The Invasion of Sennacherib

361 And it cometh to pass, in the fourteenth year of king Hezekiah, come up hath Sennacherib king of Asshur against all the fenced cities of Judah, and seizeth them. 2 And the king of Asshur sendeth Rabshakeh from Lachish to Jerusalem, unto the king Hezekiah, with a heavy force, and he standeth by the conduit of the upper pool, in the highway of the fuller's field, 3 and go forth unto him doth Eliakim son of Hilkiah, who 'is' over the house, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah son of Asaph, the remembrancer. 4 And Rabshakeh saith unto them, 'Say ye, I pray you, unto Hezekiah, 'Thus said the great king, the king of Asshur, What 'is' this confidence in which thou hast confided? 5 I have said: Only, a word of the lips! counsel and might 'are' for battle: now, on whom hast thou trusted, that thou hast rebelled against me? 6 'Lo, thou hast trusted on the staff of this broken reed—on Egypt—which a man leaneth on, and it hath gone into his hand, and pierced it—so 'is' Pharaoh king of Egypt to all those trusting on him. 7 'And dost thou say unto me, Unto Jehovah our God we have trusted? is it not He, whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah hath turned aside, and saith to Judah and to Jerusalem, Before this altar ye do bow yourselves? 8 'And now, negotiate, I pray thee, with my lord the king of Asshur, and I give to thee two thousand horses, if thou art able to put for thee riders on them. 9 And how dost thou turn back the face of one captain of the least of the servants of my lord, and dost trust for thee on Egypt, for chariot and for horsemen? 10 And now, without Jehovah have I come up against this land to destroy it? Jehovah said unto me, Go up unto this land, and thou hast destroyed it.'

11 And Eliakim saith—and Shebna and Joah—unto Rabshakeh, 'Speak, we pray thee, unto thy servants 'in' Aramaean, for we are understanding; and do not speak unto us 'in' Jewish, in the ears of the people who 'are' on the wall.' 12 And Rabshakeh saith, 'Unto thy lord, and unto thee, hath my lord sent me to speak these words? is it not for the men—those sitting on the wall to eat their own dung and to drink their own water with you?' 13 And Rabshakeh standeth and calleth with a great voice 'in' Jewish, and saith, 'Hear ye the words of the great king, the king of Asshur: 14 Thus said the king, Let not Hezekiah lift you up, for he is not able to deliver you; 15 and let not Hezekiah make you trust unto Jehovah, saying, Jehovah doth certainly deliver us, this city is not given into the hand of the king of Asshur. 16 'Do not hearken unto Hezekiah, for thus said the king of Asshur, Make ye with me a blessing, and come out unto me, and eat ye each of his vine, and each of his fig-tree, and drink ye each the waters of his own well, 17 till my coming in, and I have taken you unto a land like your own land, a land of corn and wine, a land of bread and vineyards; 18 lest Hezekiah doth persuade you, saying, Jehovah doth deliver us. 'Have the gods of the nations delivered each his land out of the hand of the king of Asshur? 19 Where 'are' the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where the gods of Sepharvaim, that they have delivered Samaria out of my hand? 20 Who among all the gods of these lands 'are' they who have delivered their land out of my hand, that Jehovah doth deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?' 21 And they keep silent, and have not answered him a word, for a command of the king is, saying, 'Do not answer him.' 22 And Eliakim son of Hilkiah, who 'is' over the house, cometh in, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah son of Asaph, the remembrancer, unto Hezekiah with rent garments, and they declare to him the words of Rabshakeh.

Judah Delivered from Sennacherib

371 And it cometh to pass, at the king Hezekiah's hearing, that he rendeth his garments, and covereth himself with sackcloth, and entereth the house of Jehovah, 2 and sendeth Eliakim, who 'is' over the house, and Shebna the scribe, and the elders of the priests, covering themselves with sackcloth, unto Isaiah son of Amoz the prophet, 3 and they say unto him, 'Thus said Hezekiah, A day of distress, and rebuke, and despising, 'is' this day; for come have sons unto the birth, and power there is not to bear. 4 'It may be Jehovah thy God doth hear the words of Rabshakeh with which the king of Asshur his lord hath sent him to reproach the living God, and hath decided concerning the words that Jehovah thy God hath heard, and thou hast lifted up prayer for the remnant that is found.' 5 And the servants of king Hezekiah come in unto Isaiah, 6 and Isaiah saith unto them, 'Thus do ye say unto your lord, Thus said Jehovah, Be not afraid because of the words that thou hast heard, with which the servants of the king of Asshur have reviled Me. 7 Lo, I am giving in him a spirit, and he hath heard a report, and hath turned back unto his land, and I have caused him to fall by the sword in his land.'

8 And Rabshakeh turneth back and findeth the king of Asshur fighting against Libnah, for he hath heard that he hath journeyed from Lachish. 9 And he heareth concerning Tirhakah king of Cush, saying, 'He hath come out to fight with thee;' and he heareth, and sendeth messengers unto Hezekiah, saying, 10 'Thus do ye speak unto Hezekiah king of Judah, saying, Let not thy God lift thee up in whom thou art trusting, saying, Jerusalem is not given into the hand of the king of Asshur. 11 Lo, thou hast heard that which the kings of Asshur have done to all the lands—to devote them—and thou art delivered! 12 Did the gods of the nations deliver them whom my fathers destroyed—Gozan, and Haran, and Rezeph, and the sons of Eden, who 'are' in Telassar? 13 Where 'is' the king of Hamath, and the king of Arpad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah?' 14 And Hezekiah taketh the letters out of the hand of the messengers, and readeth them, and Hezekiah goeth up to the house of Jehovah, and Hezekiah spreadeth it before Jehovah. 15 And Hezekiah prayeth unto Jehovah, saying, 16 'Jehovah of Hosts, God of Israel, inhabiting the cherubs, Thou 'art' God Himself—Thyself alone—to all kingdoms of the earth, Thou hast made the heavens and the earth. 17 Incline, O Jehovah, Thine ear, and hear; open, O Jehovah, Thine eyes and see; and hear Thou all the words of Sennacherib that he hath sent to reproach the living God. 18 'Truly, O Jehovah, kings of Asshur have laid waste all the lands and their land, 19 so as to put their gods into fire—for they 'are' no gods, but work of the hands of man, wood and stone—and they destroy them. 20 And now, Jehovah our God, save us from his hand, and all kingdoms of the earth do know that Thou 'art' Jehovah, Thyself alone.'

21 And Isaiah son of Amoz sendeth unto Hezekiah, saying, 'Thus said Jehovah, God of Israel, That which thou hast prayed unto me concerning Sennacherib king of Asshur— 22 this 'is' the word that Jehovah spake concerning him: Trampled on thee, laughed at thee, Hath the virgin daughter of Zion, Behind thee shaken the head hath the daughter of Jerusalem. 23 Whom hast thou reproached and reviled? And against whom lifted up the voice? Yea, thou dost lift up on high thine eyes Against the Holy One of Israel. 24 By the hand of thy servants Thou hast reviled the Lord, and sayest: In the multitude of my chariots I have come up to a high place of hills, The sides of Lebanon, And I cut down the height of its cedars, The choice of its firs, And I enter the high place of its extremity, The forest of its Carmel. 25 I—I have dug and drunk waters, And I dry up with the sole of my steps All floods of a bulwark. 26 Hast thou not heard from afar?—it I did, From days of old—that I formed it. Now, I have brought it in, And it is to make desolate, Ruinous heaps—fenced cities, 27 And their inhabitants are feeble-handed, They were broken down, and are dried up. They have been the herb of the field, And the greenness of the tender grass, Grass of the roofs, And blasted corn, before it hath risen up. 28 And thy sitting down, and thy going out, And thy coming in, I have known, And thy anger towards Me. 29 Because of thy anger towards Me, And thy noise—it came up into Mine ears, I have put My hook in thy nose, And My bridle in thy lips, And I have caused thee to turn back In the way in which thou camest. 30 —And this to thee 'is' the sign, Food of the year 'is' self-sown grain, And in the second year the spontaneous growth, And in the third year, sow ye and reap, And plant vineyards, and eat their fruit. 31 And it hath continued—the escaped Of the house of Judah that hath been left—To take root beneath, And it hath made fruit upward. 32 For from Jerusalem goeth forth a remnant, And an escape from mount Zion, The zeal of Jehovah of Hosts doth this. 33 Therefore, thus said Jehovah, Concerning the king of Asshur: He doth not come in unto this city, Nor doth he shoot there an arrow, Nor doth he come before it 'with' shield, Nor doth he pour out against it a mount. 34 In the way that he came, in it he turneth back, And unto this city he doth not come in, An affirmation of Jehovah, 35 And I have covered over this city, To save it, for Mine own sake, And for the sake of David My servant.' 36 And a messenger of Jehovah goeth out, and smiteth in the camp of Asshur a hundred and eighty and five thousand; and 'men' rise early in the morning, and lo, all of them 'are' dead corpses. 37 And journey, and go, and turn back doth Sennacherib king of Asshur, and dwelleth in Nineveh. 38 And it cometh to pass, he is bowing himself in the house of Nisroch his god, and Adrammelech and Sharezer his sons have smitten him with the sword, and they have escaped to the land of Ararat, and Esar-Haddon his son reigneth in his stead.

Hezekiah's Sickness

381 In those days hath Hezekiah been sick unto death, and come in unto him doth Isaiah son of Amoz, the prophet, and saith unto him, 'Thus said Jehovah: Give a charge to thy house, for thou 'art' dying, and dost not live.' 2 And Hezekiah turneth round his face unto the wall, and prayeth unto Jehovah, 3 and saith, 'I pray thee, O Jehovah, remember, I pray Thee, how I have walked habitually before Thee in truth, and with a perfect heart, and that which 'is' good in thine eyes I have done;' and Hezekiah weepeth—a great weeping. 4 And a word of Jehovah is unto Isaiah, saying, 5 Go, and thou hast said to Hezekiah, Thus said Jehovah, God of David thy father, 'I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tear, lo, I am adding to thy days fifteen years, 6 and out of the hand of the king of Asshur I deliver thee and this city, and have covered over this city. 7 And this 'is' to thee the sign from Jehovah, that Jehovah doth this thing that He hath spoken. 8 Lo, I am bringing back the shadow of the degrees that it hath gone down on the degrees of Ahaz, by the sun, backward ten degrees:' and the sun turneth back ten degrees in the degrees that it had gone down.

9 A writing of Hezekiah king of Judah concerning his being sick, when he reviveth from his sickness: 10 'I—I said in the cutting off of my days, I go in to the gates of Sheol, I have numbered the remnant of mine years. 11 I said, I do not see Jah—Jah! In the land of the living, I do not behold man any more, With the inhabitants of the world. 12 My sojourning hath departed, And been removed from me as a shepherd's tent, I have drawn together, as a weaver, my life, By weakness it cutteth me off, From day unto night Thou dost end me. 13 I have set 'Him' till morning as a lion, So doth He break all my bones, From day unto night Thou dost end me. 14 As a crane—a swallow—so I chatter, I mourn as a dove, Drawn up have been mine eyes on high, O Jehovah, oppression 'is' on me, be my surety. 15 —What do I say? seeing He said to me, And He Himself hath wrought, I go softly all my years for the bitterness of my soul. 16 Lord, by these do 'men' live, And by all in them 'is' the life of my spirit, And Thou savest me, make me also to live, 17 Lo, to peace He changed for me bitterness, And Thou hast delighted in my soul without corruption, For Thou hast cast behind Thy back all my sins. 18 For Sheol doth not confess Thee, Death doth not praise Thee, Those going down to the pit hope not for Thy truth. 19 The living, the living, he doth confess Thee. 20 Like myself to-day—a father to sons Doth make known of Thy faithfulness, O Jehovah—to save me: And my songs we sing all days of our lives In the house of Jehovah.' 21 And Isaiah saith, 'Let them take a bunch of figs, and plaster over the ulcer, and he liveth.' 22 And Hezekiah saith, 'What 'is' the sign that I go up to the house of Jehovah!'

Hezekiah Receives Envoys from Babylon

391 At that time hath Merodach-Baladan, son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a present unto Hezekiah, when he heareth that he hath been sick, and is become strong. 2 And Hezekiah rejoiceth over them, and sheweth them the house of his spices, the silver, and the gold, and the spices, and the good ointment, and all the house of his vessels, and all that hath been found in his treasures; there hath not been a thing in his house, and in all his dominion, that Hezekiah hath not shewed them. 3 And Isaiah the prophet cometh in unto king Hezekiah, and saith unto him, 'What said these men? and whence come they unto thee?' And Hezekiah saith, 'From a land afar off they have come unto me—from Babylon.' 4 And he saith, 'What saw they in thy house?' and Hezekiah saith, 'All that 'is' in my house they saw; there hath not been a thing that I have not shewed them among my treasures.'

5 And Isaiah saith unto Hezekiah, 'Hear a word of Jehovah of Hosts: 6 Lo, days are coming, and borne hath been all that 'is' in thy house, and that thy fathers have treasured up till this day, to Babylon; there is not left a thing, said Jehovah; 7 and of thy sons who come forth from thee, whom thou begettest, they take, and they have been eunuchs in a palace of the king of Babylon.' 8 And Hezekiah saith unto Isaiah, 'Good 'is' the word of Jehovah that thou hast spoken;' and he saith, 'Because there is peace and truth in my days.'

The LORD's Comforting Words to Zion

401 Comfort ye, comfort ye, My people, saith your God. 2 Speak to the heart of Jerusalem, and call to her, That her warfare hath been completed, That accepted hath been her punishment, That she hath received from the hand of Jehovah Double for all her sins.

3 A voice is crying—in a wilderness—Prepare ye the way of Jehovah, Make straight in a desert a highway to our God. 4 Every valley is raised up, And every mountain and hill become low, And the crooked place hath become a plain, And the entangled places a valley. 5 And revealed hath been the honour of Jehovah, And seen 'it' have all flesh together, For the mouth of Jehovah hath spoken. 6 A voice is saying, 'Call,' And he said, 'What do I call?' All flesh 'is' grass, and all its goodliness 'is' As a flower of the field: 7 Withered hath grass, faded the flower, For the Spirit of Jehovah blew upon it, Surely the people 'is' grass; 8 Withered hath grass, faded the flower, But a word of our God riseth for ever.

9 On a high mountain get thee up, O Zion, Proclaiming tidings, Lift up with power thy voice, O Jerusalem, proclaiming tidings, Lift up, fear not, say to cities of Judah, 'Lo, your God.' 10 Lo, the Lord Jehovah with strength cometh, And His arm is ruling for Him, Lo, His hire 'is' with Him, and His wage before Him. 11 As a shepherd His flock He feedeth, With His arm He gathereth lambs, And in His bosom He carrieth 'them': Suckling ones He leadeth.

Israel's Incomparable God

12 Who hath measured in the hollow of his hand the waters? And the heavens by a span hath meted out, And comprehended in a measure the dust of the earth, And hath weighed in scales the mountains, And the hills in a balance? 13 Who hath meted out the Spirit of Jehovah, And, 'being' His counsellor, doth teach Him! 14 With whom consulted He, That he causeth Him to understand? And teacheth Him in the path of judgment, And teacheth Him knowledge? And the way of understanding causeth Him to know? 15 Lo, nations as a drop from a bucket, And as small dust of the balance, have been reckoned, Lo, isles as a small thing He taketh up. 16 And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, Nor its beasts sufficient for a burnt-offering. 17 All the nations 'are' as nothing before Him, Less than nothing and emptiness, They have been reckoned to Him.

18 And unto whom do ye liken God, And what likeness do ye compare to Him? 19 The graven image poured out hath a artizan, And a refiner with gold spreadeth it over, And chains of silver he is refining. 20 He who is poor 'by' heave-offerings, A tree not rotten doth choose, A skilful artizan he seeketh for it, To establish a graven image—not moved. 21 Do ye not know—do ye not hear? Hath it not been declared from the first to you? Have ye not understood 'From' the foundations of the earth? 22 He who is sitting on the circle of the earth, And its inhabitants 'are' as grasshoppers, He who is stretching out as a thin thing the heavens, And spreadeth them as a tent to dwell in. 23 He who is making princes become nothing, Judges of earth as emptiness hath made; 24 Yea, they have not been planted, Yea, they have not been sown, Yea, not taking root in the earth is their stock, And also He hath blown upon them, and they wither, And a whirlwind as stubble taketh them away. 25 And unto whom do ye liken Me, And 'am' I equal? saith the Holy One. 26 Lift up on high your eyes, And see—who hath prepared these? He who is bringing out by number their host, To all of them by name He calleth, By abundance of strength (And 'he is' strong in power) not one is lacking.

27 Why sayest thou, O Jacob? and speakest thou, O Israel? 'My way hath been hid from Jehovah, And from my God my judgment passeth over.' 28 Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard? The God of the age—Jehovah, Preparer of the ends of the earth, Is not wearied nor fatigued, There is no searching of His understanding. 29 He is giving power to the weary, And to those not strong He increaseth might. 30 Even youths are wearied and fatigued, And young men utterly stumble, 31 But those expecting Jehovah pass 'to' power, They raise up the pinion as eagles, They run and are not fatigued, They go on and do not faint!

God's Assurance to Israel

411 Keep silent towards Me, O isles, And the peoples pass on 'to' power, They come nigh, then they speak, 'Together—to judgment we draw near.' 2 Who stirred up from the east a righteous one? He calleth him to His foot, He giveth before him nations, And kings He causeth him to rule, He giveth 'them' as dust 'to' his sword, As driven stubble 'to' his bow. 3 He pursueth them, he passeth over in safety A path with his feet he entereth not. 4 Who hath wrought and done, Calling the generations from the first? I, Jehovah, the first, and with the last I 'am' He. 5 Seen have isles and fear, ends of the earth tremble, They have drawn near, yea, they come. 6 Each his neighbour they help, And to his brother he saith, 'Be strong.' 7 And strengthen doth an artizan the refiner, A smoother 'with' a hammer, Him who is beating 'on' an anvil, Saying, 'For joining it 'is' good,' And he strengtheneth it with nails, it is not moved! 8 —And thou, O Israel, My servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, Seed of Abraham, My lover, 9 Whom I have taken hold of, from the ends of the earth, And from its near places I have called thee, And I say to thee, My servant Thou 'art', I have chosen thee, and not rejected thee.

10 Be not afraid, for with thee I 'am', Look not around, for I 'am' thy God, I have strengthened thee, Yea, I have helped thee, yea, I upheld thee, With the right hand of My righteousness. 11 Lo, all those displeased with thee, They are ashamed and blush, They are as nothing, yea, perish Do the men who strive with thee. 12 Thou seekest them, and findest them not, The men who debate with thee, They are as nothing, yea, as nothing, The men who war with thee. 13 For I, Jehovah thy God, Am strengthening thy right hand, He who is saying to thee, 'Fear not, I have helped thee.' 14 Fear not, O worm Jacob, ye men of Israel, I helped thee, an affirmation of Jehovah, Even thy redeemer, the Holy One of Israel. 15 Lo, I have set thee for a new sharp threshing instrument, Possessing teeth, thou threshest mountains, And beatest small, and hills as chaff thou makest. 16 Thou winnowest them, and a wind lifteth them up, And a whirlwind scattereth them, And thou—thou rejoicest in Jehovah, In the Holy One of Israel dost boast thyself. 17 The poor and the needy are seeking water, And there is none, Their tongue with thirst hath failed, I, Jehovah do answer them, The God of Israel—I forsake them not. 18 I open on high places rivers, And in midst of valleys fountains, I make a wilderness become a pond of water, And a dry land become springs of water. 19 I give in a wilderness the cedar, Shittah, and myrtle, and oil-tree, I set in a desert the fir-pine and box-wood together. 20 So that they see, and know, And regard, and act wisely together, For the hand of Jehovah hath done this, And the Holy One of Israel hath prepared it.

The LORD's Challenge to False Gods

21 Bring near your cause, saith Jehovah, Bring nigh your mighty ones, saith the king of Jacob. 22 They bring nigh, and declare to us that which doth happen, The first things—what they 'are' declare ye, And we set our heart, and know their latter end, Or the coming things cause us to hear. 23 Declare the things that are coming hereafter, And we know that ye 'are' gods, Yea, ye may do good or do evil, And we look around and see 'it' together. 24 Lo, ye 'are' of nothing, and your work of nought, An abomination—it fixeth on you. 25 I have stirred up 'one' from the north, And he cometh, From the rising of the sun he calleth in My name, And he cometh in 'on' prefects as 'on' clay, And as a potter treadeth down mire. 26 Who hath declared from the first, and we know? And beforetime, and we say, 'Righteous?' yea, there is none declaring, Yea, there is none proclaiming, Yea, there is none hearing your sayings. 27 First to Zion, Behold, behold them, And to Jerusalem one proclaiming tidings I give, 28 And I see that there is no man, Yea, of these that there is no counsellor, And I ask them, and they return word: 29 'Lo, all of them 'are' vanity, Nought 'are' their works, Wind and emptiness their molten images!'