37:5 When King Hezekiah’s servants came to Isaiah, 37:6 Isaiah said to them, “Tell your master this: ‘This is what the Lord says: “Don’t be afraid because of the things you have heard – these insults the king of Assyria’s servants have hurled against me. 10 37:7 Look, I will take control of his mind; 11 he will receive a report and return to his own land. I will cut him down 12 with a sword in his own land.”’”
37:8 When the chief adviser heard the king of Assyria had departed from Lachish, he left and went to Libnah, where the king was campaigning. 13 37:9 The king 14 heard that King Tirhakah of Ethiopia 15 was marching out to fight him. 16 He again sent 17 messengers to Hezekiah, ordering them: 37:10 “Tell King Hezekiah of Judah this: ‘Don’t let your God in whom you trust mislead you when he says, “Jerusalem will not be handed over to the king of Assyria.” 37:11 Certainly you have heard how the kings of Assyria have annihilated all lands. 18 Do you really think you will be rescued? 19 37:12 Were the nations whom my predecessors 20 destroyed – the nations of Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and the people of Eden in Telassar – rescued by their gods? 21 37:13 Where are the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, and the kings of Lair, 22 Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah?’”
37:14 Hezekiah took the letter 23 from the messengers and read it. 24 Then Hezekiah went up to the Lord’s temple and spread it out before the Lord. 37:15 Hezekiah prayed before the Lord: 37:16 “O Lord who commands armies, O God of Israel, who is enthroned on the cherubim! 25 You alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You made the sky 26 and the earth. 37:17 Pay attention, Lord, and hear! Open your eyes, Lord, and observe! Listen to this entire message Sennacherib sent and how he taunts the living God! 27 37:18 It is true, Lord, that the kings of Assyria have destroyed all the nations 28 and their lands. 37:19 They have burned the gods of the nations, 29 for they are not really gods, but only the product of human hands manufactured from wood and stone. That is why the Assyrians could destroy them. 30 37:20 Now, O Lord our God, rescue us from his power, so all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you alone are the Lord.” 31
37:21 Isaiah son of Amoz sent this message to Hezekiah: “This is what the Lord God of Israel says: ‘Because you prayed to me concerning King Sennacherib of Assyria, 32 37:22 this is what the Lord says about him: 33
“The virgin daughter Zion 34
despises you – she makes fun of you;
daughter Jerusalem
shakes her head after you. 35
37:23 Whom have you taunted and hurled insults at?
At whom have you shouted
and looked so arrogantly? 36
At the Holy One of Israel! 37
37:24 Through your messengers you taunted the sovereign master, 38
‘With my many chariots I climbed up
the high mountains,
the slopes of Lebanon.
I cut down its tall cedars
and its best evergreens.
I invaded its most remote regions, 39
its thickest woods.
37:25 I dug wells
and drank water. 40
With the soles of my feet I dried up
all the rivers of Egypt.’