2 Kings 19

2 Kings 19

Hezekiah Asks Isaiah the Prophet for Advice

(Isaiah 37.1-13)

1As soon as Hezekiah heard the news, he tore off his clothes in sorrow and put on sackcloth. Then he went into the temple of the Lord .

2He told Prime Minister Eliakim, Assistant Prime Minister Shebna, and the senior priests to dress in sackcloth and tell the prophet Isaiah:

5When these leaders went to Isaiah,

6he told them that the Lord had this message for Hezekiah:

8Meanwhile, the commander of the Assyrian forces heard that his king had left the town of Lachish and was now attacking Libnah. So he went there.

9About this same time the king of Assyria learned that King Tirhakah of Ethiopia was on his way to attack him. Then the king of Assyria sent some messengers with this note for Hezekiah:[#19.9 The Hebrew text has “Cush,” which was a region south of Egypt that included parts of the present countries of Ethiopia and Sudan.]

Hezekiah Prays

(Isaiah 37.14-20)

14After Hezekiah had read the note from the king of Assyria, he took it to the temple and spread it out for the Lord to see.

15He prayed:[#Ex 25.22.]

The Lord 's Answer to Hezekiah

(Isaiah 37.21-35)

20Isaiah went to Hezekiah and told him that the Lord God of Israel had said:

The people of Jerusalem

hate and make fun of you;

they laugh

behind your back.

22Sennacherib, you cursed,

shouted, and sneered at me,

the holy God of Israel.

23You let your officials

insult me, the Lord.

And this is how you

bragged about yourself:

“I led my chariots

to the highest heights

of Lebanon's mountains.

I went deep into its forest,

cutting down the best cedar

and cypress trees.

24I dried up every stream

in the land of Egypt,

and I drank water

from wells I had dug.”

25Sennacherib, now listen

to me, the Lord.

I planned all this long ago.

And you don't even realize

that I alone am the one

who decided that you

would do these things.

I let you make ruins

of fortified cities.

26Their people became weak,

terribly confused.

They were like wild flowers

or tender young grass

growing on a flat roof,

scorched before it matures.

27I know all about you,

even how fiercely angry

you are with me.

28I have seen your pride

and the tremendous hatred

you have for me.

Now I will put a hook

in your nose,

a bit in your mouth,

then I will send you back

to where you came from.

The Death of King Sennacherib

(Isaiah 37.36-38)

35That same night the Lord sent an angel to the camp of the Assyrians, and he killed 185,000 of them. And so the next morning, the camp was full of dead bodies.[#3 Macc 6.5.]

36After this King Sennacherib went back to Assyria and lived in the city of Nineveh.

37One day he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisroch, when his sons, Adrammelech and Sharezer, killed him with their swords. They escaped to the land of Ararat, and his son Esarhaddon became king.[#19.37 Ruled Assyria 681–669 b.c.]

Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®) © 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.
Published by: American Bible Society