Isaiah

21Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent unto Hezekiah, saying, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Whereas thou hast prayed to me against Sennacherib king of Assyria:

Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent a message to Hezekiah. He said, "The LORD, the God of Israel, says this. You prayed to me about Sennacherib, the king of Assyria.

22This is the word which the LORD hath spoken concerning him; The virgin, the daughter of Zion, hath despised thee, and laughed thee to scorn; the daughter of Jerusalem hath shaken her head at thee.

So here is what the LORD says about him. The city of Zion is like a young woman. She looks down on you and laughs at you. Jerusalem shakes her head at you as you go.

23Whom hast thou reproached and blasphemed? and against whom hast thou exalted thy voice, and lifted up thine eyes on high? even against the Holy One of Israel.

Who is it you made fun of? Who did you say bad things about? Who did you shout at and look at so proudly? You did all this to the Holy One of Israel.

24By thy servants hast thou reproached the Lord, and hast said, By the multitude of my chariots am I come up to the height of the mountains, to the sides of Lebanon; and I will cut down the tall cedars thereof, and the choice fir trees thereof: and I will enter into the height of his border, and the forest of his Carmel.

You sent your servants to make fun of the Lord. You said, 'With my many chariots I climbed the high mountains. I reached the far peaks of Lebanon. I cut down its tallest cedar trees and its best fir trees. I went into its highest parts and its thickest forest.

25I have digged, and drunk water; and with the sole of my feet have I dried up all the rivers of the besieged places.

I dug wells and drank the water. With the soles of my feet I dried up every stream in Egypt.'

26Hast thou not heard long ago, how I have done it; and of ancient times, that I have formed it? now have I brought it to pass, that thou shouldest be to lay waste defenced cities into ruinous heaps.

Have you not heard? I decided all this long ago. I planned it in days long past. Now I have made it happen. That is why you can smash strong cities into piles of stones.

27Therefore their inhabitants were of small power, they were dismayed and confounded: they were as the grass of the field, and as the green herb, as the grass on the housetops, and as corn blasted before it be grown up.

The people in those cities had no strength. They were afraid and ashamed. They were like plants in a field, like soft green shoots. They were like grass on a roof, burned up before it grows.

28But I know thy abode, and thy going out, and thy coming in, and thy rage against me.

But I know when you sit down. I know when you go out and come in. I know how angry you are with me.

29Because thy rage against me, and thy tumult, is come up into mine ears, therefore will I put my hook in thy nose, and my bridle in thy lips, and I will turn thee back by the way by which thou camest.

Your anger and your loud noise have reached my ears. So I will put my hook in your nose. I will put my bit in your mouth. I will turn you around and send you back the way you came.

30And this shall be a sign unto thee, Ye shall eat this year such as groweth of itself; and the second year that which springeth of the same: and in the third year sow ye, and reap, and plant vineyards, and eat the fruit thereof.

"Here is a sign for you, Hezekiah. This year you will eat food that grows by itself. Next year you will eat what grows from that. But in the third year you will plant seeds and gather the crop. You will plant grapevines and eat their fruit.

31And the remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah shall again take root downward, and bear fruit upward:

The people of Judah who are left will be like a plant again. They will grow roots down and fruit up.

32For out of Jerusalem shall go forth a remnant, and they that escape out of mount Zion: the zeal of the LORD of hosts shall do this.

A few people will come out of Jerusalem. Some will get away safe from Mount Zion. The strong care of the LORD of armies will do this.

33Therefore thus saith the LORD concerning the king of Assyria, He shall not come into this city, nor shoot an arrow there, nor come before it with shields, nor cast a bank against it.

So the LORD says this about the king of Assyria. He will not come into this city. He will not shoot one arrow into it. He will not come at it with shields. He will not build a ramp of dirt against its wall.

34By the way that he came, by the same shall he return, and shall not come into this city, saith the LORD.

He will go back the same way he came. He will not come into this city, says the LORD.

35For I will defend this city to save it for mine own sake, and for my servant David’s sake.

I will guard this city and save it. I will do it for my own sake, and for the sake of my servant David."

1In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came unto him, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Set thine house in order: for thou shalt die, and not live.

Around that time King Hezekiah got very sick. He was going to die. Isaiah was a prophet, someone who told people what God said. He was the son of Amoz. Isaiah came and said, "The LORD says this. Get your house ready. You will die. You will not get well."

2Then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, and prayed unto the LORD,

Then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall. He prayed to the LORD.

3And said, Remember now, O LORD, I beseech thee, how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore.

He said, "Please, LORD, remember me. I have lived the way you wanted me to live. I gave you my whole heart. I did what you call good." Then Hezekiah cried hard.

4Then came the word of the LORD to Isaiah, saying,

Then the LORD gave Isaiah a message. He said,

5Go, and say to Hezekiah, Thus saith the LORD, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will add unto thy days fifteen years.

"Go and tell Hezekiah this. The LORD, the God of your father David, says: I heard your prayer. I saw your tears. I will add fifteen more years to your life.

6And I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria: and I will defend this city.

I will save you and this city from the king of Assyria. I will keep this city safe.

7And this shall be a sign unto thee from the LORD, that the LORD will do this thing that he hath spoken;

Here is a sign for you from the LORD. It shows you that the LORD will do what he said.

8Behold, I will bring again the shadow of the degrees, which is gone down in the sun dial of Ahaz, ten degrees backward. So the sun returned ten degrees, by which degrees it was gone down.

Look at the shadow on the stairs that King Ahaz built. The sun makes it move down the steps. I will make that shadow go back ten steps." And the sunlight did go back ten steps.

1At that time Merodachbaladan, the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a present to Hezekiah: for he had heard that he had been sick, and was recovered.

About that time, the king of Babylon sent letters and a gift to Hezekiah. That king was Merodach-baladan, the son of Baladan. He sent them because he had heard that Hezekiah had been sick and had gotten well.

2And Hezekiah was glad of them, and shewed them the house of his precious things, the silver, and the gold, and the spices, and the precious ointment, and all the house of his armour, and all that was found in his treasures: there was nothing in his house, nor in all his dominion, that Hezekiah shewed them not.

Hezekiah was glad to see the men. He showed them the room where he kept his treasures. He showed them the silver and the gold. He showed them the spices and the fine, sweet-smelling oil. He also showed them the whole building where he kept his weapons. He showed them everything in his storerooms. There was nothing in his palace, or in all the land he ruled, that Hezekiah did not show them.

3Then came Isaiah the prophet unto king Hezekiah, and said unto him, What said these men? and from whence came they unto thee? And Hezekiah said, They are come from a far country unto me, even from Babylon.

Then Isaiah the prophet came to King Hezekiah. A prophet is someone who tells people what God says. Isaiah asked, "What did those men say to you? Where did they come from?" Hezekiah said, "They came to me from a land far away. They came from Babylon."

4Then said he, What have they seen in thine house? And Hezekiah answered, All that is in mine house have they seen: there is nothing among my treasures that I have not shewed them.

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

5Then said Isaiah to Hezekiah, Hear the word of the LORD of hosts:

Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, "Listen to what the LORD of hosts says.

6Behold, the days come, that all that is in thine house, and that which thy fathers have laid up in store until this day, shall be carried to Babylon: nothing shall be left, saith the LORD.

"The day is coming when everything in your palace will be carried away to Babylon. That includes everything your fathers stored up until now. Nothing will be left, says the LORD.

7And of thy sons that shall issue from thee, which thou shalt beget, shall they take away; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.

"Some of your own sons, the children born from your family, will be taken away too. They will be made eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon."

8Then said Hezekiah to Isaiah, Good is the word of the LORD which thou hast spoken. He said moreover, For there shall be peace and truth in my days.

Then Hezekiah said to Isaiah, "The word of the LORD that you have spoken is good." He was thinking that there would be peace and safety while he was still alive.

16And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.

He came to Nazareth, the town where he grew up. As he always did, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath, the day of rest. He stood up to read.

17And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written,

Someone handed him the scroll of the prophet Isaiah. A prophet is a person who told people what God said. Jesus unrolled it and found this place:

18The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,

"The Spirit of the Lord is on me. He chose me to bring good news to poor people. He sent me to heal broken hearts. I tell people who are locked up that they are free. I tell blind people they will see again. I set hurting people free."

19To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

"I tell everyone that this is the year the Lord helps his people."

20And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him.

He rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the helper. Then he sat down. Everyone in the synagogue kept their eyes on him.

21And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.

He began to say to them, "Today these words came true while you were listening."

37But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him:

Jesus had done many wonderful things while they watched. Even so, they did not believe in him.

38That the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed?

This happened so the words of Isaiah would come true. Isaiah was a prophet, someone who told people what God said. He wrote: "Lord, who has believed what we told them? Who has seen the Lord's strong arm at work?"

39Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again,

They were not able to believe. Isaiah also said this:

40He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.

"He has made their eyes blind. He has made their hearts hard. So they do not see with their eyes. They do not understand with their hearts. They do not turn to me, and I do not heal them."

41These things said Esaias, when he saw his glory, and spake of him.

Isaiah said these things because he saw Jesus' glory. He was speaking about him.

26And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert.

An angel of the Lord spoke to Philip. He said, "Get up and go south. Take the desert road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza."

27And he arose and went: and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship,

So Philip got up and went. On the road he met a man from Ethiopia. This man was a eunuch and an important officer for Candace, the queen of Ethiopia. He took care of all her money. He had gone to Jerusalem to worship God.

28Was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet.

Now he was going home. He sat in his chariot and read from Isaiah the prophet. A chariot is a cart pulled by horses. A prophet is someone who told people what God said.

29Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot.

Then the Spirit said to Philip, "Go over to that chariot and stay close to it."

30And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest?

Philip ran over to him. He heard the man reading from Isaiah the prophet. Philip asked, "Do you understand what you are reading?"

31And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him.

The man said, "How can I? I need someone to explain it to me." He asked Philip to come up and sit with him.

32The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth:

This is the part of God's book he was reading. "He was led away like a sheep going to be killed. A lamb stays quiet while its wool is cut. In the same way, he did not open his mouth."

33In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth.

"He was treated badly, and no one judged him fairly. Who can tell about his family after him? For his life was taken away from the earth."

34And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man?

The eunuch said to Philip, "Please tell me. Who is the prophet talking about? Himself, or someone else?"

35Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.

So Philip started with that very part of God's book. He told the man the good news about Jesus.

23And when they had appointed him a day, there came many to him into his lodging; to whom he expounded and testified the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses, and out of the prophets, from morning till evening.

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24And some believed the things which were spoken, and some believed not.

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25And when they agreed not among themselves, they departed, after that Paul had spoken one word, Well spake the Holy Ghost by Esaias the prophet unto our fathers,

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26Saying, Go unto this people, and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive:

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27For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.

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28Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it.

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16But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?

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17So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

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18But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world.

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19But I say, Did not Israel know? First Moses saith, I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are no people, and by a foolish nation I will anger you.

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20But Esaias is very bold, and saith, I was found of them that sought me not; I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me.

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21But to Israel he saith, All day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people.

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