1. When king Hezekiah heard it, he tore his clothes, covered himself with sackcloth, and went into the Lord’s house.
2. He sent Eliakim, who was over the household, Shebna the scribe, and the elders of the priests, covered with sackcloth, to Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz.
3. They said to him, “Thus says Hezekiah, ‘Today is a day of trouble, of rebuke, and of rejection; for the children have come to the point of birth, and there is no strength to deliver them.
4. It may be the Lord your God will hear all the words of Rabshakeh, whom the king of Assyria his master has sent to defy the living God, and will rebuke the words which the Lord your God has heard. Therefore lift up your prayer for the remnant that is left.’”
5. So the servants of king Hezekiah came to Isaiah.
6. Isaiah said to them, “Tell your master this: ‘the Lord says, “Don’t be afraid of the words that you have heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me.
7. Behold, I will put a spirit in him, and he will hear news, and will return to his own land. I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land.”’”
8. So Rabshakeh returned and found the king of Assyria warring against Libnah; for he had heard that he had departed from Lachish.
9. When he heard it said of Tirhakah king of Ethiopia, “Behold, he has come out to fight against you, he sent messengers again to Hezekiah, saying,
10. ‘Tell Hezekiah king of Judah this: “Don’t let your God in whom you trust deceive you, saying, Jerusalem will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.
11. Behold, you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands, by destroying them utterly. Will you be delivered?
12. Have the gods of the nations delivered them, which my fathers have destroyed, Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and the children of Eden who were in Telassar?
13. Where is the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, of Hena, and Ivvah?”’”
14. Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers and read it. Then Hezekiah went up to the Lord’s house, and spread it before the Lord.
15. Hezekiah prayed before the Lord, and said, “Lord, the God of Israel, who sit above the cherubim, you are the God, even you alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth.
16. Incline your ear, Lord, and hear. Open your eyes, Lord, and see. Hear the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to defy the living God.
17. Truly, Lord, the kings of Assyria have laid waste the nations and their lands,
18. and have cast their gods into the fire; for they were no gods, but the work of men’s hands, wood and stone. Therefore they have destroyed them.