SENNACHERIB’S DEPARTING THREAT

8 Whenae the royal spokesman heard that the king of Assyria had pulled out of Lachish,af he left and found him fighting against Libnah.ag 9 The king had heard concerning King Tirhakah of Cush, “Look, he has set out to fight against you.” So he again sent messengers to Hezekiah, saying, 10 “Say this to King Hezekiah of Judah: ‘Don’t let your God, on whom you rely,ah deceive you by promising that Jerusalem will not be handed over to the king of Assyria.ai 11 Look, you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all the countries: They completely destroyed them. Will you be rescued? 12 Did the gods of the nationsaj that my predecessors destroyed rescue them—nations such as Gozan,ak Haran,a Rezeph, and the Edenitesb in Telassar? 13 Where is the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, the king of the city ofA Sepharvaim, Hena, or Ivvah?’ ”c

HEZEKIAH’S PRAYER

14 Hezekiah tookd the lettere from the messengers’ hands, read it, then went up to the Lord’s temple, and spread it out before the Lord.f 15 Then Hezekiah prayed before the Lord:

Lord God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim,g you are God—you alone—of all the kingdoms of the earth. You made the heavens and the earth.h 16 Listen closely, Lord, and hear; open your eyes, Lord, and see.i Hear the words that Sennacherib has sent to mock the living God.j 17 Lord, it is true that the kings of Assyria have devastated the nations and their lands.k 18 They have thrown their gods into the fire, for they were not gods but made by human hands—wood and stone.l So they have destroyed them. 19 Now, Lord our God, please save us from his power so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you, Lord, are God—you alone.m