The King Asks Isaiah's Advice
(Isaiah 37.1-7)1 As soon as King Hezekiah heard their report, he tore his clothes in grief, put on sackcloth, and went to the Temple of the Lord. 2 He sent Eliakim, the official in charge of the palace, Shebna, the court secretary, and the senior priests to the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz. They also were wearing sackcloth. 3 This is the message which he told them to give Isaiah: “Today is a day of suffering; we are being punished and are in disgrace. We are like a woman who is ready to give birth, but is too weak to do it. 4 The Assyrian emperor has sent his chief official to insult the living God. May the Lord your God hear these insults and punish those who spoke them. So pray to God for those of our people who survive.”
5 When Isaiah received King Hezekiah's message, 6 he sent back this answer: “The Lord tells you not to let the Assyrians frighten you with their claims that he cannot save you. 7 The Lord will cause the emperor to hear a rumor that will make him go back to his own country, and the Lord will have him killed there.”
The Assyrians Send Another Threat
(Isaiah 37.8-20)8 The Assyrian official learned that the emperor had left Lachish and was fighting against the nearby city of Libnah; so he went there to consult him. 9 Word reached the Assyrians that the Egyptian army, led by King Tirhakah of Ethiopia, was coming to attack them. When the emperor heard this, he sent a letter to King Hezekiah of Judah 10 to tell him, “The god you are trusting in has told you that you will not fall into my hands, but don't let that deceive you. 11 You have heard what an Assyrian emperor does to any country he decides to destroy. Do you think that you can escape? 12 My ancestors destroyed the cities of Gozan, Haran, and Rezeph, and killed the people of Betheden who lived in Telassar, and none of their gods could save them. 13 Where are the kings of the cities of Hamath, Arpad, Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah?”
14 King Hezekiah took the letter from the messengers and read it. Then he went to the Temple, placed the letter there in the presence of the Lord, 15 and prayed, “O Lord, the God of Israel, seated on your throne above the winged creatures, you alone are God, ruling all the kingdoms of the world. You created the earth and the sky. 16 Now, Lord, look at what is happening to us. Listen to all the things that Sennacherib is saying to insult you, the living God. 17 We all know, Lord, that the emperors of Assyria have destroyed many nations, made their lands desolate, 18 and burned up their gods—which were no gods at all, only images of wood and stone made by human hands. 19 Now, Lord our God, rescue us from the Assyrians, so that all the nations of the world will know that only you, O Lord, are God.”
Isaiah's Message to the King
(Isaiah 37.21-38)20 Then Isaiah sent a message telling King Hezekiah that in answer to the king's prayer 21 the Lord had said, “The city of Jerusalem laughs at you, Sennacherib, and makes fun of you. 22 Whom do you think you have been insulting and ridiculing? You have been disrespectful to me, the holy God of Israel. 23 You sent your messengers to boast to me that with all your chariots you had conquered the highest mountains of Lebanon. You boasted that there you cut down the tallest cedars and the finest cypress trees and that you reached the deepest parts of the forests. 24 You boasted that you dug wells and drank water in foreign lands and that the feet of your soldiers tramped the Nile River dry.
25 “Have you never heard that I planned all this long ago? And now I have carried it out. I gave you the power to turn fortified cities into piles of rubble. 26 The people who lived there were powerless; they were frightened and stunned. They were like grass in a field or weeds growing on a roof when the hot east wind blasts them.
27 “But I know everything about you, what you do and where you go. I know how you rage against me. 28 I have received the report of that rage and that pride of yours, and now I will put a hook through your nose and a bit in your mouth, and take you back by the same road you came.”
29 Then Isaiah said to King Hezekiah, “Here is a sign of what will happen. This year and next you will have only wild grain to eat, but the following year you will be able to plant your grain and harvest it, and plant vines and eat grapes. 30 Those in Judah who survive will flourish like plants that send roots deep into the ground and produce fruit. 31 There will be people in Jerusalem and on Mount Zion who will survive, because the Lord is determined to make this happen.
32 “And this is what the Lord has said about the Assyrian emperor: ‘He will not enter this city or shoot a single arrow against it. No soldiers with shields will come near the city, and no siege mounds will be built around it. 33 He will go back by the same road he came, without entering this city. I, the Lord, have spoken. 34 I will defend this city and protect it, for the sake of my own honor and because of the promise I made to my servant David.’”
35 That night an angel of the Lord went to the Assyrian camp and killed 185,000 soldiers. At dawn the next day there they lay, all dead! 36 Then the Assyrian emperor Sennacherib withdrew and returned to Nineveh. 37 One day, when he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisroch, two of his sons, Adrammelech and Sharezer, killed him with their swords and then escaped to the land of Ararat. Another of his sons, Esarhaddon, succeeded him as emperor.
Hiskiab ge kēbo-aob Jesajab tawa ra ǀape-ôa
(Jesaja 37:1-7)1 Nē ǂhôasab ge ǁnâu, ob ge gao-aob Hiskiaba ǃoab ǃnâ saran âba ǀkhau, ǃoab sarana ana tsî ǃKhūb di Tempela ǃoa ge ǃgû. 2 Tsîb ge ǁîba gao-ommi mûǂamaob Eliakimmi, gao-aob di xoa-aob Sebnab tsî danapristergu tsîna Amob ôab kēbo-aob Jesajab ǁga ge sî. ǁÎgu hoagu ge ǃoab sarana ge ana hâ i. 3 Jesajabab ge ǁîgu ǀkha nēti ge haisiba: “Nēs ge ǂōǂōsib di tsēsa; sida ge ǁkharahe tsî ra taotaohe. Sida ge ǁora nîse ī taras xawe ǁoras di ǀgai-e ūhâ tamas ǁkhās khami ī. 4 Siriab gao-aob ge ǁîb ǂamkhoeba ûitsama Elobab nî ǃkhāǃkhāga go sî. Ab ǃKhūb sa Eloba nē ǃkhāǃkhāmîde ǁnâu tsî ǁnāb ǁîde ra mîba ǁkhara. Sida hîa noxopa ǃgau hâda Elob ai ǂganba re.”
5 Jesajab ge gao-aob Hiskiab haisisab ge ǁnâuo, 6 nēti ge ǃeream: “ǃKhūb ge ra mî, tā du ǁîb a huiǂui du ǁoa, tin Siriaǁîna ra mî ǃkhais xa ǃaoǃaohe. 7 ǃKhūb ge nî dī, îb gao-aoba ǁîb di ǃhūb ǂûb ǁga ǁîba nî oa kai gom-e ǁnâu, tsîb ge ǃKhūba nî dī ǁnāpab nî ǃgamhesa.”
Asiriaǁîn ge ǁkhawa Jerusalemsa ra ǁnāǂam
(Jesaja 37:8-20)8 Siriab di ǂamkhoeb ge gao-aob Lakisa xu ǃgû tsî Libnas ǃoagu sī ra ǃkham ǃkhaisab ge ǁnâuo, ǁîbab nî dîse ǁnāpa ge sī. 9 ǁNāpab ge Asiriab gao-aoba Egipteb di toroǂnubis, Etiopiab gao-aob Tirhakab xa ǂgaeǂguihe hâs, ǁîbas nî ǁnāǂamse ra hā ǃkhaisa ge ǁnâu. Ob ge ǁîba nēsab ge ǁnâuo, sîǂkhanisa Judab gao-aob Hiskiaba ge sîba 10 nēti ra mîsa: “Sa Elob ǁîb aits ǂgomaiǂnûi hâba ab tā ǂgaeǂhapu tsi, Jerusalems tita xa danhe tide ti mîba tsis ǀkha. 11 Tare-eb Siriab gao-aoba hîkākā ǂgaob ra ǃhūb hoab ǀkha ra dī ǃkhaisats ge ge ǁnâu. Satsa kha ûiǂoats nî ti ra ǂâi? 12 Ti aboxagu ge Gosans, Harans tsî Resefs tsîde hîkākā tsî Edens khoen Telasars ǃnâ ge ǁan hâ ina ge ǃgam, xaweb ge ǀguib ǁîn elogu dib xaweba ǁîna ge huiǂui ǁoa i. 13 Mâpa gu hâ Hamats, Arpads, Sefarvaims, Henas tsî Iwas tsîdi gao-aoga?”
14 Gao-aob Hiskiab ge sîǂkhanisa sîsabega xu ū tsî ge khomai. ǁNās khaoǃgâb ge Tempeli ǁga ǃgû tsî sîǂkhanisa ǃKhūb aiǃâ khoraǁgui 15 tsî ge ǀgore: “ǃKhū Israeli di Elots, trons âts xerugu ǂamai hâtse, sats ǀguits ge ǃhūbaib di gaosigu hoagu ǂama a Elo. Sats ge ǀhommi tsî ǃhūbaib tsîkha ge kuru. 16 Kō re, nēsi ǃKhūtse tare-i sida ǀkha ra īsa. ǃGâ re, taren hoanab Sanheriba ra ǃhoasa tsîb sats ûitsama Elotsa ra mîǁgaiǁgaisa. 17 ǃKhūtse, hoada ge a ǂan Siriab gao-aogu ge ǃhaodi tsî ǃhūgu tsîna hîkākā 18 tsî ǁîn di eloga ǂhubiǂuisa; ǁîn di elogu elo tama tsî khoen xa hain tsî ǀuina xu kuruhe hâ īs ǀguisa i xui-ao. 19 ǃKhū sida Elotse, nēsi ǁnâi Asiriaǁîna xu huiǂui da re, îdi ǃhūbaib di ǃhaodi hoade sats ǃKhūts ǀguits a Elo ǃkhaisa ǂan.”
Jesajab di haisi-ams gao-aob ǃoa
(Jesaja 37:21-38)20 Jesajab ge gao-aob Hiskiaba ge haisiba ǁîb di ǀgores aib 21 ǃKhūba nēti ra mîsa: “Sanheritse, Jerusalems ge âiǂui tsi tsî ra ǃharaxū tsi. 22 Tari-ets mîǁgaiǁgai tsî goro ǃkhāǃkhā tits ra ǂâi? Sats ge tita Israeli di ǃanu Elota go ǃgôaǁnâ. 23 Sats ge sa sîsabega sa torokunidi ǀkhats ge Libanonni ǀgapi ǃhomga īǂam ǃkhais ǀkha gu tita nî ǂamase ge sî. Sats ge ǁnāpats ge ǀgapi sederhaidi tsî îxa denehaidi tsîna ǁhāǁnâ, tsîts ge ǃgamse haiǀgoms kōse ǂgâ ǃkhais ǀkha gere koasen. 24 Sats ge ǃhao ǃhūgu ǃnâts ge tsauga khao tsî ǁgam-e ā, tsî gu ge sa toroǃkhamaoga Nylǃāba dāǂnâǂnâ ǃkhais ǀkha gere koasen.
25 “ǁNâu tamats ge hâ i ǁî ǃkhaisa ta ge ǀnai ǀapeǁgui hâ isa? Tsî nēsi ta ge ǁîsa ra dīǀoaǀoa. Tita ge ǀgaiba ra mā tsi omǂnamisa ǃādets nî hîkākāse. 26 ǁÎdi ǃnâ ge ǁan hâ i khoen ge ǃhuri tsî ge burugâ hâ i; ǁîn ge ǃaub ai hâ ǀgân tamas ka io oms ǂamǃnâ mâ ǁîǁhaiben, ǀgamsa ǂoab aiǂoas dib xan ra ǃgomhe, o ra ī khami ge ī i.
27 “Xawe ta ge nēsi mâ xū-i hoa-e sats xa a ǂan, tare-ets ra dīs tsî mâǀîts ra īsa. Mâtits ti ǃoagu ra ǃkhauǃkhausensa ta ge a ǂan. 28 Sa ǃkhauǃkhausens tsî ǂnīǂnīsens xa ta ge ge ǁnâu, o ta ge nēsi ǁgabeba sa ǂguis ǃnâ-u ǂgā, haiba sa amǃnâs ǃnâ ǁgui tsî ǁnā daob hā-ūts geb ǁkhāb ai nî oa-ū tsi.”
29 ǁNās khaoǃgâb ge Jesajaba Hiskiab ǃoa ge mî: “Nēs ge ǁgauǁgaus ī nî xūn disa. Nē kurib tsî sao ra kurib tsîkha du ge ǁî-aitsama ra ǃī ǃhorob ǀguiba nî ǂû, xawe ǃnonaǁî kurib ǃnâ du ge sadu ǃhoroba tsoro tsî nî ǃgao tsî draibahaide ǃhana tsî draibena nî ǂû. 30 Judab ǃnâ ge ǃgaun ge ǃam hain khami ǀomkhâi, ǃnomaǃkhō tsî nî ǂûtani. 31 Ûiǃgau nî khoen ge Jerusalems ǃnâ tsî Sionǃhommi ai nî hâ, ǃKhūb nē ǃkhaisab nî dīsa ǂâibasen hâ xui-ao.
32 “Siriab di gao-aob xab ge ǃKhūba nēti ge mî: ‘ǁÎb ge nē ǃās ǃnâ ǂgâxa tide tsî ǁkhāti ǂā-e ǁîs ǃnâ ǁkhâu tide. ǁKhaukhō-e ūhâ toroǃkhamaob xareb ge ǃās ǀgūse hā tide tsî-i ge ǁkhāti ǁkhui-i xare-e ǁîs ǂnamipe omkhâihe tide. 33 ǁÎb ge hā-ūb ge daob ǁkhāb ǀkha ǃās ǃnâb ǂgâ tamase nî oa. Tita ǃKhūta ge ǁnāti go mî. 34 Tita ge ti ǃgôasib ǃaroma tsî ti ǃgāb Davida ta ge mîmâiba mîmâis ǃaroma nē ǃāsa ǁkhauba tsî nî sâu.’ ”
35 ǁNā tsuxub ǃnâb ge ǃKhūb di ǀhomǃgāba Siriaǁîgu hâǃkhaib ǃnâ ǀguikaidisi tsî ǁkhaisadisikoroǀaǀoadisi toroǃkhamaoga ge ǃgam. Sao ra ǃnauǁgoaga gu ge ǁîgu hoaga ǁnāpa ge ǁōǁgoe i. 36 Ob ge Siriab gao-aob Sanheriba, ǁnāpa xu Nineves ǁga ge oa. 37 ǀGuitsēb ǁîb elob Nisroxi tempeli ǃnâ ra ǀgoreǀî, hîa kha ge ǁîb ôakha Adrameleki tsî Sareseri tsîkha gôakha ǀkha ǃkhāǃan bi tsî Araratǃhūb ǁga ge ǁhâ. Tsîb ge ǀnî ǀgôab ǁîb dib Esarhadon ti ǀon hâba ǁîb soas ǃnâ ge gao-ao kai.
