Isaiah 37; Isaiah 38; Colossians 3

1 When King Hezekiah heard what the field commander had said, he tore his clothes. He put on black clothes. Then he went into the LORD's temple.

2 Hezekiah sent Eliakim, who was in charge of the palace, to me. He also sent the leading priests and the secretary Shebna to me. All of them were wearing black clothes.

3 They told me, "Hezekiah says, 'Today we're in great trouble. The LORD is warning us. He's bringing shame on us. Sometimes babies come to the moment when they should be born. But their mothers aren't strong enough to allow them to be born. Today we are like those mothers. We aren't strong enough to save ourselves.

4 " 'Perhaps the LORD your God will hear everything the field commander has said. His master, the king of Assyria, has sent him to make fun of the living God. Maybe the LORD your God will punish him for what he has heard him say. So pray for the remaining people who are still alive here.' "

5 King Hezekiah's officials came to me.

6 Then I said to them, "Tell your master, 'The LORD says, "Do not be afraid of what you have heard. The officers who are under the king of Assyria have spoken evil things against me.

7 Listen! I will send him news from his own country. It will upset him so much that he will return home. There I will have him cut down with a sword." ' "

8 The field commander heard that the king of Assyria had left Lachish. So the commander pulled his troops back from Jerusalem. He went to join the king. He found out that the king was fighting against Libnah.

9 During that time Sennacherib received a report. He was told that Tirhakah was marching out to fight against him. Tirhakah was king of Egypt. He was from the land of Cush. When Sennacherib heard the report, he sent messengers again to Hezekiah with a letter. It said,

10 "Tell Hezekiah, the king of Judah, 'Don't let the god you depend on trick you. He says, "Jerusalem will not be handed over to the king of Assyria." But don't believe him.

11 I'm sure you have heard about what the kings of Assyria have done to all of the other countries. They have destroyed them completely. So do you think you will be saved?

12 " 'The kings who ruled before me destroyed many nations. Did the gods of those nations save them? Did the gods of Gozan, Haran or Rezeph save them? What about the gods of the people of Eden who were in Tel Assar?

13 Where is the king of Hamath? Where is the king of Arpad? Where is the king of the city of Sepharvaim? Where are the kings of Hena or Ivvah?' "

14 When Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers, he read it. Then he went up to the LORD's temple. There he spread the letter out in front of the Lord.

15 Hezekiah prayed to the Lord. He said,

16 "LORD who rules over all, you are the God of Israel. You sit on your throne between the cherubim. You alone are God over all of the kingdoms on earth. You have made heaven and earth.

17 Listen, Lord. Hear us. Open your eyes, Lord. Look at the trouble we're in. Listen to what Sennacherib is saying. You are the living God. And he dares to make fun of you!

18 "Lord, it's true that the kings of Assyria have completely destroyed many nations and their lands.

19 They have thrown the statues of the gods of those nations into the fire. And they have destroyed them. That's because they weren't really gods at all. They were nothing but statues that were made out of wood and stone. They were made by human hands.

20 "LORD our God, save us from the powerful hand of Sennacherib. Then all of the kingdoms on earth will know that you alone are God."

21 I sent a message to Hezekiah. I said, "The LORD is the God of Israel. He says, 'You have prayed to me about Sennacherib, the king of Assyria.

22 So here is the message I have spoken against him. I am telling him, " ' "You will not win the battle over Zion. Its people hate you and make fun of you. The people of Jerusalem lift up their heads proudly as you run away.

23 Who have you laughed at? Who have you spoken evil things against? Who have you raised your voice against? Who have you looked at so proudly? You have done it against me. I am the Holy One of Israel!

24 Through your messengers you have laughed at me again and again. And you have said, 'I have many chariots. With them I have climbed to the tops of the mountains. I've climbed the highest mountains in Lebanon. I've cut down its tallest cedar trees. I've cut down the best of its pine trees. I've reached its farthest mountains. I've reached its finest forests.

25 I've dug wells in strange lands. I've drunk the water from them. I've walked through all of Egypt's streams. I've dried up every one of them.'

26 " ' "But I, the Lord, say, 'Haven't you heard what I have done? Long ago I arranged for you to do all of that. In days of old I planned it. Now I have made it happen. You have turned cities with high walls into piles of stone.

27 Their people do not have any power left. They are troubled and put to shame. They are like plants in the field. They are like new green plants. They are like grass that grows on a roof. It dries up before it is completely grown.

28 " ' " 'But I know where you live. I know when you come and go. I know how very angry you are with me.

29 You roar against me and brag. And I have heard your bragging. So I will put my hook in your nose. I will put my bit in your mouth. And I will make you go home by the same way you came.' " ' "

30 The LORD said, "Hezekiah, here is a miraculous sign for you. "This year you will eat what grows by itself. Next year you will eat what grows from that. But in the third year you will plant your crops and gather them in. You will plant your grapevines and eat their fruit.

31 The people of Judah who are still alive will be like plants. Once more they will put down roots and produce fruit.

32 Out of Jerusalem will come those who remain. Out of Mount Zion will come those who are still left alive. My great love will make sure that happens. I rule over all.

33 "Here is a message from me about the king of Assyria. It says, " 'He will not enter this city. He will not even shoot an arrow at it. He will not come near it with a shield. He will not build a ramp in order to climb over its walls.

34 By the way that he came he will go home. He will not enter this city,' announces the Lord.

35 "I will guard this city and save it. I will do it for myself. And I will do it for my servant David."

36 Then the angel of the LORD went into the camp of the Assyrians. He put to death 185,000 soldiers there. The people of Jerusalem got up the next morning. They looked out and saw all of the dead bodies.

37 So Sennacherib, the king of Assyria, took the army tents down. Then he left. He returned to Nineveh and stayed there.

38 One day Sennacherib was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisroch. His sons Adrammelech and Sharezer cut him down with their swords. Then they escaped to the land of Ararat. Esarhaddon became the next king after his father Sennacherib.

1 In those days Hezekiah became very sick. He knew he was about to die. I went to see him. I told him, "The LORD says, 'Put everything in order. Make out your will. You are going to die soon. You will not get well again.' "

2 Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall. He prayed to the Lord. He said,

3 "Lord, please remember how faithful I've been to you. I've lived the way you wanted me to. I've served you with all my heart. I've done what is good in your sight." And Hezekiah cried bitterly.

4 A message came to me from the Lord. He said,

5 "Go and speak to Hezekiah. Tell him, 'The Lord, the God of King David, says, "I have heard your prayer. I have seen your tears. I will add 15 years to your life.

6 And I will save you and this city from the powerful hand of the king of Assyria. I will guard this city.

7 " ' "Here is a miraculous sign from me. It will show you that I will heal you, just as I promised I would.

8 The shadow that was made by the sun has gone down ten steps on the stairway of Ahaz. I will make it go back up those ten steps." ' " So the shadow went back up the ten steps it had gone down.

9 Here is a song of praise that was written by Hezekiah, the king of Judah. He wrote it after he was sick and had gotten well again.

10 I said, "I'm enjoying the best years of my life. Must I now go through the gates of death? Will the rest of my years be taken away from me?"

11 I said, "Lord, I'll never see you again while I'm still alive. I'll never see people anymore. I'll never again be with those who live in this world.

12 My body is like a shepherd's tent. It has been pulled down and carried off. My life is like a piece of cloth that I've rolled up. You have cut it off from the loom. In a short period of time you have brought my life to an end.

13 I waited patiently until sunrise. But like a lion you broke all of my bones. In a short period of time you have brought my life to an end.

14 I cried softly like a weak little bird. I groaned like a sad dove. My eyes grew tired as I looked up toward heaven. Lord, I'm in trouble. Please come and help me!

15 "But what can I say? You have promised to heal me. And you yourself have done it. Once I was proud and bitter. But now I will live the rest of my life free of pride.

16 Lord, people find the will to live because you keep your promises. And my spirit also finds life in your promises. You brought me back to health. You let me live.

17 I'm sure it was for my benefit that I suffered such great pain. You love me. You kept me from going down into the pit of death. You have put all of my sins behind your back.

18 People in the grave can't praise you. Dead people can't sing praise to you. Those who go down to the grave can't hope for you to be faithful to them.

19 It is those who are alive who praise you. And that's what I'm doing today. Fathers tell their children about how faithful you are.

20 "You will save me. So we will sing and play music on stringed instruments. We will sing all the days of our lives in your temple."

21 When Hezekiah was sick, I had said, "Press some figs together. Spread them on a piece of cloth. Apply them to Hezekiah's boil. Then he'll get well again."

22 At that time Hezekiah had asked me, "What will the miraculous sign be to prove I'll go up to the LORD's temple?" That's when the LORD had made the shadow go back ten steps.

1 You have been raised up with Christ. So think about things that are in heaven. That is where Christ is. He is sitting at God's right hand.

2 Think about things that are in heaven. Don't think about things that are on earth.

3 You died. Now your life is hidden with Christ in God.

4 Christ is your life. When he appears again, you also will appear with him in heaven's glory.

5 So put to death anything that belongs to your earthly nature. Get rid of your sexual sins and unclean acts. Don't let your feelings get out of control. Remove from your life all evil longings. Stop always wanting more and more. You might as well be worshiping statues of gods.

6 God's anger is going to come because of those things.

7 That's the way you lived at one time in your life.

8 But now here are the kinds of things you must get rid of. You must put away anger, rage, hate and lies. Let no dirty words come out of your mouths.

9 Don't lie to each other. You have gotten rid of your old way of life and its habits.

10 You have started living a new life. It is being made new so that what you know has the Creator's likeness.

11 Here there is no Greek or Jew. There is no difference between those who are circumcised and those who are not. There is no rude outsider, or even a Scythian. There is no slave or free person. But Christ is everything. And he is in everything.

12 You are God's chosen people. You are holy and dearly loved. So put on tender mercy and kindness as if they were your clothes. Don't be proud. Be gentle and patient.

13 Put up with each other. Forgive the things you are holding against one another. Forgive, just as the Lord forgave you.

14 And over all of those good things put on love. Love holds them all together perfectly as if they were one.

15 Let the peace that Christ gives rule in your hearts. As parts of one body, you were appointed to live in peace. And be thankful.

16 Let Christ's word live in you like a rich treasure. Teach and correct each other wisely. Sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing with thanks in your hearts to God.

17 Do everything you say or do in the name of the Lord Jesus. Always give thanks to God the Father through Christ.

18 Wives, follow the lead of your husbands. That's what the Lord wants you to do.

19 Husbands, love your wives. Don't be mean to them.

20 Children, obey your parents in everything. That pleases the Lord.

21 Fathers, don't make your children bitter. If you do, they will lose hope.

22 Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything. Don't do it just to please them when they are watching you. Obey them with an honest heart. Do it out of respect for the Lord.

23 Work at everything you do with all your heart. Work as if you were working for the Lord, not for human masters.

24 Work because you know that you will finally receive as a reward what the Lord wants you to have. You are serving the Lord Christ.

25 Anyone who does wrong will be paid back for what he does. God treats everyone the same.