2 Kings 19:8-20

New American Standard Bible

Sennacherib Defies God

⁸ Then Rabshakeh returned and found the king of Assyria fighting against ^(A)Libnah, for he had heard that the king had left ^(B)Lachish. ⁹ When he heard them say about Tirhakah king of ^[a]Cush, “Behold, he has come out to fight you,” he sent messengers again to Hezekiah, saying, ¹⁰ “This is what you shall say to Hezekiah king of ^[b]Judah: ‘Do not ^(C)let your God in whom you trust deceive you by saying, “^(D)Jerusalem will not be handed over to the king of Assyria.” ¹¹ Behold, you yourself have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all the lands, destroying them completely. So will you be saved? ^12 (E)Did the gods of the nations which my fathers destroyed save them: ^(F)Gozan, ^(G)Haran, Rezeph, and ^(H)the sons of Eden who were in Telassar? ^13 (I)Where is the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, the king of the city of Sepharvaim, and of Hena and Ivvah?’”

Hezekiah’s Prayer

¹⁴ Then ^(J)Hezekiah took the ^[c]letter from the hand of the messengers and read it, and he went up to the house of the Lord and ^[d]spread it out before the Lord. ¹⁵ Hezekiah prayed before the Lord and said, “Lord, God of Israel, ^[e](K)enthroned above the cherubim, ^(L)You are the God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. ^16 (M)Incline Your ear, Lord, and hear; ^(N)open Your eyes, Lord, and see; and listen to the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent ^(O)to taunt the living God. ¹⁷ It is true, Lord; the kings of Assyria have laid waste the nations and their lands, ¹⁸ and have ^[f]hurled their gods into the fire; ^(P)for they were not gods, but only the work of human hands, wood and stone. So they have destroyed them. ¹⁹ But now, Lord our God, please, save us from his hand, ^(Q)so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You alone, ^(R)Lord, are God.”

God’s Answer through Isaiah

²⁰ Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent word to Hezekiah, saying, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel says: ‘Because you have prayed to Me about Sennacherib king of Assyria, ^(S)I have heard you.’