Isaiah

21Then 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.

Then 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:

22So 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.

This 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.

NoteZion is another name for the city of Jerusalem. Mount Zion is the hill the city was built on. Shaking your head at someone meant you thought they were silly.

23Who 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.

Whom 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.

Note"The Holy One of Israel" is a name for God. It means God is good and different from everyone else.

24You 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.

By 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.

NoteChariots were carts pulled by horses that soldiers rode in battle. Lebanon was a land north of Israel covered with tall forests. Its cedar trees were famous and were used to build palaces.

25I dug wells and drank the water. With the soles of my feet I dried up every stream in Egypt.'

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

NoteThis is the king bragging. He means his army was so huge that it drank whole rivers dry.

26Have 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.

Hast 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.

27The 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.

Therefore 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.

NoteRoofs back then were flat and covered with packed dirt. Grass sprouted up there but died fast in the sun. It never lived long enough to be useful.

28But I know when you sit down. I know when you go out and come in. I know how angry you are with me.

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

29Your anger and your pride 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.

Because 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.

NotePeople put a hook or ring in a big animal's nose. Then they could lead the animal wherever they wanted. A bit is a metal bar that goes in a horse's mouth.

30"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.

And 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.

NoteA sign was something that showed God's promise was true. The war had kept people from planting their fields. So for two years they would eat food that came up by itself.

31The people of Judah who are left will be like a plant again. They will grow roots down and fruit up.

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

32A 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.

For 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.

33So 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.

Therefore 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.

NoteArmies piled dirt into a ramp against a city wall. Then soldiers could walk up and climb over. Big shields held together made a wall for soldiers to hide behind.

34He will go back the same way he came. He will not come into this city, says the LORD.

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

35I will guard this city and save it. I will do it for my own sake, and for the sake of my servant David."

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

NoteDavid was Israel's great king long before Hezekiah was born. God had promised David that his family would keep ruling.

1Around 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."

In 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.

NoteHezekiah was the king of Judah, God's people. "Set thine house in order" meant getting everything settled before dying. A king had to say who would rule next.

2Then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall. He prayed to the LORD.

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

NoteTurning his face to the wall meant he wanted to be alone with God. When LORD is written in big letters, it stands for God's own special name.

3He 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.

And 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.

4Then the LORD gave Isaiah a message. He said,

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

5"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.

Go, 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.

NoteDavid was a famous king who lived long before this. He was Hezekiah's family from many years back. "Father" here means a grandfather from long ago.

6I will save you and this city from the king of Assyria. I will keep this city safe.

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

NoteAssyria was a strong country with a huge army. Its soldiers came and took over other lands. They were close by, ready to attack this city.

7Here is a sign for you from the LORD. It shows you that the LORD will do what he said.

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

NoteA sign is something you can see that shows a promise is true. It is like proof you can point to.

8Look at the shadow on the stairs of King Ahaz. 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.

Behold, 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.

NoteAhaz was Hezekiah's father, the king before him. He built a set of stairs that told the time. Each day the sun moved a shadow down the steps.

1About 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.

At 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.

NoteBabylon was a strong country far away from where Hezekiah lived. Hezekiah was the king of Judah, the land of God's people. Kings often sent gifts to other kings to make friends with them.

2Hezekiah 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.

And 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.

NoteSpices are sweet-smelling plants used in food and perfume. The fine oil was rubbed on skin and hair, and it cost a lot. A king usually kept his gold and his weapons secret from other kings.

3Then Isaiah the prophet came to King Hezekiah. 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."

Then 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.

NoteA prophet was someone who told people what God said.

4Then 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."

Then 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.

5Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, "Listen to what the LORD of hosts says.

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

NoteIn many Bibles, LORD in big letters stands for God's own special name. The old word "hosts" means armies. So this name means the LORD who leads God's armies in heaven.

6"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.

Behold, 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.

Note"Your fathers" means the kings in his family who lived long before him.

7"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."

And 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.

NoteThese sons would be boys born in his family many years later. A eunuch was a man who worked inside a king's palace. Eunuchs were changed so they could never have children of their own.

8Then 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.

Then 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.

16He 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.

And 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.

NoteNazareth was the small town where Jesus grew up. The Sabbath was the seventh day of the week. God told his people to rest that day and to think about him.

17Someone handed him the scroll of the prophet Isaiah. Jesus unrolled it and found this place:

And 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,

NoteBooks back then were long rolls of paper called scrolls. You unrolled them to read. "Esaias" is the old spelling of Isaiah. He was a prophet, someone who told people what God said. Isaiah lived hundreds of years before Jesus.

18"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."

The 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,

Note"Anointed" means poured oil on someone's head. People did that to show God had picked that person for a special job. "Gospel" is an old word that means good news. "Captives" are people shut up in prison. The King James word "bruised" means people who have been hurt or crushed by hard things.

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

To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

NoteThe "acceptable year of the Lord" was a special year God set up long ago. In it, people who owed money were let off and slaves were set free.

20He rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the helper. Then he sat down. Everyone in the synagogue kept their eyes on him.

And 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.

NoteThe King James calls him "the minister," but that means the helper who took care of the scrolls. Teachers sat down to teach, so sitting meant Jesus was about to speak.

21He began to say to them, "Today these words came true while you were listening."

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

Note"This scripture" means these words from God's book. Jesus is saying the words Isaiah wrote are about him.

37Jesus had done many wonderful things while they watched. Even so, they did not believe in him.

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

38This 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?"

That 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?

Note"The Lord's strong arm" was a way of talking about God's power. People said "arm" because arms are strong.

39They were not able to believe, because Isaiah also said this:

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

40"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."

He 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.

NoteIn the Bible, the heart means the part of you that thinks and chooses. A hard heart is one that will not change its mind.

41Isaiah said these things because he saw Jesus' glory. He was speaking about him.

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

26An 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."

And 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.

NoteAn angel is a messenger sent from God. Gaza was a town near the sea, far to the southwest. The road there went through dry, empty land.

27So 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.

And 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,

NoteEthiopia was a country far to the south, in Africa. A eunuch was a man who worked inside a queen's palace. He would never have children of his own. Kings and queens trusted such men with their most important jobs. "Candace" was not her name. It was the title given to every queen there, like the word "queen" itself.

28Now he was going home. He sat in his chariot and read from Isaiah the prophet.

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

NoteA chariot is a cart pulled by horses. Books then were not like ours. They were long rolls of paper called scrolls. Isaiah was a prophet, someone who told people what God said. He lived hundreds of years before Jesus was born.

29Then the Spirit said to Philip, "Go over to that chariot and stay close to it."

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

30Philip ran over to him. He heard the man reading from Isaiah the prophet. Philip asked, "Do you understand what you are reading?"

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

31The man said, "How can I? I need someone to explain it to me." He asked Philip to come up and sit with him.

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

32This 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."

The 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:

NoteShearing means cutting the wool off a sheep. The sheep stands still and stays quiet while it happens.

33"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."

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

NoteThese words are still from Isaiah's book. "Who can tell about his family after him?" means no one could count his children or grandchildren. His life ended before he had any.

34The eunuch said to Philip, "Please tell me. Who is the prophet talking about? Himself, or someone else?"

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

35So Philip started with that very part of God's book. He told the man the good news about Jesus.

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

23So they picked a day to meet him. Many people came to the house where he was staying. From morning until evening Paul explained about God's kingdom. He tried to get them to believe what he said about Jesus. He used the law of Moses and the books of the prophets, men who spoke God's messages long ago.

And 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.

NoteThe law of Moses and the prophets were the Jewish holy books. They are the part of the Bible written before Jesus was born.

24Some believed what he said. Others did not believe.

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

25They did not agree with each other, so they began to leave. Before they went, Paul said one more thing. "The Holy Spirit spoke the truth to our fathers through the prophet Isaiah.

And 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,

NoteThe King James says "the Holy Ghost." Ghost was just the old word for Spirit. Isaiah was a prophet who lived hundreds of years before Paul.

26God said, 'Go to these people and tell them this. You will hear and hear, but you will not understand. You will look and look, but you will not see.

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

27The hearts of these people have grown hard. Their ears hardly hear. They have shut their eyes. If they had not, they would see with their eyes. They would hear with their ears. They would understand in their hearts. They would turn back to me, and I would heal them.'

For 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.

NoteThe King James says their heart "is waxed gross." That means it grew thick and hard. It is a picture for people who stop listening.

28So know this. God has sent his saving help to the people who are not Jews. They will listen to it."

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

NoteAnyone who was not Jewish was called a Gentile. That meant most people in the world.

16But not everyone accepted the good news. Isaiah said, "Lord, who believed what we told them?"

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

NoteIsaiah was a prophet, someone who told people what God said. He lived hundreds of years before Jesus was born.

17So trust starts with hearing. And hearing happens when God's message is told.

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

18But did they not hear it? Yes, they did. The Bible says, "Their voice went out to the whole earth. Their words went to the far ends of the world."

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

NoteThese words come from a song in the Bible called a psalm. The song says the sky itself tells everyone about God.

19Did Israel not understand? Moses said it first. God said, "I will make you jealous with people who are not even a nation. I will make you angry with a nation that does not understand."

But 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.

NoteA nation is a big group of people living together, like a country. Jealous means feeling upset when someone else gets something good. God said other people would come to him. That would make his own people wish they had come too.

20Then Isaiah said something very bold. God said, "People who were not looking for me found me. I showed myself to people who never asked for me."

But 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.

NoteBold means brave enough to say a hard thing out loud.

21But about Israel, God says, "All day long I held out my hands to them. They would not listen, and they argued back."

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

NoteHolding out your hands means welcoming someone in. It is like a parent holding out both arms for a hug. God kept doing that all day long.