<t /><p class="bodytext">Hezekiah appointed the divisions of the priests and Levites to do their assigned tasks<n id="1" /> &#8211; to offer burnt sacrifices and present offerings and to serve, give thanks, and offer praise in the gates of the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s sanctuary.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="bodytext">&#8220;But now briefly<n id="1" /> we have received mercy from the <sc>Lordsc> our God, in that he has left us a remnant and has given us a secure position<n id="2" /> in his holy place. Thus our God has enlightened our eyes<n id="3" /> and has given us a little relief in our time of servitude.

<p class="poetry">Then the <sc>Lordsc> will createp> <p class="poetry">over all of Mount Zion<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">and over its convocationsp> <p class="poetry">a cloud and smoke by dayp> <p class="poetry">and a bright flame of fire by night;<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">indeed a canopy will accompany the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s glorious presence.<n id="3" />p>

At that time the <sc>Lordsc> announced through<n id="1" /> Isaiah son of Amoz: &#8220;Go, remove the sackcloth from your waist and take your sandals off your feet.&#8221; He did as instructed and walked around in undergarments<n id="2" /> and barefoot.

<p class="poetry">he will swallow up death permanently.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">The sovereign <sc>Lordsc> will wipe away the tears from every face,p> <p class="poetry">and remove his people&#8217;s disgrace from all the earth.p> <p class="poetry">Indeed, the <sc>Lordsc> has announced it!<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">For a fool speaks disgraceful things;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">his mind plans out sinful deeds.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">He commits godless deeds<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">and says misleading things about the <sc>Lordsc>;p> <p class="poetry">he gives the hungry nothing to satisfy their appetite<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">and gives the thirsty nothing to drink.<n id="5" />p>

Perhaps you will tell me, &#8216;We are trusting in the <sc>Lordsc> our God.&#8217; But Hezekiah is the one who eliminated his high places and altars and then told the people of Judah and Jerusalem, &#8216;You must worship at this altar.&#8217;

&#8220;Go and tell Hezekiah: &#8216;This is what the <sc>Lordsc> God of your ancestor<n id="1" /> David says: &#8220;I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Look, I will add fifteen years to your life,

<p class="poetry">&#8220;Speak kindly to<n id="1" /> Jerusalem,<n id="2" /> and tell herp> <p class="poetry">that her time of warfare is over,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">that her punishment is completed.<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">For the <sc>Lordsc> has made her pay double<n id="5" /> for all her sins.&#8221;p>

<t /><p class="poetry">This is what the <sc>Lordsc> says:p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;The profit<n id="1" /> of Egypt and the revenue<n id="2" /> of Ethiopia,p> <p class="poetry">along with the Sabeans, those tall men,p> <p class="poetry">will be brought to you<n id="3" /> and become yours.p> <p class="poetry">They will walk behind you, coming along in chains.<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">They will bow down to youp> <p class="poetry">and pray to you:<n id="5" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8216;Truly God is with<n id="6" /> you; he has no peer;<n id="7" />p> <p class="poetry">there is no other God!&#8217;&#8221;p>

<p class="poetry">This is what the sovereign <sc>Lordsc> says:p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;Look I will raise my hand to the nations;p> <p class="poetry">I will raise my signal flag to the peoples.p> <p class="poetry">They will bring your sons in their armsp> <p class="poetry">and carry your daughters on their shoulders.p>

<t /><p class="poetry">The sovereign <sc>Lordsc> has given me the capacity to be his spokesman,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">so that I know how to help the weary.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">He wakes me up every morning;p> <p class="poetry">he makes me alert so I can listen attentively as disciples do.<n id="3" />p>

<t /><p class="poetry">The spirit of the sovereign <sc>Lordsc> is upon me,p> <p class="poetry">because the <sc>Lordsc> has chosen<n id="1" /> me.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">He has commissioned<n id="3" /> me to encourage<n id="4" /> the poor,p> <p class="poetry">to help<n id="5" /> the brokenhearted,p> <p class="poetry">to decree the release of captives,p> <p class="poetry">and the freeing of prisoners,p>

<p class="poetry">So this is what the sovereign <sc>Lordsc> says:p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;Look, my servants will eat, but you will be hungry!p> <p class="poetry">Look, my servants will drink, but you will be thirsty!p> <p class="poetry">Look, my servants will rejoice, but you will be humiliated!p>

&#8220;Go and declare in the hearing of the people of Jerusalem:<n id="1" /> &#8216;This is what the <sc>Lordsc> says: &#8220;I have fond memories of you,<n id="2" /> how devoted you were to me in your early years.<n id="3" /> I remember how you loved me like a new bride; you followed me through the wilderness, through a land that had never been planted.

<p class="poetry">Your own wickedness will bring about your punishment.p> <p class="poetry">Your unfaithful acts will bring down discipline on you.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Know, then, and realize how utterly harmful<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">it was for you to reject me, the <sc>Lordsc> your God,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">to show no respect for me,&#8221;<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">says the Lord <sc>Godsc> who rules over all.<n id="5" />p>

<p class="bodytext">When Josiah was king of Judah, the <sc>Lordsc> said to me, &#8220;Jeremiah, you have no doubt seen what wayward Israel has done.<n id="1" /> You have seen how she went up to every high hill and under every green tree to give herself like a prostitute to other gods.<n id="2" />

So,&#8221; the Lord <sc>Godsc><n id="1" /> says, &#8220;my raging fury will be poured out on this land.<n id="2" /> It will be poured out on human beings and animals, on trees and crops.<n id="3" /> And it will burn like a fire which cannot be extinguished.&#8221;p>

Then I will keep the promise I swore on oath to your ancestors to give them a land flowing with milk and honey.&#8221;<n id="1" /> That is the very land that you still live in today.&#8217;&#8221;<n id="2" /> And I responded, &#8220;Amen! Let it be so,<n id="3" /> <sc>Lordsc>!&#8221;p>

But they must make sure you learn to follow the religious practices of my people.<n id="1" /> Once they taught my people to swear their oaths using the name of the god Baal.<n id="2" /> But then, they must swear oaths using my name, saying, &#8220;As surely as the <sc>Lordsc> lives, I swear.&#8221;<n id="3" /> If they do these things,<n id="4" /> then they will be included among the people I call my own.<n id="5" />