1 When king Hezekiah heard it, he tore his clothes, covered himself with sackcloth, and went into Yahweh’s house. 2 He sent Eliakim, who 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 They said to him, "Hezekiah says, ‘Today is a day of trouble, and of rebuke, and of rejection; for the children have come to the birth, and there is no strength to give birth. 4 It may be Yahweh your God will hear the words of Rabshakeh, whom the king of Assyria his master has sent to defy the living God, and will rebuke the words which Yahweh your God has heard. Therefore lift up your prayer for the remnant that is left.’"
5 So the servants of king Hezekiah came to Isaiah.
6 Isaiah said to them, "Tell your master, ‘Yahweh says, "Don’t be afraid of the words that you have heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me. 7 Behold, I will put a spirit in him and he will hear news, and will return to his own land. I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land."’"
8 So Rabshakeh returned, and found the king of Assyria warring against Libnah, for he heard that he had departed from Lachish. 9 He heard news concerning Tirhakah king of Ethiopia, "He has come out to fight against you." When he heard it, he sent messengers to Hezekiah, saying, 10 "Thus you shall speak to Hezekiah king of Judah, saying, ‘Don’t let your God in whom you trust deceive you, saying, "Jerusalem won’t be given into the hand of the king of Assyria." 11 Behold, you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands, by destroying them utterly. Shall you be delivered? 12 Have the gods of the nations delivered them, which my fathers have destroyed, Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and the children of Eden who were in Telassar? 13 Where is the king of Hamath, and the king of Arpad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, of Hena, and Ivvah?’"
14 Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers and read it. Then Hezekiah went up to Yahweh’s house, and spread it before Yahweh. 15 Hezekiah prayed to Yahweh, saying, 16 "Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel, who is enthroned among the cherubim, you are the God, even you alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. 17 Turn your ear, Yahweh, and hear. Open your eyes, Yahweh, and behold. Hear all of the words of Sennacherib, who has sent to defy the living God. 18 Truly, Yahweh, the kings of Assyria have destroyed all the countries and their land, 19 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. 20 Now therefore, Yahweh our God, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you are Yahweh, even you only."
21 Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah, saying, "Yahweh, the God of Israel says, ‘Because you have prayed to me against Sennacherib king of Assyria, 22 this is the word which Yahweh has spoken concerning him: The virgin daughter of Zion has despised you and ridiculed you. The daughter of Jerusalem has shaken her head at you. 23 Whom have you defied and blasphemed? Against whom have you exalted your voice and lifted up your eyes on high? Against the Holy One of Israel. 24 By your servants, you have defied the Lord, and have said, "With the multitude of my chariots I have come up to the height of the mountains, to the innermost parts of Lebanon. I will cut down its tall cedars and its choice cypress trees. I will enter into its farthest height, the forest of its fruitful field. 25 I have dug and drunk water, and with the sole of my feet I will dry up all the rivers of Egypt."
26 "‘Have you not heard how I have done it long ago, and formed it in ancient times? Now I have brought it to pass, that it should be yours to destroy fortified cities, turning them into ruinous heaps. 27 Therefore their inhabitants had little power. They were dismayed and confounded. They were like the grass of the field, and like the green herb, like the grass on the housetops, and like a field before its crop has grown. 28 But I know your sitting down, your going out, your coming in, and your raging against me. 29 Because of your raging against me, and because your arrogance has come up into my ears, therefore I will put my hook in your nose and my bridle in your lips, and I will turn you back by the way by which you came.
30 "‘This shall be the sign to you: You will eat this year that which grows of itself, and in the second year that which springs from it; and in the third year sow and reap and plant vineyards, and eat their fruit. 31 The remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah will again take root downward, and bear fruit upward. 32 For out of Jerusalem a remnant will go out, and survivors will escape from Mount Zion. The zeal of Yahweh of Armies will perform this.’
33 "Therefore Yahweh says concerning the king of Assyria, ‘He will not come to this city, nor shoot an arrow there, neither will he come before it with shield, nor cast up a mound against it. 34 He will return the way that he came, and he won’t come to this city,’ says Yahweh. 35 ‘For I will defend this city to save it, for my own sake, and for my servant David’s sake.’"
36 Then Yahweh’s angel went out and struck one hundred and eighty-five thousand men in the camp of the Assyrians. When men arose early in the morning, behold, these were all dead bodies. 37 So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed, went away, returned to Nineveh, and stayed there. 38 As he was worshiping in the house of Nisroch his god, Adrammelech and Sharezer his sons struck him with the sword; and they escaped into the land of Ararat. Esar Haddon his son reigned in his place.
1 希西家王听见了， 就撕裂衣服， 披上麻布， 进了耶和华的殿。
2 他差派管家以利亚敬、书记舍伯那和祭司中的长老， 都披上麻布， 去见亚摩斯的儿子以赛亚先知。
3 他们对他说： "希西家这样说： ‘今日是急难、责罚和凌辱的日子， 就像婴孩快要出生的时候， 却没有气力生出来一样。
4 也许耶和华你的 神听见拉伯沙基的话， 就是他的主人亚述王派他来辱骂永活的 神的话； 耶和华你的 神会因他所听见的话斥责他； 因此， 求你为余剩下来的人献上祷告。’"
5 希西家王的臣仆就去见以赛亚，
6 以赛亚对他们说： "要对你们的主人这样说： ‘耶和华这样说： 你不要因为听见亚述王的仆人亵渎我的话而害怕。
7 看哪！ 我必使灵进入他里面， 以致他听见风声就归回本地； 我必使他在那里倒在刀下。’"
8 拉伯沙基回去的时候， 正遇见亚述王攻打立拿； 原来他早已听闻亚述王拔营离开了拉吉。
9 亚述王听到关于古实王特哈加的报告说： "他出来要与你争战"； 亚述王听见了， 就差派使者去见希西家， 说：
10 "你们要对犹大王希西家这样说： 不要给你所倚靠的 神欺骗你说： 耶路撒冷必不交在亚述王的手里。
11 你必定听过亚述列王向列国所行的， 就是把她们完全毁灭， 难道你还有救吗？
12 我列祖所毁灭的国， 有歌撒、哈兰、利色和在提．拉撒的伊甸人， 这些国的神曾拯救她们吗？
13 哈马的王、亚珥拔的王、西法瓦音城的王、希拿和以瓦的王， 现在都在哪里呢？"
14 希西家从使者手里接过信卷， 读完了， 就上耶和华的殿， 在耶和华面前把信卷展开。
15 希西家向耶和华祷告说：
16 "万军之耶和华， 以色列的 神， 坐在二基路伯中间的啊！ 唯独你是地上万国的 神； 你创造了天地。
17 耶和华啊， 求你侧耳而听！ 耶和华啊， 求你开眼察看！ 要听西拿基立的一切话， 就是那差派使者来辱骂永活的 神的。
18 耶和华啊！ 亚述列王果然使列国和他们的土地变成荒凉，
19 又把列国的神都扔进火中； 因为他们不是神， 只是人手所做的， 不过是木头和石头， 所以他们就灭绝了他们。
20 耶和华我们的 神啊！ 现在求你拯救我们脱离亚述王的手， 使地上万国都知道唯有你耶和华是 神。"
21 亚摩斯的儿子以赛亚就派人去见希西家， 说： "耶和华以色列的 神这样说： ‘因为你向我祷告关于亚述王西拿基立的事，
22 耶和华就有以下的话攻击他， 说： 锡安的处女藐视你， 嗤笑你； 耶路撒冷的女子在你背后摇头。
23 你辱骂谁、亵渎谁？你扬起声音， 又高举眼目， 要攻击谁？就是攻击以色列的圣者。
24 你借着你的臣仆辱骂主； 你又说： 我率领我众多的战车上了群山的高峰， 到了黎巴嫩极深之处。我砍伐其中高大的香柏树和佳美的松树； 我去到极高之处， 进入肥田般的树林。
25 我挖井和喝水； 我用我的脚掌踏干埃及的河流。’
26 耶和华说： ‘难道你没有听见古时我所安排， 往昔所计划的吗？现在我才使它成就， 使坚固的城镇荒废， 变作乱堆。
27 因此， 其中的居民软弱无力， 惊惶羞愧， 像田间的蔬菜和青绿的草， 又像房顶上的草， 还没有长起来， 就干焦了。
28 你坐下， 你出， 你入， 你向我发烈怒， 我都知道。
29 因为你向我发烈怒， 又因你的狂傲达到我耳中， 我要把钩子放进你的鼻孔， 把嚼环放进你的嘴里， 使你从你来的路上回去。
30 希西家啊！ 这要作你的兆头： 今年你们要吃自生的， 明年还要吃自长的， 后年你们就要撒种， 要收割， 要栽种葡萄园， 吃园中的果子。
31 犹大家所逃脱的余民， 必再向下扎根， 往上结果。
32 因为余下的人必从耶路撒冷出来， 逃脱的人必从锡安山出来。万军之耶和华的热心必作成这事。’
33 所以耶和华这样论到亚述王， 说： ‘他必不会来到这城， 也不会在这里射箭； 不会拿着盾牌来到城前， 也不会筑土垒攻城。
34 他从哪条路来， 也必从那条路回去； 他必不得进入这城； 这是耶和华的宣告。
35 因我为自己的缘故， 又为我仆人大卫的缘故， 必保护这城， 拯救这城。’"
36 于是耶和华的使者出去， 在亚述营中击杀了十八万五千人； 到了早晨， 有人起来， 所见的都是死尸。
37 亚述王西拿基立就拔营离去， 返回本地， 住在尼尼微。
38 他在自己的神尼斯洛庙里叩拜的时候， 他的儿子亚得米勒和沙利色用刀杀了他， 然后逃到亚拉腊地。他的儿子以撒哈顿接续他作王。