⁹ Soon afterward King Sennacherib received word that King Tirhakah of Ethiopia^[a] was leading an army to fight against him. Before leaving to meet the attack, he sent messengers back to Hezekiah in Jerusalem with this message:

²⁷ an urgent message reached Saul that the Philistines were raiding Israel again.

⁹ Soon afterward King Sennacherib received word that King Tirhakah of Ethiopia^[a] was leading an army to fight against him. Before leaving to meet the attack, he sent messengers back to Hezekiah in Jerusalem with this message:

¹⁷ Nevertheless, the king of Assyria sent his commander in chief, his field commander, and his chief of staff^[a] from Lachish with a huge army to confront King Hezekiah in Jerusalem. The Assyrians took up a position beside the aqueduct that feeds water into the upper pool, near the road leading to the field where cloth is washed.^[b]