Yesaya 36:21--37:4

36:21 They were silent and did not respond, for the king had ordered, “Don’t respond to him.”

36:22 Eliakim son of Hilkiah, the palace supervisor, accompanied by Shebna the scribe and Joah son of Asaph, the secretary, went to Hezekiah with their clothes torn in grief ¹  and reported to him what the chief adviser had said. 37:1 When King Hezekiah heard this, ²  he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, and went to the Lord’s temple. 37:2 Eliakim the palace supervisor, Shebna the scribe, and the leading priests, ³  clothed in sackcloth, sent this message to the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz: 37:3 “This is what Hezekiah says: ⁴  ‘This is a day of distress, insults, ⁵  and humiliation, ⁶  as when a baby is ready to leave the birth canal, but the mother lacks the strength to push it through. ⁷  37:4 Perhaps the Lord your God will hear all these things the chief adviser has spoken on behalf of his master, the king of Assyria, who sent him to taunt the living God. ⁸  When the Lord your God hears, perhaps he will punish him for the things he has said. ⁹  So pray for this remnant that remains.’” ¹⁰ 

[36:22]  ¹ tn Heb “with their clothes torn”; the words “in grief” have been supplied in the translation to indicate that this was done as a sign of grief and mourning.

[37:1]  ² tn The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.

[37:2]  ³ tn Heb “elders of the priests” (so KJV, NAB, NASB); NCV “the older priests”; NRSV, TEV, CEV “the senior priests.”

[37:3]  ⁴ tn In the Hebrew text this verse begins with “they said to him” (cf. NRSV).

[37:3]  ⁵ tn Or “rebuke” (KJV, NAB, NIV, NRSV), or “correction.”

[37:3]  ⁶ tn Or “contempt”; NAB, NIV, NRSV “disgrace.”

[37:3]  ⁷ tn Heb “when sons come to the cervical opening and there is no strength to give birth.”

[37:4]  ⁸ tn Heb “all the words of the chief adviser whom his master, the king of Assyria, sent to taunt the living God.”

[37:4]  ⁹ tn Heb “and rebuke the words which the Lord your God hears.”

[37:4]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “and lift up a prayer on behalf of the remnant that is found.”