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2 Kings 18-19
New King James Version

Hezekiah Reigns in Judah(A)

18 Now it came to pass in the third year of (B)Hoshea the son of Elah, king of Israel, that (C)Hezekiah the son of Ahaz, king of Judah, began to reign. 2 He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was (D)Abi[a] the daughter of Zechariah. 3 And he did what was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his father David had done.

4 (E)He removed the [b]high places and broke the sacred pillars, cut down the [c]wooden image and broke in pieces the (F)bronze serpent that Moses had made; for until those days the children of Israel burned incense to it, and called it [d]Nehushtan. 5 He (G)trusted in the Lord God of Israel, (H)so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor who were before him. 6 For he (I)held fast to the Lord; he did not depart from following Him, but kept His commandments, which the Lord had commanded Moses. 7 The Lord (J)was with him; he (K)prospered wherever he went. And he (L)rebelled against the king of Assyria and did not serve him. 8 (M)He [e]subdued the Philistines, as far as Gaza and its territory, (N)from watchtower to fortified city.

9 Now (O)it came to pass in the fourth year of King Hezekiah, which was the seventh year of Hoshea the son of Elah, king of Israel, that Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up against Samaria and besieged it. 10 And at the end of three years they took it. In the sixth year of Hezekiah, that is, (P)the ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel, Samaria was taken. 11 (Q)Then the king of Assyria carried Israel away captive to Assyria, and put them (R)in Halah and by the Habor, the River of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes, 12 because they (S)did not obey the voice of the Lord their God, but transgressed His covenant and all that Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded; and they would neither hear nor do them.

13 And (T)in the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the fortified cities of Judah and took them. 14 Then Hezekiah king of Judah sent to the king of Assyria at Lachish, saying, “I have done wrong; turn away from me; whatever you impose on me I will pay.” And the king of Assyria assessed Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold. 15 So Hezekiah (U)gave him all the silver that was found in the house of the Lord and in the treasuries of the king’s house. 16 At that time Hezekiah stripped the gold from the doors of the temple of the Lord, and from the pillars which Hezekiah king of Judah had overlaid, and gave [f]it to the king of Assyria.

Sennacherib Boasts Against the Lord(V)

17 Then the king of Assyria sent the [g]Tartan, the [h]Rabsaris, and the [i]Rabshakeh from Lachish, with a great army against Jerusalem, to King Hezekiah. And they went up and came to Jerusalem. When they had come up, they went and stood by the (W)aqueduct from the upper pool, (X)which was on the highway to the Fuller’s Field. 18 And when they had called to the king, (Y)Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, Shebna the [j]scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph, the recorder, came out to them. 19 Then the Rabshakeh said to them, “Say now to Hezekiah, ‘Thus says the great king, the king of Assyria: (Z)“What confidence is this in which you trust? 20 You speak of having plans and power for war; but they are [k]mere words. And in whom do you trust, that you rebel against me? 21 (AA)Now look! You are trusting in the staff of this broken reed, Egypt, on which if a man leans, it will go into his hand and pierce it. So is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who trust in him. 22 But if you say to me, ‘We trust in the Lord our God,’ is it not He (AB)whose [l]high places and whose altars Hezekiah has taken away, and said to Judah and Jerusalem, ‘You shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem’?” ’ 23 Now therefore, I urge you, give a pledge to my master the king of Assyria, and I will give you two thousand horses—if you are able on your part to put riders on them! 24 How then will you repel one captain of the least of my master’s servants, and put your trust in Egypt for chariots and horsemen? 25 Have I now come up without the Lord against this place to destroy it? The Lord said to me, ‘Go up against this land, and destroy it.’ ”

26 (AC)Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, Shebna, and Joah said to the Rabshakeh, “Please speak to your servants in (AD)Aramaic, for we understand it; and do not speak to us in [m]Hebrew in the hearing of the people who are on the wall.”

27 But the Rabshakeh said to them, “Has my master sent me to your master and to you to speak these words, and not to the men who sit on the wall, who will eat and drink their own waste with you?”

28 Then the Rabshakeh stood and called out with a loud voice in [n]Hebrew, and spoke, saying, “Hear the word of the great king, the king of Assyria! 29 Thus says the king: (AE)‘Do not let Hezekiah deceive you, for he shall not be able to deliver you from his hand; 30 nor let Hezekiah make you trust in the Lord, saying, “The Lord will surely deliver us; this city shall not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.” ’ 31 Do not listen to Hezekiah; for thus says the king of Assyria: ‘Make peace with me [o]by a present and come out to me; and every one of you eat from his own (AF)vine and every one from his own fig tree, and every one of you drink the waters of his own cistern; 32 until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, (AG)a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of olive groves and honey, that you may live and not die. But do not listen to Hezekiah, lest he persuade you, saying, “The Lord will deliver us.” 33 (AH)Has any of the gods of the nations at all delivered its land from the hand of the king of Assyria? 34 Where are the gods of (AI)Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim and Hena and (AJ)Ivah? Indeed, have they delivered Samaria from my hand? 35 Who among all the gods of the lands have delivered their countries from my hand, (AK)that the Lord should deliver Jerusalem from my hand?’ ”

36 But the people held their peace and answered him not a word; for the king’s commandment was, “Do not answer him.” 37 Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, Shebna the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph, the recorder, came to Hezekiah (AL)with their clothes torn, and told him the words of the Rabshakeh.

Isaiah Assures Deliverance(AM)

19 And (AN)so it was, when King Hezekiah heard it, that he tore his clothes, covered himself with (AO)sackcloth, and went into the house of the Lord. 2 Then he sent Eliakim, who was over the household, Shebna the scribe, and the elders of the priests, covered with sackcloth, to Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz. 3 And they said to him, “Thus says Hezekiah: ‘This day is a day of trouble, and rebuke, and blasphemy; for the children have come to birth, but there is no strength to [p]bring them forth. 4 (AP)It may be that the Lord your God will hear all the words of the Rabshakeh, whom his master the king of Assyria has sent to (AQ)reproach the living God, and will (AR)rebuke the words which the Lord your God has heard. Therefore lift up your prayer for the remnant that is left.’ ”

5 So the servants of King Hezekiah came to Isaiah. 6 (AS)And Isaiah said to them, “Thus you shall say to your master, ‘Thus says the Lord: “Do not be (AT)afraid of the words which you have heard, with which the (AU)servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed Me. 7 Surely I will send (AV)a spirit upon him, and he shall hear a rumor and return to his own land; and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land.” ’ ”

Sennacherib’s Threat and Hezekiah’s Prayer(AW)

8 Then the Rabshakeh returned and found the king of Assyria warring against Libnah, for he heard that he had departed (AX)from Lachish. 9 And (AY)the king heard concerning Tirhakah king of Ethiopia, “Look, he has come out to make war with you.” So he again sent messengers to Hezekiah, saying, 10 “Thus you shall speak to Hezekiah king of Judah, saying: ‘Do not let your God (AZ)in whom you trust deceive you, saying, “Jerusalem shall 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 utterly destroying them; and shall you be delivered? 12 (BA)Have the gods of the nations delivered those whom my fathers have destroyed, Gozan and Haran and Rezeph, and the people of (BB)Eden who were in Telassar? 13 (BC)Where is the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivah?’ ”

14 (BD)And Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read it; and Hezekiah went up to the house of the Lord, and spread it before the Lord. 15 Then Hezekiah prayed before the Lord, and said: “O Lord God of Israel, the One (BE)who dwells between the cherubim, (BF)You are God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. 16 (BG)Incline Your ear, O Lord, and hear; (BH)open Your eyes, O Lord, and see; and hear the words of Sennacherib, (BI)which he has sent to reproach the living God. 17 Truly, Lord, the kings of Assyria have laid waste the nations and their lands, 18 and have cast their gods into the fire; for they were (BJ)not gods, but (BK)the work of men’s hands—wood and stone. Therefore they destroyed them. 19 Now therefore, O Lord our God, I pray, save us from his hand, (BL)that all the kingdoms of the earth may (BM)know that You are the Lord God, You alone.”

The Word of the Lord Concerning Sennacherib(BN)

20 Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah, saying, “Thus says the Lord God of Israel: (BO)‘Because you have prayed to Me against Sennacherib king of Assyria, (BP)I have heard.’ 21 This is the word which the Lord has spoken concerning him:

‘The virgin, (BQ)the daughter of Zion,
Has despised you, laughed you to scorn;
The daughter of Jerusalem
(BR)Has shaken her head behind your back!

22 ‘Whom have you reproached and blasphemed?
Against whom have you raised your voice,
And lifted up your eyes on high?
Against (BS)the Holy One of Israel.
23 (BT)By your messengers you have reproached the Lord,
And said: (BU)“By the multitude of my chariots
I have come up to the height of the mountains,
To the limits of Lebanon;
I will cut down its tall cedars
And its choice cypress trees;
I will enter the extremity of its borders,
To its fruitful forest.
24 I have dug and drunk strange water,
And with the soles of my feet I have (BV)dried up
All the brooks of defense.”

25 ‘Did you not hear long ago
How (BW)I made it,
From ancient times that I formed it?
Now I have brought it to pass,
That (BX)you should be
For crushing fortified cities into heaps of ruins.
26 Therefore their inhabitants had little power;
They were dismayed and confounded;
They were as the grass of the field
And the green herb,
As (BY)the grass on the housetops
And grain blighted before it is grown.

27 ‘But (BZ)I know your dwelling place,
Your going out and your coming in,
And your rage against Me.
28 Because your rage against Me and your tumult
Have come up to My ears,
Therefore (CA)I will put My hook in your nose
And My bridle in your lips,
And I will turn you back
(CB)By the way which you came.

29 ‘This shall be a (CC)sign to you:

‘You shall eat this year such as grows [q]of itself,
And in the second year what springs from the same;
Also in the third year sow and reap,
Plant vineyards and eat the fruit of them.
30 (CD)And the remnant who have escaped of the house of Judah
Shall again take root downward,
And bear fruit upward.
31 For out of Jerusalem shall go a remnant,
And those who escape from Mount Zion.
(CE)The zeal of the Lord [r]of hosts will do this.’

32 “Therefore thus says the Lord concerning the king of Assyria:

‘He shall (CF)not come into this city,
Nor shoot an arrow there,
Nor come before it with shield,
Nor build a siege mound against it.
33 By the way that he came,
By the same shall he return;
And he shall not come into this city,’
Says the Lord.
34 ‘For (CG)I will (CH)defend this city, to save it
For My own sake and (CI)for My servant David’s sake.’ ”

Sennacherib’s Defeat and Death(CJ)

35 And (CK)it came to pass on a certain night that the [s]angel of the Lord went out, and killed in the camp of the Assyrians one hundred and eighty-five thousand; and when people arose early in the morning, there were the corpses—all dead. 36 So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed and went away, returned home, and remained at (CL)Nineveh. 37 Now it came to pass, as he was worshiping in the temple of Nisroch his god, that his sons (CM)Adrammelech and Sharezer (CN)struck him down with the sword; and they escaped into the land of Ararat. Then (CO)Esarhaddon his son reigned in his place.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 18:2 Abijah, 2 Chr. 29:1ff.
  2. 2 Kings 18:4 Places for pagan worship
  3. 2 Kings 18:4 Heb. Asherah, a Canaanite goddess
  4. 2 Kings 18:4 Lit. Bronze Thing, also similar to Heb. nahash, serpent
  5. 2 Kings 18:8 Lit. struck
  6. 2 Kings 18:16 Lit. them
  7. 2 Kings 18:17 A title, probably Commander in Chief
  8. 2 Kings 18:17 A title, probably Chief Officer
  9. 2 Kings 18:17 A title, probably Chief of Staff or Governor
  10. 2 Kings 18:18 secretary
  11. 2 Kings 18:20 Lit. a word of the lips
  12. 2 Kings 18:22 Places for pagan worship
  13. 2 Kings 18:26 Lit. Judean
  14. 2 Kings 18:28 Lit. Judean
  15. 2 Kings 18:31 By paying tribute
  16. 2 Kings 19:3 give birth
  17. 2 Kings 19:29 Without cultivation
  18. 2 Kings 19:31 So with many Heb. mss. and ancient vss. (cf. Is. 37:32); MT omits of hosts
  19. 2 Kings 19:35 Or Angel
Listen to 2 Kings 18-19, 2 Chronicles 32, James 5
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2 Kings 18-19
New International Version

Hezekiah King of Judah(A)(B)(C)

18 In the third year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, Hezekiah(D) son of Ahaz king of Judah began to reign. 2 He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years.(E) His mother’s name was Abijah[a] daughter of Zechariah. 3 He did what was right(F) in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father David(G) had done. 4 He removed(H) the high places,(I) smashed the sacred stones(J) and cut down the Asherah poles. He broke into pieces the bronze snake(K) Moses had made, for up to that time the Israelites had been burning incense to it. (It was called Nehushtan.[b])

5 Hezekiah trusted(L) in the Lord, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him. 6 He held fast(M) to the Lord and did not stop following him; he kept the commands the Lord had given Moses. 7 And the Lord was with him; he was successful(N) in whatever he undertook. He rebelled(O) against the king of Assyria and did not serve him. 8 From watchtower to fortified city,(P) he defeated the Philistines, as far as Gaza and its territory.

9 In King Hezekiah’s fourth year,(Q) which was the seventh year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, Shalmaneser king of Assyria marched against Samaria and laid siege to it. 10 At the end of three years the Assyrians took it. So Samaria was captured in Hezekiah’s sixth year, which was the ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel. 11 The king(R) of Assyria deported Israel to Assyria and settled them in Halah, in Gozan on the Habor River and in towns of the Medes.(S) 12 This happened because they had not obeyed the Lord their God, but had violated his covenant(T)—all that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded.(U) They neither listened to the commands(V) nor carried them out.

13 In the fourteenth year(W) of King Hezekiah’s reign, Sennacherib king of Assyria attacked all the fortified cities of Judah(X) and captured them. 14 So Hezekiah king of Judah sent this message to the king of Assyria at Lachish:(Y) “I have done wrong.(Z) Withdraw from me, and I will pay whatever you demand of me.” The king of Assyria exacted from Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents[c] of silver and thirty talents[d] of gold. 15 So Hezekiah gave(AA) him all the silver that was found in the temple of the Lord and in the treasuries of the royal palace.

16 At this time Hezekiah king of Judah stripped off the gold with which he had covered the doors(AB) and doorposts of the temple of the Lord, and gave it to the king of Assyria.

Sennacherib Threatens Jerusalem(AC)(AD)

17 The king of Assyria sent his supreme commander,(AE) his chief officer and his field commander with a large army, from Lachish to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem. They came up to Jerusalem and stopped at the aqueduct of the Upper Pool,(AF) on the road to the Washerman’s Field. 18 They called for the king; and Eliakim(AG) son of Hilkiah the palace administrator, Shebna(AH) the secretary, and Joah son of Asaph the recorder went out to them.

19 The field commander said to them, “Tell Hezekiah:

“‘This is what the great king, the king of Assyria, says: On what are you basing this confidence(AI) of yours? 20 You say you have the counsel and the might for war—but you speak only empty words. On whom are you depending, that you rebel against me? 21 Look, I know you are depending on Egypt,(AJ) that splintered reed of a staff,(AK) which pierces the hand of anyone who leans on it! Such is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who depend on him. 22 But if you say to me, “We are depending on the Lord our God”—isn’t he the one whose high places and altars Hezekiah removed, saying to Judah and Jerusalem, “You must worship before this altar in Jerusalem”?

23 “‘Come now, make a bargain with my master, the king of Assyria: I will give you two thousand horses—if you can put riders on them! 24 How can you repulse one officer(AL) of the least of my master’s officials, even though you are depending on Egypt for chariots and horsemen[e]? 25 Furthermore, have I come to attack and destroy this place without word from the Lord?(AM) The Lord himself told me to march against this country and destroy it.’”

26 Then Eliakim son of Hilkiah, and Shebna and Joah said to the field commander, “Please speak to your servants in Aramaic,(AN) since we understand it. Don’t speak to us in Hebrew in the hearing of the people on the wall.”

27 But the commander replied, “Was it only to your master and you that my master sent me to say these things, and not to the people sitting on the wall—who, like you, will have to eat their own excrement and drink their own urine?”

28 Then the commander stood and called out in Hebrew, “Hear the word of the great king, the king of Assyria! 29 This is what the king says: Do not let Hezekiah deceive(AO) you. He cannot deliver you from my hand. 30 Do not let Hezekiah persuade you to trust in the Lord when he says, ‘The Lord will surely deliver us; this city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.’

31 “Do not listen to Hezekiah. This is what the king of Assyria says: Make peace with me and come out to me. Then each of you will eat fruit from your own vine and fig tree(AP) and drink water from your own cistern,(AQ) 32 until I come and take you to a land like your own—a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of olive trees and honey. Choose life(AR) and not death!

“Do not listen to Hezekiah, for he is misleading you when he says, ‘The Lord will deliver us.’ 33 Has the god(AS) of any nation ever delivered his land from the hand of the king of Assyria? 34 Where are the gods of Hamath(AT) and Arpad?(AU) Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena and Ivvah? Have they rescued Samaria from my hand? 35 Who of all the gods of these countries has been able to save his land from me? How then can the Lord deliver Jerusalem from my hand?”(AV)

36 But the people remained silent and said nothing in reply, because the king had commanded, “Do not answer him.”

37 Then Eliakim(AW) son of Hilkiah the palace administrator, Shebna the secretary, and Joah son of Asaph the recorder went to Hezekiah, with their clothes torn,(AX) and told him what the field commander had said.

Jerusalem’s Deliverance Foretold(AY)

19 When King Hezekiah heard this, he tore(AZ) his clothes and put on sackcloth and went into the temple of the Lord. 2 He sent Eliakim(BA) the palace administrator, Shebna the secretary and the leading priests,(BB) all wearing sackcloth,(BC) to the prophet Isaiah(BD) son of Amoz. 3 They told him, “This is what Hezekiah says: This day is a day of distress and rebuke and disgrace, as when children come to the moment(BE) of birth and there is no strength to deliver them. 4 It may be that the Lord your God will hear all the words of the field commander, whom his master, the king of Assyria, has sent to ridicule(BF) the living God, and that he will rebuke(BG) him for the words the Lord your God has heard. Therefore pray for the remnant(BH) that still survives.”

5 When King Hezekiah’s officials came to Isaiah, 6 Isaiah said to them, “Tell your master, ‘This is what the Lord says: Do not be afraid(BI) of what you have heard—those words with which the underlings of the king of Assyria have blasphemed(BJ) me. 7 Listen! When he hears a certain report,(BK) I will make him want to return to his own country, and there I will have him cut down with the sword.(BL)’”

8 When the field commander heard that the king of Assyria had left Lachish,(BM) he withdrew and found the king fighting against Libnah.(BN)

9 Now Sennacherib received a report that Tirhakah, the king of Cush,[f] was marching out to fight against him. So he again sent messengers to Hezekiah with this word: 10 “Say to Hezekiah king of Judah: Do not let the god you depend(BO) on deceive(BP) you when he says, ‘Jerusalem will not be given into the hands of the king of Assyria.’ 11 Surely you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all the countries, destroying them completely. And will you be delivered? 12 Did the gods of the nations that were destroyed by my predecessors deliver(BQ) them—the gods of Gozan,(BR) Harran,(BS) Rezeph and the people of Eden who were in Tel Assar? 13 Where is the king of Hamath or the king of Arpad? Where are the kings of Lair, Sepharvaim, Hena and Ivvah?”(BT)

Hezekiah’s Prayer(BU)

14 Hezekiah received the letter(BV) from the messengers and read it. Then he went up to the temple of the Lord and spread it out before the Lord. 15 And Hezekiah prayed to the Lord: “Lord, the God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim,(BW) you alone(BX) are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. 16 Give ear,(BY) Lord, and hear;(BZ) open your eyes,(CA) Lord, and see; listen to the words Sennacherib has sent to ridicule the living God.

17 “It is true, Lord, that the Assyrian kings have laid waste these nations and their lands. 18 They have thrown their gods into the fire and destroyed them, for they were not gods(CB) but only wood and stone, fashioned by human hands.(CC) 19 Now, Lord our God, deliver(CD) us from his hand, so that all the kingdoms(CE) of the earth may know(CF) that you alone, Lord, are God.”

Isaiah Prophesies Sennacherib’s Fall(CG)(CH)

20 Then Isaiah son of Amoz sent a message to Hezekiah: “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I have heard(CI) your prayer concerning Sennacherib king of Assyria. 21 This is the word that the Lord has spoken against(CJ) him:

“‘Virgin Daughter(CK) Zion
    despises(CL) you and mocks(CM) you.
Daughter Jerusalem
    tosses her head(CN) as you flee.
22 Who is it you have ridiculed and blasphemed?(CO)
    Against whom have you raised your voice
and lifted your eyes in pride?
    Against the Holy One(CP) of Israel!
23 By your messengers
    you have ridiculed the Lord.
And you have said,(CQ)
    “With my many chariots(CR)
I have ascended the heights of the mountains,
    the utmost heights of Lebanon.
I have cut down(CS) 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?(CT)
    Long ago I ordained it.
In days of old I planned(CU) it;
    now I have brought it to pass,
that you have turned fortified cities
    into piles of stone.(CV)
26 Their people, drained of power,(CW)
    are dismayed(CX) and put to shame.
They are like plants in the field,
    like tender green shoots,(CY)
like grass sprouting on the roof,
    scorched(CZ) before it grows up.

27 “‘But I know(DA) 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(DB) in your nose
    and my bit(DC) in your mouth,
and I will make you return(DD)
    by the way you came.’

29 “This will be the sign(DE) for you, Hezekiah:

“This year you will eat what grows by itself,(DF)
    and the second year what springs from that.
But in the third year sow and reap,
    plant vineyards(DG) and eat their fruit.
30 Once more a remnant(DH) of the kingdom of Judah
    will take root(DI) below and bear fruit above.
31 For out of Jerusalem will come a remnant,(DJ)
    and out of Mount Zion a band of survivors.(DK)

“The zeal(DL) 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;(DM)
    he will not enter this city,
declares the Lord.
34 I will defend(DN) this city and save it,
    for my sake and for the sake of David(DO) my servant.’”

35 That night the angel of the Lord(DP) went out and put to death a hundred and eighty-five thousand in the Assyrian camp. When the people got up the next morning—there were all the dead bodies!(DQ) 36 So Sennacherib king of Assyria broke camp and withdrew.(DR) He returned to Nineveh(DS) and stayed there.

37 One day, while he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisrok, his sons Adrammelek(DT) and Sharezer killed him with the sword,(DU) and they escaped to the land of Ararat.(DV) And Esarhaddon(DW) his son succeeded him as king.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 18:2 Hebrew Abi, a variant of Abijah
  2. 2 Kings 18:4 Nehushtan sounds like the Hebrew for both bronze and snake.
  3. 2 Kings 18:14 That is, about 11 tons or about 10 metric tons
  4. 2 Kings 18:14 That is, about 1 ton or about 1 metric ton
  5. 2 Kings 18:24 Or charioteers
  6. 2 Kings 19:9 That is, the upper Nile region
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2 Kings 20
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2 Chronicles 32
New King James Version

Sennacherib Boasts Against the Lord(A)

32 After (B)these deeds of faithfulness, Sennacherib king of Assyria came and entered Judah; he encamped against the fortified cities, thinking to win them over to himself. 2 And when Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come, and that his purpose was to make war against Jerusalem, 3 he consulted with his leaders and [a]commanders to stop the water from the springs which were outside the city; and they helped him. 4 Thus many people gathered together who stopped all the (C)springs and the brook that ran through the land, saying, “Why should the [b]kings of Assyria come and find much water?” 5 And (D)he strengthened himself, (E)built up all the wall that was broken, raised it up to the towers, and built another wall outside; also he repaired [c]the (F)Millo in the City of David, and made [d]weapons and shields in abundance. 6 Then he set military captains over the people, gathered them together to him in the open square of the city gate, and (G)gave them encouragement, saying, 7 (H)“Be strong and courageous; (I)do not be afraid nor dismayed before the king of Assyria, nor before all the multitude that is with him; for (J)there are more with us than with him. 8 With him is an (K)arm of flesh; but (L)with us is the Lord our God, to help us and to fight our battles.” And the people were strengthened by the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.

9 (M)After this Sennacherib king of Assyria sent his servants to Jerusalem (but he and all the forces with him laid siege against Lachish), to Hezekiah king of Judah, and to all Judah who were in Jerusalem, saying, 10 (N)“Thus says Sennacherib king of Assyria: ‘In what do you trust, that you remain under siege in Jerusalem? 11 Does not Hezekiah persuade you to give yourselves over to die by famine and by thirst, saying, (O)“The Lord our God will deliver us from the hand of the king of Assyria”? 12 (P)Has not the same Hezekiah taken away His high places and His altars, and commanded Judah and Jerusalem, saying, “You shall worship before one altar and burn incense on (Q)it”? 13 Do you not know what I and my fathers have done to all the peoples of other lands? (R)Were the gods of the nations of those lands in any way able to deliver their lands out of my hand? 14 Who was there among all the gods of those nations that my fathers utterly destroyed that could deliver his people from my hand, that your God should be able to deliver you from my (S)hand? 15 Now therefore, (T)do not let Hezekiah deceive you or persuade you like this, and do not believe him; for no god of any nation or kingdom was able to deliver his people from my hand or the hand of my fathers. How much less will your God deliver you from my hand?’ ”

16 Furthermore, his servants spoke against the Lord God and against His servant Hezekiah.

17 He also wrote letters to revile the Lord God of Israel, and to speak against Him, saying, (U)“As the gods of the nations of other lands have not delivered their people from my hand, so the God of Hezekiah will not deliver His people from my (V)hand.” 18 (W)Then they called out with a loud voice in [e]Hebrew to the people of Jerusalem who were on the wall, to frighten them and trouble them, that they might take the city. 19 And they spoke against the God of Jerusalem, as against the gods of the people of the earth—(X)the work of men’s hands.

Sennacherib’s Defeat and Death(Y)

20 (Z)Now because of this King Hezekiah and (AA)the prophet Isaiah, the son of Amoz, prayed and cried out to heaven. 21 (AB)Then the Lord sent an angel who cut down every mighty man of valor, leader, and captain in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he returned (AC)shamefaced to his own land. And when he had gone into the temple of his god, some of his own offspring struck him down with the sword there.

22 Thus the Lord saved Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib the king of Assyria, and from the hand of all others, and [f]guided them on every side. 23 And many brought gifts to the Lord at Jerusalem, and (AD)presents[g] to Hezekiah king of Judah, so that he was (AE)exalted in the sight of all nations thereafter.

Hezekiah Humbles Himself(AF)

24 (AG)In those days Hezekiah was sick and near death, and he prayed to the Lord; and He spoke to him and gave him a sign. 25 But Hezekiah (AH)did not repay according to the favor shown him, for (AI)his heart was lifted up; (AJ)therefore wrath was looming over him and over Judah and Jerusalem. 26 (AK)Then Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart, he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the wrath of the Lord did not come upon them (AL)in the days of Hezekiah.

Hezekiah’s Wealth and Honor(AM)

27 Hezekiah had very great riches and honor. And he made himself treasuries for silver, for gold, for precious stones, for spices, for shields, and for all kinds of desirable items; 28 storehouses for the harvest of grain, wine, and oil; and stalls for all kinds of livestock, and [h]folds for flocks. 29 Moreover he provided cities for himself, and possessions of flocks and herds in abundance; for (AN)God had given him very much property. 30 (AO)This same Hezekiah also stopped the water outlet of Upper Gihon, and [i]brought the water by tunnel to the west side of the City of David. Hezekiah (AP)prospered in all his works.

31 However, regarding the ambassadors of the princes of Babylon, whom they (AQ)sent to him to inquire about the wonder that was done in the land, God withdrew from him, in order to (AR)test him, that He might know all that was in his heart.

Death of Hezekiah

32 Now the rest of the acts of Hezekiah, and his goodness, indeed they are written in (AS)the vision of Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, and in the (AT)book of the kings of Judah and Israel. 33 (AU)So Hezekiah [j]rested with his fathers, and they buried him in the upper tombs of the sons of David; and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem (AV)honored him at his death. Then Manasseh his son reigned in his place.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 32:3 Lit. mighty men
  2. 2 Chronicles 32:4 So with MT, Vg.; Arab., LXX, Syr. king
  3. 2 Chronicles 32:5 Lit. The Landfill
  4. 2 Chronicles 32:5 javelins
  5. 2 Chronicles 32:18 Lit. Judean
  6. 2 Chronicles 32:22 LXX gave them rest; Vg. gave them treasures
  7. 2 Chronicles 32:23 Lit. precious things
  8. 2 Chronicles 32:28 So with LXX, Vg.; Arab., Syr. omit folds for flocks; MT flocks for sheepfolds
  9. 2 Chronicles 32:30 Lit. brought it straight to (cf. 2 Kin. 20:20)
  10. 2 Chronicles 32:33 Died and joined his ancestors
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2 Chronicles 32
New International Version

Sennacherib Threatens Jerusalem(A)(B)

32 After all that Hezekiah had so faithfully done, Sennacherib(C) king of Assyria came and invaded Judah. He laid siege to the fortified cities, thinking to conquer them for himself. 2 When Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come and that he intended to wage war against Jerusalem,(D) 3 he consulted with his officials and military staff about blocking off the water from the springs outside the city, and they helped him. 4 They gathered a large group of people who blocked all the springs(E) and the stream that flowed through the land. “Why should the kings[a] of Assyria come and find plenty of water?” they said. 5 Then he worked hard repairing all the broken sections of the wall(F) and building towers on it. He built another wall outside that one and reinforced the terraces[b](G) of the City of David. He also made large numbers of weapons(H) and shields.

6 He appointed military officers over the people and assembled them before him in the square at the city gate and encouraged them with these words: 7 “Be strong and courageous.(I) Do not be afraid or discouraged(J) because of the king of Assyria and the vast army with him, for there is a greater power with us than with him.(K) 8 With him is only the arm of flesh,(L) but with us(M) is the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles.”(N) And the people gained confidence from what Hezekiah the king of Judah said.

9 Later, when Sennacherib king of Assyria and all his forces were laying siege to Lachish,(O) he sent his officers to Jerusalem with this message for Hezekiah king of Judah and for all the people of Judah who were there:

10 “This is what Sennacherib king of Assyria says: On what are you basing your confidence,(P) that you remain in Jerusalem under siege? 11 When Hezekiah says, ‘The Lord our God will save us from the hand of the king of Assyria,’ he is misleading(Q) you, to let you die of hunger and thirst. 12 Did not Hezekiah himself remove this god’s high places and altars, saying to Judah and Jerusalem, ‘You must worship before one altar(R) and burn sacrifices on it’?

13 “Do you not know what I and my predecessors have done to all the peoples of the other lands? Were the gods of those nations ever able to deliver their land from my hand?(S) 14 Who of all the gods of these nations that my predecessors destroyed has been able to save his people from me? How then can your god deliver you from my hand? 15 Now do not let Hezekiah deceive(T) you and mislead you like this. Do not believe him, for no god of any nation or kingdom has been able to deliver(U) his people from my hand or the hand of my predecessors.(V) How much less will your god deliver you from my hand!”

16 Sennacherib’s officers spoke further against the Lord God and against his servant Hezekiah. 17 The king also wrote letters(W) ridiculing(X) the Lord, the God of Israel, and saying this against him: “Just as the gods(Y) of the peoples of the other lands did not rescue their people from my hand, so the god of Hezekiah will not rescue his people from my hand.” 18 Then they called out in Hebrew to the people of Jerusalem who were on the wall, to terrify them and make them afraid in order to capture the city. 19 They spoke about the God of Jerusalem as they did about the gods of the other peoples of the world—the work of human hands.(Z)

20 King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz cried out in prayer(AA) to heaven about this. 21 And the Lord sent an angel,(AB) who annihilated all the fighting men and the commanders and officers in the camp of the Assyrian king. So he withdrew to his own land in disgrace. And when he went into the temple of his god, some of his sons, his own flesh and blood, cut him down with the sword.(AC)

22 So the Lord saved Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib king of Assyria and from the hand of all others. He took care of them[c] on every side. 23 Many brought offerings to Jerusalem for the Lord and valuable gifts(AD) for Hezekiah king of Judah. From then on he was highly regarded by all the nations.

Hezekiah’s Pride, Success and Death(AE)

24 In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. He prayed to the Lord, who answered him and gave him a miraculous sign.(AF) 25 But Hezekiah’s heart was proud(AG) and he did not respond to the kindness shown him; therefore the Lord’s wrath(AH) was on him and on Judah and Jerusalem. 26 Then Hezekiah repented(AI) of the pride of his heart, as did the people of Jerusalem; therefore the Lord’s wrath did not come on them during the days of Hezekiah.(AJ)

27 Hezekiah had very great wealth and honor,(AK) and he made treasuries for his silver and gold and for his precious stones, spices, shields and all kinds of valuables. 28 He also made buildings to store the harvest of grain, new wine and olive oil; and he made stalls for various kinds of cattle, and pens for the flocks. 29 He built villages and acquired great numbers of flocks and herds, for God had given him very great riches.(AL)

30 It was Hezekiah who blocked(AM) the upper outlet of the Gihon(AN) spring and channeled(AO) the water down to the west side of the City of David. He succeeded in everything he undertook. 31 But when envoys were sent by the rulers of Babylon(AP) to ask him about the miraculous sign(AQ) that had occurred in the land, God left him to test(AR) him and to know everything that was in his heart.

32 The other events of Hezekiah’s reign and his acts of devotion are written in the vision of the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel. 33 Hezekiah rested with his ancestors and was buried on the hill where the tombs of David’s descendants are. All Judah and the people of Jerusalem honored him when he died. And Manasseh his son succeeded him as king.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 32:4 Hebrew; Septuagint and Syriac king
  2. 2 Chronicles 32:5 Or the Millo
  3. 2 Chronicles 32:22 Hebrew; Septuagint and Vulgate He gave them rest
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2 Chronicles 31
2 Chronicles 33
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James 5
New King James Version

Rich Oppressors Will Be Judged

5 Come now, you (A)rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming upon you! 2 Your (B)riches [a]are corrupted, and (C)your garments are moth-eaten. 3 Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire. (D)You have heaped up treasure in the last days. 4 Indeed (E)the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out; and (F)the cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord of [b]Sabaoth. 5 You have lived on the earth in pleasure and [c]luxury; you have [d]fattened your hearts [e]as in a day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned, you have murdered the just; he does not resist you.

Be Patient and Persevering

7 Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. 8 You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord [f]is at hand.

9 Do not [g]grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be [h]condemned. Behold, the Judge is standing at the door! 10 (G)My brethren, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering and (H)patience. 11 Indeed (I)we count them blessed who (J)endure. You have heard of (K)the perseverance of Job and seen (L)the end intended by the Lord—that (M)the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.

12 But above all, my brethren, (N)do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. But let your “Yes” be “Yes,” and your “No,” “No,” lest you fall into [i]judgment.

Meeting Specific Needs(O)

13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him (P)pray. Is anyone cheerful? (Q)Let him sing psalms. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, (R)anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. (S)And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16 [j]Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. (T)The effective, [k]fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. 17 Elijah was a man (U)with a nature like ours, and (V)he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. 18 And he prayed (W)again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.

Bring Back the Erring One

19 Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone (X)turns him back, 20 let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way (Y)will save [l]a soul from death and (Z)cover a multitude of sins.

Footnotes

  1. James 5:2 have rotted
  2. James 5:4 Lit., in Heb., Hosts
  3. James 5:5 indulgence
  4. James 5:5 Lit. nourished
  5. James 5:5 NU omits as
  6. James 5:8 has drawn near
  7. James 5:9 Lit. groan
  8. James 5:9 NU, M judged
  9. James 5:12 M hypocrisy
  10. James 5:16 NU Therefore confess your sins
  11. James 5:16 supplication
  12. James 5:20 NU his soul
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James 5
New International Version

Warning to Rich Oppressors

5 Now listen,(A) you rich people,(B) weep and wail(C) because of the misery that is coming on you. 2 Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes.(D) 3 Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days.(E) 4 Look! The wages you failed to pay the workers(F) who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries(G) of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty.(H) 5 You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves(I) in the day of slaughter.[a](J) 6 You have condemned and murdered(K) the innocent one,(L) who was not opposing you.

Patience in Suffering

7 Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming.(M) See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting(N) for the autumn and spring rains.(O) 8 You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming(P) is near.(Q) 9 Don’t grumble against one another, brothers and sisters,(R) or you will be judged. The Judge(S) is standing at the door!(T)

10 Brothers and sisters, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets(U) who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11 As you know, we count as blessed(V) those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance(W) and have seen what the Lord finally brought about.(X) The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.(Y)

12 Above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear—not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. All you need to say is a simple “Yes” or “No.” Otherwise you will be condemned.(Z)

The Prayer of Faith

13 Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray.(AA) Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise.(AB) 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders(AC) of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil(AD) in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer offered in faith(AE) will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. 16 Therefore confess your sins(AF) to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.(AG) The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.(AH)

17 Elijah was a human being, even as we are.(AI) He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years.(AJ) 18 Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.(AK)

19 My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth(AL) and someone should bring that person back,(AM) 20 remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save(AN) them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.(AO)

Footnotes

  1. James 5:5 Or yourselves as in a day of feasting
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