2 Kings 19:1–10

Isaiah Assures Deliverance

19And ^aso it was, when King Hezekiah heard it, that he tore his clothes, covered himself with ^bsackcloth, and went into the house of the Lord. ²Then 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. ³And they said to him, “Thus says Hezekiah: ‘This day is a day of trouble, and rebuke, and blasphemy; for the children have come to birth, but there is no strength to ¹bring them forth. ^4cIt may be that the Lord your God will hear all the words of the Rabshakeh, whom his master the king of Assyria has sent to ^dreproach the living God, and will ^erebuke the words which the Lord your God has heard. Therefore lift up your prayer for the remnant that is left.’ ”

⁵So the servants of King Hezekiah came to Isaiah. ^6fAnd Isaiah said to them, “Thus you shall say to your master, ‘Thus says the Lord: “Do not be ^gafraid of the words which you have heard, with which the ^hservants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed Me. ⁷Surely I will send ⁱa spirit upon him, and he shall hear a rumor and return to his own land; and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land.” ’ ”

Sennacherib’s Threat and Hezekiah’s Prayer

⁸Then the Rabshakeh returned and found the king of Assyria warring against Libnah, for he heard that he had departed ^jfrom Lachish. ⁹And ^kthe king heard concerning Tirhakah king of Ethiopia, “Look, he has come out to make war with you.” So he again sent messengers to Hezekiah, saying, ¹⁰“Thus you shall speak to Hezekiah king of Judah, saying: ‘Do not let your God ^lin whom you trust deceive you, saying, “Jerusalem shall not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.”