You say (but they are only empty words), ‘I have counsel and strength for the war.’ Now on whom do you rely, that you have rebelled against me?

But if you say to me, ‘We trust in the Lord our God,’ is it not He whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah has taken away, and has said to Judah and to Jerusalem, ‘You shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem’?

Thus says the king, ‘Do not let Hezekiah deceive you, for he will not be able to deliver you from my hand;

Do not listen to Hezekiah, for thus says the king of Assyria, “Make your peace with me and come out to me, and eat each of his vine and each of his fig tree and drink each of the waters of his own cistern,

They said to him, “Thus says Hezekiah, ‘This day is a day of distress, rebuke, and rejection; for children have come to birth and there is no strength to deliver.

Isaiah said to them, “Thus you shall say to your master, ‘Thus says the Lord, “Do not be afraid because of the words that you have heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed Me.

When he heard them say concerning Tirhakah king of Cush, “Behold, he has come out to fight against you,” he sent messengers again to Hezekiah saying,

“Thus you shall say to Hezekiah king of Judah, ‘Do not let your God in whom you trust deceive you saying, “Jerusalem will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.”

Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah saying, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘Because you have prayed to Me about Sennacherib king of Assyria, I have heard you.’

‘Therefore thus says the Lord concerning the king of Assyria, “He will not come to this city or shoot an arrow there; and he will not come before it with a shield or throw up a siege ramp against it.

In those days Hezekiah became mortally ill. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came to him and said to him, “Thus says the Lord, ‘Set your house in order, for you shall die and not live.’”

“Return and say to Hezekiah the leader of My people, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of your father David, “I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; behold, I will heal you. On the third day you shall go up to the house of the Lord.

Then Isaiah the prophet came to King Hezekiah and said to him, “What did these men say, and from where have they come to you?” And Hezekiah said, “They have come from a far country, from Babylon.”

‘Behold, the days are coming when all that is in your house, and all that your fathers have laid up in store to this day will be carried to Babylon; nothing shall be left,’ says the Lord.

therefore thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘Behold, I am bringing such calamity on Jerusalem and Judah, that whoever hears of it, both his ears will tingle.

She said to them, “Thus says the Lord God of Israel, ‘Tell the man who sent you to me,

thus says the Lord, “Behold, I bring evil on this place and on its inhabitants, even all the words of the book which the king of Judah has read.

But to the king of Judah who sent you to inquire of the Lord thus shall you say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord God of Israel, “Regarding the words which you have heard,

Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice;
And let them say among the nations, “The Lord reigns.”

Then say, “Save us, O God of our salvation,
And gather us and deliver us from the nations,
To give thanks to Your holy name,
And glory in Your praise.”

“Go and tell David My servant, ‘Thus says the Lord, “You shall not build a house for Me to dwell in;

Now, therefore, thus shall you say to My servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, “I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, to be leader over My people Israel.

What more can David still say to You concerning the honor bestowed on Your servant? For You know Your servant.

“Go and speak to David, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord, “I offer you three things; choose for yourself one of them, which I will do to you.”’”

So Gad came to David and said to him, “Thus says the Lord, ‘Take for yourself

Then the angel of the Lord commanded Gad to say to David, that David should go up and build an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.

As for this house, which was exalted, everyone who passes by it will be astonished and say, ‘Why has the Lord done thus to this land and to this house?’

And they will say, ‘Because they forsook the Lord, the God of their fathers who brought them from the land of Egypt, and they adopted other gods and worshiped them and served them; therefore He has brought all this adversity on them.’”

The young men who grew up with him spoke to him, saying, “Thus you shall say to the people who spoke to you, saying, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but you make it lighter for us.’ Thus you shall say to them, ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s loins!

‘Thus says the Lord, “You shall not go up or fight against your relatives; return every man to his house, for this thing is from Me.”’” So they listened to the words of the Lord and returned from going against Jeroboam.

Then Shemaiah the prophet came to Rehoboam and the princes of Judah who had gathered at Jerusalem because of Shishak, and he said to them, “Thus says the Lord, ‘You have forsaken Me, so I also have forsaken you to Shishak.’”

The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of the Lord, but I hate him, for he never prophesies good concerning me but always evil. He is Micaiah, son of Imla.” But Jehoshaphat said, “Let not the king say so.”

Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made horns of iron for himself and said, “Thus says the Lord, ‘With these you shall gore the Arameans until they are consumed.’”

But Micaiah said, “As the Lord lives, what my God says, that I will speak.”

and say, ‘Thus says the king, “Put this man in prison and feed him sparingly with bread and water until I return safely.”’”

and he said, “Listen, all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat: thus says the Lord to you, ‘Do not fear or be dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours but God’s.

Then a letter came to him from Elijah the prophet saying, “Thus says the Lord God of your father David, ‘Because you have not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat your father and the ways of Asa king of Judah,

“Thus says Sennacherib king of Assyria, ‘On what are you trusting that you are remaining in Jerusalem under siege?

She said to them, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘Tell the man who sent you to Me,

thus says the Lord, “Behold, I am bringing evil on this place and on its inhabitants, even all the curses written in the book which they have read in the presence of the king of Judah.

But to the king of Judah who sent you to inquire of the Lord, thus you will say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord God of Israel regarding the words which you have heard,

“Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, ‘The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and He has appointed me to build Him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever there is among you of all His people, may the Lord his God be with him, and let him go up!’”

“Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, ‘The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and He has appointed me to build Him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah.

I sent them to Iddo the leading man at the place Casiphia; and I told them what to say to Iddo and his brothers, the temple servants at the place Casiphia, that is, to bring ministers to us for the house of our God.

“Now, our God, what shall we say after this? For we have forsaken Your commandments,

I said to them, “We according to our ability have redeemed our Jewish brothers who were sold to the nations; now would you even sell your brothers that they may be sold to us?” Then they were silent and could not find a word to say.

Then they said, “We will give it back and will require nothing from them; we will do exactly as you say.” So I called the priests and took an oath from them that they would do according to this promise.

In it was written, “It is reported among the nations, and Gashmu says, that you and the Jews are planning to rebel; therefore you are rebuilding the wall. And you are to be their king, according to these reports.

if I have found favor in the sight of the king, and if it pleases the king to grant my petition and do what I request, may the king and Haman come to the banquet which I will prepare for them, and tomorrow I will do as the king says.”

“When I lie down I say,
‘When shall I arise?’
But the night continues,
And I am continually tossing until dawn.

“If I say, ‘My bed will comfort me,
My couch will ease my complaint,’

“How long will you say these things,
And the words of your mouth be a mighty wind?

“Were He to snatch away, who could restrain Him?
Who could say to Him, ‘What are You doing?’

“It is all one; therefore I say,
‘He destroys the guiltless and the wicked.’

“Though I say, ‘I will forget my complaint,
I will leave off my sad countenance and be cheerful,’

“I will say to God, ‘Do not condemn me;
Let me know why You contend with me.

“If you say, ‘How shall we persecute him?’
And ‘What pretext for a case against him can we find?’

He perishes forever like his refuse;
Those who have seen him will say, ‘Where is he?’

“They say to God, ‘Depart from us!
We do not even desire the knowledge of Your ways.

“You say, ‘God stores away a man’s iniquity for his sons.’
Let God repay him so that he may know it.

“For you say, ‘Where is the house of the nobleman,
And where is the tent, the dwelling places of the wicked?’

“You say, ‘What does God know?
Can He judge through the thick darkness?

“I would learn the words which He would answer,
And perceive what He would say to me.

“The deep says, ‘It is not in me’;
And the sea says, ‘It is not with me.’

“Abaddon and Death say,
‘With our ears we have heard a report of it.’

“So I say, ‘Listen to me,
I too will tell what I think.’

“Behold, I waited for your words,
I listened to your reasonings,
While you pondered what to say.

“Do not say,
‘We have found wisdom;
God will rout him, not man.’

Then let him be gracious to him, and say,
‘Deliver him from going down to the pit,
I have found a ransom’;

“He will sing to men and say,
‘I have sinned and perverted what is right,
And it is not proper for me.

“Then if you have anything to say, answer me;
Speak, for I desire to justify you.

Who says to a king, ‘Worthless one,’
To nobles, ‘Wicked ones’;

“Men of understanding will say to me,
And a wise man who hears me,

“Do you think this is according to justice?
Do you say, ‘My righteousness is more than God’s’?

“For you say, ‘What advantage will it be to You?
What profit will I have, more than if I had sinned?’

“But no one says, ‘Where is God my Maker,
Who gives songs in the night,

“How much less when you say you do not behold Him,
The case is before Him, and you must wait for Him!

“For to the snow He says, ‘Fall on the earth,’
And to the downpour and the rain, ‘Be strong.’

“Teach us what we shall say to Him;
We cannot arrange our case because of darkness.

“Shall it be told Him that I would speak?
Or should a man say that he would be swallowed up?

“Can you send forth lightnings that they may go
And say to you, ‘Here we are’?

“As often as the trumpet sounds he says, ‘Aha!’
And he scents the battle from afar,
And the thunder of the captains and the war cry.

There is nothing reliable in what they say;
Their inward part is destruction itself.
Their throat is an open grave;
They flatter with their tongue.

He says to himself, “I will not be moved;
Throughout all generations I will not be in adversity.”

He says to himself, “God has forgotten;
He has hidden His face; He will never see it.”

For the choir director. A Psalm of David.
In the Lord I take refuge;
How can you say to my soul, “Flee as a bird to your mountain;

“Because of the devastation of the afflicted, because of the groaning of the needy,
Now I will arise,” says the Lord; “I will set him in the safety for which he longs.”

And my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,”
And my adversaries will rejoice when I am shaken.

The voice of the Lord makes the deer to calve
And strips the forests bare;
And in His temple everything says, “Glory!”

But as for me, I trust in You, O Lord,
I say, “You are my God.”

Draw also the spear and the battle-axe to meet those who pursue me;
Say to my soul, “I am your salvation.”

All my bones will say, “Lord, who is like You,
Who delivers the afflicted from him who is too strong for him,
And the afflicted and the needy from him who robs him?”

Do not let them say in their heart, “Aha, our desire!”
Do not let them say, “We have swallowed him up!”

Let them shout for joy and rejoice, who favor my vindication;
And let them say continually, “The Lord be magnified,
Who delights in the prosperity of His servant.”

Let those be appalled because of their shame
Who say to me, “Aha, aha!”

Let all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You;
Let those who love Your salvation say continually,
“The Lord be magnified!”

My tears have been my food day and night,
While they say to me all day long, “Where is your God?”

I will say to God my rock, “Why have You forgotten me?
Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?”

As a shattering of my bones, my adversaries revile me,
While they say to me all day long, “Where is your God?”

But to the wicked God says,
“What right have you to tell of My statutes
And to take My covenant in your mouth?