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Isaiah Tells Hezekiah Not to Be Afraid

19 (A)Now it happened that when King Hezekiah heard it, he (B)tore his clothes, (C)covered himself with sackcloth, and entered the house of Yahweh. Then he sent Eliakim who was over the household with Shebna the scribe and the elders of the priests, (D)covered with sackcloth, to (E)Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz. And they said to him, “Thus says Hezekiah, ‘This day is a day of distress, reproof, and rejection; for children have come to the point of breaking forth, but there is no strength to give birth. (F)Perhaps Yahweh your God will hear all the words of Rabshakeh, whom his master the king of Assyria has sent (G)to [a]reproach the living God, and will reprove the words which Yahweh your God has heard. Therefore, lift up a prayer for (H)the remnant that is left.’” So the servants of King Hezekiah came to Isaiah. And Isaiah said to them, “Thus you shall say to your master, ‘Thus says Yahweh, “Do not be afraid because of the words that you have heard, with which the (I)young men of the king of Assyria (J)have blasphemed Me. Behold, I will put a spirit in him so that (K)he will hear a report and return to his own land. And (L)I will make him fall by the sword in his own land.”’”

Sennacherib Deceives Hezekiah

Then Rabshakeh returned and found the king of Assyria fighting against (M)Libnah, for he had heard that [b]the king had set out from (N)Lachish. Then he heard them say concerning Tirhakah king of [c]Ethiopia, “Behold, he has come out to fight against you.” So he sent messengers again to Hezekiah saying, 10 “Thus you shall say to Hezekiah king of [d]Judah, ‘Do not (O)let your God in whom you trust deceive you, saying, “(P)Jerusalem will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.” 11 Behold, you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all the lands, devoting them to destruction. So will you be delivered? 12 (Q)Did the gods of [e]those nations which my fathers brought to ruin deliver them, even (R)Gozan and (S)Haran and Rezeph and (T)the sons of Eden who were in Telassar? 13 (U)Where is the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, the king of the city of Sepharvaim, and of Hena and Ivvah?’”

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 19:4 Or defy, cf. 1 Sam 17:26
  2. 2 Kings 19:8 Lit he
  3. 2 Kings 19:9 Or Cush, cf. Gen 10:6
  4. 2 Kings 19:10 Lit Judah, saying,
  5. 2 Kings 19:12 Lit the

Isaiah Encourages Hezekiah

19 When King Hezekiah heard Eliakim’s report,[a] he tore his clothes, put on a sackcloth covering, entered the Lord’s Temple, and sent Eliakim the household supervisor, Shebna the scribe, and the elders of the priests—all of them covered in sackcloth—to Amoz’s son, the prophet Isaiah. They announced to him:

“This is what Hezekiah says: ‘Today is a day of trouble, rebuke, and blasphemy,[b] because children are about to be born, but there is no strength to bring them to birth. Perhaps the Lord your God will take note of everything that Rab-shakeh has said, whom his master the king of Assyria sent to taunt the living God, and then he will rebuke the words that the Lord your God has heard. Therefore offer a prayer for the survivors who remain.’”

That is how the King Hezekiah’s servants approached Isaiah.

In reply, Isaiah responded to them, “Here’s how you’re to report to your master:

‘This is what the Lord says: “Never be afraid of the words that you have heard by which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me. Look! I’m going to cause an attitude[c] to grow within him so that he’ll hear a rumor and return to his own territory, where I’ll make him die by the sword in his own land!”’”

Sennacherib Defies God(A)

So Rab-shakeh returned and found the king of Assyria at war with Libnah, because Rab-shakeh had heard that the king had left Lachish. When he heard that it was being said about King Tirhakah of Ethiopia,[d] “Look! He has come out to attack you!” he again sent messengers to Hezekiah.

The messengers were told, 10 “This is what you are to say to King Hezekiah of Judah: ‘Don’t let your God in whom you trust deceive you by telling you[e] “Jerusalem won’t be turned over to the control[f] of Assyria’s king.” 11 ‘Look! you’ve heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all the lands—they completely destroyed them! Will you be spared? 12 Did the gods of those nations whom my ancestors destroyed deliver them, including Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and Eden’s descendants in Telassar? 13 Where is the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, the king of the city of Sephar-vaim, the king of Hena, or the king of Ivvah?’”

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 19:1 The Heb. lacks Eliakim’s report
  2. 2 Kings 19:3 Or contempt
  3. 2 Kings 19:7 Or to bring a spirit
  4. 2 Kings 19:9 Lit. Cush
  5. 2 Kings 19:10 The Heb. lacks you
  6. 2 Kings 19:10 Lit. hand