Hezekiah’s Plea and Isaiah’s Prophecy
2 Kings 19:1-13
2 K.19.1 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויהי: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- כשמע: CONJ
- המלך: NOUN,m,sg,def
- חזקיהו: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- ויקרע: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- את: PRT,acc
- בגדיו: NOUN,m,pl,abs+PRON,3,m,sg
- ויתכס: VERB,hithpael,imprf,3,m,sg
- בשק: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ויבא: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- בית: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Isaiah 37:1 (quotation): Isaiah's account of the same event uses essentially the same wording: on hearing the news Hezekiah tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, and went into the house of the LORD (direct parallel to 2 Kgs 19:1).
- Ezra 9:3 (verbal): When Ezra heard the report about intermarriage he 'tore his garment and mantle' and sat appalled—similar language and ritual act of tearing clothes in response to distressing news before God.
- 1 Kings 21:27 (verbal): After hearing of Naboth's death Ahab 'tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and fasted,' a close parallel in vocabulary and ritual expression of mourning and repentance.
- Job 1:20 (verbal): On learning of his children's deaths Job 'tore his robe and shaved his head,' another instance of tearing garments as an instinctive expression of grief after bad news.
- Nehemiah 1:4 (thematic): When Nehemiah heard of Jerusalem's condition he 'sat down and wept...fasted and prayed before the God of heaven'—a thematic parallel of mourning, fasting, and seeking God in response to crisis (similar to entering the house of the LORD in 2 Kgs 19:1).
Alternative generated candidates
- When King Hezekiah heard this, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, and went into the house of the LORD.
- When King Hezekiah heard, he tore his garments, wrapped himself in sackcloth, and went into the house of the LORD.
2 K.19.2 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- וישלח: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- את: PRT,acc
- אליקים: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אשר: PRON,rel
- על: PREP
- הבית: NOUN,m,sg,def
- ושבנא: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- הספר: NOUN,m,sg,def
- ואת: CONJ
- זקני: NOUN,m,pl,cons
- הכהנים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- מתכסים: VERB,hitpael,impf,3,m,pl
- בשקים: PREP+NOUN,m,pl,abs
- אל: NEG
- ישעיהו: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- הנביא: NOUN,m,sg,def
- בן: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אמוץ: NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Isaiah 37:2 (quotation): Direct parallel—Isaiah 37:2 recounts the same action (Hezekiah sending Eliakim, Shebna and the priests in sackcloth to Isaiah) with nearly identical wording.
- 2 Chronicles 32:20–21 (structural): Chronicles retells the Sennacherib crisis and its resolution, summarizing Hezekiah’s seeking of the prophet and the divine deliverance narrated in Kings/Isaiah.
- 2 Kings 20:1–6 (thematic): Earlier episode where Hezekiah turns to Isaiah in a time of personal crisis (his illness); parallels the motif of the king sending for the prophet when threatened and seeking God’s word through Isaiah.
- Isaiah 38:2–6 (thematic): Isaiah’s role as the prophet who communicates God’s response to Hezekiah is repeated here (Hezekiah’s illness and Isaiah’s message), underscoring the recurring pattern of royal envoys/appeals to Isaiah in crises.
Alternative generated candidates
- He sent Eliakim who was over the house, and Shebna the scribe, and the elders of the priests, clothed in sackcloth, to Isaiah the prophet, son of Amoz.
- He sent Eliakim who was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and the elders of the priests, clothed in sackcloth, to Isaiah the prophet, son of Amoz.
2 K.19.3 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויאמרו: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,pl
- אליו: PREP+PRON,3,m,sg
- כה: ADV
- אמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- חזקיהו: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- יום: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- צרה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- ותוכחה: CONJ+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- ונאצה: CONJ+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- היום: NOUN,m,sg,def
- הזה: DEM,m,sg
- כי: CONJ
- באו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- בנים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- עד: PREP
- משבר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- וכח: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אין: PART,neg
- ללדה: VERB,qal,inf
Parallels
- Isa.37:3 (quotation): Verbal parallel — Isaiah 37:3 repeats the same words attributed to Hezekiah: a 'day of distress/rebuke/contempt' and the childbirth metaphor ('children are come to the birth, and there is not strength to bring forth').
- 2 Chron.32:1-8 (structural): Chronicles retells the same Assyrian crisis and Hezekiah's response: a parallel narrative context to 2 Kings 18–19, showing the same political/military emergency that prompts Hezekiah's plea.
- Jer.30:7 (thematic): Shared theme of a national catastrophe — Jeremiah calls it 'the time of Jacob's trouble' (a 'day of trouble'), echoing the language of an acute, communal crisis in 2 Kings 19:3.
- Isa.13:8 (thematic): Uses childbirth/travail imagery for impending destruction ('they shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth'), paralleling the metaphor in 2 Kings 19:3 of a nation 'at the birth' with no strength to deliver.
Alternative generated candidates
- They said to him, 'Thus says Hezekiah: This is a day of distress, of rebuke, and of contempt; children come to the point of birth, yet there is no strength to bring them forth.'
- They said to him, "Thus says Hezekiah: This is a day of distress, rebuke and contempt; we are like women in labor who have come to the breaking point and have no strength to bear."
2 K.19.4 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- אולי: ADV
- ישמע: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- אלהיך: NOUN,m,sg,prsuf-2ms
- את: PRT,acc
- כל: DET
- דברי: NOUN,m,pl,abs+PRON,1,c,sg
- רב: ADJ,m,sg
- שקה: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אשר: PRON,rel
- שלחו: VERB,qal,imp,2,m,pl
- מלך: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- אשור: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אדניו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+POSS,3,m,sg
- לחרף: INFN,qal,inf
- אלהים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- חי: ADJ,m,sg
- והוכיח: VERB,hif,perf,3,m,sg
- בדברים: PREP+NOUN,m,pl,abs
- אשר: PRON,rel
- שמע: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- אלהיך: NOUN,m,sg,prsuf-2ms
- ונשאת: VERB,qal,impf,2,m,sg
- תפלה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- בעד: PREP
- השארית: NOUN,f,sg,def
- הנמצאה: ADJ,f,sg,def
Parallels
- Isa.37.4 (quotation): Nearly identical wording in Isaiah’s parallel account: the hope that the LORD will hear Rab‑shakeh’s words, reprove him, and lift up prayer for the remaining remnant.
- Isa.37.14-20 (structural): Isaiah’s version of Hezekiah’s response/prayer to the threat from Assyria parallels the context implied here (Hezekiah spreads the letter before the LORD and petitions God for the remnant).
- 2Kgs.19.35 (thematic): Describes the divine intervention that follows Hezekiah’s plea—the angel of the LORD smiting the Assyrian host—showing the outcome hoped for in v.4 (God hearing and acting for the remnant).
- 2Chr.32.20-21 (structural): Chronicles’ retelling of the same episode emphasizes that the LORD heard Hezekiah and Isaiah and routed the Assyrian army, echoing the expectation of v.4 that God would hear and vindicate Israel.
Alternative generated candidates
- 'Perhaps the LORD your God will hear all the words of Rab‑shakeh, which the king of Assyria his master has sent to revile the living God, and will rebuke him for the words that the LORD your God has heard; so pray now for the remnant that remains.'
- "Perhaps the LORD your God will hear all the words with which the Rab‑shakeh, whom the king of Assyria his master sent, reviled the living God; and he will reprove him for the words that the LORD your God has heard. Lift up prayer now for the remnant that still remains."
2 K.19.5 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויבאו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
- עבדי: NOUN,m,pl,cons
- המלך: NOUN,m,sg,def
- חזקיהו: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- אל: NEG
- ישעיהו: NOUN,m,sg,prop
Parallels
- Isaiah 37:2 (verbal): Almost verbatim parallel: Isaiah 37:2 repeats the same statement that the servants of King Hezekiah came to Isaiah (same episode recorded in Isaiah).
- Isaiah 36–37 (structural): The broader narrative in Isaiah (chs. 36–37) is the parallel account of Sennacherib’s threats, Hezekiah’s response, and Isaiah’s prophetic intervention—this verse appears within that larger parallel pericope.
- 2 Kings 18:13–19:37 (structural): The larger section in Kings containing the parallel episode (Sennacherib’s campaign and Hezekiah’s appeal); 2 Kgs 19:5 sits inside this narrative framework which corresponds to the Isaiah account.
- 2 Chronicles 32:20–21 (thematic): The Chronicler retells the crisis and divine deliverance involving Hezekiah and Isaiah; while details differ, it thematically parallels the same episode of royal officials seeking prophetic counsel and God’s intervention.
Alternative generated candidates
- Then the servants of King Hezekiah came to Isaiah.
- The servants of King Hezekiah came to Isaiah.
2 K.19.6 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויאמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- להם: PREP+PRON,3,m,pl
- ישעיהו: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- כה: ADV
- תאמרון: VERB,qal,imperfect,2,m,pl
- אל: NEG
- אדניכם: NOUN,m,sg,poss
- כה: ADV
- אמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- אל: NEG
- תירא: VERB,qal,impf,2,m,sg
- מפני: PREP
- הדברים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- אשר: PRON,rel
- שמעת: VERB,qal,perf,2,m,sg
- אשר: PRON,rel
- גדפו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- נערי: NOUN,m,pl,cons
- מלך: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- אשור: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אתי: PRON,1,sg
Parallels
- Isaiah 37:6 (quotation): Direct parallel account in Isaiah: the prophetic message is repeated verbatim—God's command not to fear the Assyrian taunts that have blasphemed the LORD.
- 2 Kings 18:25-36 (verbal): Contains Rabshakeh's taunts and challenges against Judah and Yahweh—the very 'words' and blasphemies to which v.19:6 refers.
- 2 Chronicles 32:7-8 (thematic): Hezekiah's exhortation to be strong and not fear the king of Assyria echoes the same assurance that God's presence makes Judah superior to Assyria's threats.
- Psalm 118:6 (thematic): A general psalmic assurance—'The LORD is with me; I will not fear'—mirrors the theological theme of trusting God rather than fearing enemy blasphemy.
Alternative generated candidates
- Isaiah said to them, 'Thus shall you say to your lord: Thus says the LORD—Do not be afraid of the words that you have heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have reviled me.'
- Isaiah said to them, "Thus you shall say to your master: 'Thus says the LORD: Do not be afraid of the words that you have heard, by which the young men of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me.'"
2 K.19.7 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- הנני: PRT+PRON,1,sg
- נתן: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- בו: PREP+PRON,3,m,sg
- רוח: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- ושמע: VERB,qal,imp,2,m,sg
- שמועה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- ושב: VERB,qal,imp,2,m,sg
- לארצו: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs+PRON,3,m,sg
- והפלתיו: CONJ+VERB,hiph,perf,1,sg+PRON,3,m,sg
- בחרב: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- בארצו: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs,poss-3m
Parallels
- Isaiah 37:7 (verbal): Almost word-for-word parallel in Isaiah's account of Hezekiah and Sennacherib: God says He will put a spirit in the king, he will hear a rumor, return to his land, and be slain there.
- 2 Chronicles 32:21 (verbal): Chronicles retells the same episode using the same formula — the LORD puts a spirit in the Assyrian king causing him to withdraw and meet his end in his own country.
- 2 Kings 19:35 (structural): Later verse in the same chapter records the divine judgment (the angel striking the Assyrian camp) that effects the predicted withdrawal and downfall mentioned in v.7.
- Isaiah 37:36 (thematic): Isaiah's parallel account describes the angelic slaughter of the Assyrian forces (185,000), providing the concrete act by which God's promise that the enemy will return and fall is fulfilled.
Alternative generated candidates
- 'Behold, I will put a spirit in him, and he will hear a rumor and return to his own land; and I will make him fall by the sword in his own land.'
- "Behold, I will put a spirit within him; he shall hear a rumor and return to his own land, and I will make him fall by the sword in his own land."
2 K.19.8 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- וישב: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- רב: ADJ,m,sg
- שקה: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- וימצא: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- את: PRT,acc
- מלך: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- אשור: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- נלחם: VERB,niphal,perf,3,m,sg
- על: PREP
- לבנה: ADJ,f,sg,abs
- כי: CONJ
- שמע: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- כי: CONJ
- נסע: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- מלכיש: NOUN,prop,m,sg
Parallels
- Isaiah 37:8 (quotation): Virtually identical wording in Isaiah's parallel account: Rabshakeh returns and finds the king of Assyria fighting against Libnah.
- 2 Chronicles 32:9 (quotation): Chronicles retells the same episode—Rabshakeh's return and the Assyrian king's campaign against Libnah—using the same basic report.
- Isaiah 36:2 (thematic): Part of the same narrative cycle about Rabshakeh and the Assyrian envoys sent from Lachish to Jerusalem; provides the broader context for Rabshakeh's movements.
- 2 Kings 19:9 (structural): Immediate continuation of the episode in Kings, giving the reason the Assyrian king was fighting at Libnah (the report concerning Tirhakah/Egypt), thus directly connected to v.8.
Alternative generated candidates
- Rab‑shakeh returned and found the king of Assyria fighting against Libnah, for he had heard that he had gone up to Lachish.
- The Rab‑shakeh returned, and he found the king of Assyria warring against Libnah, for he had heard that he had gone up to Lachish.
2 K.19.9 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- וישמע: VERB,qal,imperfect,3,m,sg
- אל: NEG
- תרהקה: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- מלך: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- כוש: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- לאמר: INF,qal,infc
- הנה: PART
- יצא: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- להלחם: VERB,hitp,inf
- אתך: PREP+PRON,2,m,sg
- וישב: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- וישלח: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- מלאכים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- אל: NEG
- חזקיהו: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- לאמר: INF,qal,infc
Parallels
- Isaiah 37:9 (verbal): Direct parallel account of the same event; Isaiah repeats the report that Tirhakah (Tirhaka) king of Cush heard and sent to Hezekiah.
- 2 Chronicles 32:9 (verbal): Chronicles' retelling of the Assyrian crisis likewise records that news of Tirhakah king of Cush's movements reached Sennacherib and a message was sent to Hezekiah.
- 2 Kings 18:13-19:37 (structural): The larger narrative context in Kings detailing Sennacherib's campaign against Judah, including the Tirhakah episode; 19:9 is part of this extended Assyrian crisis story.
- Isaiah 36:1-37:38 (structural): Isaiah's parallel doublet to Kings' account: chapters 36–37 retell the siege, Rabshakeh's speeches, and the arrival of Tirhakah, paralleling and expanding material found in 2 Kings 18–19.
Alternative generated candidates
- When Tirhakah king of Cush heard that—'Behold, he has come out to fight against you'—he turned back and sent messengers to Hezekiah, saying,
- When Tirhakah king of Cush heard (this)—'Behold, he has come out to fight against you'—he turned back and sent messengers to Hezekiah, saying,
2 K.19.10 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- כה: ADV
- תאמרון: VERB,qal,imperfect,2,m,pl
- אל: NEG
- חזקיהו: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- מלך: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- יהודה: NOUN,m,sg,prop
- לאמר: INF,qal,infc
- אל: NEG
- ישאך: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg,suff:2,m,sg
- אלהיך: NOUN,m,sg,prsuf-2ms
- אשר: PRON,rel
- אתה: PRON,2,m,sg
- בטח: ADV
- בו: PREP+PRON,3,m,sg
- לאמר: INF,qal,infc
- לא: PART_NEG
- תנתן: VERB,nip,impf,3,f,sg
- ירושלם: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- ביד: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- מלך: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- אשור: NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Isaiah 36:4-5 (verbal): Direct parallel account of Rabshakeh's taunt to Hezekiah and Jerusalem; the wording and challenge not to trust in their God closely mirror 2 Kings 19:10.
- 2 Chronicles 32:9 (verbal): Chronicles' retelling of the Assyrian envoy's message repeats the same challenge to Hezekiah and undermines trust in YHWH, paralleling the message in 2 Kings 19:10.
- Isaiah 31:1 (thematic): Isaiah rebukes reliance on Egypt and military power instead of God; thematically parallels the Assyrian attempt to discredit trust in YHWH and to encourage political/military dependence.
- Jeremiah 17:5-8 (thematic): Contrasts trusting in humans or worldly support with trusting in the LORD; thematically relevant to Rabshakeh's taunt that Jerusalem's trust in its God will not save it.
Alternative generated candidates
- 'Thus shall you say to Hezekiah king of Judah: Let not your God in whom you trust deceive you by saying, "Jerusalem shall not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria."'
- "Thus you shall say to Hezekiah king of Judah: Do not let your God in whom you trust deceive you by saying, 'Jerusalem will not be delivered into the hand of the king of Assyria.'"
2 K.19.11 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- הנה: PART
- אתה: PRON,2,m,sg
- שמעת: VERB,qal,perf,2,m,sg
- את: PRT,acc
- אשר: PRON,rel
- עשו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- מלכי: NOUN,pl,m,cons
- אשור: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- לכל: PREP
- הארצות: NOUN,f,pl,def
- להחרימם: VERB,hifil,inf,3,m,pl
- ואתה: CONJ+PRON,2,m,sg
- תנצל: VERB,qal,impf,2,m,sg
Parallels
- Isaiah 37:11 (quotation): Parallel and near-verbatim repetition of the Assyrian taunt in the Isaiah account of Sennacherib’s challenge to Jerusalem: 'Have the gods of the nations delivered them...?'.
- 2 Chronicles 32:17 (quotation): Chronicler’s retelling of Rabshakeh’s message repeats the same mocking report about what the kings of Assyria have done to other lands and questions Judah’s deliverance.
- 2 Kings 18:35 (verbal): An earlier section of the Rabshakeh speech contains the same line of argument—pointing to Assyrian conquests and asking why Jerusalem should expect deliverance—reflecting verbal/material overlap within the Kings narrative.
- Psalm 115:4-8 (thematic): The psalm’s polemic against impotent 'gods' of the nations (they cannot speak, act or save) provides a thematic counterpoint to the Assyrian taunt and the debate over divine power and deliverance.
Alternative generated candidates
- 'Have you not heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all the lands—how they utterly destroyed them? And will you be delivered?'
- "Have you heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all the lands—to make them a desolation? And will you be delivered?"
2 K.19.12 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ההצילו: VERB,hif,perf,3,m,pl
- אתם: PRON,2,m,pl
- אלהי: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- הגוים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- אשר: PRON,rel
- שחתו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- אבותי: NOUN,m,pl,abs+1cs
- את: PRT,acc
- גוזן: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ואת: CONJ
- חרן: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ורצף: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ובני: CONJ+NOUN,m,pl,cons
- עדן: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אשר: PRON,rel
- בתלאשר: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Isa.37:12 (quotation): Parallel/near‑verbatim account in Isaiah of Rabshakeh’s taunt listing conquered cities and mocking the gods of those peoples.
- 2 Kgs.18:11-12 (verbal): Earlier verse in the same narrative that names Gozan, Haran, Rezeph and the men of Eden at Telassar—the same conquests invoked to prove Assyrian supremacy.
- Ps.115:4-8 (thematic): Psalmic polemic against idols (they cannot speak, see, or save) thematically counters the taunt about ‘gods of the nations’.
- Ps.135:15-18 (thematic): Another psalmic denunciation of idols as man‑made and powerless, echoing the theological rebuttal to claims about foreign gods.
Alternative generated candidates
- 'Did the gods of the nations ever deliver those whom my fathers destroyed—Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and the people of Eden who were in Telassar?'
- "Were the gods of the nations that my fathers destroyed—Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and the people of Eden in Telassar—able to rescue them?"
2 K.19.13 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- איו: PRON,3,pl
- מלך: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- חמת: NOUN,f,sg,cons
- ומלך: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ארפד: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- ומלך: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- לעיר: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- ספרוים: PNOUN,m,pl
- הנע: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- ועוה: CONJ+NOUN,f,sg,abs
Parallels
- Isaiah 37:13 (quotation): Almost identical verse in Isaiah’s parallel account; repeats the rhetorical taunt listing the kings defeated by Assyria (same wording/context).
- 2 Chronicles 32:14 (verbal): Chronicles retells the Sennacherib-Hezekiah episode and echoes the same taunt about the kings of Hamath, Arpad and Sepharvaim—verbal parallel in the retelling of the incident.
- Isaiah 36:19–20 (verbal): Earlier in the Isaiah account Rabshakeh taunts Jerusalem by listing nations and gods overcome by Assyria; a closely related verbal motif and set of images (the boast of conquered kings).
- 2 Kings 18:11–12 (thematic): Describes Assyrian deportations and conquests of other nations/kingdoms, providing the historical background for the boast implicit in 19:13 (the theme of Assyrian supremacy over other kings).
Alternative generated candidates
- 'Where is the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, the king of Sepharvaim—Hena and Ivah?''
- "Where is the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, the king of the city of Sepharvaim—Hena and Ivvah?"
When King Hezekiah heard it, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, and went into the house of the LORD.
He sent Eliakim who was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and the elders of the priests, clothed in sackcloth, to Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz.
They said to him, “Thus says Hezekiah: This is a day of distress, rebuke, and scorn; it is as when children are come to birth and there is no strength to deliver.”
“Perhaps the LORD your God will hear all the words of Rab‑shakeh that his master, the king of Assyria, has sent to blaspheme the living God, and will reprove him for the words that the LORD your God has heard; then you will lift up prayer for the remnant that is left.”
The servants of King Hezekiah came to Isaiah.
Isaiah said to them, “Thus you shall say to your master: Thus says the LORD, ‘Do not be afraid of the words that you have heard by which the men of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me.’ ”
“Behold, I will put a spirit in him; he shall hear a rumor and return to his own land; and I will make him fall by the sword in his own land.” So Rab‑shakeh returned and found the king of Assyria fighting against Libnah, for he had heard that he had withdrawn from Lachish.
When he heard concerning Tirhakah king of Cush, ‘Behold, he has come out to fight against you,’ he returned and sent messengers to Hezekiah, saying,
“Thus shall you say to Hezekiah king of Judah: Do not let your God in whom you trust deceive you, saying, ‘Jerusalem will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.’”
“Have you not heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all the lands—to utterly destroy them? And shall you be saved?”
“Did the gods of the nations my fathers destroyed deliver them—Gozan, and Haran, and Rezeph, and the men of Eden who were in Telassar?”
“Where is the king of Hamath, and the king of Arpad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, and the king of Hena and Ivah?”