Tuesday 22 June 2010

9When he heard it said of Tirhakah king of Ethiopia,“Behold, he has come out to fight against you,”he sent messengers again to Hezekiah, saying,10“Tell Hezekiah king of Judah this:‘Don’t let your God in whom you trust deceive you,saying, Jerusalem will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.11Behold, you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands,by destroying them utterly.Will you be delivered?

· · · verses 12–13 are not read14Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers and read it.Then Hezekiah went up to the Lord’s house,and spread it before the Lord.15Hezekiah prayed before the Lord,and said, “Lord, the God of Israel,enthroned above the cherubim,you are the God, even you alone,of all the kingdoms of the earth.You have made heaven and earth.16Incline your ear, Lord, and hear.Open your eyes, Lord, and see.Hear the words of Sennacherib,which he has sent to defy the living God.17Truly, Lord, the kings of Assyria have laid waste the nations and their lands,18and 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.19Now therefore, Lord our God,save us, I beg you,out of his hand,that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you,Lord, are God alone.”

20Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah,saying, “The Lord,the God of Israel,says ‘You have prayed to me against Sennacherib king of Assyria,and I have heard you.21This is the word that the Lord has spoken concerning him:‘The virgin daughter of Zion has despised you and ridiculed you.The daughter of Jerusalem has shaken her head at you.· · · verses 22–30 are not read31For out of Jerusalem a remnant will go out,and out of Mount Zion those who shall escape.The Lord’s zeal will perform this.

32“Therefore the Lord says concerning the king of Assyria,‘He will not come to this city,nor shoot an arrow there.He will not come before it with shield,nor cast up a mound against it.33He will return the same way that he came,and he will not come to this city,’ says the Lord.34‘For I will defend this city to save it,for my own sake and for my servant David’s sake.’”

35That night, the Lord’s angel went outand struck one hundred eighty-five thousand in the camp of the Assyrians.When men arose early in the morning,behold, these were all dead bodies.36So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed,went home, and lived at Nineveh.

2Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised,in the city of our God, in his holy mountain.3Beautiful in elevation, the joy of the whole earth,

3is Mount Zion, on the north sides,the city of the great King.4God has shown himself in her citadels as a refuge.

10We have thought about your loving kindness, God,in the middle of your temple.11As is your name, God,so is your praise to the ends of the earth.Your right hand is full of righteousness.

6“Don’t give that which is holy to the dogs,neither throw your pearls before the pigs,lest perhaps they trample them under their feet,and turn and tear you to pieces.· · · verses 7–11 are not read12Therefore, whatever you desire for men to do to you,you shall also do to them;for this is the law and the prophets.

13“Enter in by the narrow gate;for the gate is wide and the way is broadthat leads to destruction,and there are many who enter in by it.14How narrow is the gateand the way is restricted that leads to life!There are few who find it.