Bible in 90 Days
Warnings to Jerusalem
29 How terrible it will be for you, Jerusalem.
You are the city where David camped.
Her festivals have continued
year after year.
2 I will attack Jerusalem.
That city will be filled with sadness and crying.
It will be like an altar to me.
3 I will put armies all around you, Jerusalem.
I will surround you with towers.
I will build devices around you to attack you.
4 You will be pulled down and will speak from the ground.
I will hear your voice rising from the ground.
It will sound like the voice of a ghost.
Your words will come like a whisper from the dirt.
5 Your many enemies will become like fine dust.
The groups of cruel people will be like chaff that is blown away.
Everything will happen very quickly.
6 The Lord of heaven’s armies will come.
He will come with thunder, earthquakes and great noises.
He will come with storms, strong winds and a fire that destroys.
7 Then all the nations that fight against Jerusalem
will be like a dream.
All the nations that surround and attack her
will be like a vision in the night.
8 They will be like a hungry man who dreams he is eating.
But when he wakes up, he is still hungry.
They will be like a thirsty man who dreams he is drinking.
But when he wakes up, he is still weak and thirsty.
It will be the same way with all the nations
who fight against Mount Zion.
9 Be surprised and amazed.
Blind yourselves so that you cannot see.
Become drunk, but not from wine.
Trip and fall, but not from beer.
10 The Lord has made you go into a deep sleep.
He has closed your eyes. (The prophets are your eyes.)
He has covered your heads. (The seers are your heads.)
11 This vision is like the words of a book that is closed and sealed. You may give the book to someone who can read. And you may tell that person to read it. But he will say, “I can’t read the book. It is closed, and I can’t open it.” 12 Or you may give the book to someone who cannot read. You may tell him to read the book. But he will say, “I can’t read it because I don’t know how to read.”
13 The Lord says:
“These people say they love me.
They show honor to me with words.
But their hearts are far from me.
The honor they show me
is nothing but human rules they have memorized.
14 So I will continue to amaze these people
by doing more and more miracles.
Their wise men will lose their wisdom.
Their wise men will not be able to understand.”
Warnings About Other Nations
15 How terrible it will be for those who try
to hide things from the Lord.
How terrible it will be for those who do their work in darkness.
They think no one will see them or know what they do.
16 You are confused.
You think the clay is equal to the potter.
You think that an object can tell the person who made it,
“You didn’t make me.”
This is like a pot telling its maker,
“You don’t know anything.”
A Better Time Is Coming
17 In a very short time, Lebanon will become rich farmland.
And the rich farmland will seem like a forest.
18 At that time the deaf will hear the words in a book.
Instead of having darkness and gloom, the blind will see.
19 The Lord will make the poor people happy.
They will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.
20 Then the people without mercy will come to an end.
Those who do not respect God will disappear.
Those who enjoy doing evil will be gone.
21 Those who lie about others in court will be gone.
Those who trap people in court will be gone.
Those who lie and take justice from innocent people in court will be gone.
22 The Lord set Abraham free. This Lord speaks to the family of Jacob.
“Now the people of Jacob will not be ashamed.
They will not be disgraced any longer.
23 They will see all their children,
the children I made with my hands.
And they will say my name is holy.
The people will agree that the Holy One of Jacob is holy.
They will respect the God of Israel.
24 People who do wrong will now understand.
Those who complain will accept being taught.”
Warnings to the Stubborn Nation
30 The Lord said,
“How terrible it will be for these stubborn children.
They make plans, but they don’t ask me to help them.
They make agreements with other nations, without asking my Spirit.
They are adding more and more sins to themselves.
2 They go down to Egypt for help,
but they didn’t ask me about it first.
They hope they will be saved by the king of Egypt.
They want Egypt to protect them.
3 But hiding in Egypt will bring you only shame.
Egypt’s protection will only disappoint you.
4 Your officers have gone to Zoan.
Your messengers have gone to Hanes.
5 But they will be put to shame,
because Egypt is useless to them.
Egypt will give no help and be of no use.
It will cause them only shame and embarrassment.”
God’s Message to Judah
6 This is the message about the animals in southern Judah:
Southern Judah is a dangerous place.
It is full of lions and lionesses,
poisonous snakes and darting snakes.
The messengers travel through there with their wealth on donkeys’ backs.
They have put their treasure on the backs of camels.
They carry them to a nation that cannot help them.
7 They go to Egypt whose help is useless.
So I call that country Rahab the Do-Nothing.
8 Now write this on a sign for the people.
Write this on a scroll.
Write these things for the days to come.
Write them so they will last forever.
9 These people are like children who lie and refuse to obey.
They refuse to listen to the Lord’s teachings.
10 They tell the seers,
“Don’t see any more visions!”
They say to the prophets,
“Don’t tell us the truth!
Say things that will make us feel good.
See only good things for us.
11 Stop blocking our path.
Get out of our way.
Stop telling us
about God, the Holy One of Israel.”
12 So this is what the Holy One of Israel says:
“You people have refused to accept this message from the Lord.
You depended on cruelty and lies to help you.
13 You are guilty of these things.
So you are like a high wall with cracks in it.
It will fall suddenly and break into small pieces.
14 You will be like a clay jar that breaks.
It breaks into many pieces.
Those pieces will be too small
to take coals from the fire
or to get water from a well.”
15 This is what the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, says:
“If you come back to me and trust me, you will be saved.
If you will be calm and trust me, you will be strong.”
But you don’t want to do that.
16 You say, “No, we need horses to run away on.”
So you will run away on horses.
You say, “We will ride away on fast horses.”
So those who chase you will be fast.
17 One enemy will make threats,
and 1,000 of your men will run away.
Five enemies will make threats,
and all of you will run from them.
You will be left alone like a flagpole on a hilltop.
You will be like a banner on a hill.
18 The Lord wants to show his mercy to you.
He wants to rise and comfort you.
The Lord is a fair God.
And everyone who waits for his help will be happy.
God Will Help His People
19 You people who live on Mount Zion in Jerusalem will not cry anymore. The Lord will hear your crying, and he will comfort you. The Lord will hear you, and he will help you. 20 The Lord has given you sorrow and hurt. It was like the bread and water you ate every day. But he is your teacher, and he will not continue to hide from you. You will see your teacher with your own eyes. 21 If you go the wrong way—to the right or to the left—you will hear a voice behind you. It will say, “This is the right way. You should go this way.” 22 You have statues covered with silver and gold. But you will ruin them for further use. You will throw them away like filthy rags. You will say, “Go away!”
23 At that time the Lord will send rain for you. You will plant seeds in the ground, and the ground will grow food for you. The harvest will be very great. You will have plenty of food in the fields for your animals. There will be large fields for your sheep. 24 Your oxen and donkeys will work the soil. They will have all the food they need. You will have to use shovels and pitchforks to spread all the food for your animals to eat. 25 Every mountain and hill will have streams filled with water. These things will happen after many people are killed and the towers are pulled down. 26 At that time the light from the moon will be bright like the sun. The light from the sun will be seven times brighter than now. The light from the sun in one day will be like a full week. These things will happen when the Lord bandages his broken people and heals the hurts he gave them.
27 Look! The Lord comes from far away.
His anger is like a fire with thick clouds of smoke.
His mouth is filled with anger,
and his tongue is like a burning fire.
28 The Lord’s breath is like a rushing river.
It rises until it reaches the throat.
He will judge the nations as if he is sifting them through the strainer of destruction.
He will place in their mouths a bit that will lead them the wrong way.
29 You will sing happy songs
as on the nights you begin a festival.
You will be happy as people listening to flutes
as they go to the mountain of the Lord.
The Lord is the Rock of Israel.
30 The Lord will cause all people to hear his great voice.
He will cause them to see his powerful arm come down.
It will come with anger like a great fire that burns everything.
It will be like a great storm with much rain and hail.
31 Assyria will be afraid when it hears the voice of the Lord.
The Lord will beat Assyria with a rod.
32 The Lord will punish Assyria with a rod.
He will beat them to the music of tambourines and harps.
The Lord will fight against them with his mighty weapons.
33 Topheth[a] has been made ready for a long time.
It is ready for the king.
It was made deep and wide.
There is much wood and fire there.
And the Lord’s breath will come
like a stream of burning sulfur and burn it.
Warnings About Relying on Egypt
31 How terrible it will be for those people who go down to Egypt for help.
They think horses will save them.
They think their many chariots
and strong horsemen will save them.
They don’t trust God, the Holy One of Israel.
They don’t ask the Lord for help.
2 But it is the Lord who is wise and who can bring them trouble.
He does not change his warnings.
He will rise up and fight against the evil people.
And he will fight against those who try to help evil people.
3 The Egyptians are only people and are not God.
Their horses are only animals and are not spirit.
The Lord will stretch out his arm,
and the one who helps will stumble.
The people who wanted help will fall.
All of them will be destroyed together.
4 The Lord says this to me:
“When a lion or a lion’s cub kills an animal to eat,
it stands over the dead animal and roars.
A band of shepherds
may be assembled against it.
But the lion will not be afraid of their yelling.
It will not be upset by their noise.
So the Lord of heaven’s armies will come down
to fight on Mount Zion and on its hill.
5 The Lord of heaven’s armies will defend Jerusalem.
He will defend it like birds flying over their nests.
He will defend and save it.
He will ‘pass over’ and save Jerusalem.”
6 You children of Israel, come back to the God that you fought against. 7 The time is coming when each of you will stop worshiping the idols of gold and silver that you made. You truly sinned when you made them.
8 “Assyria will be defeated by a sword, but not the sword of a man.
Assyria will be destroyed, but not by a man’s sword.
Assyria will run away from the sword of God.
But their young men will be caught and made slaves.
9 They will panic, and their place of safety will be destroyed.
Their commanders will be terrified when they see God’s battle flag.”
The Lord said all these things.
The Lord’s fire is in Jerusalem.
His furnace is in Jerusalem.
A Good Kingdom Is Coming
32 A king will rule in a way that brings justice.
Leaders will make fair decisions.
2 Then each ruler will be like a shelter from the wind.
He will be like a safe place in a storm.
He will be like streams of water in a dry land.
He will be like a cool shadow from a large rock in a hot land.
3 People will look to the king for help.
And they will truly listen to what he says.
4 People who are now worried will be able to understand.
Those who cannot speak clearly now will then be able to speak clearly and quickly.
5 Fools will not be called great men.
People will not respect wicked men.
6 A fool says foolish things.
And in his mind he plans to do evil things.
A fool wants to do things that are wrong.
He says wrong things about the Lord.
A fool does not feed the hungry.
He does not let thirsty people drink water.
7 The wicked man uses evil like a tool.
He plans ways to take everything from poor people.
He destroys the poor with lies,
even when the poor man is in the right.
8 But a good leader plans good things to do.
And those good things make him a good leader.
Hard Times Are Coming
9 You women who are calm now,
stand up and listen to me.
You women who feel safe now,
hear what I say.
10 You women feel safe now,
but after one year you will be afraid.
There will be no grape harvest.
There will not be any summer fruit to gather.
11 Women, you are calm now, but you should shake with fear.
Women, you feel safe now, but you should tremble.
Take off your nice clothes.
Then put rough cloth around your waist to show your sadness.
12 Beat your breasts in grief because the fields that were pleasant are now empty.
Cry because the vines that once had fruit now have no more grapes.
13 Cry for the land of my people.
Cry because only thorns and weeds grow there now.
Cry for the city that once was happy.
And cry for all the houses that once were filled with joy.
14 The palace will be empty.
People will leave the noisy city.
Strong cities and towers will be empty.
Wild donkeys will love to live there. Sheep will go there to eat.
Things Will Get Better
15 This will continue until God puts his Spirit from above into us.
Then the desert will be like a fertile field.
And the fertile field will be like a forest.
16 Justice will be found even in the desert.
And fairness will be found in the fertile fields.
17 That fairness will bring peace.
And fairness will bring calm and safety forever.
18 My people will live in peaceful places.
They will have safe homes.
They will live in calm places of rest.
19 Hail will destroy the forest.
And the city will be completely destroyed.
20 But you will be happy as you plant seeds near every stream.
You will let your cattle and donkeys wander freely.
Warnings to Assyria and Promises to God’s People
33 How terrible it will be for you who destroy others.
But you have not been destroyed yet.
How terrible it will be for you, traitor.
But no one has turned against you yet.
When you stop destroying,
others will destroy you.
When you stop turning against others,
they will turn against you.
2 Lord, be kind to us.
We have waited for your help.
Lord, give us strength every morning.
Save us when we are in trouble.
3 Your powerful voice makes people run away in fear.
Your greatness causes the nations to run away.
4 Like locusts, your enemies will take away the things you stole in war.
Like locusts rushing about, they will take your wealth.
5 The Lord is very great. He lives in a high place.
He fills Jerusalem with fairness and justice.
6 The Lord will be your safety.
He is full of salvation, wisdom and knowledge.
Respect for the Lord is the greatest treasure.
7 See, brave men are crying out in the streets.
Those who tried to bring peace are crying loudly.
8 There is no one on the roads.
No one is walking in the paths.
People have broken the agreements they made.
People refuse to believe the proof from witnesses.
No one respects other people.
9 The land is sick and dying.
Lebanon is ashamed and dying.
The Plain of Sharon is dry like the desert.
The trees of Bashan and Carmel are dying.
10 The Lord says, “Now, I will stand up
and show my greatness.
Now, I will become important to the people.
11 You people do useless things.
These things are like hay and straw.
A destructive wind will burn you like fire.
12 People will be burned until their bones become like lime.
They will burn quickly like dry thornbushes.”
13 You people in faraway lands, hear what I have done.
You people who are near me, learn about my power.
14 The sinners in Jerusalem are afraid.
The people who are separated from God shake with fear.
They say, “Can any of us live through this fire that destroys?
Who can live near this fire that burns on and on?”
15 A person might do what is right.
He might speak what is right.
He might refuse to take money unfairly.
He might refuse to take money to hurt others.
He might not listen to plans of murder.
He might refuse to think about evil.
16 This is the kind of person who will be safe.
He will be protected as he would be in a high, walled city.
He will always have bread,
and he will not run out of water.
17 Your eyes will see the king in his beauty.
You will see the land that stretches far away.
18 You will think about the terror of the past.
You will think, “Where is that officer?
Where is the one who collected the taxes?
Where is the officer in charge of our defense towers?”
19 You will not see those proud people from other countries anymore.
No more will you hear their strange language
that you couldn’t understand.
God Will Protect Jerusalem
20 Look at Jerusalem, the city of our festivals.
Look at Jerusalem, that beautiful place of rest.
It is like a tent that will never be moved.
The pegs that hold her in place will never be moved.
Her ropes will never be broken.
21 There the Lord will be our Mighty One.
That land is a place with streams and wide rivers.
But there will be no enemy boats on those rivers.
No powerful ship will sail on those rivers.
22 This is because the Lord is our judge.
The Lord makes our laws.
The Lord is our king.
He will save us.
23 You sailors from other lands, hear:
The ropes on your boats hang loose.
The mast is not held firm.
The sails are not spread open.
The Lord will give us your wealth.
There will be so much wealth even the crippled people will carry off a share.
24 No one living in Jerusalem will say, “I am sick.”
The people who live there will have their sins forgiven.
God Will Punish His Enemies
34 All you nations, come near and listen.
Pay attention, you peoples!
The earth and all the people in it should listen.
The world and everything in it should listen.
2 The Lord is angry with all the nations.
He is angry with their armies.
He will destroy them and kill them all.
3 Their bodies will be thrown outside.
The stink will rise from the bodies,
and the blood will flow down the mountains.
4 The sun, moon and stars will dissolve.
The sky will be rolled up like a scroll.
The stars will fall
like dead leaves from a vine
or dried-up figs from a fig tree.
5 The Lord’s sword in the sky is covered with blood.
It will cut through Edom.
He will destroy these people as an offering to the Lord.
6 The Lord’s sword will be covered with blood.
It will be covered with fat.
It is the blood from lambs and goats.
It is the fat from the kidneys of male sheep.
This is because the Lord decided there will be a sacrifice in Bozrah.
He has decided there will be much killing in Edom.
7 The oxen will be killed.
And the cattle and the strong bulls will be killed.
The land will be filled with their blood.
The dirt will be covered with their fat.
8 The Lord has chosen a time for punishment.
He has chosen a year when people must pay for the wrongs they did to Jerusalem.
9 Edom’s rivers will be like hot tar.
The dirt of Edom will be like burning sulfur.
The land of Edom will be like burning tar.
10 The fires will burn night and day.
The smoke will rise from Edom forever.
Year after year that land will be empty.
No one will ever travel through that land again.
11 Birds and small animals will own that land.
Owls and ravens will live there.
God will make it an empty wasteland.
It will have nothing left in it.
12 The important men will have no one left to rule them.
The leaders will all be gone.
13 Thorns will take over the strong towers.
Wild bushes will grow in the walled cities.
Wild dogs will live there.
Owls will live in those homes.
14 Desert animals will live with the hyenas there.
And wild goats will call to their friends.
Night animals will live there.
They will find a place of rest there.
15 Owls will nest there and lay eggs.
When the eggs open, the owls will gather their young under their wings.
Hawks will gather
with their own kind.
16 Look at the Lord’s scroll. Read what is written there:
None of these will be missing.
Every one will have its mate.
God said he will gather them together.
So his Spirit will gather them together.
17 God has divided the land among them.
And he has given them each their land.
So they will own that land forever.
They will live there year after year.
God Will Comfort His People
35 The desert and dry land will become happy.
The desert will be glad and will produce flowers.
Like a flower, 2 it will have many blooms.
It will show its happiness, as if it is shouting with joy.
It will be beautiful like the forest of Lebanon.
It will be as beautiful as the hill of Carmel and the Plain of Sharon.
All people will see the glory of the Lord.
They will see the splendor of our God.
3 Make the weak hands strong.
Make the weak knees strong.
4 Say to people who are afraid and confused,
“Be strong. Don’t be afraid.
Look, your God will come,
and he will punish your enemies.
He will make them pay for the wrongs they did.
He will come and save you.”
5 Then the blind people will see again.
Then the deaf will hear.
6 Crippled people will jump like deer.
And those who can’t talk now will shout with joy.
Springs of water will flow in the desert.
Streams will flow in the dry land.
7 The burning desert will have pools of water.
The dry ground will have springs.
Where wild dogs once lived,
grass and water plants will grow.
8 A road will be there.
This highway will be called “The Road to Being Holy.”
Evil people will not be allowed to walk on that road.
Only good people will walk on that road.
No fools will go on it.
9 No lions will be there.
No dangerous animals will be on that road.
They will not be found there.
That road will be for the people God saves.
10 The people the Lord has freed will return there.
They will enter Jerusalem with joy.
Their happiness will last forever.
Their gladness and joy will fill them completely.
Sorrow and sadness will go far away.
The Assyrians Invade Judah
36 During Hezekiah’s fourteenth year as king, Sennacherib king of Assyria attacked Judah. He attacked all the strong, walled cities of Judah and defeated them. 2 The king of Assyria sent out his field commander. He went with a large army from Lachish to King Hezekiah in Jerusalem. When the commander came near the waterway from the upper pool, he stopped. The upper pool is on the road to the Washerman’s Field. 3 Eliakim, Shebna and Joah went out to meet him. Eliakim son of Hilkiah was the palace manager. Shebna was the royal assistant. And Joah son of Asaph was the recorder.
4 The field commander said to them, “Tell Hezekiah this:
“‘The great king, the king of Assyria, says: You have nothing to trust in to help you. 5 You say you have battle plans and power for war. But your words mean nothing. Whom are you trusting for help so that you turn against me? 6 Look, you are depending on Egypt to help you. Egypt is like a splintered walking stick. If you lean on it for help, it will stab you and hurt you. The king of Egypt will hurt those who depend on him. 7 You might say, “We are depending on the Lord our God.” But Hezekiah destroyed the Lord’s altars and the places of worship. Hezekiah told Judah and Jerusalem, “You must worship only at this one altar.”
8 “‘Now make an agreement with my master, the king of Assyria: I will give you 2,000 horses if you can find enough men to ride them. 9 You cannot defeat one of my master’s least important officers. So why do you depend on Egypt to give you chariots and horsemen? 10 I have not come to attack and destroy this country without an order from the Lord. The Lord himself told me to come to this country and destroy it.’”
11 Then Eliakim, Shebna and Joah spoke to the field commander. They said, “Please speak to us in the Aramaic language. We understand it. Don’t speak to us in Hebrew because the people on the city wall can hear you.”
12 But the commander said, “No. My master did not send me to tell these things only to you and your king. My master sent me to tell them also to those people sitting on the wall. They will have to eat their own dung and drink their own urine like you.”
13 Then the commander stood and shouted loudly in the Hebrew language. He said, “Listen to the words from the great king, the king of Assyria! 14 The king says you should not let Hezekiah fool you. Hezekiah can’t save you. 15 Don’t let Hezekiah talk you into trusting the Lord. Hezekiah says, ‘The Lord will surely save us. This city won’t be given over to the king of Assyria.’
16 “Don’t listen to Hezekiah. The king of Assyria says, ‘Make peace with me. Come out of the city to me. Then everyone will be free to eat the fruit from his own grapevine and fig tree. Everyone will be free to drink water from his own well. 17 Then I will come and take you to a land like your own. It is a land with grain and new wine. It has bread and vineyards.’
18 “Don’t let Hezekiah fool you. He says, ‘The Lord will save us.’ The god of any other nation has not saved his people from the power of the king of Assyria. 19 Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim? They did not save Samaria from my power. 20 Not one of all the gods of these countries has saved his people from me. Then the Lord cannot save Jerusalem from my power.”
21 The people were silent. They didn’t answer the commander at all. This was because King Hezekiah had ordered, “Don’t answer him.”
22 Then Eliakim, Shebna and Joah tore their clothes to show how upset they were. (Eliakim son of Hilkiah was the palace manager. Shebna was the royal assistant. And Joah son of Asaph was the recorder.) The three men went to Hezekiah and told him what the field commander had said.
Hezekiah Asks God to Help
37 When King Hezekiah heard the message, he tore his clothes. And he put on rough cloth to show how sad he was. Then he went into the Temple of the Lord. 2 Hezekiah sent Eliakim, Shebna and the older priests to Isaiah. Eliakim was the palace manager, and Shebna was the royal assistant. The men were all wearing the rough cloth when they came to Isaiah. He was a prophet, the son of Amoz. 3 These men told Isaiah, “This is what Hezekiah says: Today is a day of sorrow and punishment and disgrace. It is sad, as when a child should be born, but the mother is not strong enough to give birth to it. 4 The king of Assyria sent his field commander to make fun of the living God. Maybe the Lord your God will hear what the commander said. Maybe the Lord your God will punish him for what he said. So pray for the few people of Israel who are left alive.”
5 When Hezekiah’s officers came to Isaiah, 6 he said to them, “Tell your master this: The Lord says, ‘Don’t be afraid of what you have heard. Don’t be frightened by the words the servants of the king of Assyria said against me. 7 Listen! I am going to put a spirit in the king of Assyria. He will hear a report that will make him return to his own country. And I will cause him to die by the sword there.’”
8 The field commander heard that the king of Assyria had left Lachish. So the commander left and found the king fighting against the city of Libnah.
9 The king received a report that Tirhakah was coming to attack him. Tirhakah was the Cushite king of Egypt. When the king of Assyria heard this, he sent messengers to Hezekiah. The king said: 10 “Say this to Hezekiah king of Judah: Don’t be fooled by the god you trust. Don’t believe him when he says Jerusalem will not be defeated by the king of Assyria. 11 You have heard what the kings of Assyria have done. They have completely defeated every country. Do not think you will be saved. 12 The gods of those people did not save them. My ancestors destroyed them. My ancestors defeated the cities of Gozan, Haran and Rezeph. They defeated the people of Eden living in Tel Assar. 13 Where are the kings of Hamath and Arpad? Where is the king of the city of Sepharvaim? Where are the kings of Hena and Ivvah?”
Hezekiah Prays to the Lord
14 Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers and read it. Then he went up to the Temple of the Lord. Hezekiah spread the letter out before the Lord. 15 And he prayed to the Lord: 16 “Lord of heaven’s armies, you are the God of Israel. Your throne is between the gold creatures with wings. Only you are the God of all the kingdoms of the earth. You made the heavens and the earth. 17 Hear, Lord, and listen. Open your eyes, Lord, and see. Listen to all the words Sennacherib has said to insult the living God.
18 “It is true, Lord. The kings of Assyria have destroyed all these countries and their lands. 19 These kings have thrown the gods of these nations into the fire. But they were only wood and rock statues that men made. So the kings have destroyed them. 20 Now, Lord our God, save us from the king’s power. Then all the kingdoms of the earth will know that you, Lord, are the only God.”
God Answers Hezekiah
21 Then Isaiah son of Amoz sent a message to Hezekiah. Isaiah said, “The Lord, the God of Israel, says this: ‘You prayed to me about Sennacherib king of Assyria. 22 So this is what the Lord has said against Sennacherib:
The people of Jerusalem
hate you and make fun of you.
The people of Jerusalem
laugh at you as you run away.
23 You have insulted me and spoken against me.
You have raised your voice against me.
You have a proud look on your face.
You disobey me, the Holy One of Israel!
24 You have used your messengers to insult the Lord.
You have said, “I have many chariots.
With them I have gone to the tops of the mountains.
I have climbed the highest mountains of Lebanon.
I have cut down its tallest cedars.
I have cut down its best pine trees.
I have gone to its greatest heights.
I have gone to its best forests.
25 I have dug wells in foreign countries.
I have drunk water there.
By the soles of my feet,
I have dried up all the rivers of Egypt.”
26 “‘King of Assyria, surely you have heard.
Long ago I, the Lord, planned these things.
Long ago I planned them.
Now I have made them happen.
I allowed you to turn those strong, walled cities
into piles of rocks.
27 The people living in those cities were weak.
They were frightened and put to shame.
They were like grass in the field.
They were like tender, young grass.
They were like grass that grows on the housetop.
It is burned by the wind before it can grow.
28 “‘I know when you rest and when you come and go.
I know how you speak against me.
29 You speak strongly against me.
And I have heard your proud words.
So I will put my hook in your nose.
And I will put my bit in your mouth.
Then I will force you to leave my country
the same way that you came.’
30 “Then the Lord said, ‘Hezekiah, I will give you this sign:
This year you will eat the grain that grows wild.
And the second year you will eat what grows wild from that.
But in the third year, plant grain and harvest it.
Plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
31 The people left alive in the family of Judah
will be saved.
Like plants that take root,
they will grow strong and have many children.
32 A few people will come out of Jerusalem alive.
There will be a few from Mount Zion who will live.
The strong love of the Lord of heaven’s armies
will cause this to happen.’
33 “So this is what the Lord says about the king of Assyria:
‘He will not enter this city.
He will not even shoot an arrow here.
He will not fight against it with shields.
He will not build a ramp to attack the city walls.
34 He will return to his country the same way he came.
He will not enter this city,’
says the Lord.
35 The Lord says, ‘I will defend and save this city.
I will do this for myself and for David, my servant.’”
36 Then the angel of the Lord went out. He killed 185,000 men in the Assyrian camp. When the people got up early the next morning, they saw all the dead bodies! 37 So Sennacherib king of Assyria left. He went back to Nineveh and stayed there.
38 One day Sennacherib was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisroch. While he was there, his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer killed him with a sword. Then they escaped to the land of Ararat. So Sennacherib’s son Esarhaddon became king of Assyria.
Hezekiah’s Illness
38 At that time Hezekiah became very sick. He was almost dead. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to see him. Isaiah told him, “This is what the Lord says: You are going to die. So you should give your last orders to everyone. You will not get well.”
2 Hezekiah turned toward the wall and prayed to the Lord. 3 He said, “Lord, please remember that I have always obeyed you. I have given myself completely to you. I have done what you said was right.” And Hezekiah cried loudly.
4 Then the Lord spoke his word to Isaiah: 5 “Go to Hezekiah and tell him: ‘This is what the Lord, the God of your ancestor David, says: I have heard your prayer. And I have seen your tears. I will add 15 years to your life. 6 I will save you and this city from the king of Assyria. I will defend this city.’”
21 [b] Then Isaiah said, “Make a paste from figs. Put it on Hezekiah’s boil. Then he will get well.”
22 Hezekiah asked Isaiah, “What will be the sign? What will show that I will go up to the Temple of the Lord?”
7 Isaiah said, “The Lord will do what he says. This is the sign from the Lord to show you: 8 The sun has made a shadow go down the stairway of Ahaz. I will make it go back ten steps.” So the shadow made by the sun went back up the ten steps it had gone down.
9 After Hezekiah king of Judah got well, he wrote this song:
10 I said, “I am in the middle of my life.
Do I have to go through the gates where the dead are now?
Will I have the rest of my life taken away from me?”
11 I said, “I will not see the Lord
in the land of the living again.
I will not again see the people
who live on the earth.
12 Like a shepherd’s tent,
my home has been pulled down and taken from me.
I am finished like the cloth
a weaver rolls up and cuts from the loom.
In one day you brought me to this end.
13 All night I cried loudly.
Like a lion, he crushed all my bones.
In one day you brought me to this end.
14 I cried like a bird.
I moaned like a dove.
My eyes became tired as I looked to the heavens.
Lord, I have troubles. Please help me.”
15 What can I say?
The Lord told me what would happen and then made it happen.
I have had these troubles in my soul.
So now I will be humble all my life.
16 Lord, because of you, men live.
Because of you, my spirit also lives.
You made me well and let me live.
17 It was for my own good
that I had such troubles.
Because you love me very much,
you did not let me die.
You threw my sins
far away.
18 People in the place where the dead are cannot praise you.
Those who have died cannot sing praises to you.
Those who die don’t trust you
to help them.
19 The people who are alive are the ones who praise you.
They praise you as I praise you today.
A father should tell his children
that you provide help.
20 The Lord saved me.
So we will sing and play songs.
We will make music in the Temple of the Lord
all the days of our lives.
Messengers from Babylon
39 At that time Merodach-Baladan son of Baladan was king of Babylon. He sent letters and a gift to Hezekiah. He did this because he had heard that Hezekiah had been sick and was now well. 2 Hezekiah was happy to see the messengers. So he showed them what was in his storehouses: the silver, gold, spices and expensive perfumes. He showed them his swords and shields. He showed them all his wealth. He showed them everything in his palace and in his kingdom.
3 Then Isaiah the prophet went to King Hezekiah. He asked Hezekiah, “What did these men say? Where did they come from?”
Hezekiah said, “They came from a faraway country. They came to me from Babylon.”
4 So Isaiah asked him, “What did they see in your palace?”
Hezekiah said, “They saw everything in my palace. I showed them all my wealth.”
5 Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah: “Listen to the words of the Lord of heaven’s armies: 6 ‘In the future everything in your palace will be taken away to Babylon. Everything your ancestors have stored up until this day will be taken away. Nothing will be left,’ says the Lord. 7 Some of your own children will be taken away. Those who will be born to you will be taken away. And they will become eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.”
8 Hezekiah told Isaiah, “These words from the Lord are good.” He said this because he thought, “There will be peace and security while I am king.”
Israel’s Punishment Will End
40 Your God says,
“Comfort, comfort my people.
2 Speak kindly to the people of Jerusalem.
Tell them
that their time of service is finished.
Tell them that they have paid for their sins.
Tell them that the Lord has punished Jerusalem
twice for every sin they did.”
3 This is the voice of a man who calls out:
“Prepare in the desert
the way for the Lord.
Make the road in the dry lands
straight for our God.
4 Every valley should be raised up.
Every mountain and hill should be made flat.
The rough ground should be made level.
The rugged ground should be made smooth.
5 Then the glory of the Lord will be shown.
All people together will see it.
The Lord himself said these things.”
6 A voice says, “Cry out!”
Then I said, “What shall I cry out?”
“Say all people are like the grass.
And all their strength is like the flowers of the field.
7 The grass dies, and the flowers fall.
This is because the breath of the Lord blows on them.
Surely the people are like grass.
8 The grass dies, and the flowers fall.
But the word of our God will live forever.”
9 Jerusalem, you have good news to tell.
Go up on a high mountain.
Jerusalem, you have good news to tell.
Shout out loud the good news.
Shout it out and don’t be afraid.
Say to the towns of Judah,
“Here is your God.”
10 Look, the Lord God is coming with power.
He will use his power to rule all the people.
Look, he will bring reward for his people.
He will have their payment with him.
11 The Lord takes care of his people like a shepherd.
He gathers the people like lambs in his arms.
He carries them close to him.
He gently leads the mothers of the lambs.
God Is Supreme
12 Who has measured the oceans in the palm of his hand?
Who has used his hand to measure the sky?
Who has used a bowl to measure all the dust of the earth?
Who has used scales to weigh the mountains and hills?
13 Who has known the mind of the Lord?
Who has been able to give the Lord advice?
14 Whom did the Lord ask for help?
Who taught him the right way?
Who taught the Lord knowledge?
Who showed him the way to understanding?
15 The nations are like one small drop in a bucket.
They are no more than the dust on his measuring scales.
To him the islands are no more than fine dust on his scales.
16 All the trees in Lebanon are not enough for the altar fires.
And all the animals in Lebanon are not enough for burnt offerings.
17 Compared to the Lord all the nations are worth nothing.
To him they are less than nothing.
18 Can you compare God to anything?
Can you compare him to an image of anything?
19 An idol is formed by a man.
And another man covers it with gold.
And he makes silver chains for it.
20 A poor man cannot buy those expensive statues.
So he finds a tree that will not rot.
And he finds a skilled workman
to make it into an idol that will not fall over.
21 Surely you know. Surely you have heard.
Surely in the beginning someone told you.
Surely you understand how the earth was created.
22 God sits on his throne above the circle of the earth.
And compared to him, people are like grasshoppers.
He stretches out the skies like a piece of cloth.
He spreads them out like a tent to sit under.
23 He makes rulers unimportant.
He makes the judges of this world worth nothing.
24 They are like plants that are placed in the ground.
They are like seeds that are planted.
As soon as they begin to grow strong,
he blows on them and they die.
The wind blows them away like chaff.
25 God, the Holy One, says, “Can you compare me to anyone?
Is anyone equal to me?”
26 Look up to the skies.
Who created all these stars?
He leads out all the army of heaven one by one.
He calls all the stars by name.
He is very strong and full of power.
So not one of them is missing.
27 People of Jacob, why do you complain?
People of Israel, why do you say,
“The Lord does not see what happens to me.
He does not care if I am treated fairly”?
28 Surely you know.
Surely you have heard.
The Lord is the God who lives forever.
He created all the world.
He does not become tired or need to rest.
No one can understand how great his wisdom is.
29 The Lord gives strength to those who are tired.
He gives more power to those who are weak.
30 Even boys become tired and need to rest.
Even young men trip and fall.
31 But the people who trust the Lord will become strong again.
They will be able to rise up as an eagle in the sky.
They will run without needing rest.
They will walk without becoming tired.
The Lord Will Help Israel
41 The Lord says, “Faraway countries, listen to me.
Let the nations become strong.
Come to me and speak.
We will meet together to decide who is right.
2 “Who caused the man to come from the east?
Who gives the man victories everywhere he goes?
The one who brought him gives nations over to him.
He defeats kings for him.
The man uses his sword, and the kings become like dust.
He uses his bow, and they are blown away like chaff.
3 He chases them and is never hurt.
He goes places where he has never been before.
4 Who caused this to happen?
Who has controlled history since the beginning?
I, the Lord, am the one. I was here at the beginning.
And I will be here when all things are finished.”
5 All you faraway places, look and be afraid.
All you places far away on the earth, shake with fear.
Come close and listen to me.
6 The workers help each other.
They say to each other, “Be strong!”
7 The man who carves wood encourages the man who works with gold.
The workman who smooths the metal with a hammer encourages the man who shapes the metal.
This last workman says, “This metal work is good.”
He nails the statue to a base so it can’t fall over.
Only the Lord Can Save Us
8 The Lord says, “People of Israel, you are my servants.
People of Jacob, I chose you.
You are from the family of my friend Abraham.
9 You were far away on the earth.
I called you from a faraway country.
I said, ‘You are my servants.’
I have chosen you, and I have not turned against you.
10 So don’t worry, because I am with you.
Don’t be afraid, because I am your God.
I will make you strong and will help you.
I will support you with my right hand that saves you.
11 “All those people who are angry with you
will be ashamed and disgraced.
Those who are against you
will disappear and be lost.
12 You will look for your enemies.
But you will not find them.
Those who fought against you
will vanish completely.
13 I am the Lord your God.
I am holding your right hand.
And I tell you, ‘Don’t be afraid.
I will help you.’
14 You few people of Israel who are left,
do not be afraid even though you are weak as a worm.
I myself will help you,” says the Lord.
“I am the one who saves you, the Holy One of Israel.
15 Look, I have made you like a threshing board.
You are new, with many sharp teeth.
So you will walk on mountains and crush them.
You will make the hills like chaff.
16 You will throw them into the air. And the wind will carry them away.
A windstorm will scatter them.
Then you will be happy in the Lord.
You will be proud of the Holy One of Israel.
17 “The poor and needy people look for water.
But they can’t find any.
Their tongues are dry with thirst.
But I, the Lord, will answer their prayers.
I, the God of Israel, will not leave them to die.
18 I will make rivers flow on the dry hills.
I will make springs of water flow through the valleys.
I will change the desert into a lake of water.
I will change the dry land into springs of water.
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.