the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph the recorder, to Hezekiah
with their clothes rent, and told him the words of Rabshakeh.

And it came to pass, when King Hezekiah heard it, that he rent his
clothes, and covered himself with sackcloth, and went into the house
of the Lord. And he sent Eliakim, who was over the household, and
Shebna the scribe, and the elders of the priests, covered with
sackcloth, unto Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz. And they said unto
him, "Thus saith Hezekiah, 'This day is a day of trouble, {274} and of
rebuke, and of confusion. It may be the Lord thy God will hear the
words of Rabshakeh, whom the king of Assyria his master hath sent to
defy the living God, and will rebuke the words which the Lord thy God
hath heard: wherefore lift up thy prayer for the remnant that is
left.'"

So the servants of King Hezekiah came to Isaiah. And Isaiah said unto
them, "Thus shall ye say to your master, 'Thus saith the Lord, Be not
afraid of the words that thou hast heard, wherewith the servants of
the king of Assyria have blasphemed me. Behold, I will put a spirit in
him, and he shall hear a rumour, and shall return unto his own land;
and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land.'"

So Rabshakeh returned, and found the king of Assyria warring against
Libnah: for he had heard that he was departed from Lachish. And he
heard concerning Tirhakah king of Ethiopia, "He is come out to fight
against thee." And when he heard it, he sent messengers to Hezekiah,
saying, "Thus shall ye speak to Hezekiah king of Judah, saying, 'Let
not thy God in whom thou trustest deceive thee, saying, Jerusalem
shall not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria. Behold, thou
hast heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands by
destroying them utterly: and shalt thou be delivered?'"

And Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers, and
read it: and Hezekiah went up unto the house of the Lord, and spread
it before the Lord. And Hezekiah prayed unto the Lord, saying, "O Lord
of hosts, the God of Israel, that sittest upon the cherubim, thou art
{275} the God, even thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; thou
hast made heaven and earth. Incline thine ear, O Lord, and hear; open
thine eyes, O Lord, and see: and hear all the words of Sennacherib,
which hath sent to defy the living God. Of a truth, Lord, the kings of
Assyria have laid waste all the countries and their land, and have
cast thei