1. When King Hezekiah heard this, he tore his clothes to show he was upset. Then he put on sackcloth and went to the Lord’S Temple.
2. Hezekiah sent Eliakim the palace manager, Shebna the royal secretary, and the elders of the priests to the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz. They wore the special clothes that showed they were sad and upset.
3. They said to Isaiah, “King Hezekiah has commanded that today will be a special day for sorrow and sadness. It will be a very sad day, like the time a child should be born, but is not strong enough to come from its mother’s womb.
4. The commander’s master, the king of Assyria, has sent him to say bad things about the living God. Maybe the Lord your God will hear all those things and answer them. Maybe the Lord your God will show how wrong the enemy is! So pray for the people who are still left alive.”
5. King Hezekiah’s officers went to Isaiah.
6. Isaiah said to them, “Give this message to your master, Hezekiah: The Lord says, ‘Don’t be afraid of what you heard from the commanders. Don’t believe what those “boys” from the king of Assyria said to make fun of me.
7. Look, I will send a spirit against the king of Assyria. He will get a report warning him about a danger, so he will return to his own country. And I will cut him down with a sword in his own country.’”
8. The commander heard that the king of Assyria had left Lachish. He found him at Libnah, fighting against that city.
9. Then the king of Assyria heard a report that said, “Tirhakah, the king of Ethiopia, has come to fight against you.” So the king of Assyria sent messengers to Hezekiah again.
10. He told them, “Tell King Hezekiah of Judah these things: ‘Don’t be fooled by the god you trust when he says Jerusalem will not be defeated by the king of Assyria.
11. You have heard what the kings of Assyria did to all the other countries. We completely destroyed them! Will you be saved? No!