Hezekiah Asks Isaiah the Prophet for Advice
(Isaiah 37.1-13)1 As soon as Hezekiah heard the news, he tore off his clothes in sorrow and put on sackcloth. Then he went into the temple of the Lord. 2 He told Prime Minister Eliakim, Assistant Prime Minister Shebna, and the senior priests to dress in sackcloth and tell the prophet Isaiah:
3 These are difficult and disgraceful times. Our nation is like a woman too weak to give birth, when it's time for her baby to be born. 4 Please pray for those of us who are left alive. The king of Assyria sent his army commander to insult the living God. Perhaps the Lord heard what he said and will do something, if you will pray.
5 When these leaders went to Isaiah, 6 he told them that the Lord had this message for Hezekiah:
I am the Lord. Don't worry about the insulting things that have been said about me by these messengers from the king of Assyria. 7 I will upset him with rumors about what's happening in his own country. He will go back, and there I will make him die a violent death.
8 Meanwhile, the commander of the Assyrian forces heard that his king had left the town of Lachish and was now attacking Libnah. So he went there.
9 About this same time the king of Assyria learned that King Tirhakah of Ethiopia was on his way to attack him. Then the king of Assyria sent some messengers with this note for Hezekiah:
10 Don't trust your God or be fooled by his promise to defend Jerusalem against me. 11 You have heard how we Assyrian kings have completely wiped out other nations. What makes you feel so safe? 12 The Assyrian kings before me destroyed the towns of Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and everyone from Eden who lived in Telassar. What good did their gods do them? 13 The kings of Hamath, Arpad, Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah have all disappeared.
Hezekiah Prays
(Isaiah 37.14-20)14 After Hezekiah had read the note from the king of Assyria, he took it to the temple and spread it out for the Lord to see. 15 He prayed:
Lord God of Israel, your throne is above the winged creatures. You created the heavens and the earth, and you alone rule the kingdoms of this world. 16 But just look how Sennacherib has insulted you, the living God.
17 It is true, our Lord, that Assyrian kings have turned nations into deserts. 18 They destroyed the idols of wood and stone that the people of those nations had made and worshiped. 19 But you are our Lord and our God! We ask you to keep us safe from the Assyrian king. Then everyone in every kingdom on earth will know that you are the only God.
The Lord's Answer to Hezekiah
(Isaiah 37.21-35)20 Isaiah went to Hezekiah and told him that the Lord God of Israel had said:
Hezekiah, I heard your prayer about King Sennacherib of Assyria. 21 Now this is what I say to that king:
The people of Jerusalem
hate and make fun of you;
they laugh
behind your back.
22 Sennacherib, you cursed,
shouted, and sneered at me,
the holy God of Israel.
23 You let your officials
insult me, the Lord.
And this is how you
bragged about yourself:
“I led my chariots
to the highest heights
of Lebanon's mountains.
I went deep into its forest,
cutting down the best cedar
and cypress trees.
24 I dried up every stream
in the land of Egypt,
and I drank water
from wells I had dug.”
25 Sennacherib, now listen
to me, the Lord.
I planned all this long ago.
And you don't even realize
that I alone am the one
who decided that you
would do these things.
I let you make ruins
of fortified cities.
26 Their people became weak,
terribly confused.
They were like wild flowers
or tender young grass
growing on a flat roof,
scorched before it matures.
27 I know all about you,
even how fiercely angry
you are with me.
28 I have seen your pride
and the tremendous hatred
you have for me.
Now I will put a hook
in your nose,
a bit in your mouth,
then I will send you back
to where you came from.
29 Hezekiah, I will tell you what's going to happen. This year you will eat crops that grow on their own, and the next year you will eat whatever springs up where those crops grew. But the third year you will plant grain and vineyards, and you will eat what you harvest. 30 Those who survive in Judah will be like a vine that puts down deep roots and bears fruit. 31 I, the Lord All-Powerful, will see to it that some who live in Jerusalem will survive.
32 I promise that the king of Assyria won't get into Jerusalem, or shoot an arrow into the city, or even surround it and prepare to attack. 33 As surely as I am the Lord, he will return by the way he came and will never enter Jerusalem. 34 I will protect it for myself and for my servant David.
The Death of King Sennacherib
(Isaiah 37.36-38)35 That same night the Lord sent an angel to the camp of the Assyrians, and he killed 185,000 of them. And so the next morning, the camp was full of dead bodies. 36 After this King Sennacherib went back to Assyria and lived in the city of Nineveh. 37 One day he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisroch, when his sons, Adrammelech and Sharezer, killed him with their swords. They escaped to the land of Ararat, and his son Esarhaddon became king.
Hizkija sūta pie Jesajas
(Jes 37:1–7)1 Kad ķēniņš Hizkija to dzirdēja, viņš saplēsa savas drānas, ietinās maisā un devās uz Kunga namu. 2 Viņš sūtīja nama pārraugu Eljākīmu, rakstvedi Šebnu un priesteru vecajos, maisos tērptus, pie pravieša Jesajas, Āmoca dēla. 3 Viņi tam teica: “Tā saka Hizkija: šī diena ir nelaimes, soda un nievu diena – bērni jau līdz klēpjgalam tikuši, bet dzemdēt nav spēka! 4 Varbūt Kungs, tavs Dievs, sadzirdēs, ko sacījis rab-šākehs, kuru Asīrijas ķēniņš sūtījis izsmiet dzīvo Dievu, varbūt viņš to sodīs par visiem vārdiem, ko Kungs, tavs Dievs, ir dzirdējis! Bet tu raidi lūgšanu par to atlikumu, kas te vēl palicis!”
5 Ķēniņa Hizkijas kalpi nāca pie Jesajas, 6 un Jesaja tiem teica: “Sakiet savam kungam: tā saka Kungs: nenobīsties dzirdēto vārdu dēļ, ar kādiem Asīrijas ķēniņa kalpi mani paļāja! 7 Redzi, kādu garu es viņam došu – viņš saklausīsies tenkas un dosies atpakaļ uz savu zemi, un es likšu, lai viņš krīt no zobena savā zemē!”
Sanherībs izaicina Dievu
(Jes 37:8–13)8 Kad rab-šākehs atgriezās, viņš sastapa Asīrijas ķēniņu uzbrūkam Libnai. Viņš bija dzirdējis, ka tas jau devies projām no Lāhīšas, 9 jo bija dzirdējis runājam par Kūšas ķēniņu Tirhāku, ka tas jau devies pret viņu cīnīties! Kad viņš to bija padzirdējis, tas sūtīja vēstnešus pie Hizkijas, sacīdams: 10 “Tā sakiet Jūdas ķēniņam Hizkijam: lai tevi nepieviļ tavs Dievs, uz kuru tu paļaujies, domādams, ka Jeruzāleme netiks atdota Asīrijas ķēniņam! 11 Redzi, tu jau esi dzirdējis, ko Asīrijas ķēniņi darījuši visām zemēm – tās nopostījuši! – un tu vēl ceri glābties!? 12 Vai viņus izglāba to tautu dievi, kuras izdeldēja mani tēvi – Gozānu un Hārānu, un Recefu, un Ēdenes dēlus, kas bija Telāsārā. 13 Kur ir Hamātas ķēniņš un Arpadas ķēniņš, un Sefarvaimas pilsētas ķēniņš, un Hēnas un Ivas valdnieki?”
Hizkijas lūgšana
(Jes 37:14–35)14 Hizkija ņēma vēstnešu atnesto vēstuli, lasīja to un tad devās uz Kunga namu. Tur Hizkija attina to Kunga priekšā. 15 Hizkija lūdza Kungu: “Kungs, Israēla Dievs! Tu starp ķerubiem mīti, tu vienīgais Dievs visām zemes valstīm, tu darināji debesis un zemi! 16 Pievērs, Kungs, ausi un klausies, atver, Kungs, acis un redzi, ieklausies, ko sacījis Sanherībs, ko teicis, izsmiedams dzīvo Dievu! 17 Tiešām, Kungs! – Asīrijas ķēniņš izdeldējis tautu zemes, 18 un viņu dievi iemesti ugunī, jo tie nav dievi, tie cilvēka darināti – koks un akmens –, tāpēc tie izdeldēti! 19 Tad nu, Kungs, mūsu Dievs, glāb mūs no viņa rokas, lai visas zemes valstis zina, ka tu, Kungs, esi vienīgais Dievs!”
20 Jesaja, Āmoca dēls, sūtīja ziņu Hizkijam: “Tā saka Kungs, Israēla Dievs: es dzirdēju, ka tu lūdzi mani Asīrijas ķēniņa Sanherība dēļ. 21 Kungs par viņu ir sacījis:
nicina tevi un nievā jaunava,
Ciānas meita,
tev aiz muguras šūpo galvu,
Jeruzālemes meita!
22 Ko tu paļāji un nievāji,
pret ko pacēli balsi,
pret ko augstu cēli acis –
tas Israēla Svētais!
23 Saviem vēstnešiem tu liki izsmiet manu Kungu,
tu sacīji: man daudz kararatu,
es kāpšu kalnu virsotnēs,
tur augstu Lebanonā,
es nocirtīšu slaidos ciedrus, lepnākās cipreses,
nokļūšu tā augstienēs un auglīgajā mežā!
24 Tikko paroku – un tūdaļ
svešzemju ūdeni dzeru,
ar savu kāju pazolēm
visas Ēģiptes straumes nosusinu!
25 Vai jau sen neesi dzirdējis,
ka to es esmu darījis,
kopš senām dienām tā nolicis,
un tagad es lieku tā notikt –
lai drupu kaudzēs sabrūk
nocietinātās pilsētas!
26 To iemītniekiem nolaižas rokas,
tie satriekti un apkaunoti,
tie kļuvuši kā zāle uz lauka,
kā nezāļu dīgsti,
kā jumta zālājs,
kā labības rūsa,
pirms druva nobriedusi!
27 Vai tu celies vai sēdies, vai ej, vai nāc –
es zinu, kā tu dumpo pret mani!
28 Tādēļ ka tu dumpo pret mani
un tava nekaunība man nākusi ausīs,
es tavās nāsīs ievēršu riņķi
un likšu laužņus tev mutē –
sūtīšu tevi pa to pašu ceļu,
ko esi nācis!
29 Un šī tev ir zīme – šogad ēdīs to, kas atmatā, un arī nākamā gadā atmatā augušo, bet trešajā gadā jūs sēsiet un vāksiet, jūs stādīsiet vīnadārzus un ēdīsiet to augļus! 30 Jūdas nama izglābtie un atlikušie ies vairumā, sakne – uz leju, bet auglis uz augšu riesīsies! 31 Jo no Jeruzālemes nāks atlikums un izglābtie no Ciānas kalna – to darīs Kunga degsme!
32 Tādēļ tā saka Kungs par Asīrijas ķēniņu: viņš šajā pilsētā neienāks, viņš tur bultu neiešaus, ar vairogu tai priekšā nestās un valni pret to neuzbērs! 33 Viņš aizies pa to pašu ceļu, pa kuru nācis, viņš šajā pilsētā neienāks, teicis Kungs, 34 es pasargāšu šo pilsētu, es to glābšu – manis un mana kalpa Dāvida dēļ!”
Sanherība sakāve un nāve
(Jes 37:36–382L 32:20–23)35 Tonakt Kunga eņģelis gāja un nokāva Asīrijas nometnē simts astoņdesmit piecus tūkstošus. Pārējie rīta agrumā cēlās, un, redzi, visi gulēja beigti! 36 Tad Asīrijas ķēniņš Sanherībs nojauca nometni, devās atpakaļ un apmetās Ninivē. 37 Kad viņš zemojās sava dieva Nisroha namā, viņa dēli Adramelehs un Sarecers nokāva viņu ar zobenu, bet paši aizbēga uz Arārata zemi. Pēc viņa sāka valdīt viņa dēls Ēsar-Hadons.
