Hezekiah Consults Isaiah

37 And this happened: When King Hezekiah heard, he tore his garments, covered himself with sackcloth, and entered the temple[fn] of Yahweh. 2 And he sent Eliakim, who was in charge of[fn] the palace,[fn] and Shebna the secretary, and the elders of the priests covered[fn] with sackcloth to Isaiah son of Amoz, the prophet. 3 And they said to him, “Thus says Hezekiah: ‘This day is a day of distress, rebuke, and disgrace, for children have come to the cervical opening, and there is no strength to give birth. 4 Maybe Yahweh your God heard the words of Rabshakeh whom the king of Assyria, his master, has sent to taunt the living God, and he will rebuke the words that Yahweh your God hears. And you must lift up a prayer for the benefit of the remnant that is found.’ ”

5 When[fn] the servants of King Hezekiah came to Isaiah, 6 Isaiah said to them, “You must say this to your master: ‘Thus says Yahweh: “You must not be afraid because of the words that you have heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me. 7 Look! I am about to put[fn] a spirit in him so that[fn] he shall hear a rumor and he shall return to his land, and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his land.” ’ ”

8 And Rabshakeh returned and found the king of Assyria fighting against Libnah, for he had heard that he had left from Lachish.

9 Now[fn] he[fn] heard concerning Tirhakah the king of Cush, saying, “He has set out to fight against[fn] you.” When[fn] he heard it, he sent messengers to Hezekiah, saying, 10 “You shall say this to Hezekiah, king of Judah: ‘Do not let your God in whom you trust in him deceive you by saying, “Jerusalem will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.” 11 Look! you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands to destroy them, and you—shall you be delivered? 12 Did the gods of the nations that my predecessors[fn] destroyed deliver them—Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and the sons of Eden who were in Telassar? 13 Where is the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, the king of the city of Sepharvaim, Hena, or[fn] Ivvah?’ ”