But I was afraid their enemies would make fun of that. I was afraid their attackers would not understand. I was sure they would say,‘ We’re the ones who’ve beaten them! The Lord isn’t the one who did it.’ ”

惟恐仇敌惹动我，只怕敌人错看，说：‘是我们手的能力，并非耶和华所行的。’

惟恐仇敌挑衅，他们的敌人误解，说，我们的手得胜了，这一切并非耶和华做的。’

惟恐仇敌挑衅，他们的敌人误解，说，我们的手得胜了，这一切并非耶和华做的。’

但我不愿让敌人夸口，宣称这是他们的胜利，而非我的作为。’

但我惧怕仇人激动我，恐怕敌人误会了，又恐怕他们说：“是我们的手高举了，并不是耶和华作了这一切事。”’

惟恐仇敵惹動我，只怕敵人錯看，說：是我們手的能力，並非耶和華所行的。

惟恐仇敵挑釁，他們的敵人誤解，說，我們的手得勝了，這一切並非耶和華做的。』

惟恐仇敵挑釁，他們的敵人誤解，說，我們的手得勝了，這一切並非耶和華做的。』

但我不願讓敵人誇口，宣稱這是他們的勝利，而非我的作為。』

但我懼怕仇人激動我，恐怕敵人誤會了，又恐怕他們說：“是我們的手高舉了，並不是耶和華作了這一切事。”’

第恐敵人激我、仇人誤視、自謂我手力大、非耶和華所行、

然我慮敵驕肆、佯不知我所作為、反自伐其大能、謂非耶和華所行。

第恐仇人使我忿懥、或作第恐仇人狂怒恐其敵人不認根由、恐敵自謂己手力大、謂此諸事非主所行、

but I dreaded the taunt of the enemy, lest the adversary misunderstand and say,‘ Our hand has triumphed; the Lord has not done all this.’”

had I not feared provocation by the enemy, lest their adversaries should misunderstand, lest they should say,“ Our hand is triumphant, it was not the Lord who did all this.”’

But I feared the taunt of Israel’s enemy, who might misunderstand and say,“ Our own power has triumphed! The Lord had nothing to do with this!”’

if I had not feared provocation from the enemy, or feared that these foes might misunderstand and say,‘ Our own hand has prevailed; it wasn’t the LORD who did all this.’”

Had I not feared the provocation by the enemy, That their adversaries would misjudge, That they would say,“ Our hand is triumphant, And the Lord has not performed all this.” ’

Had I not feared the wrath of the enemy, Lest their adversaries should misunderstand, Lest they should say,“ Our hand is high; And it is not the Lord who has done all this.”’

Were it not that I feared the provocation of the enemy, Lest their adversaries should judge amiss, Lest they should say, Our hand is exalted, And Jehovah hath not done all this.

if I had not feared insult from the enemy, or feared that these foes might misunderstand and say:‘ Our own hand has prevailed; it wasn’t the Lord who did all this.’”

Were it not that I feared the wrath of the enemy, lest their adversaries should behave themselves strangely,[ and] lest they should say, Our hand[ is] high, and the LORD hath not done all this.

But I fear the reaction of their enemies, for their adversaries would misunderstand and say,“ Our power is great, and the LORD has not done all this!”’

were it not that I feared the provocation of the enemy, lest their adversaries should judge wrongly, lest they should say,‘ Our hand is exalted, Yahweh has not done all this.’”

Lord, don’t give sinners what they want. Don’t let their plans succeed.

But the Lord will be true to his great name. He won’t turn his back on his people. That’s because he was pleased to make you his own people.

Lord, may glory be given to you, not to us. You are loving and faithful.Why do the nations ask,“ Where is their God?”

You said,‘ I am queen forever!’ But you did not think about what you were doing. You did not consider how things might turn out.

Why should the Egyptians say,‘ He brought them out to hurt them. He wanted to kill them in the mountains. He wanted to wipe them off the face of the earth’? Turn away from your great anger. Please take pity on your people. Don’t destroy them!

Then the angel said,“ Announce this message. Say,‘ The Lord who rules over all says,“ I am very jealous for my people in Jerusalem and Zion.And I am very angry with the nations that feel secure. I was only a little angry with my people. But the nations went too far and tried to wipe them out.”

The kings who ruled before me destroyed many nations. Did the gods of those nations save them? Did the gods of Gozan, Harran or Rezeph save them? What about the gods of the people of Eden who were in Tel Assar?Where is the king of Hamath? Where is the king of Arpad? Where are the kings of Lair, Sepharvaim, Hena and Ivvah?’ ”When Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers, he read it. Then he went up to the Lord’ s temple. There he spread the letter out in front of the Lord.Hezekiah prayed to the Lord. He said,“ Lord who rules over all, you are the God of Israel. You sit on your throne between the cherubim. You alone are God over all the kingdoms on earth. You have made heaven and earth.Listen, Lord. Hear us. Open your eyes, Lord. Look at the trouble we’re in. Listen to what Sennacherib is saying. You are the living God. And he dares to make fun of you!“ Lord, it’s true that the kings of Assyria have completely destroyed many nations and their lands.They have thrown the statues of the gods of those nations into the fire. And they have destroyed them. That’s because they weren’t really gods at all. They were nothing but statues made out of wood and stone. They were made by human hands.Lord our God, save us from the power of Sennacherib. Then all the kingdoms of the earth will know that you are the only God.”Isaiah sent a message to Hezekiah. Isaiah said,“ The Lord is the God of Israel. He says,‘ You have prayed to me about Sennacherib, the king of Assyria.So here is the message the Lord has spoken against him. The Lord is telling him,“‘ “You will not win the battle over Zion. Its people hate you and make fun of you. The people of Jerusalem lift up their heads proudly as you run away.Who have you laughed at? Who have you spoken evil things against? Who have you raised your voice against? Who have you looked at so proudly? You have done it against me. I am the Holy One of Israel!

Keep my Sabbath days holy. That is the sign of the covenant I made with you. You will know that I am the Lord your God.’“‘ “But their children refused to obey me. They did not follow my rules. They were not careful to keep my laws. The person who obeys them will live by them. They misused my Sabbath days. So I said I would pour out all my great anger on them in the desert.But I kept myself from punishing them at that time. I wanted my name to be honored. So I kept it from being treated as if it were not holy. I did not want that to happen in front of the nations. They had seen me bring Israel out of Egypt.

‘ I will guard this city and save it. I will do it for myself. And I will do it for my servant David.’ ”

My people have deserted me. They have made this city a place where other gods are worshiped. They have burned incense to them here. They, their people of long ago and the kings of Judah had never known these gods. My people have also filled this place with the blood of those who aren’t guilty.

“ ‘ “ ‘But I know where you are. I know when you come and go. I know how very angry you are with me.You roar against me and brag. And I have heard your bragging. So I will put my hook in your nose. I will put my bit in your mouth. And I will make you go home by the same way you came.’ ” ’ ”

The Canaanites will hear about it. So will everyone else in the country. They will surround us. They’ll erase any mention of our name from the face of the earth. Then what will you do when people don’t honor your great name anymore?”

“ Tell Hezekiah, the king of Judah,‘ Don’t let the god you depend on trick you. He says,“ Jerusalem will not be handed over to the king of Assyria.” But don’t believe him.

He said,“ Isn’t this the great Babylon I have built as a place for my royal palace? I used my mighty power to build it. It shows how glorious my majesty is.”He was still speaking when he heard a voice from heaven. It said,“ King Nebuchadnezzar, here is what has been ordered concerning you. Your royal authority has been taken from you.You will be driven away from people. You will live with the wild animals. You will eat grass just as an ox does. Seven periods of time will pass by for you. Then you will recognize that the Most High God rules over all kingdoms on earth. He gives them to anyone he wants.”What had been said about King Nebuchadnezzar came true at once. He was driven away from people. He ate grass just as an ox does. His body became wet with the dew of heaven. He stayed that way until his hair grew like the feathers of an eagle. His nails became like the claws of a bird.At the end of that time I, Nebuchadnezzar, looked up toward heaven. My mind became clear again. Then I praised the Most High God. I gave honor and glory to the God who lives forever. His rule will last forever. His kingdom will never end.He considers all the nations on earth to be nothing. He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven. He does what he wants with the nations of the earth. No one can hold back his hand. No one can say to him,“ What have you done?”My honor and glory were returned to me when my mind became clear again. The glory of my kingdom was given back to me. My advisers and nobles came to me. And I was put back on my throne. I became even greater than I had been before.Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, give praise and honor and glory to the King of heaven. Everything he does is right. All his ways are fair. He is able to bring down those who live proudly.

Her skirts are dirty. She didn’t think about how things might turn out. Her fall from power amazed everyone. And no one was there to comfort her. She said,“ Lord, please pay attention to how much I’m suffering. My enemies have won the battle over me.”

“‘ “But in the desert the people of Israel refused to obey me. They did not follow my rules. They turned their backs on my laws. The person who obeys them will live by them. They totally misused my Sabbath days. So I said I would pour out my great anger on them. I would destroy them in the desert.But I wanted my name to be honored. I kept it from being treated as if it were not holy. I did not want that to happen in front of the nations. They had seen me bring Israel out of Egypt.

Suppose you put all these people to death and leave none alive. Then the nations who have heard these things about you will talk. They’ll say,‘ The Lord promised to give these people the land of Canaan. But he wasn’t able to bring them into it. So he killed them in the desert.’

‘ Aren’t all my commanders kings?’ he says.‘ I took over Kalno just as I took Carchemish. I took over Hamath just as I did Arpad. I took Samaria just as I did Damascus.My powerful hand grabbed hold of kingdoms whose people worship statues of gods. They had more gods than Jerusalem and Samaria did.I took over Samaria and its statues of gods. In the same way, I will take Jerusalem and its gods.’ ”The Lord will finish everything he has planned to do against Mount Zion and Jerusalem. Then he’ll say,“ Now I will punish the king of Assyria. I will punish him because his heart and his eyes are so proud.The king of Assyria says,“‘ By my power I have taken over all these nations. I am very wise. I have great understanding. I have wiped out the borders between nations. I’ve taken their treasures. Like a great hero I’ve brought their kings under my control.I’ve taken the wealth of the nations. It was as easy as reaching into a bird’s nest. I’ve gathered the riches of all these countries. It was as easy as gathering eggs that have been left in a nest. Not a single baby bird flapped its wings. Not one of them opened its mouth to chirp.’ ”Does an ax claim to be more important than the person who swings it? Does a saw brag that it is better than the one who uses it? That would be like a stick swinging the person who picks it up! It would be like a war club waving the one who carries it!