<p class="poetry">Mourn<n id="1" /> over the land of my people,p> <p class="poetry">which is overgrown with thorns and briers,p> <p class="poetry">and over all the once-happy houses<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">in the city filled with revelry.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">Your mind will recall the terror you experienced,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">and you will ask yourselves,<n id="2" /> &#8220;Where is the scribe?p> <p class="poetry">Where is the one who weighs the money?p> <p class="poetry">Where is the one who counts the towers?&#8221;<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">He assigns them their allotment;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">he measures out their assigned place.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">They will live there<n id="3" /> permanently;p> <p class="poetry">they will settle in it through successive generations.p>

<p class="poetry">No lions will be there,p> <p class="poetry">no ferocious wild animals will be on it<n id="1" /> &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">they will not be found there.p> <p class="poetry">Those delivered from bondage will travel on it,p>

Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim?<n id="1" /> Indeed, did any gods rescue Samaria<n id="2" /> from my power?<n id="3" />

<p class="bodytext">When the chief adviser heard the king of Assyria had departed from Lachish, he left and went to Libnah, where the king was campaigning.<n id="1" />

The king<n id="1" /> heard that King Tirhakah of Ethiopia<n id="2" /> was marching out to fight him.<n id="3" /> He again sent<n id="4" /> messengers to Hezekiah, ordering them:

<p class="bodytext">Isaiah son of Amoz sent this message to Hezekiah: &#8220;This is what the <sc>Lordsc> God of Israel says: &#8216;Because you prayed to me concerning King Sennacherib of Assyria,<n id="1" />

<p class="poetry">I dug wellsp> <p class="poetry">and drank water.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">With the soles of my feet I dried upp> <p class="poetry">all the rivers of Egypt.&#8217;p>

<p class="poetry">I will make the trees on the mountains and hills wither up;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">I will dry up all their vegetation.p> <p class="poetry">I will turn streams into islands,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">and dry up pools of water.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">From this day forward I am he;p> <p class="poetry">no one can deliver from my power;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">I will act, and who can prevent it?&#8221;p>

<p class="poetry">They do not comprehend or understand,p> <p class="poetry">for their eyes are blind and cannot see;p> <p class="poetry">their minds do not discern.<n id="1" />p>

<p class="poetry">The one who vindicates me is close by.p> <p class="poetry">Who dares to argue with me? Let us confront each other!<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Who is my accuser?<n id="2" /> Let him challenge me!<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">Listen to me, you who know what is right,p> <p class="poetry">you people who are aware of my law!<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Don&#8217;t be afraid of the insults of men;p> <p class="poetry">don&#8217;t be discouraged because of their abuse!p>

<p class="poetry">But he lifted up our illnesses,p> <p class="poetry">he carried our pain;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">even though we thought he was being punished,p> <p class="poetry">attacked by God, and afflicted for something he had done.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">For you will spread out to the right and to the left;p> <p class="poetry">your children will conquer<n id="1" /> nationsp> <p class="poetry">and will resettle desolate cities.p>

<p class="poetry">&#8220;O afflicted one, driven away,<n id="1" /> and unconsoled!p> <p class="poetry">Look, I am about to set your stones in antimonyp> <p class="poetry">and I lay your foundation with lapis-lazuli.p>

<p class="poetry">You will be reestablished when I vindicate you.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">You will not experience oppression;<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">indeed, you will not be afraid.p> <p class="poetry">You will not be terrified,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">for nothing frightening<n id="4" /> will come near you.p>

<p class="poetry">All their watchmen<n id="1" /> are blind,p> <p class="poetry">they are unaware.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">All of them are like mute dogs,p> <p class="poetry">unable to bark.p> <p class="poetry">They pant,<n id="3" /> lie down,p> <p class="poetry">and love to snooze.p>

<p class="poetry">No one is concerned about justice;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">no one sets forth his case truthfully.p> <p class="poetry">They depend on false words<n id="2" /> and tell lies;p> <p class="poetry">they conceive of oppression<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">and give birth to sin.p>