Study Desk

So this is what the Holy One of Israel says: "You people have refused to accept this message and have depended on cruelty and lies to help you.

You are guilty of these things. So you will be like a high wall with cracks in it that falls suddenly and breaks into small pieces.

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.

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 or upset by their noise. So the Lord All-Powerful will come down to fight on Mount Zion and on its hill.

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. Then your great wealth will be divided. There will be so much wealth that even the crippled people will carry off a share.

Look at the Lord 's scroll and read what is written there: None of these will be missing; none will be without its mate. God has given the command, so his Spirit will gather them together.

God has divided the land among them, and he has given them each their portion. So they will own that land forever and will live there year after year.

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?

You cannot defeat one of my master's least important officers, so why do you depend on Egypt to give you chariots and horsemen?

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 and will punish him for it. So pray for the few of us who are left alive."

You have heard what the kings of Assyria have done. They have completely defeated every country, so do not think you will be saved.

They have thrown the gods of these nations into the fire, but they were only wood and rock statues that people made. So the kings have destroyed them.

Now, Lord our God, save us from the king's power so that all the kingdoms of the earth will know that you, Lord , are the only God."

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.

"So this is what the Lord says about the king of Assyria: ‘He will not enter this city or even shoot an arrow here. He will not fight against it with shields or build a ramp to attack the city walls.

So Sennacherib king of Assyria left and went back to Nineveh and stayed there.

One day as Sennacherib was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisroch, 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.

"Go to Hezekiah and tell him: ‘This is what the Lord , the God of your ancestor David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears. So I will add fifteen years to your life.

The sun has made a shadow go down the stairway of Ahaz, but 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.

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.