2 Kings 19

Jerusalem Will Be Saved

1 When King Hezekiah heard the message, he tore his clothes and put on rough cloth to show how sad he was. Then he went into the Temple of the Lord.2 Hezekiah sent Eliakim, the palace manager, and Shebna, the royal secretary, and the older priests to Isaiah. They were all wearing rough cloth when they came to Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz.3 They told Isaiah, “This is what Hezekiah says: Today is a day of sorrow and punishment and disgrace, as when a child should be born, but the mother is not strong enough to give birth to it.

4 The king of Assyria sent his field commander to make fun of the living God. Maybe the Lord your God will hear what the commander said and will punish him for it. So pray for the few of us who are left alive.”
5 When Hezekiah’s officers came to Isaiah,6 he said to them, “Tell your master this: The Lord says, ‘Don’t be afraid of what you have heard. Don’t be frightened by the words the servants of the king of Assyria have spoken against me.

7 Listen! I am going to put a spirit in the king of Assyria. He will hear a report that will make him return to his own country, and I will cause him to die by the sword there.’ ”

8 The field commander heard that the king of Assyria had left Lachish. When he went back, he found the king fighting against the city of Libnah.
9 The king received a report that Tirhakah, the Cushite king of Egypt, was coming to attack him. When the king of Assyria heard this, he sent messengers to Hezekiah, saying,10 “Tell Hezekiah king of Judah: Don’t be fooled by the god you trust. Don’t believe him when he says Jerusalem will not be handed over to the king of Assyria.11 You have heard what the kings of Assyria have done. They have completely defeated every country, so do not think you will be saved.12 Did the gods of those people save them? My ancestors destroyed them, defeating the cities of Gozan, Haran, and Rezeph, and the people of Eden living in Tel Assar.

13 Where are the kings of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the kings of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah?”

Hezekiah Prays to the Lord

14 When Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers and read it, he went up to the Temple of the Lord. He spread the letter out before the Lord15 and prayed to the Lord: “Lord, God of Israel, whose throne is between the gold creatures with wings, only you are God of all the kingdoms of the earth. You made the heavens and the earth.16 Hear, Lord, and listen. Open your eyes, Lord, and see. Listen to the words Sennacherib has said to insult the living God.17 It is true, Lord, that the kings of Assyria have destroyed these countries and their lands.18 They have thrown the gods of these nations into the fire, but they were only wood and rock statues that people made. So the kings have destroyed them.

19 Now, Lord our God, save us from the king’s power so that all the kingdoms of the earth will know that you, Lord, are the only God.”

God Answers Hezekiah

20 Then Isaiah son of Amoz sent a message to Hezekiah that said, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I have heard your prayer to me about Sennacherib king of Assyria.

21 This is what the Lord has said against Sennacherib:
‘The people of Jerusalem hate you and make fun of you.
The people of Jerusalem laugh at you as you run away.

22 You have insulted me and spoken against me; you have raised your voice against me.
You have a proud look on your face, which is against me, the Holy One of Israel.

23 You have sent your messengers to insult the Lord. You have said, “With my many chariots
I have gone to the tops of the mountains, to the highest mountains of Lebanon.
I have cut down its tallest cedars and its best pine trees.
I have gone to its farthest places and to its best forests.

24 I have dug wells in foreign countries and drunk water there.
By the soles of my feet, I have dried up all the rivers of Egypt.”

25 “ ‘King of Assyria, surely you have heard. Long ago I, the Lord, planned these things.
Long ago I designed them, and now I have made them happen.
I allowed you to turn those strong, walled cities into piles of rocks.

26 The people in those cities were weak; they were frightened and put to shame.
They were like grass in the field, like tender, young grass,
like grass on the housetop that is burned by the wind before it can grow.

27 “ ‘I know when you rest, when you come and go, and how you rage against me.

28 Because you rage against me, and because I have heard your proud words,
I will put my hook in your nose and my bit in your mouth.
Then I will force you to leave my country the same way you came.’

29 “Then the Lord said, ‘Hezekiah, I will give you this sign:
This year you will eat the grain that grows wild, and the second year you will eat what grows wild from that.
But in the third year, plant grain and harvest it. Plant vineyards and eat their fruit.

30 Some of the people in the family of Judah will escape.
Like plants that take root, they will grow strong and have many children.

31 A few people will come out of Jerusalem alive; a few from Mount Zion will live.
The strong love of the Lord All-Powerful will make this happen.’

32 “So this is what the Lord says about the king of Assyria:
‘He will not enter this city or even shoot an arrow here.
He will not fight against it with shields or build a ramp to attack the city walls.

33 He will return to his country the same way he came, and he will not enter this city,’ says the Lord.

34 ‘I will defend and save this city for my sake and for the sake of David, my servant.’ ”
35 That night the angel of the Lord went out and killed one hundred eighty-five thousand men in the Assyrian camp. When the people got up early the next morning, they saw all the dead bodies.

36 So Sennacherib king of Assyria left and went back to Nineveh and stayed there.
37 One day as Sennacherib was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisroch, his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer killed him with a sword. Then they escaped to the land of Ararat. So Sennacherib’s son Esarhaddon became king of Assyria.

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.