8 When the chief commander returned to the Assyrian king, he discovered that they’d pulled out of Lakish and were now fighting against Livnah city. 9 Then the king heard that the Ethiopian King Tirhakah was preparing to attack, so he decided to return home but he sent messengers to Hizkiyyah to say, 10 “Tell Yehudah’s King Hizkiyyah not to let the God he trusts in deceive him by telling him that Yerushalem won’t be captured by the king of Assyria. 11 Tell him that he must have heard how the Assyrian armies have completely devastated other countries, so he shouldn’t think that he will be saved from it. 12 The gods of the countries destroyed by my ancestors never saved them—those in Gozan, Haran, Retsef, or Eden’s descendants in Telassar. 13 Where’s the king of Hamat, or the king of Arpad, or the kings of the cities of Sefarvayim, Hena, or Ivvah now?”

14 Hizkiyyah took the letter that the messengers had brought and read it, then he went up to the temple and spread it out in front of Yahweh 15 and prayed to him, “Yahweh the God of Israel, who lives above the winged creatures. You alone are God—the one over all the kingdoms of the earth. You yourself made the heavens and the earth.[ref] 16 Lean this way, Yahweh, and look, and listen to Sanheriv’s words mocking the living God. 17 Yes Yahweh, the Assyrian kings have certainly destroyed many countries and their lands. 18 The Assyrians burnt the peoples’ gods because they weren’t living gods, but rather gods of wood and stone made by people and they’ve destroyed them. 19 But now Yahweh our God, please save us, from his army, then all the kingdoms in the world will know that you, Yahweh, are God—you alone.”

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