Had I not fearedthe provocationby the enemy,That their adversarieswould misjudge,That they would say,"Our handis triumphant,And the LORDhas not doneallthis."'
Then a manof Godcamenearand spoketo the kingof Israeland said,"Thussaysthe LORD,'Becausethe Arameanshave said,"The LORDis a godof [the] mountains,but He is not a godof [the] valleys,"therefore I will giveallthisgreatmultitudeinto your hand,and you shall knowthat I am the LORD.'"
"Do not grant,O LORD,the desiresof the wicked;Do not promotehis [evil] device,[that] they [not] be exalted.Selah.
"As for the headof those who surroundme, May the mischiefof their lipscoverthem.
"Whyshould the Egyptiansspeak,saying,'With evil[intent] He broughtthem out to killthem in the mountainsand to destroythem from the faceof the earth?Turnfrom Your burningangerand changeYour mindabout[doing] harmto Your people.
"Thusyou shall sayto Hezekiahkingof Judah,Do not let your Godin whomyou trustdeceiveyou, saying,"Jerusalemwill not be giveninto the handof the kingof Assyria."
For I will defendthiscityto saveit for My own sakeand for My servantDavid'ssake.'"
"Yet you said,I will be a queenforever.'Thesethingsyou did not considerNorrememberthe outcomeof them.
"For My own sake,for My own sake,I will act;For howcan [My name] be profaned?And My gloryI will not giveto another.
"Becausethey have forsakenMe and have madethisan alienplaceand have burnedsacrificesin it to othergods,that neitherthey northeir forefathersnorthe kingsof Judahhad [ever] known,and [because] they have filledthisplacewith the bloodof the innocent
Her uncleannesswas in her skirts;She did not considerher future.Therefore she has fallenastonishingly;She hasnocomforter."See,O LORD,my affliction,For the enemyhas magnifiedhimself!"
Therefore,O king,may my advicebe pleasingto you: breakawaynow from your sinsby [doing] righteousnessand from your iniquitiesby showingmercyto [the] poor,in casethere may be a prolongingof your prosperity.'
But the personwhodoes[anything] defiantly,whetherhe is nativeor an alien,that oneis blasphemingthe LORD;and that personshall be cutofffrom amonghis people.
Otherwisethe landfrom whichYou broughtus may say,"Becausethe LORDwas not ableto bringthem into the landwhichHe had promisedthem and becauseHe hatedthem He has broughtthem out to slaythem in the wilderness."
"For the Canaanitesand allthe inhabitantsof the landwill hearof it, and they will surroundus and cutoffour namefrom the earth.And whatwill You dofor Your greatname?"
"For the LORDwill not abandonHis peopleon accountof His greatname,becausethe LORDhas been pleasedto makeyou a peoplefor Himself.
