The King Asks Isaiah's Advice
(2 Kings 19.1-7)1 As soon as King Hezekiah heard their report, he tore his clothes in grief, put on sackcloth, and went to the Temple of the Lord. 2 He sent Eliakim, the official in charge of the palace, Shebna, the court secretary, and the senior priests to the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz. They also were wearing sackcloth. 3 This is the message which he told them to give to Isaiah: “Today is a day of suffering; we are being punished and are in disgrace. We are like a woman who is ready to give birth, but is too weak to do it. 4 The Assyrian emperor has sent his chief official to insult the living God. May the Lord your God hear these insults and punish those who spoke them. So pray to God for those of our people who survive.”
5 When Isaiah received King Hezekiah's message, 6 he sent back this answer: “The Lord tells you not to let the Assyrians frighten you by their claims that he cannot save you. 7 The Lord will cause the emperor to hear a rumor that will make him go back to his own country, and the Lord will have him killed there.”
The Assyrians Send Another Threat
(2 Kings 19.8-19)8 The Assyrian official learned that the emperor had left Lachish and was fighting against the nearby city of Libnah; so he went there to consult him. 9 Word reached the Assyrians that the Egyptian army, led by King Tirhakah of Ethiopia, was coming to attack them. When the emperor heard this, he sent a letter to King Hezekiah 10 of Judah to tell him: “The god you are trusting in has told you that you will not fall into my hands, but don't let that deceive you. 11 You have heard what an Assyrian emperor does to any country he decides to destroy. Do you think that you can escape? 12 My ancestors destroyed the cities of Gozan, Haran, and Rezeph, and killed the people of Betheden who lived in Telassar, and none of their gods could save them. 13 Where are the kings of the cities of Hamath, Arpad, Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah?”
14 King Hezekiah took the letter from the messengers and read it. Then he went to the Temple, placed the letter there in the presence of the Lord, 15 and prayed, 16 “Almighty Lord, God of Israel, seated above the winged creatures, you alone are God, ruling all the kingdoms of the world. You created the earth and the sky. 17 Now, Lord, hear us and look at what is happening to us. Listen to all the things that Sennacherib is saying to insult you, the living God. 18 We all know, Lord, that the emperors of Assyria have destroyed many nations, made their lands desolate, 19 and burned up their gods—which were no gods at all, only images of wood and stone made by human hands. 20 Now, Lord our God, rescue us from the Assyrians, so that all the nations of the world will know that you alone are God.”
Isaiah's Message to the King
(2 Kings 19.20-37)21 Then Isaiah sent a message telling King Hezekiah that in answer to the king's prayer 22 the Lord had said, “The city of Jerusalem laughs at you, Sennacherib, and makes fun of you. 23 Whom do you think you have been insulting and ridiculing? You have been disrespectful to me, the holy God of Israel. 24 You sent your servants to boast to me that with all your chariots you had conquered the highest mountains of Lebanon. You boasted that there you cut down the tallest cedars and the finest cypress trees, and that you reached the deepest parts of the forests. 25 You boasted that you dug wells and drank water in foreign lands, and that the feet of your soldiers tramped the Nile River dry.
26 “Have you never heard that I planned all this long ago? And now I have carried it out. I gave you the power to turn fortified cities into piles of rubble. 27 The people who lived there were powerless; they were frightened and stunned. They were like grass in a field or weeds growing on a roof when the hot east wind blasts them.
28 “But I know everything about you, what you do and where you go. I know how you rage against me. 29 I have received the report of that rage and that pride of yours, and now I will put a hook through your nose and a bit in your mouth and will take you back by the same road you came.”
30 Then Isaiah said to King Hezekiah, “Here is a sign of what will happen. This year and next you will have only wild grain to eat, but the following year you will be able to plant grain and harvest it, and plant vines and eat grapes. 31 Those in Judah who survive will flourish like plants that send roots deep into the ground and produce fruit. 32 There will be people in Jerusalem and on Mount Zion who will survive, because the Lord Almighty is determined to make this happen.
33 “And this is what the Lord has said about the Assyrian emperor: ‘He will not enter this city or shoot a single arrow against it. No soldiers with shields will come near the city, and no siege mounds will be built around it. 34 He will go back by the same road he came, without entering this city. I, the Lord, have spoken. 35 I will defend this city and protect it, for the sake of my own honor and because of the promise I made to my servant David.’”
36 An angel of the Lord went to the Assyrian camp and killed 185,000 soldiers. At dawn the next day there they lay, all dead! 37 Then the Assyrian emperor Sennacherib withdrew and returned to Nineveh. 38 One day when he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisroch, two of his sons, Adrammelech and Sharezer, killed him with their swords and then escaped to the land of Ararat. Another of his sons, Esarhaddon, succeeded him as emperor.
1 Kad ķēniņš Hiskija to dzirdēja, viņš saplēsa savas drēbes, apvilka sēru drēbes un gāja Tā Kunga namā. 2 Bet savu nama pārvaldnieku Ēljakīmu un valsts rakstvedi Sebnu līdz ar vecākiem priesteriem, ģērbtus sēru drēbēs, viņš sūtīja pie pravieša Jesajas, Amoca dēla. 3 Un tie viņu uzrunāja: "Tā saka Hiskija: šī diena ir bēdu, soda, pazemojuma un lāstu diena, jo bērni taisījās piedzimt, bet tie nevar piedzimt aiz nespēka. 4 Kaut jel Tas Kungs, tavs Dievs, dzirdētu Rabsaka vārdus, ko viņa kungs, Asīrijas ķēniņš, atsūtījis, lai zaimotu dzīvo Dievu, un kaut viņu sodītu to vārdu dēļ, ko Tas Kungs, tavs Dievs, dzirdēja! Aizlūdz par tiem, kas vēl atlikuši!" 5 Un ķēniņa Hiskijas kalpi nāca pie Jesajas, 6 un Jesaja tiem sacīja: "Aiznesiet savam kungam šādu atbildi: tā saka Tas Kungs: nebīsties to vārdu dēļ, ko tu dzirdēji, ar kuriem Asīrijas ķēniņa kalpi Mani zaimoja! 7 Redzi, Es viņam likšu pieņemt lēmumu, ka viņš, saņēmis kādas ziņas, atgriezīsies savā zemē, un viņš kritīs savā zemē no zobena." 8 Kad Rabsaks atgriezās, viņš atrada Asīrijas ķēniņu aplenkušu Libnu, jo viņš dzirdēja, ka tas jau aizgājis no Lahišas. 9 Kad Sanheribs saņēma ziņu, ka Etiopijas ķēniņš Tirhaka izgājis karot pret viņu, tad viņš sūtīja vēstnešus pie Hiskijas un lika tam sacīt: 10 "Jūdas ķēniņam Hiskijam sakait tā: lai tevi nepieviļ tavs Dievs, uz kuru tu paļaujies, sacīdams, ka Jeruzāleme nekritīs Asīrijas ķēniņa rokā! 11 Tu taču pats dzirdēji, kā Asīrijas ķēniņi rīkojās ar visām zemēm, viņi tās izdeldēja. Un tu domā izglābties? 12 Vai to tautu dievi izglāba tos, ko mani tēvi izpostīja: Gozanu, Haranu, Recefu un zemes iedzīvotājus Ēdenē pie Telasaras? 13 Kur ir Hamatas ķēniņš un Arpadas ķēniņš, un kur ir Lairas, Sefarvaimas, Henas un Ivas ķēniņš?" 14 Kad Hiskija bija saņēmis rakstu no vēstnešu rokām un to izlasījis, tad viņš gāja Tā Kunga namā un to nolika Tā Kunga priekšā. 15 Hiskija griezās pie Tā Kunga ar lūgšanu, sacīdams: 16 "Ak, Kungs Cebaot, Tu Israēla Dievs, kas Tu mīti pār ķerubiem, vienīgi Tu esi Dievs pār visām zemes valstīm, Tu radīji debesis un zemi! 17 Atdari Savu ausi, ak, Kungs, un dzirdi! Atver Savas acis, ak, Kungs, un redzi! Dzirdi visus tos vārdus, ko Sanheribs sacījis, lai zaimotu dzīvo Dievu! 18 Ir gan taisnība, Kungs, ka Asīrijas ķēniņi izpostīja visas tautas un viņu zemi, kā arī 19 sadedzināja viņu dievus, taču tie jau nebija dievi, bet cilvēku roku darbs no koka un akmens, tādēļ tie varēja tos iznīcināt. 20 Bet tagad izglāb mūs, Kungs, mūsu Dievs, no viņa rokas, lai visas valstis virs zemes atzīst, ka vienīgi Tu esi Tas Kungs!" 21 Tad Jesaja, Amoca dēls, sūtīja pie Hiskijas, lai tam sacītu: "Tā saka Tas Kungs, Israēla Dievs: tu griezies pie Manis ar savu lūgšanu Sanheriba, Asīrijas ķēniņa, dēļ. 22 Tā sacīja par viņu Tas Kungs: jaunava Ciānas meita smejas par tevi un nicina tevi, Jeruzālemes meita krata galvu par tevi! 23 Ko tad tu esi apsmējis un zaimojis, pret ko tad tu esi pacēlis savu balsi un savas acis lielībā? Taču pret Israēla Svēto! 24 Ar savu kalpu muti tu esi apsmējis To Kungu, tu lielījies: ar saviem daudzajiem ratiem es uzkāpu kalnos, paša Libanona kalna galā; es nocirtu tā ciedru mežu ciprešu izlasi; es pacelšos kalnu augstumos turienes kuplajā mežā. 25 Es izroku zemi un dzeru ūdeni, bet no manu kāju soļiem izsīkst visas Ēģiptes upes! - 26 Vai tad tu to nezini? Es to jau sen esmu nolēmis un no veciem laikiem to tā izkārtojis, un tagad tas notiek, ka stipras pilsētas tiek sagrautas drupu kaudzēs. 27 Un to iedzīvotāji nevarīgi stāv lielās bailēs un top kaunā; viņi ir kā zāle laukā, kā izplaucis zaļums, kā jumta zāle, kā rūsas saēsta labība, pirms tā nogatavojas. 28 Bet Man tava dzīve ir zināma, tava piecelšanās un nosēšanās, iziešana un atnākšana, arī tava trakošana pret Mani. 29 Tādēļ, ka tu sacēlies pret Mani un tava pārgalvība nākusi Manās ausīs, Es likšu tev dzelžus nāsīs un laužņus tavā mutē un vadīšu tevi atpakaļ pa to ceļu, pa kuru tu esi nācis. 30 Bet tev, Hiskija, lai ir par zīmi: šinī gadā ēdīs to, kas bez sēšanas audzis, otrā gadā to, kas vēl no saknes izaudzis, bet trešajā gadā jūs sēsit un pļausit, stādīsit vīnadārzus un ēdīsit to augļus! 31 Kas no Jūdas nama vēl atlicis un izglābies, tie laidīs saknes zemē un atnesīs augļus. 32 Jo no Jeruzālemes izies atlikušie un no Ciānas kalna izglābtie; to darīs Tas Kungs Cebaots! 33 Tādēļ Tas Kungs saka par Asīrijas ķēniņu: viņš neieies šinī pilsētā un neiešaus tanī nevienu bultu, un viņš nepacels vairogu pret to un neuzmetīs vaļņus! 34 Pa to pašu ceļu, pa kuru viņš nācis, viņš aizies atpakaļ un neiebruks šinī pilsētā, tā saka Tas Kungs, 35 Es pasargāšu šo pilsētu, lai to izglābtu Manis un Mana kalpa Dāvida dēļ!" 36 Tad izgāja Tā Kunga eņģelis un nogalināja asīriešu nometnē simts astoņdesmit piecus tūkstošus vīru; kad agri rītā nometne piecēlās, tad redzi, tie visi bija pagalam. 37 Tad Asīrijas ķēniņš Sanheribs aizgāja un atgriezās atpakaļ mājās Ninivē. 38 Un, kad viņš reiz pielūdza templī savu dievu Nisroku, tad viņa dēli Adramelehs un Sarecers viņu noslepkavoja ar zobenu; tad tie aizbēga uz Araratu, un viņa dēls Esarhadons kļuva viņa vietā par ķēniņu.
