2 Kings 19

1 When King Hezekiah heard the message, he tore his clothes in grief, covered himself with sackcloth, and went into the Lord’s temple.

2 Then he sent Eliakim, who was in charge of the palace, Shebna the scribe, and the leaders of the priests, clothed in sackcloth, to the prophet Isaiah, son of Amoz.
3 They said to him, “This is what Hezekiah says: Today is a day filled with misery, punishment, and disgrace. We are like a woman who is about to give birth but doesn’t have the strength to do it.

4 The Lord your God may have heard all the words of the field commander. His master, the king of Assyria, sent him to defy the living God. The Lord your God may punish him because of the message that the Lord your God heard. Pray for the few people who are left.”
5 So King Hezekiah’s men went to Isaiah.6 Isaiah answered them, “Say this to your master, ‘This is what the Lord says: Don’t be afraid of the message that you heard when the Assyrian king’s assistants slandered me.

7 I’m going to put a spirit in him so that he will hear a rumor and return to his own country. I’ll have him assassinated in his own country.’ ”
8 The field commander returned and found the king of Assyria fighting against Libnah. He had heard that the king left Lachish.

9 Now, Sennacherib heard that King Tirhakah of Sudan was coming to fight him.
Sennacherib sent messengers to Hezekiah, saying,10 “Tell King Hezekiah of Judah, ‘Don’t let the god whom you trust deceive you by saying that Jerusalem will not be put under the control of the king of Assyria.11 You heard what the kings of Assyria did to all countries, how they totally destroyed them. Will you be rescued?12 Did the gods of the nations which my ancestors destroyed rescue Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and the people of Eden who were in Telassar?

13 Where is the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, and the king of the cities of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah?’ ”
14 Hezekiah took the letters from the messengers, read them, and went to the Lord’s temple. He spread them out in front of the Lord15 and prayed to the Lord, “Lord of Armies, God of Israel, you are enthroned over the angels.t You alone are God of all the kingdoms of the world. You made heaven and earth.16 Turn your ear toward me, Lord, and listen. Open your eyes, Lord, and see. Listen to the message that Sennacherib sent to defy the living God.17 It is true, Lord, that the kings of Assyria have leveled nations.t18 They have thrown the gods from these countries into fires because these gods aren’t real gods. They’re only wooden and stone statues made by human hands. So the Assyrians have destroyed them.

19 Now, Lord our God, rescue us from Assyria’s control so that all the kingdoms on earth will know that you alone are the Lord God.”

Isaiah’s Prophecy Against King Sennacherib of Assyria—Isaiah 37:21–38

20 Then Isaiah, son of Amoz, sent a message to Hezekiah, “This is what the Lord God of Israel says: You prayed to me about King Sennacherib of Assyria. I have heard you.

21 This is the message that the Lord speaks to him,
‘My dear people in Zion despise you and laugh at you.My people in Jerusalem shake their heads behind your back.22 Whom are you defying and slandering?Against whom are you shouting?Who are you looking at so arrogantly?It is the Holy One of Israel!23 Through your servantst you defy the Lord and say,“With my many chariots I’ll ride up the high mountains,up the slopes of Lebanon.I’ll cut down its tallest cedars and its finest cypresses.I’ll come to its most distant bordersand its most fertile forests.24 I’ll dig wells and drink foreign water.I’ll dry up all the streams of Egyptwith the trampling of my feet.”25 “ ‘Haven’t you heard? I did this long ago.I planned it in the distant past.Now I make it happen so that you will turn fortified citiesinto piles of rubble.26 Those who live in these cities are weak, discouraged, and ashamed.They will be like plants in the field,like fresh, green grass on the roofs,scorched before it sprouted.27 I know when you get up and sit down,when you go out and come in,and how you rage against me.28 Since you rage against me and your boasting has reached my ears,I will put my hook in your noseand my bridle in your mouth.I will make you go back the way you came.29 “ ‘And this will be a sign for you, Hezekiah: You will eat what grows by itself this year and next year. But in the third year you will plant and harvest, plant vineyards, and eat what is produced.30 Those few people from the nation of Judah who escape will again take root and produce crops.

31 Those few people will go out from Jerusalem, and those who escape will go out of Mount Zion. The Lord is determined to do this.’
32 “This is what the Lord says about the king of Assyria:He will never come into this city,shoot an arrow here,hold a shield in front of it,or put up dirt ramps to attack it.33 He will go back the way he came,and he won’t come into this city,”declares the Lord of Armies.34 “I will shield this city to rescue it for my sakeand for the sake of my servant David.”35 It happened that night. The Lord’s angel went out and killed 185,000 soldiers in the Assyrian camp. When the Judeans got up early in the morning, they saw all the corpses.36 Then King Sennacherib of Assyria left. He went home to Nineveh and stayed there.

37 While he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisroch, Adrammelech and Sharezer assassinated him and escaped to the land of Ararat. His son Esarhaddon succeeded him as king.

2 Kings 19

1 When King Hezekiah heard this, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, and went to the Lord’s temple.2 He sent Eliakim the palace supervisor, Shebna the scribe, and the leading priests,t clothed in sackcloth, with this message to the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz:3 “This is what Hezekiah says:t ‘This is a day of distress, insults,t and humiliation,t as when a baby is ready to leave the birth canal, but the mother lacks the strength to push it through.t

4 Perhaps the Lord your God will hear all these things the chief adviser has spoken on behalf of his master, the king of Assyria, who sent him to taunt the living God.t When the Lord your God hears, perhaps he will punish him for the things he has said.t So pray for this remnant that remains.’”t
5 When King Hezekiah’s servants came to Isaiah,6 Isaiah said to them, “Tell your master this: ‘This is what the Lord says: “Don’t be afraid because of the things you have heard – these insults the king of Assyria’s servants have hurled against me.t

7 Look, I will take control of his mind;t he will receivet a report and return to his own land. I will cut him downt with a sword in his own land.”’”
8 When the chief adviser heard the king of Assyria had departed from Lachish, he left and went to Libnah, where the king was campaigning.t9 The kingt heard that King Tirhakah of Ethiopia was marching out to fight him.t He again sent messengers to Hezekiah, ordering them:10 “Tell King Hezekiah of Judah this: ‘Don’t let your God in whom you trust mislead you when he says, “Jerusalem will not be handed overt to the king of Assyria.”11 Certainly you have heard how the kings of Assyria have annihilated all lands.t Do you really think you will be rescued?t12 Were the nations whom my ancestors destroyed – the nations of Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and the people of Eden in Telassar – rescued by their gods?t

13 Where are the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, and the king of Lair,s Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah?’”
14 Hezekiah took the letters from the messengers and read it.s Then Hezekiah went up to the Lord’s temple and spread it out before the Lord.15 Hezekiah prayed before the Lord: “Lord God of Israel, who is enthroned on the cherubs!s You alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You made the skyt and the earth.16 Pay attention, Lord, and hear! Open your eyes, Lord, and observe! Listen to the message Sennacherib sent and how he taunts the living God!t17 It is true, Lord, that the kings of Assyria have destroyed the nations and their lands.18 They have burned the gods of the nations,t for they are not really gods, but only the product of human hands manufactured from wood and stone. That is why the Assyrians could destroy them.t

19 Now, O Lord our God, rescue us from his power, so that all the kingdoms of the earth will know that you, Lord, are the only God.”
20 Isaiah son of Amoz sent this message to Hezekiah: “This is what the Lord God of Israel says: ‘I have heard your prayer concerning King Sennacherib of Assyria.t

21 This is what the Lord says about him:t
“The virgin daughter Zions
despises you, she makes fun of you;
Daughter Jerusalem
shakes her head after you.s

22 Whom have you taunted and hurled insults at?
At whom have you shouted,t
and looked so arrogantly?t
At the Holy One of Israel!s

23 Through your messengers you taunted the sovereign master,t
‘With my many chariotss
I climbed up the high mountains,
the slopes of Lebanon.
I cut down its tall cedars,
and its best evergreens.
I invaded its most remote regions,t
its thickest woods.

24 I dug wells and drank
water in foreign lands.t
With the soles of my feet I dried up
all the rivers of Egypt.’

25 tCertainly you must have heard!t
Long ago I worked it out,
In ancient times I plannedt it;
and now I am bringing it to pass.
The plan is this:
Fortified cities will crash
into heaps of ruins.t

26 Their residents are powerless,t
they are terrified and ashamed.
They are as short-lived as plants in the field,
or green vegetation.t
They are as short-lived as grass on the rooftopst
when it is scorched by the east wind.s

27 I know where you live,
and everything you do.s

28 Because you rage against me,
and the uproar you create has reached my ears;s
I will put my hook in your nose,s
and my bridle between your lips,
and I will lead you back the way
you came.”
29 t This will be your confirmation that I have spoken the truth:t This year you will eat what grows wild,s and next yeart what grows on its own from that. But in the third year you will plant seed and harvest crops; you will plant vines and consume their produce.t

30 Those who remain in Judah will take root in the ground and bear fruit.t

31 For a remnant will leave Jerusalem;
survivors will come out of Mount Zion.
The intense devotion of the sovereign Lordt to his peoplet will accomplish this.

32 So this is what the Lord says about the king of Assyria:
“He will not enter this city,
nor will he shoot an arrow here.t
He will not attack it with his shield-carrying warriors,t
nor will he build siege works against it.

33 He will go back the way he came.
He will not enter this city,” says the Lord.

34 I will shield this city and rescue it for the sake of my reputation and because of my promise to David my servant.’”t
35 That very night the Lord’s messenger went out and killed 185,000 men in the Assyrian camp. When theyt got up early the next morning, there were all the corpses.t36 So King Sennacherib of Assyria broke camp and went on his way. He went home and stayed in Nineveh.t

37 One day,s as he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisroch,s his sonss Adrammelech and Sharezer struck him down with the sword.s They escaped to the land of Ararat; his son Esarhaddon replaced him as king.