Isaiah 1:1 Cross References - NSB

¹ This is the vision seen by Isaiah the son of Amoz. It is about Judah and Jerusalem at the time of Kings Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah.

⁶ He said: »Listen to my words: ‘When there are prophets of Jehovah among you, I make myself known to them in visions or speak to them in dreams.

⁴ The oracle of him who hears the words of God and who sees the vision of the Almighty. Falling down, yet having his eyes open.

¹⁶ »The oracle of him who hears the words of God, knows the knowledge of the Most High, and sees the vision of the Almighty. Falling down, yet having his eyes uncovered.

¹ Azariah son of Amaziah became king of Judah. This was in the twenty-seventh year of the rule of Jeroboam, king of Israel.

⁷ Azariah slept with his fathers. He was buried with his fathers in the town of David. Jotham his son became king in his place.

³² Jotham son of Uzziah became king of Judah. It was in the second year of Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel.

¹ Hezekiah son of Ahaz became king of Judah. It was in the third year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel. ² Hezekiah was twenty-five years old when he became king. He ruled in Jerusalem for twenty-nine years. His mother's name was Abi the daughter of Zechariah. ³ He did what was right in the eyes of Jehovah as David his father had done. ⁴ He removed the high places. He broke the stone pillars to bits, and cut down the Asherah poles. The brass snake that Moses had made was crushed to powder at his command, because in those days the children of Israel had offerings burned before it, and he gave it the name Nehushtan. ⁵ Hezekiah had faith in Jehovah, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah who were before him. ⁶ For his heart was fixed on Jehovah. He did not turn from his ways. Hezekiah obeyed Jehovah’s commandments that Jehovah gave to Moses. ⁷ Jehovah was with Hezekiah. He did well in everything he did. He took up arms against the king of Assyria and was his servant no longer. ⁸ He defeated the Philistines as far as Gaza and its limits, from the tower of the watchman to the walled town. ⁹ It was the fourth year of King Hezekiah, the seventh year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel. Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up against Samaria and laid siege to it. ¹⁰ It was captured at the end of three years. Samaria was taken in the sixth year of Hezekiah's rule, which was the ninth year of Hoshea, king of Israel. ¹¹ The king of Assyria took Israel away as prisoners into Assyria. They placed them in Halah and in Habor on the river Gozan, and in towns of the Medes. ¹² They did not obey the voice of Jehovah their God. In fact they went against his agreement, even against everything ordered by Moses, the servant of Jehovah. They did not listen to or obey Jehovah. ¹³ Now in the fourteenth year of king Hezekiah, Sennacherib, king of Assyria, came up against all the walled towns of Judah and took them. ¹⁴ Hezekiah sent a message to Sennacherib at Lachish: »I have done wrong. Stop your attack and I will pay whatever you demand.« The emperor's answer was that Hezekiah should send him ten tons of silver and one ton of gold. ¹⁵ Hezekiah sent him all the silver in the Temple and in the palace treasury. ¹⁶ Hezekiah had the gold from the doors of Jehovah’s Temple and from the doorposts plated by him. He stripped it off and gave it to the king of Assyria. ¹⁷ The king of Assyria sent his commander-in-chief (Tartan), his quartermaster, and his field commander with a large army from Lachish to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem. They stood at the channel for the Upper Pool on the road to the Laundryman's Field. ¹⁸ They sent for the king, and Eliakim, the son of Hilkiah, who was over the house, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah, the son of Asaph, the recorder, came out to them. ¹⁹ The Rabshakeh said to them: »Say to Hezekiah: These are the words of the great king, the king of Assyria: »In what are you placing your hope? ²⁰ »You say you have counsel and [military] strength for war. These are only words. To whom are you looking for support that you rebel against me? ²¹ »You rely on Egypt that broken reed of a staff. If a man leans on it (relies on its power) his hand (strength) will be pierced (wounded) (diminished). So is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who put their faith in him.

¹⁹ Hezekiah said to Isaiah: »The word of Jehovah that you spoke is good. He added: »Is it not good that there is peace and security as long as I live?« ²⁰ Everything else about Hezekiah, all his heroic acts and how he made the pool and tunnel to bring water into the city is written in the official records of the Kings of Judah. ²¹ Hezekiah slept in death with his ancestors. His son Manasseh succeeded him as king.

¹ When King Hezekiah heard their report he tore his clothes in grief. He dressed in sackcloth and went to the Temple of Jehovah. 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 dressed in sackcloth. ³ They said to him: »This is what Hezekiah says: ‘Today is a day filled with misery, punishment, and disgrace. We are like a woman who is about to give birth but does not have the strength to do it. ⁴ »‘The Assyrian emperor sent his chief official to insult the living God. May Jehovah your God hear these insults and punish those who spoke them. So pray to God for those of our people who survive.’« ⁵ King Hezekiah's men went to Isaiah. ⁶ Isaiah responded to them: »Tell this to your master: ‘This is what Jehovah says: »Do not be afraid of the message you heard when the Assyrian king's assistants slandered me. ⁷ »I am going to put a spirit in him so that he will hear a rumor and return to his own country. I will have him assassinated in his own country.«’« ⁸ The field commander returned and found the king of Assyria fighting against Libnah. He had heard that the king left Lachish. ⁹ Sennacherib heard that King Tirhakah of Sudan was coming to fight him. Sennacherib sent messengers to Hezekiah, saying: ¹⁰ »Tell King Hezekiah of Judah: ‘Do not let your God in whom you trust deceive you by saying that Jerusalem will not be put under the control of the king of Assyria. ¹¹ »‘You heard what the kings of Assyria did to all countries. They totally destroyed them. Will you be rescued? ¹² »‘Did the gods of the nations that my ancestors destroyed rescue Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and the people of Eden who were in Telassar? ¹³ »‘Where is the king of Hamath? Where is the king of Arpad? And where is the king of the cities of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah?’« ¹⁴ Hezekiah read the letters from the messengers. Then he went to Jehovah’s Temple and shared them with Jehovah. ¹⁵ He prayed: »Jehovah of Hosts, God of Israel, you are enthroned above the angels. You alone are God of all the kingdoms of the earth. You made heaven and earth. ¹⁶ »Turn your ear (listen) (pay attention) to me, O Jehovah, and listen. Open your eyes, Jehovah, and see. Listen to the message Sennacherib sent to defy the living God. ¹⁷ »It is true Jehovah. The kings of Assyria have devastated nations. ¹⁸ »They threw the gods from these countries into fires because these gods are not real gods. They are only wooden and stone statues made by human hands. So the Assyrians have destroyed them. ¹⁹ »Rescue us from Assyria's control, O Jehovah our God, so that all the kingdoms on earth will know that you alone are Jehovah God.« ²⁰ Isaiah son of Amoz sent a message to Hezekiah: »This is what Jehovah the God of Israel says: ‘You prayed to me about King Sennacherib of Assyria. I have heard you. ²¹ »This is Jehovah’s message to Sennacherib: ‘My people, the virgin daughter of Zion, despise you and laugh at you. My people in Jerusalem shake their heads behind your back.

¹ Hezekiah became ill and was about to die. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz said to him: »This is what Jehovah says: ‘Give final instructions to your household. You will not recover. You will die.’« ² Hezekiah faced the wall and prayed to Jehovah: ³ »Jehovah, Please remember how I have walked before you in faithfulness and truth. And consider my whole heart devoted to you. I have done what is good in your eyes.« Hezekiah wept bitterly. ⁴ Isaiah had not gone as far as the middle courtyard when Jehovah spoke to him: ⁵ »Go back and tell Hezekiah, the leader of my people: ‘This is what Jehovah God of your ancestor David says: »I heard your prayer. I saw your tears. Now I will heal you. The day after tomorrow you will go to Jehovah’s Temple. ⁶ »I will add fifteen more years to your life. I will rescue you and defend this city from the control of the king of Assyria. I do this for my sake and for the sake of my servant David.«’« ⁷ Then Isaiah said: »Get a fig cake, and put it on the boil so that the king will get well.« ⁸ King Hezekiah said to Isaiah: »What is the sign to prove that Jehovah will heal me and that three days later I will be able to go to the Temple?« ⁹ Isaiah replied: »Jehovah will give you a sign to prove that he will keep his promise. Would you prefer to have the shadow on the stairway go forward ten steps or go back ten steps?« ¹⁰ Then Hezekiah said: »It is an easy matter to have the shadow go forward ten steps. So have it go back ten steps.« ¹¹ Isaiah prayed to Jehovah and Jehovah made the shadow go back ten steps on the stairway set up by King Ahaz. ¹² The king of Babylonia, Merodach Baladan son of Baladan heard that King Hezekiah was sick. So he sent him a letter and a present. ¹³ Hezekiah welcomed the messengers and showed them his wealth. He showed his silver and gold. He also let them look at his spices and perfumes. He even showed all his military equipment. There was nothing in his storerooms or anywhere in his kingdom that he did not show them. ¹⁴ The prophet Isaiah went to King Hezekiah and asked: »Where did these men come from and what did they say to you?« Hezekiah answered: »They came from a very distant country, from Babylonia.« ¹⁵ Isaiah then said: »What did they see in your palace?« Hezekiah replied: »They saw everything in my palace. I showed them everything in my treasury.« ¹⁶ Isaiah said to Hezekiah: »Hear the word of Jehovah!« ¹⁷ »Jehovah says: ‘The time will come when everything in your palace, everything your ancestors have stored up to this day, will be taken away to Babylon. Nothing will be left. ¹⁸ »‘Some of your own descendants will be taken away. They will become officials in the palace of the king of Babylon.’«

¹ All the people of Judah took Uzziah and made him king in place of his father Amaziah. ² Uzziah rebuilt Elath and returned it to Judah after King Amaziah slept in death. ³ Uzziah was sixteen years old when he began to rule. He ruled for fifty-two years in Jerusalem. His mother was Jecoliah from Jerusalem. ⁴ He did what Jehovah considered right, as his father Amaziah had done. ⁵ He dedicated his life to serving God in the days of Zechariah. Zechariah taught him to respect God. As long as he dedicated his life to serve God, Jehovah gave him success. ⁶ Uzziah went to wage war against the Philistines. He tore down the walls of Gath, Jabneh, and Ashdod. He built cities near Ashdod and elsewhere among the Philistines. ⁷ God helped him when he attacked the Philistines, the Arabs who lived in Gur Baal, and the Meunites. ⁸ The Ammonites paid taxes to Uzziah. His fame spread to the border of Egypt because he became very powerful. ⁹ Uzziah strengthened the fortifications of Jerusalem. He built towers at the Corner Gate, at the Valley Gate, and where the wall turned. ¹⁰ He also built fortified towers in the open country and dug many cisterns, because he had large herds of livestock in the western foothills and plains. Because he loved farming, he encouraged the people to plant vineyards in the hill country and to farm the fertile land. ¹¹ He had a large army ready for battle. Its records were kept by his secretaries Jeiel and Maaseiah under the supervision of Hananiah, a member of the king’s staff. ¹² The total number of family heads among these warriors was twenty-six hundred. ¹³ They commanded an army of three hundred seven thousand and five hundred soldiers. They were a powerful force that could support the king against the enemy. ¹⁴ Uzziah prepared shields, spears, helmets, armor, bows, and stones for slings for the entire army. ¹⁵ In Jerusalem he manufactured machines designed by inventive people. The machines were placed on the towers and corners to shoot arrows and hurl large stones. Uzziah’s fame spread far and wide because he had strong support until he became powerful. ¹⁶ However when he became powerful, his pride destroyed him. He was unfaithful to Jehovah his God. He went into Jehovah’s Temple to burn incense on the incense altar. ¹⁷ Azariah the priest went in after him with eighty of Jehovah’s courageous priests. ¹⁸ They opposed King Uzziah. They said to him: »Uzziah, you have no right to burn incense as an offering to Jehovah. That right belongs to the priests, Aaron’s descendants, who have been given the holy task of burning incense. Get out of the holy place because you have been unfaithful. Jehovah God will not honor you for this.« ¹⁹ Uzziah held an incense burner in his hand. He became angry. As his anger with the priests grew, a skin disease broke out on his forehead. This happened in front of the priests in Jehovah’s Temple as Uzziah was at the incense altar. ²⁰ When the chief priest Azariah and all the priests turned toward him, a skin disease was on his forehead. They rushed him away. Uzziah was in a hurry to get out because Jehovah had inflicted him with the disease. ²¹ King Uzziah had a skin disease until the day he died. Since he had a skin disease, he lived in a separate house and was barred from Jehovah’s Temple. His son Jotham was in charge of the royal palace and governed the country. ²² Everything else about Uzziah is recorded by the prophet Isaiah, son of Amoz. ²³ Uzziah lay down in death with his ancestors and was buried with them in a field containing tombs that belonged to the kings. People said: »He has a skin disease.« His son Jotham succeeded him as king.

¹ Jotham was twenty-five years old when he began to rule. He ruled for sixteen years in Jerusalem. His mother was Jerushah, daughter of Zadok. ² He did what Jehovah considered right, as his father Uzziah had done. Unlike his father, he did not illegally enter Jehovah’s Temple. The people continued their corrupt ways. ³ Jotham built the Upper Gate of Jehovah’s Temple and did extensive building of the wall at the Ophel. ⁴ He built cities in the hills of Judah. He also built forts and towers in the wooded areas. ⁵ He fought with the king of the Ammonites and conquered them. That year the Ammonites gave him seven thousand and five hundred pounds of silver, sixty thousand bushels of wheat, and sixty thousand bushels of barley. The Ammonites gave him the same amount for two more years. ⁶ Jotham grew powerful because he was determined to live the way Jehovah his God wanted. ⁷ Everything else about Jotham, all his wars and his life, is written in the Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah. ⁸ He was twenty-five years old when he began to rule as king. He ruled for sixteen years in Jerusalem. ⁹ Jotham lay down in death with his ancestors. They buried him in the City of David. His son Ahaz succeeded him as king.

¹ Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to rule. He ruled for sixteen years in Jerusalem. He did not do what Jehovah considered right, as his ancestor David had done. ² He followed the example of the kings of Israel. He even made metal idols for worshiping other gods such as the Baals. ³ He burned sacrifices in the valley of Ben Hinnom. He sacrificed his son by burning him alive. This was one of the disgusting things done by the nations that Jehovah had driven out from the land Israel possessed. ⁴ He offered sacrifices and burned incense as an offering at the illegal worship sites on hills and under every large tree. ⁵ Jehovah his God handed him over to the king of Aram, who defeated him, captured many prisoners, and brought them to Damascus. He also handed him over to the king of Israel, who decisively defeated him. ⁶ In one day Pekah, son of Remaliah, killed one hundred and twenty thousand soldiers in Judah because they had abandoned Jehovah the God of their ancestors. ⁷ Zichri, a fighting man from Ephraim, killed Maaseiah, who was the king’s son, Azrikam, who was in charge of the palace, and Elkanah, who was the king’s second-in-command. ⁸ The Israelites captured two hundred thousand women, boys, and girls from their relatives the Judeans. They also took a lot of goods from Judah and brought them to Samaria. ⁹ A prophet of Jehovah named Oded was there. He went to meet the army coming home to Samaria. He said: »Jehovah the God of your ancestors handed Judah over to you in his anger. You killed them in a rage that reaches up to heaven. ¹⁰ »Now you intend to enslave the men and women of Judah and Jerusalem. But are you not also guilty of sinning against Jehovah your God? ¹¹ »Listen to me. Return the prisoners you have captured from your relatives, because Jehovah is very angry with you.« ¹² Then Azariah, son of Jehohan, Berechiah, son of Meshillemoth, Jehizkiah, son of Shallum, and Amasa, son of Hadlai, some leaders of Ephraim, opposed those coming home from the army. ¹³ They said to the army: »Do not bring the prisoners here. You will make us responsible for this sin against Jehovah. Do you intend to add to all our sins? Jehovah is very angry at Israel because we have already sinned.« ¹⁴ Thus the army left the prisoners and the loot in front of the leaders and the whole assembly. ¹⁵ Then the men who were mentioned by name took charge of the prisoners and gave clothes from the loot to all the prisoners who were naked. They provided clothes for them, gave them sandals, gave them something to eat and drink, and let them bathe. They put everyone who was exhausted on donkeys and brought them to Jericho, the City of Palms, near their own people. Then they returned to Samaria. ¹⁶ King Ahaz then sent for help from the kings of Assyria. ¹⁷ The Edomites had again invaded and defeated Judah and captured prisoners. ¹⁸ The Philistines raided the foothills and the Negev in Judah. They captured and began living in Beth Shemesh, Aijalon, Gederoth, Soco and its villages, Timnah and its villages, and Gimzo and its villages. ¹⁹ Jehovah humbled Judah because of King Ahaz of Israel. Ahaz had spread sin throughout Judah and was unfaithful to Jehovah. ²⁰ King Tillegath Pilneser of Assyria attacked Ahaz. Instead of strengthening Ahaz, Tillegath Pilneser made trouble for him. ²¹ Ahaz took some of the things from Jehovah’s temple, the royal palace, and the princes. He gave them to the king of Assyria. But that did not help him. ²² When he had this trouble, King Ahaz became more unfaithful to Jehovah! ²³ He sacrificed to the gods of Damascus. These were the gods who had defeated him. He thought: »The gods of the kings of Aram are helping them. I will sacrifice to them so that they will help me. But they ruined him and all Israel.« ²⁴ Ahaz collected the utensils in God’s Temple. He cut them up and closed the doors to Jehovah’s Temple. He made altars for himself on every corner in Jerusalem. ²⁵ And in each city of Judah, he made places of worship to sacrifice to other gods. He angered Jehovah the God of his ancestors. ²⁶ Everything else about him from beginning to end is written in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel. ²⁷ Ahaz slept in death with his ancestors. He was buried in the city of Jerusalem because they did not put him into the tombs of the kings of Israel. His son Hezekiah succeeded him as king.

¹ Hezekiah began to rule as king when he was twenty-five years old. He ruled for twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother was Abijah, daughter of Zechariah. ² He did right in the eyes of Jehovah, as his ancestor David had done. ³ In the first month of his first year as king, he opened the doors of Jehovah’s temple and repaired them. ⁴ He assembled the priests and Levites in the square on the east side of the temple. ⁵ He said: »Listen to me, Levites. Perform the ceremonies to make the temple of Jehovah the God of your ancestors holy. Remove anything that has been corrupted from the holy place. ⁶ »Our ancestors were unfaithful and did what Jehovah our God considered evil. They deserted him. They turned away from Jehovah’s tent and turned their backs on him. ⁷ »They also shut the doors of the temple’s entrance hall. They extinguished the lamps, and did not burn incense or sacrifice burnt offerings in the holy place to the God of Israel. ⁸ »Jehovah was angry with Judah and Jerusalem. He made them something that shocks and terrifies people and that people ridicule, as you can see with your own eyes. ⁹ »Our fathers were killed in battle. Our sons, daughters, and wives are prisoners because of this. ¹⁰ »Now I intend to make a pledge to Jehovah the God of Israel so that he may turn his burning anger away from us. ¹¹ »Do not be negligent, my sons. Jehovah has chosen you to stand in front of him, serve him, be his servants, and burn sacrifices.« ¹² So the Levites started to work. From Kohath’s descendants were Mahath, son of Amasai, and Joel, son of Azariah. From Merari’s descendants were Kish, son of Abdi, and Azariah, son of Jehallelel. From Gershon’s descendants were Joah, son of Zimmah, and Eden, son of Joah. ¹³ From Elizaphan’s descendants were Shimri and Jeiel. From Asaph’s descendants were Zechariah and Mattaniah. ¹⁴ From Heman’s descendants were Jehiel and Shimei. From Jeduthun’s descendants were Shemaiah and Uzziel. ¹⁵ These men gathered their relatives and performed the ceremonies to make themselves holy. They obeyed the king’s order from Jehovah’s word and entered the Temple to make it clean. ¹⁶ The priests entered Jehovah’s temple to make it clean. They carried into the courtyard every unclean thing that they found in Jehovah’s Temple. Then the Levites took the unclean items outside the city to the Kidron Brook. ¹⁷ They started on the first day of the first month. On the eighth day they went into Jehovah’s entrance hall. For eight days they performed the ceremonies to make Jehovah’s Temple holy. They finished on the sixteenth day of the first month. ¹⁸ Then they went to King Hezekiah. They said: »We have made Jehovah’s entire temple clean. This includes the altar for burnt offerings, all its utensils, the table for the rows of bread and all its utensils, ¹⁹ and all the utensils King Ahaz refused to use during his reign when he was unfaithful. We have restored them and made them holy. They are in front of Jehovah’s altar.« ²⁰ Early in the morning Hezekiah assembled the leaders of the city and went to Jehovah’s Temple. ²¹ They brought seven bulls, seven rams, seven lambs, and seven male goats as an offering for sin for the kingdom, the holy place, and Judah. Hezekiah told the priests, Aaron’s descendants, to sacrifice the animals on Jehovah’s altar. ²² So they slaughtered the bulls. The priests sprinkled the blood on the altar. Then they slaughtered the rams and sprinkled the blood on the altar. After that, they slaughtered the lambs and sprinkled the blood on the altar. ²³ Then they brought the male goats for the offering for sin in front of the king and the assembly, who laid their hands on them. ²⁴ The priests killed the goats and poured their blood on the altar as a sacrifice to take away the sin of all the people. The king commanded that burnt offerings and sin offerings be made for all Israel. ²⁵ The king followed the instructions Jehovah gave to King David through Gad, the king’s prophet, and through the prophet Nathan. He stationed Levites in the Temple, with harps and cymbals, ²⁶ and instruments like those that King David used. The priests also stood there with trumpets. ²⁷ Hezekiah gave the order for the burnt offering to be presented. The offering began and the people sang praise to Jehovah. The musicians began to play the trumpets and all the other instruments. ²⁸ Everyone there joined in worship. The singing and the rest of the music continued until all the sacrifices were burned. ²⁹ King Hezekiah and all the people knelt down and worshiped God. ³⁰ The king and the leaders of the nation told the Levites to sing to Jehovah the songs of praise that were written by David and by Asaph the prophet. So everyone sang with great joy as they knelt and worshiped God. ³¹ Hezekiah said to the people: »Now that you are ritually clean, bring sacrifices as offerings of thanksgiving to Jehovah.« They obeyed, and some of them also voluntarily brought animals to be sacrificed as burnt offerings. ³² They brought seventy bulls, one hundred sheep, and two hundred lambs as burnt offerings for Jehovah. ³³ They also brought six hundred bulls and three thousand sheep as sacrifices for the people to eat.

¹ Hezekiah sent a message to all Israel and Judah. He wrote letters to the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh. He invited them to come to Jehovah’s Temple in Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover of Jehovah the God of Israel. ² The king, his officials, and the whole assembly in Jerusalem decided to celebrate the Passover in the second month. ³ They could not celebrate it at the regular time because not enough priests had performed the ceremonies to make themselves holy and the people had not gathered in Jerusalem. ⁴ The king and the entire assembly considered their plan to be the right thing to do. ⁵ They decided to send an announcement throughout Israel from Beersheba to Dan. They summoned everyone to come to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover of Jehovah God of Israel. These people had not celebrated it in large numbers as the written instructions said they should. ⁶ Messengers carried letters from the king and his officials throughout Israel and Judah. The king’s order said: »Israelites should return to Jehovah the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel. Then he will return to the few of you who escaped from the power of the kings of Assyria. ⁷ »Do not be like your ancestors and your relatives who were unfaithful to Jehovah the God of their ancestors. He made them something that shocks people, as you have seen. ⁸ »Do not stiffen your neck like your fathers, but yield to Jehovah and enter his sanctuary that he has consecrated from generation to generation. Serve Jehovah your God that His burning anger may turn away from you. ⁹ »If you return to Jehovah, your brothers and your sons will find compassion before those who led them captive and will return to this land. Jehovah your God is gracious and compassionate. He will not turn his face away from you if you return to him.« ¹⁰ So the couriers passed from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh, and as far as Zebulun, but they laughed them to scorn and mocked them. ¹¹ Nevertheless some men of Asher, Manasseh and Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem. ¹² The hand of God was also on Judah to give them one heart to do what the king and the princes commanded by the word of Jehovah. ¹³ Many people were gathered at Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread in the second month. It was a very large assembly. ¹⁴ They arose and removed the altars in Jerusalem. They also removed all the incense altars and cast them into the Kidron Brook. ¹⁵ They slaughtered the Passover lambs on the fourteenth of the second month. The priests and Levites were ashamed of themselves. They consecrated themselves and brought burnt offerings to the house of Jehovah. ¹⁶ They stood in their regular places as instructed by the law of Moses. Moses was a man of God. The priests sprinkled the blood they received from the Levites. ¹⁷ Many people in the assembly had not made themselves holy. So the Levites had to kill the Passover lambs for all who were not clean and could not make their lambs holy for Jehovah. ¹⁸ Many people from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun had not made themselves clean. So they ate the Passover, but not in the way the written instructions said they should. Hezekiah prayed for them: »May Jehovah forgive everyone ¹⁹ who have their hearts set on dedicating their lives to serve God. May Jehovah the God of their ancestors do this for those who are not clean as required for the holy place.« ²⁰ Jehovah listened to Hezekiah and healed the people. ²¹ Thus the Israelites in Jerusalem celebrated the Festival of Unleavened Bread for seven days with great joy. Each day the Levites and priests praised Jehovah in song. They played Jehovah’s instruments loudly. ²² Hezekiah spoke encouraging words to all the Levites who had the skills to serve Jehovah. They ate the festival meals for seven days, sacrificed fellowship offerings, and confessed their sins to Jehovah the God of their ancestors. ²³ Then the whole assembly decided to celebrate the festival for seven more days. So they joyfully celebrated for seven more days. ²⁴ Hezekiah king of Judah contributed one thousand bulls and seven thousand sheep to the assembly. The princes contributed one thousand bulls and ten thousand sheep to the assembly. A large number of priests consecrated themselves. ²⁵ The entire assembly of Judah rejoiced with the priests and the Levites. The entire assembly that came from Israel, both the sojourners who came from the land of Israel and those living in Judah rejoiced. ²⁶ There was great joy in Jerusalem. Nothing occurred like this in Jerusalem since the days of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel. ²⁷ The Levitical priests arose and blessed the people. Their voice was heard and their prayer came to God’s holy dwelling place, to heaven.

¹ When this ended, all Israel who were present went out to the cities of Judah, broke the pillars in pieces, cut down the Asherim and pulled down the high places and the altars throughout all Judah and Benjamin, Ephraim and Manasseh. They destroyed them all. Then all the sons of Israel returned to their cities, each to his possession. ² Hezekiah assigned the priests and the Levites to divisions. Each priest or Levite was put in a division based on the service he performed. The services included: sacrificing burnt offerings, sacrificing fellowship offerings, serving, giving thanks, or praising within the gates of Jehovah’s camp. ³ He set aside part of the king’s property for burnt offerings, the morning and evening offerings, burnt offerings on the weekly worship days, the New Moon Festivals, and the annual festivals, as it is written in Jehovah’s Law. ⁴ He told the people living in Jerusalem to give the priests and Levites the portions they were due so that they could devote themselves to Jehovah’s Law. ⁵ As soon as the order was given, the people of Israel brought gifts of their finest grain, wine, olive oil, honey, and other farm produce, and they also brought the tithes of everything they had. ⁶ All the people who lived in the cities of Judah brought tithes of their cattle and sheep. They also brought large quantities of gifts they dedicated to Jehovah their God. ⁷ The gifts started arriving in the third month. They continued to pile up for the next four months. ⁸ King Hezekiah and his officials saw how much had been given. They praised Jehovah and praised his people Israel. ⁹ The king spoke to the priests and the Levites about these gifts, ¹⁰ and Azariah the High Priest, a descendant of Zadok, said to him: Since the people started bringing their gifts to the temple, there has been enough to eat and a large surplus besides. We have all this because Jehovah has blessed his people. ¹¹ On the king’s orders they prepared storerooms in the Temple area ¹² and put all the gifts and tithes in them for safekeeping. They placed a Levite named Conaniah in charge and made his brother Shimei his assistant. ¹³ Ten Levites were assigned to work under them: Jehiel, Azaziah, Nahath, Asahel, Jerimoth, Jozabad, Eliel, Ismachiah, Mahath, and Benaiah. This was done by authority of King Hezekiah and Azariah the High Priest. ¹⁴ Kore son of Imnah, a Levite who was chief guard at the East Gate of the temple, was in charge of receiving the gifts offered to Jehovah and of distributing them. ¹⁵ In the other cities where priests lived, he was faithfully assisted in this by other Levites: Eden, Miniamin, Jeshua, Shemaiah, Amariah, and Shecaniah. They distributed the food equally to their fellow Levites according to what their duties were. ¹⁶ They were appointed to distribute them to males who were at least three years old. The way they were enrolled in the genealogical records did not matter. The six men who served under Kore were to distribute the offerings to everyone who went to Jehovah’s Temple to perform the daily service that each division was responsible for. ¹⁷ They were to distribute offerings to the priests who were enrolled by families and to the Levites who were at least twenty years old. Distribution was based on the way they served in their divisions. ¹⁸ The priests and Levites were enrolled with their wives, sons, daughters, and other people who depended on them in the community. The priests and Levites had to be faithful in keeping themselves holy for the holy work. ¹⁹ Men were appointed to give a portion of the offerings to all the males in the priestly families and to everyone listed in the genealogies of the Levites. These men were Aaron’s descendants, priests who lived in the pasturelands of every Levite city. ²⁰ This is what Hezekiah did throughout Judah. He did what was good and right and true to Jehovah his God. ²¹ Hezekiah incorporated Moses’ teachings and commands into worship and dedicated his life to serving God. Whatever he did for the worship in God’s Temple, he did wholeheartedly, and he succeeded.

¹ After everything Hezekiah had done so faithfully, King Sennacherib of Assyria came to invade Judah. He set up camp to attack the fortified cities. He intended to conquer them himself. ² Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come to wage war against Jerusalem, ³ He and his officers and military staff made plans to stop the water from flowing out of the springs outside the city. They helped him do it. ⁴ A large crowd gathered as they stopped all the springs and the brook that flowed through the land. They said: Why should the kings of Assyria find plenty of water? ⁵ Hezekiah worked hard. He rebuilt all the broken sections of the wall. He built the towers taller and built another wall outside the city wall. He strengthened the Millo in the City of David, and made plenty of weapons and shields. ⁶ He appointed military commanders over the troops and gathered the commanders in the square by the city gate. He spoke these words of encouragement: ⁷ Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened or terrified by the king of Assyria or the crowd with him. Someone greater is on our side. ⁸ Jehovah our God fights on our side. The Assyrians must rely on human power alone. These words encouraged the army of Judah. ⁹ Sennacherib and his troops were camped at the town of Lachish. He sent a message to Hezekiah and the people in Jerusalem. It said: ¹⁰ »I am King Sennacherib of Assyria. I have Jerusalem surrounded. Do you think you can survive my attack? ¹¹ »Hezekiah your king is telling you that Jehovah your God will save you from me. But he is lying! You will die of hunger and thirst.« ¹² »‘Did Hezekiah not tear down all except one of Jehovah’s altars and places of worship? And did he not tell you people of Jerusalem and Judah to worship at that one place? ¹³ »‘You have heard what my ancestors and I have done to other nations. Were the gods of those nations able to defend their land against us? ¹⁴ »‘None of those gods kept their people safe from the kings of Assyria. Do you really think your God can do any better? ¹⁵ »‘Do not be fooled by Hezekiah! No god of any nation has been able to stand up to Assyria. Believe me, your God cannot keep you safe!’« ¹⁶ Sennacherib’s officers said more against Jehovah God and his servant Hezekiah. ¹⁷ Sennacherib wrote letters cursing Jehovah the God of Israel. These letters said: The gods of the nations in other countries could not rescue their people from me. Hezekiah’s God cannot rescue his people from me. ¹⁸ Sennacherib’s officers shouted loudly in the Judean language to the troops who were on the wall of Jerusalem. They tried to frighten and terrify the troops so that they could capture the city. ¹⁹ They spoke against the God of Jerusalem as if he were one of the gods of the peoples of the earth, the work of the hands of man. ²⁰ King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah, son of Amoz, prayed about this and called to heaven. ²¹ Jehovah sent an angel who exterminated all the soldiers, officials, and commanders in the Assyrian king’s camp. Sennacherib was humiliated and returned to his own country. When he went into the temple of his god, some of his own sons killed him with a sword. ²² So Jehovah saved Hezekiah and the people living in Jerusalem from King Sennacherib of Assyria and from everyone else. Jehovah gave them peace with all their neighbors. ²³ Many people still went to Jerusalem to bring gifts to Jehovah and expensive presents to King Hezekiah of Judah. From that point in history he was considered important by all the nations. ²⁴ Hezekiah became sick and was about to die. He prayed to Jehovah, who answered him and gave him a miraculous sign. ²⁵ But Hezekiah was conceited. So he did not repay Jehovah for his kindness. Jehovah became angry with him, with Judah, and with Jerusalem. ²⁶ Hezekiah and the people living in Jerusalem humbled themselves when they realized they had become conceited. Thus Jehovah did not vent his anger on them during Hezekiah’s time. ²⁷ Hezekiah became richer and was highly honored. He prepared storehouses for himself to hold silver, gold, precious stones, spices, shields, and all kinds of valuables. ²⁸ He built storehouses for the produce of grain and wine and oil; and buildings for all sorts of beasts and flocks. ²⁹ He made towns for himself. He gathered much property in flocks and herds: for God had given him great wealth. ³⁰ It was Hezekiah who had the higher spring of the water of Gihon stopped, and the water taken down on the west side of the town of David. Hezekiah did well in everything he tried. ³¹ When the leaders of Babylon sent ambassadors to ask him about the miraculous sign that had happened in the land, God left him. God did this to test him, to find out everything that was in Hezekiah’s heart. ³² Everything else about Hezekiah, including his devotion to God, is written in the vision of the prophet Isaiah, son of Amoz, and in the records of the kings of Judah and Israel. ³³ Hezekiah slept in death with his ancestors. He was buried in the upper tombs of David’s descendants. When Hezekiah died, all of Judah and the people in Jerusalem honored him. His son Manasseh succeeded him as king.

¹⁹ Once you spoke in vision to your godly ones. You said: »I have given help to one who is mighty. I have exalted one chosen from the people.«

¹ In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw (discerned) Jehovah seated on a throne, high and exalted. The train of his robe filled the Temple.

¹ In the days of Ahaz son of Jotham son of Uzziah, king of Judah, King Rezin of Aram and King Pekah son of Remaliah of Israel went up to attack Jerusalem, but could not mount an attack against it.

¹ The pronouncement Isaiah the son of Amoz saw in vision.

² I have seen a vision of cruel events, a vision of betrayal and destruction. Army of Elam, attack! Army of Media, lay siege to the cities! God will put an end to the suffering that Babylon has caused.

¹ The vision and prophetic message Isaiah, son of Amoz, saw about Judah and Jerusalem.

⁹ You bring good news to Zion. Go up on a high mountain. You bring good news to Jerusalem. Lift up your voice with a shout! Lift it up and do not be afraid! Say to the towns of Judah: »Here is your God!«

¹⁶ This is what Jehovah of Hosts says: »Do not listen to what the prophets are saying to you. They fill you with false hope. They speak about visions that they dreamed up. These visions are not from Jehovah.

¹ The word of Jehovah (YHWH) that came to Hosea the son of Beeri, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel.

¹ The words of Amos concerning Israel. He was among the herdsmen of Tekoa in the days of Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israel. It was two years before the earthquake.

¹ The word of Jehovah that came to Micah of Moresheth in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. This is the vision he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem:

¹ The oracle of Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite:

² Jehovah answered me: »Write the vision. Record it on tablets that he who reads it may run.

⁹ When they came down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone what they saw, until the Son of man has risen from the dead.

¹⁷ While Peter doubted in himself what this vision ment, behold, the men who were sent from Cornelius inquired for Simon’s house, and stood at the gate.

¹⁹ »You see, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision.

¹ I must brag, although it does not do any good. I will go on to visions and revelations from the Lord.

²¹ For no prophecy ever came by the will of man! Men spoke from God, being moved by the Holy Spirit.