1. Then Elijah the prophetrose up like fire,and his word burned like a torch.
2. He brought a famine upon them,and he reduced their number by his zeal.
3. By the Lord’s word he shut up the sky,and in the same wayhe brought down fire three times.
4. How glorious you were, Elijah,in your amazing deeds!Who will boast like you can?
5. You raised a corpse from death,from the grave by a wordof the Most High.
6. You brought kings down to destructionand dragged the famousfrom their beds.
7. You heard a rebuke at Sinaiand decrees of punishment at Horeb.
8. You anointed kings to bring retributionand prophets to succeed you.
9. You were taken up in a whirlwind of fireand in a chariot of fiery horses.
10. It is recorded that you are readyfor the designated times,to calm anger before it turns to wrath,to turn the heart of a father to his son,and to restore the tribes of Jacob.
11. Happy are those who saw youand who have fallen asleepin your love,for we will surely live as well.
12. Elijah was covered by the whirlwind,and Elisha was filled with his spirit.In his time, he didn’t tremblebefore any ruler,and no one oppressed him.
13. Nothing was too great for him,and in death his body prophesied.
14. During his life,he performed wonders,and in death his accomplishmentswere marvelous.
15. In spite of these things,the people didn’t changetheir hearts and lives,and they didn’t turn from their sinsuntil they were torn awayfrom their land and scattered over the whole earth.The people who remainedwere few in number,but they had a rulerfrom the house of David.
16. Some of them did what pleased God,but others sinned even more.
17. Hezekiah strengthenedthe city’s defenses,and he provided a water supply.He tunneled through rockwith iron tools,and he constructed storage tanksfor water.
18. During his rule,Sennacherib moved on Jerusalem,commissioned the field commander,and departed.The field commander attacked Zion,and made great boastsin his arrogance.
19. Then the people’s hearts and handswere shaken,and they were in agonylike a woman who is in labor.
20. They called upon the Lordwho is merciful,reaching out their hands to him.The holy one at once heard themfrom heaven,and he rescued them through Isaiah.
21. The Lord struck downthe camp of the Assyrians,and his messenger destroyed them.
22. Hezekiah did what was pleasingto the Lord,and he kept to the ways of Davidhis ancestor,as Isaiah the prophet, who was greatand whose visions were reliable,had commanded.
23. In Isaiah’s time, the sun moved backward,and he extended the king’s life.
24. By his great spirit,he saw what was to come,and he comforted thosewho mourned in Zion.
25. He revealed forever what would beand hidden things even beforethey happened.