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!”’

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.’”

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.’ ”

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.”’

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, do not let evil people have their way. Do not let their evil schemes succeed, or they will become proud. Interlude

The Lord will not abandon his people, because that would dishonor his great name. For it has pleased the Lord to make you his very own people.

Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name goes all the glory for your unfailing love and faithfulness.Why let the nations say,“ Where is their God?”

You said,‘ I will reign forever as queen of the world!’ You did not reflect on your actions or think about their consequences.

Why let the Egyptians say,‘ Their God rescued them with the evil intention of slaughtering them in the mountains and wiping them from the face of the earth’? Turn away from your fierce anger. Change your mind about this terrible disaster you have threatened against your people!

Then the angel said to me,“ Shout this message for all to hear:‘ This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: My love for Jerusalem and Mount Zion is passionate and strong.But I am very angry with the other nations that are now enjoying peace and security. I was only a little angry with my people, but the nations inflicted harm on them far beyond my intentions.

Have the gods of other nations rescued them— such nations as Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and the people of Eden who were in Tel assar? My predecessors destroyed them all!What happened to the king of Hamath and the king of Arpad? What happened to the kings of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah?”After Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers and read it, he went up to the Lord’s Temple and spread it out before the Lord.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.”Then Isaiah son of Amoz sent this message to Hezekiah:“ This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Because you prayed about King Sennacherib of Assyria,the Lord has spoken this word against him:“ The virgin daughter of Zion despises you and laughs at you. The daughter of Jerusalem shakes her head in derision as you flee.“ Whom have you been defying and ridiculing? Against whom did you raise your voice? At whom did you look with such haughty eyes? It was the Holy One of Israel!

and keep my Sabbath days holy, for they are a sign to remind you that I am the Lord your God.’“ But their children, too, rebelled against me. They refused to keep my decrees and follow my regulations, even though obedience would have given them life. And they also violated my Sabbath days. So again I threatened to pour out my fury on them in the wilderness.Nevertheless, I withdrew my judgment against them to protect the honor of my name before the nations that had seen my power in bringing them out of Egypt.

‘ For my own honor and for the sake of my servant David, I will defend this city and protect it.’”

“‘ For Israel has forsaken me and turned this valley into a place of wickedness. The people burn incense to foreign gods— idols never before acknowledged by this generation, by their ancestors, or by the kings of Judah. And they have filled this place with the blood of innocent children.

“ But I know you well— where you stay and when you come and go. I know the way you have raged against me.And because of your raging against me and your arrogance, which I have heard for myself, I will put my hook in your nose and my bit in your mouth. I will make you return by the same road on which you came.”

For when the Canaanites and all the other people living in the land hear about it, they will surround us and wipe our name off the face of the earth. And then what will happen to the honor of your great name?”

“ This message is for King Hezekiah of Judah. Don’t let your God, in whom you trust, deceive you with promises that Jerusalem will not be captured by the king of Assyria.

As he looked out across the city, he said,‘ Look at this great city of Babylon! By my own mighty power, I have built this beautiful city as my royal residence to display my majestic splendor.’“ While these words were still in his mouth, a voice called down from heaven,‘ O King Nebuchadnezzar, this message is for you! You are no longer ruler of this kingdom.You will be driven from human society. You will live in the fields with the wild animals, and you will eat grass like a cow. Seven periods of time will pass while you live this way, until you learn that the Most High rules over the kingdoms of the world and gives them to anyone he chooses.’“ That same hour the judgment was fulfilled, and Nebuchadnezzar was driven from human society. He ate grass like a cow, and he was drenched with the dew of heaven. He lived this way until his hair was as long as eagles’ feathers and his nails were like birds’ claws.“ After this time had passed, I, Nebuchadnezzar, looked up to heaven. My sanity returned, and I praised and worshiped the Most High and honored the one who lives forever. His rule is everlasting, and his kingdom is eternal.All the people of the earth are nothing compared to him. He does as he pleases among the angels of heaven and among the people of the earth. No one can stop him or say to him,‘ What do you mean by doing these things?’“ When my sanity returned to me, so did my honor and glory and kingdom. My advisers and nobles sought me out, and I was restored as head of my kingdom, with even greater honor than before.“ Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and glorify and honor the King of heaven. All his acts are just and true, and he is able to humble the proud.”

She defiled herself with immorality and gave no thought to her future. Now she lies in the gutter with no one to lift her out.“ Lord, see my misery,” she cries.“ The enemy has triumphed.”

“ But the people of Israel rebelled against me, and they refused to obey my decrees there in the wilderness. They wouldn’t obey my regulations even though obedience would have given them life. They also violated my Sabbath days. So I threatened to pour out my fury on them, and I made plans to utterly consume them in the wilderness.But again I held back in order to protect the honor of my name before the nations who had seen my power in bringing Israel out of Egypt.

Now if you slaughter all these people with a single blow, the nations that have heard of your fame will say,‘ The Lord was not able to bring them into the land he swore to give them, so he killed them in the wilderness.’

He will say,‘ Each of my princes will soon be a king.We destroyed Calno just as we did Carchemish. Hamath fell before us as Arpad did. And we destroyed Samaria just as we did Damascus.Yes, we have finished off many a kingdom whose gods were greater than those in Jerusalem and Samaria.So we will defeat Jerusalem and her gods, just as we destroyed Samaria with hers.’”After the Lord has used the king of Assyria to accomplish his purposes on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, he will turn against the king of Assyria and punish him— for he is proud and arrogant.He boasts,“ By my own powerful arm I have done this. With my own shrewd wisdom I planned it. I have broken down the defenses of nations and carried off their treasures. I have knocked down their kings like a bull.I have robbed their nests of riches and gathered up kingdoms as a farmer gathers eggs. No one can even flap a wing against me or utter a peep of protest.”But can the ax boast greater power than the person who uses it? Is the saw greater than the person who saws? Can a rod strike unless a hand moves it? Can a wooden cane walk by itself?