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.
20-21. It wasn’t long before Isaiah son of Amoz sent word to Hezekiah:God’s word: You’ve prayed to me regarding Sennacherib king of Assyria; I’ve heard your prayer. This is my response to him:The Virgin Daughter of Zionholds you in utter contempt;Daughter Jerusalemthinks you’re nothing but scum.
36-37. Sennacherib king of Assyria got out of there fast, headed straight home for Nineveh, and stayed put. One day when he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisroch, his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer murdered him and then escaped to the land of Ararat. His son Esarhaddon became the next king.