But did King Hezekiah and the people kill him for saying this? No, they turned from their sins and worshiped the Lord. They begged him for mercy. Then the Lord changed his mind about the terrible disaster he had pronounced against them. So we are about to do ourselves great harm.”

犹大王希西家和犹大众人岂是把他治死呢？希西家岂不是敬畏耶和华、恳求他的恩吗？耶和华就后悔，不把自己所说的灾祸降与他们。若治死这人，我们就作了大恶，自害己命。”

“犹大王希西家和犹大人岂是把他处死呢？希西家岂不是敬畏耶和华，恳求耶和华施恩吗？耶和华就改变心意，不把所说的灾祸降与他们。若处死这人，我们就做了大恶，害死自己了。”

“犹大王希西家和犹大人岂是把他处死呢？希西家岂不是敬畏耶和华，恳求耶和华施恩吗？耶和华就改变心意，不把所说的灾祸降与他们。若处死这人，我们就做了大恶，害死自己了。”

“但犹大王希西迦和犹大众人并没有处死他。希西迦敬畏耶和华，求祂开恩，耶和华才施怜悯，没有把原本预备的灾祸降给他们。若处死这人，我们会大祸临头。”

犹大王希西家和犹大众人可曾把他处死呢？希西家不是敬畏耶和华，求他开恩，以致耶和华回心转意，没有把他所说的灾祸降在他们身上吗？但我们现在竟自招大祸。”

猶大王希西家和猶大眾人豈是把他治死呢？希西家豈不是敬畏耶和華、懇求他的恩嗎？耶和華就後悔，不把自己所說的災禍降與他們。若治死這人，我們就作了大惡，自害己命。」（

「猶大王希西家和猶大人豈是把他處死呢？希西家豈不是敬畏耶和華，懇求耶和華施恩嗎？耶和華就改變心意，不把所說的災禍降與他們。若處死這人，我們就做了大惡，害死自己了。」

「猶大王希西家和猶大人豈是把他處死呢？希西家豈不是敬畏耶和華，懇求耶和華施恩嗎？耶和華就改變心意，不把所說的災禍降與他們。若處死這人，我們就做了大惡，害死自己了。」

「但猶大王希西迦和猶大眾人並沒有處死他。希西迦敬畏耶和華，求祂開恩，耶和華才施憐憫，沒有把原本預備的災禍降給他們。若處死這人，我們會大禍臨頭。」

猶大王希西家和猶大眾人可曾把他處死呢？希西家不是敬畏耶和華，求他開恩，以致耶和華回心轉意，沒有把他所說的災禍降在他們身上嗎？但我們現在竟自招大禍。”

猶大王希西家和猶大眾人哪有把他治死呢？希西家豈不是敬畏永恆主，求他的情面；而永恆主就改變心意、不降他所說要降與他們的災禍麼？但我們呢、我們竟要行個大惡、來害自己的性命了！』

猶大王希西家、及猶大眾、豈致之於死乎、王非寅畏耶和華、而求其恩、致耶和華回意、不降所言之災乎、今我行此、乃自害己命耳、

猶大王希西家、與猶大庶民、未嘗加斯人以殺戮、惟敬畏耶和華、求其恩祐、故災害不果降、我今若殺耶利米、必罹禍災。

猶大王希西家與猶大庶民、何嘗殺之、惟希西家敬畏主、祈禱主、則主更易其志、不降所言欲降之災、我儕今竟欲行此大惡、自取罪戾、

“ Did Hezekiah king of Judah or anyone else in Judah put him to death? Did not Hezekiah fear the Lord and seek his favor? And did not the Lord relent, so that he did not bring the disaster he pronounced against them? We are about to bring a terrible disaster on ourselves!”

Did King Hezekiah or anyone else in Judah put Micah to death? Hezekiah had respect for the Lord and tried to please him. And the Lord didn’t judge Jerusalem as he said he would. He didn’t bring on it the trouble he said he would bring. But we are about to bring horrible trouble on ourselves!”

Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah put him to death? Did he not fear the Lord and entreat the favor of the Lord, and did not the Lord relent of the disaster that he had pronounced against them? But we are about to bring great disaster upon ourselves.”

Did King Hezekiah of Judah and all the people of Judah put him to death? Did not the king fear the LORD and plead for the LORD’s favor, and did not the LORD relent concerning the disaster he had pronounced against them? We are about to bring a terrible disaster on ourselves!”

Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah actually put him to death? Did he not fear the Lord and plead for the favor of the Lord, and the Lord relented of the disaster which He had pronounced against them? But we are committing a great evil against our own lives!”

Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah ever put him to death? Did he not fear the Lord and seek the LORD’s favor? And the Lord relented concerning the doom which He had pronounced against them. But we are doing great evil against ourselves.”

Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah put him to death? did he not fear Jehovah, and entreat the favor of Jehovah, and Jehovah repented him of the evil which he had pronounced against them? Thus should we commit great evil against our own souls.

Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all the people of Judah put him to death? Did he not fear the Lord and plead for the Lord’s favor, and did not the Lord relent concerning the disaster He had pronounced against them? We are about to bring great harm on ourselves!”

Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah put him at all to death? did he not fear the LORD, and besought the LORD, and the LORD repented him of the evil which he had pronounced against them? Thus might we procure great evil against our souls.

King Hezekiah and all the people of Judah did not put him to death, did they? Did not Hezekiah show reverence for the LORD and seek the LORD’s favor? Did not the LORD forgo destroying them as he threatened he would? But we are on the verge of bringing great disaster on ourselves.”

Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah put him to death? Didn’t he fear Yahweh, and entreat the favor of Yahweh, and Yahweh relented of the disaster which he had pronounced against them? We would commit great evil against our own souls that way!”

So the Lord changed his mind about the terrible disaster he had threatened to bring on his people.

But as the angel was preparing to destroy Jerusalem, the Lord relented and said to the death angel,“ Stop! That is enough!” At that moment the angel of the Lord was by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.

Our ancestors were unfaithful and did what was evil in the sight of the Lord our God. They abandoned the Lord and his dwelling place; they turned their backs on him.They also shut the doors to the Temple’s entry room, and they snuffed out the lamps. They stopped burning incense and presenting burnt offerings at the sanctuary of the God of Israel.“ That is why the Lord’s anger has fallen upon Judah and Jerusalem. He has made them an object of dread, horror, and ridicule, as you can see with your own eyes.Because of this, our fathers have been killed in battle, and our sons and daughters and wives have been captured.But now I will make a covenant with the Lord, the God of Israel, so that his fierce anger will turn away from us.My sons, do not neglect your duties any longer! The Lord has chosen you to stand in his presence, to minister to him, and to lead the people in worship and present offerings to him.”

And Hezekiah prayed this prayer before the Lord:“ O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, God of Israel, you are enthroned between the mighty cherubim! You alone are God of all the kingdoms of the earth. You alone created the heavens and the earth.Bend down, O Lord, and listen! Open your eyes, O Lord, and see! Listen to Sennacherib’s words of defiance against the living God.“ It is true, Lord, that the kings of Assyria have destroyed all these nations.And they have thrown the gods of these nations into the fire and burned them. But of course the Assyrians could destroy them! They were not gods at all— only idols of wood and stone shaped by human hands.Now, O Lord our God, rescue us from his power; then all the kingdoms of the earth will know that you alone, O Lord, are God.”

But Hezekiah did not respond appropriately to the kindness shown him, and he became proud. So the Lord’s anger came against him and against Judah and Jerusalem.Then Hezekiah humbled himself and repented of his pride, as did the people of Jerusalem. So the Lord’s anger did not fall on them during Hezekiah’s lifetime.

When King Hezekiah heard their report, he tore his clothes and put on burlap and went into the Temple of the Lord.

But if it is from God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You may even find yourselves fighting against God!”

But perhaps the Lord your God has heard the Assyrian chief of staff, sent by the king to defy the living God, and will punish him for his words. Oh, pray for those of us who are left!”

Yet it happened because of the sins of her prophets and the sins of her priests, who defiled the city by shedding innocent blood.They wandered blindly through the streets, so defiled by blood that no one dared touch them.

Then King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz cried out in prayer to God in heaven.

Rejoice over her fate, O heaven and people of God and apostles and prophets! For at last God has judged her for your sakes.Then a mighty angel picked up a boulder the size of a huge millstone. He threw it into the ocean and shouted,“ Just like this, the great city Babylon will be thrown down with violence and will never be found again.The sound of harps, singers, flutes, and trumpets will never be heard in you again. No craftsmen and no trades will ever be found in you again. The sound of the mill will never be heard in you again.The light of a lamp will never shine in you again. The happy voices of brides and grooms will never be heard in you again. For your merchants were the greatest in the world, and you deceived the nations with your sorceries.In your streets flowed the blood of the prophets and of God’s holy people and the blood of people slaughtered all over the world.”

But by the murders you committed, you have shamed your name and forfeited your lives.

Take the incense burners of these men who have sinned at the cost of their lives, and hammer the metal into a thin sheet to overlay the altar. Since these burners were used in the Lord’s presence, they have become holy. Let them serve as a warning to the people of Israel.”

As a result, you will be held responsible for the murder of all godly people of all time— from the murder of righteous Abel to the murder of Zechariah son of Berekiah, whom you killed in the Temple between the sanctuary and the altar.

John also publicly criticized Herod Antipas, the ruler of Galilee, for marrying Herodias, his brother’s wife, and for many other wrongs he had done.So Herod put John in prison, adding this sin to his many others.

Since they shed the blood of your holy people and your prophets, you have given them blood to drink. It is their just reward.”

This will ensure that the land where you live will not be polluted, for murder pollutes the land. And no sacrifice except the execution of the murderer can purify the land from murder.You must not defile the land where you live, for I live there myself. I am the Lord, who lives among the people of Israel.”

“ And now the Lord God of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, asks you: Why are you destroying yourselves? For not one of you will survive— not a man, woman, or child among you who has come here from Judah, not even the babies in your arms.

Pilate saw that he wasn’t getting anywhere and that a riot was developing. So he sent for a bowl of water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying,“ I am innocent of this man’s blood. The responsibility is yours!”And all the people yelled back,“ We will take responsibility for his death— we and our children!”

Perhaps they will listen and turn from their evil ways. Then I will change my mind about the disaster I am ready to pour out on them because of their sins.

But if you kill me, rest assured that you will be killing an innocent man! The responsibility for such a deed will lie on you, on this city, and on every person living in it. For it is absolutely true that the Lord sent me to speak every word you have heard.”

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.

“ Go to the Temple and speak to the Lord for me and for all the remnant of Israel and Judah. Inquire about the words written in the scroll that has been found. For the Lord’s great anger has been poured out on us because our ancestors have not obeyed the word of the Lord. We have not been doing everything this scroll says we must do.”

When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of all who had been martyred for the word of God and for being faithful in their testimony.They shouted to the Lord and said,“ O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you judge the people who belong to this world and avenge our blood for what they have done to us?”