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“About that time Hezekiah became deathly ill, and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to visit him. He gave the king this message: ‘This is what the Lord says: set your affairs in order, for you are going to die. You will not recover from your illness.’

When Hezekiah heard this, he turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, ‘Remember, O Lord, how I have always been faithful to you and have served you single-mindedly, always doing good and what pleases you.’ Then he broke down and wept bitterly.

Then this message came to Isaiah from the Lord: ‘Go back to Hezekiah and tell him, This is what the Lord, the God of your ancestor David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears. I will add fifteen years to your life, and I will rescue you and this city from the king of Assyria. Yes, I will defend this city.

And this is a the sign from the Lord to prove that He will do as promised. I will cause the sun’s shadow to move ten steps backward on the sundial of Ahaz!’ So the shadow of the sundial moved backward ten steps.” (vv. 1-8, NLT)

“Then Isaiah son of Amoz sent this message to Hezekiah: ‘This what the Lord, the God of Israel says: Because you prayed about King Sennacherib of Assyria, the Lord has spoken this word against him: The virgin daughter of Zion despises you and laughs at you. The daughter of Jerusalem shakes her head in derision as you flee.'” (vv. 21-22, NLT)

“And this is what the Lord says about the king of Assyria: ‘His armies will not enter Jerusalem. They will not even shoot an arrow at it. They will not march outside with gates with their shields nor build banks of earth against its walls.'” (v. 33)

“That night the angel of the Lord went out to the Assyrian camp and killed 185,000 Assyrian soldiers. When the surviving Assyrians woke up the next morning, they found corpses everywhere. Then Sennacherib of Assyria broke camp and returned to his own land. He went home to his capital of Nineveh and stayed there.

One day while he was worshipping in the temple of his god Nisroch, his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer killed him with their swords. They then escaped to the land of Aratat, and another son Esarhaddon, became the next king of Assyria.” (vv. 36-38, NLT)

“And a great road will go through that once deserted land.It will be named the Highway of Holiness. Evil-minded people will never travel on it. It will be only for those who walk in God’s way; fools will never walk there. Lions will not lurk along its course, nor any other ferocious beasts. There will be no other dangers. Only the redeemed will walk on it. Those who have been ransomed by the Lord will return. They will enter Jerusalem singing, crowned with everlasting joy. Sorrow and mourning will disappear, and they will be filled with joy and gladness.” (vv. 8-10, NLT)

“Even the wilderness and desert will be glad in those days. The wasteland will rejoice and blossom with spring crocuses. Yes, there will be an abundance of flowers and singing and joy! The deserts will become as green as the mountains of Lebanon, as lovely as Mount Carmel or the plain of Sharon. There the Lord will display His glory, and the splendor of our God.

With this news, strengthen those who have tired hands and encourage those who have weak knees. Say to those with fearful hearts, ‘Be strong and do not fear, for your God is coming to destroy your enemies. He is coming to save you.’

And when He comes, He will open the eyes of the blind, and unplug the ears of the deaf. The lame will leap like a deer, and those who cannot speak will sing for joy! Springs will gush forth in the wilderness, and streams will water the wasteland. The parched ground will become a pool, and springs of water will satisfy the thirsty land. March grass and reeds and rushes will flourish where desert jackals once lived.” (vv. 1-7, NLT)

“Search the book of the Lord and see what He will do. None of these birds and animals will be missing, and none will lack a mate, for the Lord has promised this. His Spirit will make all of this come true. He has surveyed and divided the land and deeded it over to those creatures. They will possess it forever, from generation to generation. (vv. 16-17, NLT)

“Though the Lord is very great and lives in heaven, He will make Jerusalem His home of justice and righteousness. In that day He will be your sure foundation, providing a rich store of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge. The fear of the Lord will be your treasure.” (vv. 5-6, NLT)

“Those who are honest and fair, who refuse to profit by fraud, who stay far away from bribes, who refuse to listen to those who plot murder, who shut their eyes to all enticement and to do wrong – these are the ones who will dwell on high. The rocks of the mountains will be their fortress. Food will be supplied to them, and they will see the King in all His splendor, and you will see a land that stretches into the distance.” (vv. 15-17, NLT)

“For the Lord is our judge, our lawgiver, and our King. H will care for us and save us. The enemies’ sails hang loose on broken masts with useless tackle. Their treasure will be divided by the people of God. Even the lame will take their share! The people of Israel will no longer say, ‘We are sick and helpless,’ for the Lord will forgive their sins.” (vv. 22-24, NLT)

“Look, a righteous king is coming! And honest princes will rule under Him. Each one will be like a shelter from the wind, and a refuge from the storm, like streams of water in the desert and the shadow of a great rock in a parched land.

Then everyone who has eyes will be able to see the truth, and everyone who has ears will be able to hear it. Even the hotheads will be full of sense and understanding. Those who stammer will speak out plainly. In that day ungodly fools will not be heroes. Scoundrels will not be respected. Fools speak foolishness and make evil plans. They practice ungodliness and spread false teachings about the Lord. The deprive the hungry of food and give no water to the thirsty. The smooth tricks of scoundrels are evil. They plot crooked schemes. They lie to convict the poor, even when the cause of the poor is just. But generous people plan to do what is generous, and they stand firm in their generosity.” (vv. 1-8, NLT)

“So the Lord must wait for you to come to Him so He can show you His love and compassion. For the Lord is a faithful God. Blessed are those who wait for His help.

O people of Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will weep no more. He will be gracious if You ask for help. He will surely respond to the sound of your cries. Though the Lord gave you adversity for food and suffering for drink, He will still be with you to teach you. You will see your teacher with your own eyes.

Your own ears will hear Him. Right behind you a voice will say, ‘this is the way you should go,’ whether to the right or to the left. Then you will destroy all your silver idols and your precious gold images. You will throw them out like filthy rags, saying to them, ‘Good riddance!’ (vv. 18-22, NLT)

“In that day, everyone in the land of Judah will sing this song: Our city is strong! We are surrounded by the walls of God’s salvation. Open the gates to all who are righteous; all the faithful to enter. You will keep perfect peace all who trust in You, all whose thoughts are fixed on You! Trust in the Lord always, for the Lord God is the eternal Rock. He humbles the proud and brings down the arrogant city. He brings it down to dust. The poor will trample it underfoot, and the needy walk all over it.

But for those who are righteous, the way is not too steep and rough. You are a God who does what is right, and You smooth out the path ahead of them. Lord, we show our trust in You by obeying Your laws; our heart’s desire is to glorify Your name.” (vv. 1-8 NLT)

“Lord, you will grant us peace; all we have accomplished is really from You. O Lord, our God, others have ruled over us, but you alone are the one we worship.”(vv. 12-13, NLT)

Restoration for Israel

“Go home, my people, and lock your doors! Hide yourselves a little while until the Lord’s anger has passed. Look! The Lord is coming from heaven to punish the people of the earth for their sins. The earth will no longer hide those who have been killed. They will be brought out for all to see.” (vv. 20-21, NLT)

“O Lord, I will honor and praise Your name, for You are my God. You do such wonderful things! You planned them long ago, and now You have accomplished them. You turned mighty cities into heaps of ruins. Cities with strong walls are turned to rubble. Beautiful palaces in distant lands disappear and will never be rebuilt. Therefore , strong nations will declare Your glory; ruthless nations will fear you.” (vv. 1-3, NLT)

“In Jerusalem, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will spread a wonderful feast for all the people of the world. It will be a delicious banquet with clear, well-aged wine and choice meat. There He will remove the cloud of gloom, the shadow of death that hangs over the earth. He will swallow up death forever! The Sovereign Lord will wipe away all tears. He will remove forever all insults and mockery against His land and people. The Lord has spoken! (vv. 6-8, NLT)