Study Desk

"‘Have you not heard?^(av) Long ago I ordained it. In days of old I planned^(aw) it; now I have brought it to pass, that you have turned fortified cities into piles of stone.^(ax)

Their people, drained of power,^(ay) are dismayed^(az) and put to shame. They are like plants in the field, like tender green shoots,^(ba) like grass sprouting on the roof, scorched^(bb) before it grows up.

"‘But I know^(bc) where you are and when you come and go and how you rage against me.

Because you rage against me and because your insolence has reached my ears, I will put my hook^(bd) in your nose and my bit^(be) in your mouth, and I will make you return^(bf) by the way you came.'

"This will be the sign^(bg) for you, Hezekiah: "This year you will eat what grows by itself,^(bh) and the second year what springs from that. But in the third year sow and reap, plant vineyards^(bi) and eat their fruit.

Once more a remnant^(bj) of the kingdom of Judah will take root^(bk) below and bear fruit above.

For out of Jerusalem will come a remnant,^(bl) and out of Mount Zion a band of survivors.^(bm) "The zeal^(bn) of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.

"Therefore this is what the Lord says concerning the king of Assyria: "‘He will not enter this city or shoot an arrow here. He will not come before it with shield or build a siege ramp against it.

By the way that he came he will return;^(bo) he will not enter this city, declares the Lord .

I will defend^(bp) this city and save it, for my sake and for the sake of David^(bq) my servant.'"

That night the angel of the Lord ^(br) went out and put to death a hundred and eighty-five thousand in the Assyrian camp. When the people got up the next morning—there were all the dead bodies!^(bs)

So Sennacherib king of Assyria broke camp and withdrew.^(bt) He returned to Nineveh^(bu) and stayed there.

One day, while he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisrok, his sons Adrammelek^(bv) and Sharezer killed him with the sword,^(bw) and they escaped to the land of Ararat.^(bx) And Esarhaddon^(by) his son succeeded him as king.

Hezekiah's Illness^(a)

In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to him and said, "This is what the Lord says: Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover."

Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord ,

"Remember,^(b) Lord , how I have walked^(c) before you faithfully^(d) and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes." And Hezekiah wept bitterly.

Before Isaiah had left the middle court, the word of the Lord came to him:

"Go back and tell Hezekiah, the ruler of my people, ‘This is what the Lord , the God of your father David, says: I have heard^(e) your prayer and seen your tears;^(f) I will heal you. On the third day from now you will go up to the temple of the Lord .

I will add fifteen years to your life. And I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria. I will defend^(g) this city for my sake and for the sake of my servant David.'"

Then Isaiah said, "Prepare a poultice of figs." They did so and applied it to the boil,^(h) and he recovered.

Hezekiah had asked Isaiah, "What will be the sign that the Lord will heal me and that I will go up to the temple of the Lord on the third day from now?"

Isaiah answered, "This is the Lord 's sign⁽ⁱ⁾ to you that the Lord will do what he has promised: Shall the shadow go forward ten steps, or shall it go back ten steps?"

"It is a simple^(j) matter for the shadow to go forward ten steps," said Hezekiah. "Rather, have it go back ten steps."

Then the prophet Isaiah called on the Lord , and the Lord made the shadow go back^(k) the ten steps it had gone down on the stairway of Ahaz.

At that time Marduk-Baladan son of Baladan king of Babylon sent Hezekiah letters and a gift, because he had heard of Hezekiah's illness.

Hezekiah received the envoys and showed them all that was in his storehouses—the silver, the gold, the spices and the fine olive oil—his armory and everything found among his treasures. There was nothing in his palace or in all his kingdom that Hezekiah did not show them.

Then Isaiah the prophet went to King Hezekiah and asked, "What did those men say, and where did they come from?" "From a distant land," Hezekiah replied. "They came from Babylon."

The prophet asked, "What did they see in your palace?" "They saw everything in my palace," Hezekiah said. "There is nothing among my treasures that I did not show them."

Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, "Hear the word of the Lord :

The time will surely come when everything in your palace, and all that your predecessors have stored up until this day, will be carried off to Babylon.⁽ⁿ⁾ Nothing will be left, says the Lord .

And some of your descendants,^(o) your own flesh and blood who will be born to you, will be taken away, and they will become eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon."^(p)

"The word of the Lord you have spoken is good," Hezekiah replied. For he thought, "Will there not be peace and security in my lifetime?"

As for the other events of Hezekiah's reign, all his achievements and how he made the pool^(q) and the tunnel^(r) by which he brought water into the city, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah?

Hezekiah rested with his ancestors. And Manasseh his son succeeded him as king.

Manasseh King of Judah^(a)(b)

Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-five years. His mother's name was Hephzibah.^(c)

He did evil^(d) in the eyes of the Lord , following the detestable practices^(e) of the nations the Lord had driven out before the Israelites.

He rebuilt the high places^(f) his father Hezekiah had destroyed; he also erected altars to Baal^(g) and made an Asherah pole,^(h) as Ahab king of Israel had done. He bowed down to all the starry hosts⁽ⁱ⁾ and worshiped them.

He built altars^(j) in the temple of the Lord , of which the Lord had said, "In Jerusalem I will put my Name."^(k)

In the two courts^(l) of the temple of the Lord , he built altars to all the starry hosts.

He sacrificed his own son^(m) in the fire, practiced divination,⁽ⁿ⁾ sought omens, and consulted mediums and spiritists.^(o) He did much evil in the eyes of the Lord , arousing^(p) his anger.

He took the carved Asherah pole^(q) he had made and put it in the temple,^(r) of which the Lord had said to David and to his son Solomon, "In this temple and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put my Name^(s) forever.

I will not again^(t) make the feet of the Israelites wander from the land I gave their ancestors, if only they will be careful to do everything I commanded them and will keep the whole Law that my servant Moses^(u) gave them."

But the people did not listen. Manasseh led them astray, so that they did more evil^(v) than the nations^(w) the Lord had destroyed before the Israelites.

The Lord said through his servants the prophets:

"Manasseh king of Judah has committed these detestable sins. He has done more evil^(x) than the Amorites^(y) who preceded him and has led Judah into sin with his idols.^(z)

Therefore this is what the Lord , the God of Israel, says: I am going to bring such disaster^(aa) on Jerusalem and Judah that the ears of everyone who hears of it will tingle.^(ab)

I will stretch out over Jerusalem the measuring line used against Samaria and the plumb line^(ac) used against the house of Ahab. I will wipe^(ad) out Jerusalem as one wipes a dish, wiping it and turning it upside down.

I will forsake^(ae) the remnant^(af) of my inheritance and give them into the hands of enemies. They will be looted and plundered by all their enemies;

they have done evil^(ag) in my eyes and have aroused^(ah) my anger from the day their ancestors came out of Egypt until this day."

Moreover, Manasseh also shed so much innocent blood^(ai) that he filled Jerusalem from end to end—besides the sin that he had caused Judah^(aj) to commit, so that they did evil in the eyes of the Lord .

As for the other events of Manasseh's reign, and all he did, including the sin he committed, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah?

Manasseh rested with his ancestors and was buried in his palace garden,^(ak) the garden of Uzza. And Amon his son succeeded him as king.

Amon was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem two years. His mother's name was Meshullemeth daughter of Haruz; she was from Jotbah.

He did evil^(am) in the eyes of the Lord , as his father Manasseh had done.

He followed completely the ways of his father, worshiping the idols his father had worshiped, and bowing down to them.

He forsook^(an) the Lord , the God of his ancestors, and did not walk^(ao) in obedience to him.

Amon's officials conspired against him and assassinated^(ap) the king in his palace.

Then the people of the land killed^(aq) all who had plotted against King Amon, and they made Josiah^(ar) his son king in his place.

As for the other events of Amon's reign, and what he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah?

He was buried in his tomb in the garden^(as) of Uzza. And Josiah his son succeeded him as king.

The Book of the Law Found^(a)

Josiah^(b) was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem thirty-one years. His mother's name was Jedidah daughter of Adaiah; she was from Bozkath.^(c)

He did what was right^(d) in the eyes of the Lord and followed completely the ways of his father David, not turning aside to the right^(e) or to the left.

In the eighteenth year of his reign, King Josiah sent the secretary, Shaphan^(f) son of Azaliah, the son of Meshullam, to the temple of the Lord . He said:

"Go up to Hilkiah^(g) the high priest and have him get ready the money that has been brought into the temple of the Lord , which the doorkeepers have collected^(h) from the people.

Have them entrust it to the men appointed to supervise the work on the temple. And have these men pay the workers who repair⁽ⁱ⁾ the temple of the Lord —

the carpenters, the builders and the masons. Also have them purchase timber and dressed stone to repair the temple.^(j)

But they need not account for the money entrusted to them, because they are honest in their dealings."^(k)

Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the secretary, "I have found the Book of the Law^(l) in the temple of the Lord ." He gave it to Shaphan, who read it.

Then Shaphan the secretary went to the king and reported to him: "Your officials have paid out the money that was in the temple of the Lord and have entrusted it to the workers and supervisors at the temple."

Then Shaphan the secretary informed the king, "Hilkiah the priest has given me a book." And Shaphan read from it in the presence of the king.^(m)

When the king heard the words of the Book of the Law,⁽ⁿ⁾ he tore his robes.

He gave these orders to Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam^(o) son of Shaphan, Akbor son of Micaiah, Shaphan the secretary and Asaiah the king's attendant:^(p)

"Go and inquire^(q) of the Lord for me and for the people and for all Judah about what is written in this book that has been found. Great is the Lord 's anger^(r) that burns against us because those who have gone before us have not obeyed the words of this book; they have not acted in accordance with all that is written there concerning us."

Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Akbor, Shaphan and Asaiah went to speak to the prophet^(s) Huldah, who was the wife of Shallum son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe. She lived in Jerusalem, in the New Quarter.

She said to them, "This is what the Lord , the God of Israel, says: Tell the man who sent you to me,

‘This is what the Lord says: I am going to bring disaster^(t) on this place and its people, according to everything written in the book^(u) the king of Judah has read.

Because they have forsaken^(v) me and burned incense to other gods and aroused my anger by all the idols their hands have made,^[a] my anger will burn against this place and will not be quenched.'

Tell the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire^(w) of the Lord , ‘This is what the Lord , the God of Israel, says concerning the words you heard:

Because your heart was responsive and you humbled^(x) yourself before the Lord when you heard what I have spoken against this place and its people—that they would become a curse^[b](y) and be laid waste^(z)—and because you tore your robes and wept in my presence, I also have heard you, declares the Lord .

Therefore I will gather you to your ancestors, and you will be buried in peace.^(aa) Your eyes^(ab) will not see all the disaster I am going to bring on this place.'" So they took her answer back to the king.

Josiah Renews the Covenant^(a)(b)(c)(d)

Then the king called together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem.

He went up to the temple of the Lord with the people of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the priests and the prophets—all the people from the least to the greatest. He read^(e) in their hearing all the words of the Book of the Covenant,^(f) which had been found in the temple of the Lord .

The king stood by the pillar^(g) and renewed the covenant^(h) in the presence of the Lord —to follow⁽ⁱ⁾ the Lord and keep his commands, statutes and decrees with all his heart and all his soul, thus confirming the words of the covenant written in this book. Then all the people pledged themselves to the covenant.

The king ordered Hilkiah the high priest, the priests next in rank and the doorkeepers^(j) to remove^(k) from the temple of the Lord all the articles made for Baal and Asherah and all the starry hosts. He burned them outside Jerusalem in the fields of the Kidron Valley and took the ashes to Bethel.

He did away with the idolatrous priests appointed by the kings of Judah to burn incense on the high places of the towns of Judah and on those around Jerusalem—those who burned incense^(l) to Baal, to the sun and moon, to the constellations and to all the starry hosts.^(m)

He took the Asherah pole from the temple of the Lord to the Kidron Valley⁽ⁿ⁾ outside Jerusalem and burned it there. He ground it to powder^(o) and scattered the dust over the graves^(p) of the common people.^(q)

He also tore down the quarters of the male shrine prostitutes^(r) that were in the temple of the Lord , the quarters where women did weaving for Asherah.

Josiah brought all the priests from the towns of Judah and desecrated the high places, from Geba^(s) to Beersheba, where the priests had burned incense. He broke down the gateway at the entrance of the Gate of Joshua, the city governor, which was on the left of the city gate.

Although the priests of the high places did not serve^(t) at the altar of the Lord in Jerusalem, they ate unleavened bread with their fellow priests.