Sennacherib Threatens Jerusalem^(A)(B)

32 After all that Hezekiah had so faithfully done, Sennacherib^(C) king of Assyria came and invaded Judah. He laid siege to the fortified cities, thinking to conquer them for himself. ² When Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come and that he intended to wage war against Jerusalem,^{(D) 3} he consulted with his officials and military staff about blocking off the water from the springs outside the city, and they helped him. ⁴ They gathered a large group of people who blocked all the springs^(E) and the stream that flowed through the land. “Why should the kings^[a] of Assyria come and find plenty of water?” they said. ⁵ Then he worked hard repairing all the broken sections of the wall^(F) and building towers on it. He built another wall outside that one and reinforced the terraces^[b](G) of the City of David. He also made large numbers of weapons^(H) and shields.

⁶ He appointed military officers over the people and assembled them before him in the square at the city gate and encouraged them with these words: ⁷ “Be strong and courageous.^(I) Do not be afraid or discouraged^(J) because of the king of Assyria and the vast army with him, for there is a greater power with us than with him.^{(K) 8} With him is only the arm of flesh,^(L) but with us^(M) is the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles.”^(N) And the people gained confidence from what Hezekiah the king of Judah said.

⁹ Later, when Sennacherib king of Assyria and all his forces were laying siege to Lachish,^(O) he sent his officers to Jerusalem with this message for Hezekiah king of Judah and for all the people of Judah who were there:

¹⁶ Sennacherib’s officers spoke further against the Lord God and against his servant Hezekiah. ¹⁷ The king also wrote letters^(W) ridiculing^(X) the Lord, the God of Israel, and saying this against him: “Just as the gods^(Y) of the peoples of the other lands did not rescue their people from my hand, so the god of Hezekiah will not rescue his people from my hand.” ¹⁸ Then they called out in Hebrew to the people of Jerusalem who were on the wall, to terrify them and make them afraid in order to capture the city. ¹⁹ They spoke about the God of Jerusalem as they did about the gods of the other peoples of the world—the work of human hands.^(Z)

²⁰ King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz cried out in prayer^(AA) to heaven about this.

¹³ In the fourteenth year^(A) of King Hezekiah’s reign, Sennacherib king of Assyria attacked all the fortified cities of Judah^(B) and captured them. ¹⁴ So Hezekiah king of Judah sent this message to the king of Assyria at Lachish:^(C) “I have done wrong.^(D) Withdraw from me, and I will pay whatever you demand of me.” The king of Assyria exacted from Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents^[a] of silver and thirty talents^[b] of gold. ¹⁵ So Hezekiah gave^(E) him all the silver that was found in the temple of the Lord and in the treasuries of the royal palace.

¹⁶ At this time Hezekiah king of Judah stripped off the gold with which he had covered the doors^(F) and doorposts of the temple of the Lord, and gave it to the king of Assyria.

Sennacherib Threatens Jerusalem^(G)(H)

¹⁷ The king of Assyria sent his supreme commander,^(I) his chief officer and his field commander with a large army, from Lachish to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem. They came up to Jerusalem and stopped at the aqueduct of the Upper Pool,^(J) on the road to the Washerman’s Field. ¹⁸ They called for the king; and Eliakim^(K) son of Hilkiah the palace administrator, Shebna^(L) the secretary, and Joah son of Asaph the recorder went out to them.

¹⁹ The field commander said to them, “Tell Hezekiah:

²⁶ Then Eliakim son of Hilkiah, and Shebna and Joah said to the field commander, “Please speak to your servants in Aramaic,^(R) since we understand it. Don’t speak to us in Hebrew in the hearing of the people on the wall.”

²⁷ But the commander replied, “Was it only to your master and you that my master sent me to say these things, and not to the people sitting on the wall—who, like you, will have to eat their own excrement and drink their own urine?”

²⁸ Then the commander stood and called out in Hebrew, “Hear the word of the great king, the king of Assyria! ²⁹ This is what the king says: Do not let Hezekiah deceive^(S) you. He cannot deliver you from my hand. ³⁰ Do not let Hezekiah persuade you to trust in the Lord when he says, ‘The Lord will surely deliver us; this city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.’

³¹ “Do not listen to Hezekiah. This is what the king of Assyria says: Make peace with me and come out to me. Then each of you will eat fruit from your own vine and fig tree^(T) and drink water from your own cistern,^{(U) 32} until I come and take you to a land like your own—a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of olive trees and honey. Choose life^(V) and not death!

“Do not listen to Hezekiah, for he is misleading you when he says, ‘The Lord will deliver us.’ ³³ Has the god^(W) of any nation ever delivered his land from the hand of the king of Assyria? ³⁴ Where are the gods of Hamath^(X) and Arpad?^(Y) Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena and Ivvah? Have they rescued Samaria from my hand? ³⁵ Who of all the gods of these countries has been able to save his land from me? How then can the Lord deliver Jerusalem from my hand?”^(Z)

³⁶ But the people remained silent and said nothing in reply, because the king had commanded, “Do not answer him.”

³⁷ Then Eliakim^(AA) son of Hilkiah the palace administrator, Shebna the secretary, and Joah son of Asaph the recorder went to Hezekiah, with their clothes torn,^(AB) and told him what the field commander had said.

Jerusalem’s Deliverance Foretold^(AC)

19 When King Hezekiah heard this, he tore^(AD) his clothes and put on sackcloth and went into the temple of the Lord. ² He sent Eliakim^(AE) the palace administrator, Shebna the secretary and the leading priests,^(AF) all wearing sackcloth,^(AG) to the prophet Isaiah^(AH) son of Amoz. ³ They told him, “This is what Hezekiah says: This day is a day of distress and rebuke and disgrace, as when children come to the moment^(AI) of birth and there is no strength to deliver them. ⁴ It may be that the Lord your God will hear all the words of the field commander, whom his master, the king of Assyria, has sent to ridicule^(AJ) the living God, and that he will rebuke^(AK) him for the words the Lord your God has heard. Therefore pray for the remnant^(AL) that still survives.”

⁵ When King Hezekiah’s officials came to Isaiah, ⁶ Isaiah said to them, “Tell your master, ‘This is what the Lord says: Do not be afraid^(AM) of what you have heard—those words with which the underlings of the king of Assyria have blasphemed^(AN) me. ⁷ Listen! When he hears a certain report,^(AO) I will make him want to return to his own country, and there I will have him cut down with the sword.^(AP)’”

⁸ When the field commander heard that the king of Assyria had left Lachish,^(AQ) he withdrew and found the king fighting against Libnah.^(AR)

⁹ Now Sennacherib received a report that Tirhakah, the king of Cush,^[d] was marching out to fight against him. So he again sent messengers to Hezekiah with this word: ¹⁰ “Say to Hezekiah king of Judah: Do not let the god you depend^(AS) on deceive^(AT) you when he says, ‘Jerusalem will not be given into the hands of the king of Assyria.’ ¹¹ Surely you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all the countries, destroying them completely. And will you be delivered? ¹² Did the gods of the nations that were destroyed by my predecessors deliver^(AU) them—the gods of Gozan,^(AV) Harran,^(AW) Rezeph and the people of Eden who were in Tel Assar? ¹³ Where is the king of Hamath or the king of Arpad? Where are the kings of Lair, Sepharvaim, Hena and Ivvah?”^(AX)

Hezekiah’s Prayer^(AY)

¹⁴ Hezekiah received the letter^(AZ) from the messengers and read it. Then he went up to the temple of the Lord and spread it out before the Lord. ¹⁵ And Hezekiah prayed to the Lord: “Lord, the God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim,^(BA) you alone^(BB) are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. ¹⁶ Give ear,^(BC) Lord, and hear;^(BD) open your eyes,^(BE) Lord, and see; listen to the words Sennacherib has sent to ridicule the living God.

¹⁷ “It is true, Lord, that the Assyrian kings have laid waste these nations and their lands. ¹⁸ They have thrown their gods into the fire and destroyed them, for they were not gods^(BF) but only wood and stone, fashioned by human hands.^{(BG) 19} Now, Lord our God, deliver^(BH) us from his hand, so that all the kingdoms^(BI) of the earth may know^(BJ) that you alone, Lord, are God.”

Isaiah Prophesies Sennacherib’s Fall^(BK)(BL)

²⁰ Then Isaiah son of Amoz sent a message to Hezekiah: “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I have heard^(BM) your prayer concerning Sennacherib king of Assyria. ²¹ This is the word that the Lord has spoken against^(BN) him:

Sennacherib Threatens Jerusalem^(A)

36 In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah’s^(B) reign, Sennacherib^(C) king of Assyria attacked all the fortified cities of Judah and captured them.^{(D) 2} Then the king of Assyria sent his field commander with a large army from Lachish^(E) to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem. When the commander stopped at the aqueduct of the Upper Pool, on the road to the Launderer’s Field,^{(F) 3} Eliakim^(G) son of Hilkiah the palace administrator,^(H) Shebna^(I) the secretary,^(J) and Joah^(K) son of Asaph the recorder^(L) went out to him.

⁴ The field commander said to them, “Tell Hezekiah:

¹¹ Then Eliakim, Shebna and Joah^(Y) said to the field commander, “Please speak to your servants in Aramaic,^(Z) since we understand it. Don’t speak to us in Hebrew in the hearing of the people on the wall.”

¹² But the commander replied, “Was it only to your master and you that my master sent me to say these things, and not to the people sitting on the wall—who, like you, will have to eat their own excrement and drink their own urine?^(AA)”

¹³ Then the commander stood and called out in Hebrew,^(AB) “Hear the words of the great king, the king of Assyria!^{(AC) 14} This is what the king says: Do not let Hezekiah deceive^(AD) you. He cannot deliver you! ¹⁵ Do not let Hezekiah persuade you to trust in the Lord when he says, ‘The Lord will surely deliver^(AE) us; this city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.’^(AF)

¹⁶ “Do not listen to Hezekiah. This is what the king of Assyria says: Make peace with me and come out to me. Then each of you will eat fruit from your own vine and fig tree^(AG) and drink water from your own cistern,^{(AH) 17} until I come and take you to a land like your own^(AI)—a land of grain and new wine,^(AJ) a land of bread and vineyards.

¹⁸ “Do not let Hezekiah mislead you when he says, ‘The Lord will deliver us.’ Have the gods of any nations ever delivered their lands from the hand of the king of Assyria? ¹⁹ Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad?^(AK) Where are the gods of Sepharvaim?^(AL) Have they rescued Samaria^(AM) from my hand? ²⁰ Who of all the gods^(AN) of these countries have been able to save their lands from me? How then can the Lord deliver Jerusalem from my hand?”^(AO)

²¹ But the people remained silent and said nothing in reply, because the king had commanded, “Do not answer him.”^(AP)

²² Then Eliakim^(AQ) son of Hilkiah the palace administrator, Shebna the secretary and Joah son of Asaph the recorder^(AR) went to Hezekiah, with their clothes torn,^(AS) and told him what the field commander had said.

Jerusalem’s Deliverance Foretold^(AT)

37 When King Hezekiah heard this, he tore his clothes^(AU) and put on sackcloth^(AV) and went into the temple^(AW) of the Lord. ² He sent Eliakim^(AX) the palace administrator, Shebna^(AY) the secretary, and the leading priests, all wearing sackcloth, to the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz.^{(AZ) 3} They told him, “This is what Hezekiah says: This day is a day of distress^(BA) and rebuke and disgrace, as when children come to the moment of birth^(BB) and there is no strength to deliver them. ⁴ It may be that the Lord your God will hear the words of the field commander, whom his master, the king of Assyria, has sent to ridicule^(BC) the living God,^(BD) and that he will rebuke him for the words the Lord your God has heard.^(BE) Therefore pray^(BF) for the remnant^(BG) that still survives.”

⁵ When King Hezekiah’s officials came to Isaiah, ⁶ Isaiah said to them, “Tell your master, ‘This is what the Lord says: Do not be afraid^(BH) of what you have heard—those words with which the underlings of the king of Assyria have blasphemed^(BI) me. ⁷ Listen! When he hears a certain report,^(BJ) I will make him want^(BK) to return to his own country, and there I will have him cut down^(BL) with the sword.’”

⁸ When the field commander heard that the king of Assyria had left Lachish,^(BM) he withdrew and found the king fighting against Libnah.^(BN)

⁹ Now Sennacherib^(BO) received a report^(BP) that Tirhakah, the king of Cush,^[b](BQ) was marching out to fight against him. When he heard it, he sent messengers to Hezekiah with this word: ¹⁰ “Say to Hezekiah king of Judah: Do not let the god you depend on deceive^(BR) you when he says, ‘Jerusalem will not be given into the hands of the king of Assyria.’^{(BS) 11} Surely you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all the countries, destroying them completely. And will you be delivered?^{(BT) 12} Did the gods of the nations that were destroyed by my predecessors^(BU) deliver them—the gods of Gozan, Harran,^(BV) Rezeph and the people of Eden^(BW) who were in Tel Assar? ¹³ Where is the king of Hamath or the king of Arpad?^(BX) Where are the kings of Lair, Sepharvaim,^(BY) Hena and Ivvah?”^(BZ)

Hezekiah’s Prayer^(CA)

¹⁴ Hezekiah received the letter^(CB) from the messengers and read it. Then he went up to the temple^(CC) of the Lord and spread it out before the Lord. ¹⁵ And Hezekiah prayed^(CD) to the Lord: ¹⁶ “Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, enthroned^(CE) between the cherubim,^(CF) you alone are God^(CG) over all the kingdoms^(CH) of the earth. You have made heaven and earth.^{(CI) 17} Give ear, Lord, and hear;^(CJ) open your eyes, Lord, and see;^(CK) listen to all the words Sennacherib^(CL) has sent to ridicule^(CM) the living God.^(CN)

¹⁸ “It is true, Lord, that the Assyrian kings have laid waste all these peoples and their lands.^{(CO) 19} They have thrown their gods into the fire^(CP) and destroyed them,^(CQ) for they were not gods^(CR) but only wood and stone, fashioned by human hands.^{(CS) 20} Now, Lord our God, deliver^(CT) us from his hand, so that all the kingdoms of the earth^(CU) may know that you, Lord, are the only God.^[c](CV)”

Sennacherib’s Fall^(CW)

²¹ Then Isaiah son of Amoz^(CX) sent a message to Hezekiah: “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Because you have prayed to me concerning Sennacherib king of Assyria, ²² this is the word the Lord has spoken against him:

³⁰ “This will be the sign^(DW) for you, Hezekiah:

³³ “Therefore this is what the Lord says concerning the king of Assyria:

³⁶ Then the angel^(EM) of the Lord went out and put to death^(EN) a hundred and eighty-five thousand in the Assyrian^(EO) camp. When the people got up the next morning—there were all the dead bodies! ³⁷ So Sennacherib^(EP) king of Assyria broke camp and withdrew. He returned to Nineveh^(EQ) and stayed there.

³⁸ One day, while he was worshiping in the temple^(ER) of his god Nisrok, his sons Adrammelek and Sharezer killed him with the sword, and they escaped to the land of Ararat.^(ES) And Esarhaddon^(ET) his son succeeded him as king.^(EU)