, endures forever; your fame, O Lord, is known to every generation.H8034H3068H5769H2143H3068H1755H1755 14For the Lord will give justice to his people and have compassion on his servants.H3068H1777H5971H5162H5650 15The idols of the nations are merely things of silver and gold, shaped by human hands.H6091H1471H3701H2091H4639H120H3027 16They have mouths but cannot speak, and eyes but cannot see.H6310H1696H5869H7200 17They have ears but cannot hear, and noses but cannot smell.H241H238H3426H7307H6310 18And those who make idols are just like them, as are all who trust in them.H6213H982 19O Israel, praise the Lord! O priests—descendants of Aaron—praise the Lord!H1288H3068H1004H3478H1288H3068H1004H175 20O Levites, praise the Lord! All you who fear the Lord, praise the Lord!H1288H3068H1004H3878H3373H3068H1288H3068 21The Lord be praised from Zion, for he lives here in Jerusalem. Praise the Lord!H1288H3068H6726H7931H3389H1984H3050
Dublin, OH
, the daughter of Zechariah.H6242
