Old/New Testament

Hezekiah Talks to Isaiah

19 When King Hezekiah heard about it, he tore his clothes and covered himself with cloth made from hair. Then he went into the house of the Lord. ² He sent Eliakim who was the head of the house, Shebna the writer, and the head religious leaders, to the man of God Isaiah the son of Amoz. They were covered with cloth made from hair. ³ And they said to him, “Hezekiah says, ‘This day is a day of trouble, sharp words, and shame. For children have come to be born, but there is no strength to give birth to them. ⁴ It might be that the Lord your God will hear all the words of Rabshakeh, whom his ruler the king of Assyria has sent to make fun of the living God. And the Lord your God might speak sharp words against what He has heard. So pray for those who are left of the Lord’s people.’” ⁵ The servants of King Hezekiah came to Isaiah. ⁶ And Isaiah said to them, “Tell your ruler, ‘This is what the Lord says: “Do not be afraid because of the words you have heard spoken against Me by the servants of the king of Assyria. ⁷ See, I will put a spirit in him so that he will hear a made-up story and he will return to his own land. And I will have him killed by the sword in his own land.”’”

Assyrians Talk of Taking Jerusalem Again

⁸ Rabshakeh returned and found the king of Assyria fighting against Libnah. For he had heard that the king had left Lachish. ⁹ The king of Assyria was told, “See, King Tirhakah of Cush has come out to fight against you.” So he sent men again to Hezekiah, saying, ¹⁰ “Tell King Hezekiah of Judah, ‘Do not let your God in Whom you trust lie to you by saying that Jerusalem will not be given into the power of the king of Assyria. ¹¹ You have heard how the kings of Assyria have destroyed all the lands. And will you be saved? ¹² Did the gods of those nations which my fathers destroyed save them? Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and the people of Eden who were in Telassar, were destroyed. ¹³ Where are the kings of Hamath, Arpad, the city of Sepharvaim, Hena and Ivvah?’”

¹⁴ Hezekiah took the letter from the hand of the men from Assyria, and read it. Then he went up to the house of the Lord, and spread the letter out before the Lord. ¹⁵ Hezekiah prayed to the Lord, saying, “O Lord the God of Israel, You sit on Your throne above the cherubim. You are the God, and You alone, of all the nations of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. ¹⁶ Turn Your ear, O Lord, and hear. Open Your eyes, O Lord, and see. Listen to the words Sennacherib has spoken against the living God. ¹⁷ O Lord, it is true that the kings of Assyria have destroyed the nations and their lands. ¹⁸ They have thrown their gods into the fire. For they were not gods, but the work of men’s hands, made from wood and stone. So they have destroyed them. ¹⁹ Now, O Lord our God, I beg You to save us from his power. Then all the nations of the earth may know that You alone are God, O Lord.”

Isaiah’s Word to the King

²⁰ Isaiah the son of Amoz sent word to Hezekiah, saying, “The Lord, the God of Israel, says, ‘I have heard your prayer to Me about Sennacherib king of Assyria.’ ²¹ This is the Word that the Lord has spoken against him: ‘She has hated you and made fun of you, the young daughter of Zion! She has shaken her head behind you, the daughter of Jerusalem! ²² Whom have you spoken against? Against whom have you raised your voice, and lifted your eyes in pride? Against the Holy One of Israel! ²³ You have spoken against the Lord through the men you have sent. You have said, “With my many war-wagons I have come up to the tops of the mountains, to the farthest parts of Lebanon. I cut down its tall cedar trees and its best cypress trees. I went to its highest place, where its trees are close together. ²⁴ I dug wells and drank the water of other lands. I dried up all the rivers of Egypt with the bottom of my feet.”

²⁵ ’Have you not heard that I planned this long ago? From times long ago I planned it. Now I have made it happen, that you should destroy strong cities. ²⁶ That is why those who lived there did not have much strength. They were troubled and put to shame. They were like the plants of the field and the green grass. They were like grass on the roofs, killed by the sun before it is grown. ²⁷ But I know when you sit down, go out, and come in. And I know how you speak in anger against Me. ²⁸ You have spoken against Me in your anger and pride, and I have heard it. So I will put My hook in your nose, and My bit in your mouth. And I will have you return by the way you came. ²⁹ ’This will be the special thing for you to see: This year you will eat what grows of itself. In the second year you will eat what grows of the same. Then in the third year, you will plant seeds and gather food. You will plant vines and eat their fruit. ³⁰ And those who are left of the family of Judah will again take root and give fruit. ³¹ For those who are left will go out of Jerusalem. Those who are still alive will go out of Mount Zion. This will be done by the power of the Lord. ³² So this is what the Lord says about the king of Assyria: He will not come to this city or shoot an arrow there. He will not come to it with a battle-covering or build a wall around it. ³³ He will return by the way he came. He will not come to this city, says the Lord. ³⁴ For I will help this city and save it, because of My honor, and because of My servant David.’”

Sennacherib’s Death

³⁵ That night the angel of the Lord went out and killed 185,000 men among the Assyrian tents. When those left alive got up early in the morning, they saw all the dead bodies. ³⁶ Then King Sennacherib of Assyria left and returned home, and lived at Nineveh. ³⁷ As he was worshiping in the house of his god Nisroch, Adrammelech and Sharezer killed him with the sword. Then they ran away to the land of Ararat. And his son Esarhaddon became king in his place.

Hezekiah Will Live Fifteen Years Longer

20 In those days Hezekiah became sick enough to die. The man of God, Isaiah the son of Amoz, came to him and said, “This is what the Lord says, ‘Get those of your house ready. For you will die. You will not get well again.’” ² Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, saying, ³ “I beg You, O Lord, remember how I have walked before You in truth and with a whole heart. I have done what is good in Your eyes.” And Hezekiah cried much. ⁴ Before Isaiah had gone out of the center room, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, ⁵ “Return to Hezekiah the leader of My people. Tell him, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of your father David, says, “I have heard your prayer. I have seen your tears. See, I will heal you. On the third day you must go up to the house of the Lord. ⁶ And I will add fifteen years to your life. I will save you and this city from the power of the king of Assyria. And I will help this city because of My honor and because of My servant David.” ‘ ” ⁷ Then Isaiah said, “Bring a loaf made of figs. Have them take and lay it on the sore on Hezekiah’s body. Then he will be well again.” And they took and laid it on the boil and he was healed.

⁸ Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “What will be the special thing for me to see, that the Lord will heal me, and that I will go up to the house of the Lord on the third day?” ⁹ Isaiah said, “This will be the special thing for you to see from the Lord, to show that the Lord will do what He has said. Will the shadow go ten steps farther, or go back ten steps?” ¹⁰ Hezekiah answered, “It is easy for the shadow to go ten steps farther. But let the shadow turn back ten steps.” ¹¹ So Isaiah the man of God cried to the Lord, and the Lord brought the shadow back ten steps, on the steps set up by King Ahaz.

Men Come from Babylon

¹² At that time Berodach-baladan, a son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a gift to Hezekiah. For he heard that Hezekiah had been sick. ¹³ Hezekiah listened to them and showed them all his riches. He showed them the silver, the gold, the spices, the oil of much worth, the things used in battle, and all that was found in his store-rooms. There was nothing in his house, or in all the places of his rule, that Hezekiah did not show them. ¹⁴ Then Isaiah the man of God came to King Hezekiah and said, “What did these men say? From where have they come to you?” Hezekiah said, “They have come from a far country, from Babylon.” ¹⁵ Isaiah said, “What have they seen in your house?” And Hezekiah answered, “They have seen all that is in my house. There is nothing among my riches that I have not shown them.”

¹⁶ Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Hear the word of the Lord. ¹⁷ ’See, the days are coming when all that is in your house, all that your fathers have kept in store to this day, will be carried to Babylon. Nothing will be left,’ says the Lord. ¹⁸ ’And some of your sons who will be born to you will be taken away. They will be servants in the house of the king of Babylon.’” ¹⁹ Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “The word of the Lord which you have spoken is good.” For he thought, “Why not, if there will be peace and people will be safe in my days?”

The Death of Hezekiah

²⁰ Now the rest of the acts of Hezekiah and all his strength are written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah. He made the pool and the ditch and brought water into the city. ²¹ Hezekiah died, and his son Manasseh became king in his place.

Manasseh Rules Judah

21 Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king. And he ruled fifty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Hephzibah. ² Manasseh did what was sinful in the eyes of the Lord. He did the sinful things that were done by the nations whom the Lord drove out from the people of Israel. ³ He built again the high places which his father Hezekiah had destroyed. He built altars for Baal and made an object out of wood to worship the false goddess Asherah. He did as Ahab king of Israel had done. He worshiped all the stars of heaven and served them. ⁴ He built altars in the house of the Lord, of which the Lord had said, “In Jerusalem I will put My name.” ⁵ Manasseh built altars for all the stars of heaven in the two open spaces of the Lord’s house. ⁶ He gave his son as a burnt gift, used witchcraft and told the future. He listened to those who spoke with spirits and used their secret ways. He did things that were very sinful in the eyes of the Lord, and made the Lord angry. ⁷ Then Manasseh put the object he had made for Asherah into the house of the Lord. But the Lord had said to David and to his son Solomon, “I have chosen this house and Jerusalem from all the families of Israel. Here I will put My name forever. ⁸ I will not make the feet of Israel travel any more from the land I gave to their fathers. But they must obey all that I have told them, and all the Law that My servant Moses told to them.” ⁹ But they did not listen. Manasseh led them to sin more than the nations whom the Lord destroyed from in front of the people of Israel.

¹⁰ Now the Lord spoke through His servants who tell what will happen in the future. He said, ¹¹ “Manasseh king of Judah has done these sinful things. He has sinned more than all the Amorites who were before him. And he has made Judah sin with his false gods. Because he has done this, ¹² the Lord, the God of Israel, says, ‘See, I am bringing such trouble upon Jerusalem and Judah, that the ears of whoever hears it will be painful. ¹³ I will punish Jerusalem as I did Samaria and as I did the family of Ahab. I will dry Jerusalem as one dries a dish, rubbing it and turning it upside-down. ¹⁴ I will leave alone all who are left of My people, and give them to those who hate them. They will become something taken after the battle by those who fight against them. ¹⁵ Because they have done what is bad in My eyes. They have been making Me angry since the day their fathers came from Egypt until this day.’”

¹⁶ Manasseh killed many who were without guilt. He filled Jerusalem with blood from one end to another. He sinned and made Judah sin, by doing what is sinful in the eyes of the Lord. ¹⁷ Now the rest of the acts of Manasseh and his sins are written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah. ¹⁸ Manasseh died and was buried in the garden of his own house, in the garden of Uzza. And his son Amon became king in his place.

Amon Rules Judah

¹⁹ Amon was twenty-two years old when he became king. He ruled for two years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Meshullemeth the daughter of Haruz of Jotbah. ²⁰ Amon did what was sinful in the eyes of the Lord, as his father Manasseh had done. ²¹ He walked in all the ways that his father had walked. He worshiped false gods like his father had. ²² So he turned away from the Lord, the God of his fathers. He did not walk in the way of the Lord. ²³ And the servants of Amon made plans against him, and killed the king in his own house. ²⁴ Then the people of the land killed all those who had made plans against King Amon. And they made Josiah his son king in his place. ²⁵ Now the rest of the acts of Amon are written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah. ²⁶ He was buried in his grave in the garden of Uzza. And his son Josiah became king in his place.

A Woman of Samaria at the Well

4 Jesus knew the proud religious law-keepers had heard He was making and baptizing more followers than John. ² Jesus did not baptize anyone Himself but His followers did. ³ Then Jesus went from the country of Judea to the country of Galilee. ⁴ He had to go through the country of Samaria. ⁵ So He came to a town in Samaria called Sycar. It was near the piece of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. ⁶ Jacob’s well was there. Jesus was tired from traveling so He sat down just as He was by the well. It was about noon.

⁷ A woman of Samaria came to get water. Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.” ⁸ His followers had gone to the town to buy food. ⁹ The woman of Samaria said to Him, “You are a Jew. I am of Samaria. Why do You ask me for a drink when the Jews have nothing to do with the people of Samaria?”

¹⁰ Jesus said to her, “You do not know what God has to give. You do not know Who said to you, ‘Give Me a drink.’ If you knew, you would have asked Him. He would have given you living water.” ¹¹ The woman said to Him, “Sir, the well is deep. You have nothing to get water with. Where will You get the living water? ¹² Are You greater than our early father Jacob? He gave us the well. He and his children and his cattle drank from it.”

Jesus Tells of the Living Water

¹³ Jesus said to her, “Whoever drinks this water will be thirsty again. ¹⁴ Whoever drinks the water that I will give him will never be thirsty. The water that I will give him will become in him a well of life that lasts forever.”

¹⁵ The woman said, “Sir, give me this water so I will never be thirsty. Then I will not have to come all this way for water.”

The True Kind of Worship

¹⁶ Jesus said to her, “Go call your husband and come back.” ¹⁷ The woman said, “I have no husband.” Jesus said, “You told the truth when you said, ‘I have no husband.’ ¹⁸ You have had five husbands. The one you have now is not your husband. You told the truth.”

¹⁹ The woman said to Him, “Sir, I think You are a person Who speaks for God. ²⁰ Our early fathers worshiped on this mountain. You Jews say Jerusalem is the place where men should worship.”

²¹ Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me. The time is coming when you will not worship the Father on this mountain or in Jerusalem. ²² You people do not know what you worship. We Jews know what we worship. It is through the Jews that men are saved from the punishment of their sins. ²³ The time is coming, yes, it is here now, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father wants that kind of worshipers. ²⁴ God is Spirit. Those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth.”

Jesus Is the One the Jews Are Looking For

²⁵ The woman said to Him, “I know the Jews are looking for One Who is coming. He is called the Christ. When He comes, He will tell us everything.” ²⁶ Jesus said to her, “I am the Christ, the One talking with you!”

²⁷ Right then the followers came back and were surprised and wondered about finding Him talking with a woman. But no one said, “What do You want?” or, “Why are You talking with her?”

²⁸ The woman left her water jar and went into the town. She said to the men, ²⁹ “Come and see a Man Who told me everything I ever did! Can this be the Christ?” ³⁰ They went out of town and came to Him.