19As soon as King Hezekiah heard their report, he tore his clothes in grief, put on sackcloth, and went to the Temple of the Lord. ²He sent Eliakim, the official in charge of the palace, Shebna, the court secretary, and the senior priests to the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz. They also were wearing sackcloth. ³This is the message which he told them to give Isaiah: “Today is a day of suffering; we are being punished and are in disgrace. We are like a woman who is ready to give birth, but is too weak to do it. ⁴The Assyrian emperor has sent his chief official to insult the living God. May the Lord your God hear these insults and punish those who spoke them. So pray to God for those of our people who survive.”

⁵When Isaiah received King Hezekiah’s message, ⁶he sent back this answer: “The Lord tells you not to let the Assyrians frighten you with their claims that he cannot save you. ⁷The Lord will cause the emperor to hear a rumour that will make him go back to his own country, and the Lord will have him killed there.”

The Assyrians Send Another Threat

⁸The Assyrian official learnt that the emperor had left Lachish and was fighting against the nearby city of Libnah; so he went there to consult him. ⁹Word reached the Assyrians that the Egyptian army, led by King Tirhakah of Ethiopia,^r was coming to attack them. When the emperor heard this, he sent letter to King Hezekiah of Judah ¹⁰to say to him, “The god you are trusting in has told you that you will not fall into my hands, but don’t let that deceive you.

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Footnotes

rethiopia: See Word List.