1-3. When Hezekiah heard it all, he too ripped his robes apart and dressed himself in rough burlap. Then he went into The Temple of God. He sent Eliakim, who was in charge of the palace, Shebna the secretary, and the senior priests, all of them dressed in rough burlap, to the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz. They said to him, “A message from Hezekiah: ‘This is a black day, a terrible day—doomsday!Babies poised to be born,No strength to birth them.
4. “‘Maybe God, your God, has been listening to the blasphemous speech of the Rabshakeh who was sent by the king of Assyria, his master, to humiliate the living God; maybe God, your God, won’t let him get by with such talk; and you, maybe you will lift up prayers for what’s left of these people.’”
5. That’s the message King Hezekiah’s servants delivered to Isaiah.
14-15. Hezekiah took the letter from the envoy and read it. He went to The Temple of God and spread it out before God. And Hezekiah prayed—oh, how he prayed!God, God of Israel, seatedin majesty on the cherubim-throne.You are the one and only God,sovereign over all kingdoms on earth,Maker of heaven,maker of earth.
16. Open your ears, God, and listen,open your eyes and look.Look at this letter Sennacherib has sent,a brazen insult to the living God!
17. The facts are true, O God: The kings of Assyriahave laid waste countries and kingdoms.
18. Huge bonfires they made of their gods, theirno-gods hand-made from wood and stone.
19. But now O God, our God,save us from raw Assyrian power;Make all the kingdoms on earth knowthat you are God, the one and only God.