²⁹ As for the events of King David’s reign, from beginning to end, they are written in the records of Samuel the seer,^(A) the records of Nathan^(B) the prophet and the records of Gad^(C) the seer, ³⁰ together with the details of his reign and power, and the circumstances that surrounded him and Israel and the kingdoms of all the other lands.

Solomon’s Death^(A)

²⁹ As for the other events of Solomon’s reign, from beginning to end, are they not written in the records of Nathan^(B) the prophet, in the prophecy of Ahijah^(C) the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam^(D) son of Nebat?

¹⁵ As for the events of Rehoboam’s reign, from beginning to end, are they not written in the records of Shemaiah^(A) the prophet and of Iddo the seer that deal with genealogies? There was continual warfare between Rehoboam and Jeroboam.

²² The other events of Uzziah’s reign, from beginning to end, are recorded by the prophet Isaiah^(A) son of Amoz.

Sennacherib Threatens Jerusalem^(A)

36 In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah’s^(B) reign, Sennacherib^(C) king of Assyria attacked all the fortified cities of Judah and captured them.^{(D) 2} Then the king of Assyria sent his field commander with a large army from Lachish^(E) to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem. When the commander stopped at the aqueduct of the Upper Pool, on the road to the Launderer’s Field,^{(F) 3} Eliakim^(G) son of Hilkiah the palace administrator,^(H) Shebna^(I) the secretary,^(J) and Joah^(K) son of Asaph the recorder^(L) went out to him.

⁴ The field commander said to them, “Tell Hezekiah:

¹¹ Then Eliakim, Shebna and Joah^(Y) said to the field commander, “Please speak to your servants in Aramaic,^(Z) since we understand it. Don’t speak to us in Hebrew in the hearing of the people on the wall.”

¹² 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?^(AA)”

¹³ Then the commander stood and called out in Hebrew,^(AB) “Hear the words of the great king, the king of Assyria!^{(AC) 14} This is what the king says: Do not let Hezekiah deceive^(AD) you. He cannot deliver you! ¹⁵ Do not let Hezekiah persuade you to trust in the Lord when he says, ‘The Lord will surely deliver^(AE) us; this city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.’^(AF)

¹⁶ “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^(AG) and drink water from your own cistern,^{(AH) 17} until I come and take you to a land like your own^(AI)—a land of grain and new wine,^(AJ) a land of bread and vineyards.

¹⁸ “Do not let Hezekiah mislead you when he says, ‘The Lord will deliver us.’ Have the gods of any nations ever delivered their lands from the hand of the king of Assyria? ¹⁹ Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad?^(AK) Where are the gods of Sepharvaim?^(AL) Have they rescued Samaria^(AM) from my hand? ²⁰ Who of all the gods^(AN) of these countries have been able to save their lands from me? How then can the Lord deliver Jerusalem from my hand?”^(AO)

²¹ But the people remained silent and said nothing in reply, because the king had commanded, “Do not answer him.”^(AP)

²² Then Eliakim^(AQ) son of Hilkiah the palace administrator, Shebna the secretary and Joah son of Asaph the recorder^(AR) went to Hezekiah, with their clothes torn,^(AS) and told him what the field commander had said.

Jerusalem’s Deliverance Foretold^(AT)

37 When King Hezekiah heard this, he tore his clothes^(AU) and put on sackcloth^(AV) and went into the temple^(AW) of the Lord. ² He sent Eliakim^(AX) the palace administrator, Shebna^(AY) the secretary, and the leading priests, all wearing sackcloth, to the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz.^{(AZ) 3} They told him, “This is what Hezekiah says: This day is a day of distress^(BA) and rebuke and disgrace, as when children come to the moment of birth^(BB) and there is no strength to deliver them. ⁴ It may be that the Lord your God will hear the words of the field commander, whom his master, the king of Assyria, has sent to ridicule^(BC) the living God,^(BD) and that he will rebuke him for the words the Lord your God has heard.^(BE) Therefore pray^(BF) for the remnant^(BG) 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^(BH) of what you have heard—those words with which the underlings of the king of Assyria have blasphemed^(BI) me. ⁷ Listen! When he hears a certain report,^(BJ) I will make him want^(BK) to return to his own country, and there I will have him cut down^(BL) with the sword.’”

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

Hezekiah’s Prayer^(CA)

¹⁴ Hezekiah received the letter^(CB) from the messengers and read it. Then he went up to the temple^(CC) of the Lord and spread it out before the Lord. ¹⁵ And Hezekiah prayed^(CD) to the Lord: ¹⁶ “Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, enthroned^(CE) between the cherubim,^(CF) you alone are God^(CG) over all the kingdoms^(CH) of the earth. You have made heaven and earth.^{(CI) 17} Give ear, Lord, and hear;^(CJ) open your eyes, Lord, and see;^(CK) listen to all the words Sennacherib^(CL) has sent to ridicule^(CM) the living God.^(CN)

¹⁸ “It is true, Lord, that the Assyrian kings have laid waste all these peoples and their lands.^{(CO) 19} They have thrown their gods into the fire^(CP) and destroyed them,^(CQ) for they were not gods^(CR) but only wood and stone, fashioned by human hands.^{(CS) 20} Now, Lord our God, deliver^(CT) us from his hand, so that all the kingdoms of the earth^(CU) may know that you, Lord, are the only God.^[c](CV)”

Sennacherib’s Fall^(CW)

²¹ Then Isaiah son of Amoz^(CX) sent a message to Hezekiah: “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Because you have prayed to me concerning Sennacherib king of Assyria, ²² this is the word the Lord has spoken against him:

³⁰ “This will be the sign^(DW) for you, Hezekiah:

³³ “Therefore this is what the Lord says concerning the king of Assyria:

³⁶ Then the angel^(EM) of the Lord went out and put to death^(EN) a hundred and eighty-five thousand in the Assyrian^(EO) camp. When the people got up the next morning—there were all the dead bodies! ³⁷ So Sennacherib^(EP) king of Assyria broke camp and withdrew. He returned to Nineveh^(EQ) and stayed there.

³⁸ One day, while he was worshiping in the temple^(ER) of his god Nisrok, his sons Adrammelek and Sharezer killed him with the sword, and they escaped to the land of Ararat.^(ES) And Esarhaddon^(ET) his son succeeded him as king.^(EU)

Hezekiah’s Illness^(EV)

38 In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz^(EW) went to him and said, “This is what the Lord says: Put your house in order,^(EX) because you are going to die; you will not recover.”^(EY)

² Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, ³ “Remember, Lord, how I have walked^(EZ) before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion^(FA) and have done what is good in your eyes.^(FB)” And Hezekiah wept^(FC) bitterly.

⁴ Then the word^(FD) of the Lord came to Isaiah: ⁵ “Go and tell Hezekiah, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of your father David,^(FE) says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears;^(FF) I will add fifteen years^(FG) to your life. ⁶ And I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria. I will defend^(FH) this city.

⁷ “‘This is the Lord’s sign^(FI) to you that the Lord will do what he has promised: ⁸ I will make the shadow cast by the sun go back the ten steps it has gone down on the stairway of Ahaz.’” So the sunlight went back the ten steps it had gone down.^(FJ)

⁹ A writing of Hezekiah king of Judah after his illness and recovery:

²¹ Isaiah had said, “Prepare a poultice of figs and apply it to the boil, and he will recover.”

²² Hezekiah had asked, “What will be the sign^(GU) that I will go up to the temple of the Lord?”

Envoys From Babylon^(GV)

39 At that time Marduk-Baladan son of Baladan king of Babylon^(GW) sent Hezekiah letters and a gift, because he had heard of his illness and recovery. ² Hezekiah received the envoys^(GX) gladly and showed them what was in his storehouses—the silver, the gold,^(GY) the spices, the fine olive oil—his entire armory and everything found among his treasures.^(GZ) There was nothing in his palace or in all his kingdom that Hezekiah did not show them.

³ Then Isaiah the prophet went to King Hezekiah and asked, “What did those men say, and where did they come from?”

“From a distant land,^(HA)” Hezekiah replied. “They came to me from Babylon.”

⁴ The prophet asked, “What did they see in your palace?”

“They saw everything in my palace,” Hezekiah said. “There is nothing among my treasures that I did not show them.”

⁵ Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Hear the word^(HB) of the Lord Almighty: ⁶ The time will surely come when everything in your palace, and all that your predecessors have stored up until this day, will be carried off to Babylon.^(HC) Nothing will be left, says the Lord. ⁷ And some of your descendants, your own flesh and blood who will be born to you, will be taken away, and they will become eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.^(HD)”

⁸ “The word of the Lord you have spoken is good,^(HE)” Hezekiah replied. For he thought, “There will be peace and security in my lifetime.^(HF)”

The Fall of Jerusalem^(A)(B)(C)

52 Zedekiah^(D) was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years. His mother’s name was Hamutal daughter of Jeremiah; she was from Libnah.^{(E) 2} He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, just as Jehoiakim^(F) had done. ³ It was because of the Lord’s anger that all this happened to Jerusalem and Judah,^(G) and in the end he thrust them from his presence.^(H)

Now Zedekiah rebelled^(I) against the king of Babylon.

⁴ So in the ninth year of Zedekiah’s reign, on the tenth^(J) day of the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem^(K) with his whole army. They encamped outside the city and built siege works^(L) all around it.^{(M) 5} The city was kept under siege until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah.

⁶ By the ninth day of the fourth month the famine in the city had become so severe that there was no food for the people to eat.^{(N) 7} Then the city wall was broken through, and the whole army fled.^(O) They left the city at night through the gate between the two walls near the king’s garden, though the Babylonians^[a] were surrounding the city. They fled toward the Arabah,^{[b] 8} but the Babylonian^[c] army pursued King Zedekiah and overtook him in the plains of Jericho. All his soldiers were separated from him and scattered, ⁹ and he was captured.^(P)

He was taken to the king of Babylon at Riblah^(Q) in the land of Hamath,^(R) where he pronounced sentence on him. ¹⁰ There at Riblah the king of Babylon killed the sons^(S) of Zedekiah before his eyes; he also killed all the officials of Judah. ¹¹ Then he put out Zedekiah’s eyes, bound him with bronze shackles and took him to Babylon, where he put him in prison till the day of his death.^(T)

¹² On the tenth day of the fifth^(U) month, in the nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, Nebuzaradan^(V) commander of the imperial guard, who served the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem. ¹³ He set fire^(W) to the temple^(X) of the Lord, the royal palace and all the houses^(Y) of Jerusalem. Every important building he burned down. ¹⁴ The whole Babylonian army, under the commander of the imperial guard, broke down all the walls^(Z) around Jerusalem. ¹⁵ Nebuzaradan the commander of the guard carried into exile^(AA) some of the poorest people and those who remained in the city, along with the rest of the craftsmen^[d] and those who had deserted^(AB) to the king of Babylon. ¹⁶ But Nebuzaradan left behind^(AC) the rest of the poorest people of the land to work the vineyards and fields.

¹⁷ The Babylonians broke up the bronze pillars,^(AD) the movable stands^(AE) and the bronze Sea^(AF) that were at the temple of the Lord and they carried all the bronze to Babylon.^{(AG) 18} They also took away the pots, shovels, wick trimmers, sprinkling bowls,^(AH) dishes and all the bronze articles used in the temple service.^{(AI) 19} The commander of the imperial guard took away the basins, censers,^(AJ) sprinkling bowls, pots, lampstands,^(AK) dishes^(AL) and bowls used for drink offerings^(AM)—all that were made of pure gold or silver.^(AN)

²⁰ The bronze from the two pillars, the Sea and the twelve bronze bulls^(AO) under it, and the movable stands, which King Solomon had made for the temple of the Lord, was more than could be weighed.^{(AP) 21} Each pillar was eighteen cubits high and twelve cubits in circumference^[e]; each was four fingers thick, and hollow.^{(AQ) 22} The bronze capital^(AR) on top of one pillar was five cubits^[f] high and was decorated with a network and pomegranates^(AS) of bronze all around. The other pillar, with its pomegranates, was similar. ²³ There were ninety-six pomegranates on the sides; the total number of pomegranates^(AT) above the surrounding network was a hundred.^(AU)

²⁴ The commander of the guard took as prisoners Seraiah^(AV) the chief priest, Zephaniah^(AW) the priest next in rank and the three doorkeepers.^{(AX) 25} Of those still in the city, he took the officer in charge of the fighting men, and seven royal advisers. He also took the secretary^(AY) who was chief officer in charge of conscripting the people of the land, sixty of whom were found in the city. ²⁶ Nebuzaradan^(AZ) the commander took them all and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah. ²⁷ There at Riblah,^(BA) in the land of Hamath, the king had them executed.

So Judah went into captivity, away^(BB) from her land. ²⁸ This is the number of the people Nebuchadnezzar carried into exile:^(BC)

Jehoiachin Released^(BF)

³¹ In the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Jehoiachin^(BG) king of Judah, in the year Awel-Marduk became king of Babylon, on the twenty-fifth day of the twelfth month, he released Jehoiachin king of Judah and freed him from prison. ³² He spoke kindly to him and gave him a seat of honor higher than those of the other kings who were with him in Babylon. ³³ So Jehoiachin put aside his prison clothes and for the rest of his life ate regularly at the king’s table.^{(BH) 34} Day by day the king of Babylon gave Jehoiachin a regular allowance^(BI) as long as he lived, till the day of his death.