The Tanakh · JPS 1917 Translation

Isaiah 37

Jewish Publication Society 1917 · Nevi'im — the Prophets

Isaiah chapter 37 — part of the Nevi'im — the Prophets in the Jewish Bible. In the classic JPS 1917 translation it opens: “And it came to pass, when king Hezekiah heard it, that he rent his clothes, and covered himself with sackcloth, and went into the house of…” — the complete text of all 38 verses is below, free to read online.

1And it came to pass, when king Hezekiah heard it, that he rent his clothes, and covered himself with sackcloth, and went into the house of HaShem.

2And he sent Eliakim, who was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and the elders of the priests, covered with sackcloth, unto Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz.

3And they said unto him: 'Thus saith Hezekiah: This day is a day of trouble, and of rebuke, and of contumely; for the children are come to the birth, and there is not strength to bring forth.

4It may be HaShem thy G-d will hear the words of Rab-shakeh, whom the king of Assyria his master hath sent to taunt the living G-d, and will rebuke the words which HaShem thy G-d hath heard; wherefore make prayer for the remnant that is left.'

5So the servants of king Hezekiah came to Isaiah.

6And Isaiah said unto them: 'Thus shall ye say to your master: Thus saith HaShem: Be not afraid of the words that thou hast heard, wherewith the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed Me.

7Behold, I will put a spirit in him, and he shall hear a rumour, and shall return unto his own land; and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land.'

8So Rab-shakeh returned, and found the king of Assyria warring against Libnah; for he had heard that he was departed from Lachish.

9And he heard say concerning Tirhakah king of Ethiopia: 'He is come out to fight against thee.' And when he heard it, he sent messengers to Hezekiah, saying:

10'Thus shall ye speak to Hezekiah king of Judah, saying: Let not thy G-d in whom thou trustest beguile thee, saying: Jerusalem shall not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.

11Behold, thou hast heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands, by destroying them utterly; and shalt thou be delivered?

12Have the gods of the nations delivered them, which my fathers have destroyed, Gozan, and Haran, and Rezeph, and the children of Eden that were in Telassar?

13Where is the king of Hamath, and the king of Arpad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, of Hena, and Ivvah?'

14And Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read it; and Hezekiah went up unto the house of HaShem, and spread it before HaShem.

15And Hezekiah prayed unto HaShem, saying:

16'O HaShem of hosts, the G-d of Israel, that sittest upon the cherubim, Thou art the G-d, even Thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; Thou hast made heaven and earth.

17Incline Thine ear, O HaShem, and hear; open Thine eyes, O HaShem, and see; and hear all the words of Sennacherib, who hath sent to taunt the living G-d.

18Of a truth, HaShem, the kings of Assyria have laid waste all the countries, and their land,

19and have cast their gods into the fire; for they were no gods, but the work of men's hands, wood and stone; therefore they have destroyed them.

20Now therefore, O HaShem our G-d, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that Thou art HaShem, even Thou only.'

21Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent unto Hezekiah, saying: 'Thus saith HaShem, the G-d of Israel: Whereas thou hast prayed to Me against Sennacherib king of Assyria,

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

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

24By thy servants hast thou taunted the L-rd, and hast said: With the multitude of my chariots am I come up to the height of the mountains, to the innermost parts of Lebanon; and I have cut down the tall cedars thereof, and the choice cypress-trees thereof; and I have entered into his farthest height, the forest of his fruitful field.

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

26Hast thou not heard? Long ago I made it, in ancient times I fashioned it; now have I brought it to pass, yea, it is done; that fortified cities should be laid waste into ruinous heaps.

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 a field of corn before it is grown up.

28But I know thy sitting down, and thy going out, and thy coming in, and thy raging against Me.

29Because of thy raging against Me, and for that thine uproar 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.

30And this shall be the sign unto thee: ye shall eat this year that which groweth of itself, and in 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.

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

32For out of Jerusalem shall go forth a remnant, and out of mount Zion they that shall escape; the zeal of HaShem of hosts shall perform this.

33Therefore thus saith HaShem concerning the king of Assyria: He shall not come unto this city, nor shoot an arrow there, neither shall he come before it with shield, nor cast a mound against it.

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

35For I will defend this city to save it, for Mine own sake, and for My servant David's sake.'

36And the angel of HaShem went forth, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians a hundred and fourscore and five thousand; and when men arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses.

37So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed, and went, and returned, and dwelt at Nineveh.

38And it came to pass, as he was worshipping in the house of Nisroch his god, that Adrammelech and Sarezer his sons smote him with the sword; and they escaped into the land of Ararat. And Esarhaddon his son reigned in his stead.

38 verses · JPS 1917 (public domain)

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