2. Hezekiah sent Eliakim, the palace manager, Shebna, the royal secretary, and the elders of the priests to the prophet, Isaiah son of Amoz. They wore the special clothes that showed they were sad and upset.
3. They said to Isaiah, “King Hezekiah has commanded that today will be a special day for sorrow and sadness. It will be a very sad day—as sad as when a baby should be born, but there is not enough strength for the birth.
4. The commander’s master, the king of Assyria, has sent him to say bad things about the living God. Maybe the Lord your God will hear it and prove the enemy is wrong. So pray for those who are still left alive.”
5. When King Hezekiah’s officers came to Isaiah,
6. he said to them, “Give this message to your master, Hezekiah: The Lord says, ‘Don’t be afraid of what you heard from the commanders! Don’t believe what those “boys” from the king of Assyria said to make fun of me.
7. Look, I will send a spirit against the king of Assyria. He will get a report that will make him return to his own country. And I will cut him down with a sword in his own country.’”
8. The commander heard that the king of Assyria had left Lachish. He found him at Libnah, fighting against that city.
9. Then the king of Assyria got a report that said, “King Tirhakah of Ethiopia is coming to fight you.” So the king of Assyria sent messengers to Hezekiah again.
10. He told them, “Tell King Hezekiah of Judah these things: ‘Don’t be fooled by the god you trust when he says, “Jerusalem will not be defeated by the king of Assyria.”
11. You have heard what the kings of Assyria did to all the other countries. We destroyed them completely. Will you be saved? No!
12. Did the gods of those people save them? No, my ancestors destroyed them all. They destroyed the cities of Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and the people of Eden living in Tel Assar.
13. Where is the king of Hamath? The king of Arpad? The king of the city of Sepharvaim? The kings of Hena and Ivvah?’”
14. Hezekiah received the letters from the messengers and read them. Then he went up to the Lord’S Temple and laid the letters out in front of the Lord.
15. He prayed to the Lord:
16. “Lord All-Powerful, God of Israel, you sit as King above the Cherub angels. You alone are the God who rules all the kingdoms on earth. You made heaven and earth.
17. Lord, please pay attention and hear this. Open your eyes, Lord, and see what is happening. Listen to all the insults against the living God in the message Sennacherib sent!
18. It is true, Lord. The kings of Assyria did destroy all those nations.
19. They did throw the gods of those nations into the fire, but they were not real gods. They were only wood and stone—statues that people made. That is why the kings of Assyria could destroy them.
20. But you are the Lord our God, so please save us from the king of Assyria. Then all the other nations will know that you are the Lord, the only God.”