Isaiah 37:1-4

Expanded Bible

Hezekiah Asks God to Help^(A)

37 When King Hezekiah heard the message, he tore his clothes [^Ca sign of mourning or distress; 36:22] and put on ·rough cloth [burlap; sackcloth; ^Calso a sign of mourning]. Then he went into the ·Temple [^Lhouse] of the Lord. ² Hezekiah sent Eliakim [22:20], ·the palace manager [^Lwho was over the house], and Shebna [22:15], the ·royal secretary [scribe], and the ·older [or senior; leading; ^Lelders of the] priests to Isaiah. They were all wearing ·rough cloth [burlap; sackcloth] when they came to Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz. ³ They told Isaiah, “This is what Hezekiah says: Today is a day of ·sorrow [distress; trouble] and ·punishment [insults; rebuke] and ·disgrace [rejection], as when a child ·should [is ready to] be born, but the mother is not strong enough to give birth to it. ⁴ The king of Assyria sent his ·field commander [chief advisor; or Rabshakeh] to ·make fun of [defy; ridicule; insult] the living God. Maybe the Lord your God will hear what the commander said and will ·punish [rebuke] him for it. So pray for the ·few of us who are left alive [remnant that is left].”