1 And it came to pass, when king Hezekiah heard it , that he rent his clothes, and covered himself with sackcloth, and went into the house of the LORD. 2 And he sent Eliakim, which was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and the elders of the priests, covered with sackcloth, to Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz. 3 And they said unto him, Thus saith Hezekiah, This day is a day of trouble, and of rebuke, and blasphemy: for the children are come to the birth, and there is not strength to bring forth. 4 It may be the LORD thy God will hear all the words of Rab-shakeh, whom the king of Assyria his master hath sent to reproach the living God; and will reprove the words which the LORD thy God hath heard: wherefore lift up thy prayer for the remnant that are left. 5 So the servants of king Hezekiah came to Isaiah.
6 ¶ And Isaiah said unto them, Thus shall ye say to your master, Thus saith the LORD, Be not afraid of the words which thou hast heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me. 7 Behold, I will send a blast upon him, and he shall hear a rumour, and shall return to his own land; and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land.
8 ¶ So Rab-shakeh returned, and found the king of Assyria warring against Libnah: for he had heard that he was departed from Lachish. 9 And when he heard say of Tirhakah king of Ethiopia, Behold, he is come out to fight against thee: he sent messengers again unto Hezekiah, saying, 10 Thus shall ye speak to Hezekiah king of Judah, saying, Let not thy God in whom thou trustest deceive thee, saying, Jerusalem shall not be delivered into the hand of the king of Assyria. 11 Behold, thou hast heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands, by destroying them utterly: and shalt thou be delivered? 12 Have the gods of the nations delivered them which my fathers have destroyed; as Gozan, and Haran, and Rezeph, and the children of Eden which were in Thelasar? 13 Where is the king of Hamath, and the king of Arpad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, of Hena, and Ivah?
14 ¶ And Hezekiah received the letter of the hand of the messengers, and read it: and Hezekiah went up into the house of the LORD, and spread it before the LORD. 15 And Hezekiah prayed before the LORD, and said, O LORD God of Israel, which dwellest between the cherubims, thou art the God, even thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; thou hast made heaven and earth. 16 LORD, bow down thine ear, and hear: open, LORD, thine eyes, and see: and hear the words of Sennacherib, which hath sent him to reproach the living God. 17 Of a truth, LORD, the kings of Assyria have destroyed the nations and their lands, 18 And have cast their gods into the fire: for they were no gods, but the work of men’s hands, wood and stone: therefore they have destroyed them. 19 Now therefore, O LORD our God, I beseech thee, save thou us out of his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that thou art the LORD God, even thou only.
20 ¶ Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah, saying, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, That which thou hast prayed to me against Sennacherib king of Assyria I have heard. 21 This is the word that the LORD hath spoken concerning him; The virgin the daughter of Zion hath despised thee, and laughed thee to scorn; the daughter of Jerusalem hath shaken her head at thee. 22 Whom hast thou reproached and blasphemed? and against whom hast thou exalted thy voice, and lifted up thine eyes on high? even against the Holy One of Israel. 23 By thy messengers thou hast reproached the Lord, and hast said, With the multitude of my chariots I am come up to the height of the mountains, to the sides of Lebanon, and will cut down the tall cedar trees thereof, and the choice fir trees thereof: and I will enter into the lodgings of his borders, and into the forest of his Carmel. 24 I have digged and drunk strange waters, and with the sole of my feet have I dried up all the rivers of besieged places. 25 Hast thou not heard long ago how I have done it, and of ancient times that I have formed it? now have I brought it to pass, that thou shouldest be to lay waste fenced cities into ruinous heaps. 26 Therefore their inhabitants were of small power, they were dismayed and confounded; they were as the grass of the field, and as the green herb, as the grass on the housetops, and as corn blasted before it be grown up. 27 But I know thy abode, and thy going out, and thy coming in, and thy rage against me. 28 Because thy rage against me and thy tumult is come up into mine ears, therefore I will put my hook in thy nose, and my bridle in thy lips, and I will turn thee back by the way by which thou camest. 29 And this shall be a sign unto thee, Ye shall eat this year such things as grow of themselves, and in the second year that which springeth of the same; and in the third year sow ye, and reap, and plant vineyards, and eat the fruits thereof. 30 And the remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah shall yet again take root downward, and bear fruit upward. 31 For out of Jerusalem shall go forth a remnant, and they that escape out of mount Zion: the zeal of the LORD of hosts shall do this. 32 Therefore thus saith the LORD concerning the king of Assyria, He shall not come into this city, nor shoot an arrow there, nor come before it with shield, nor cast a bank against it. 33 By the way that he came, by the same shall he return, and shall not come into this city, saith the LORD. 34 For I will defend this city, to save it, for mine own sake, and for my servant David’s sake.
35 ¶ And it came to pass that night, that the angel of the LORD went out, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred fourscore and five thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses. 36 So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed, and went and returned, and dwelt at Nineveh. 37 And it came to pass, as he was worshipping in the house of Nisroch his god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer his sons smote him with the sword: and they escaped into the land of Armenia. And Esar-haddon his son reigned in his stead.
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.
