And it was when king Chizkiyohu heard [this], that he rent his garments and covered himself with sackcloth, and he came to the Beis [Hamikdosh] of Adonoy.

He sent Elyokim who was in charge of the palace, and Shevno the scribe, and the elders of the kohanim, covered with sackcloth, to Yeshayohu the prophet, the son of Amotz.

They said to him, “So has Chizkiyohu said, ‘This is a day of distress, debate, and blasphemy; for the children have come as far as the birth stool but there is no strength to give birth.

Perhaps Adonoy your God will hear all the words of Ravshokei, whom the king of Ashur, his master, sent to blaspheme the living God, and he brought proof with the words that Adonoy your God heard; and may you offer a prayer for the remnant [of Yisroel] that is still here.’”

King Chizkiyohu’s servants came to Yeshayohu.

Yeshayohu said to them, “So shall you say to your master, ‘Thus has Adonoy said, “Do not be frightened by the words that you have heard, that the servants of Ashur’s king blasphemed Me.

Behold, I will imbue him with a desire, and he will hear a rumor and return to his land, and I will strike him down by the sword in his land.”’”

Ravshokei returned and found Ashur’s king waging war against Livnoh, because he heard that he had left Lakish.

He heard about Tirhokoh king of Cush, saying, “He has gone out to wage war against you.” He again sent messengers to Chizkiyohu, saying,

“So shall you say to Chizkiyohu king of Yehudah, saying, ‘Do not let your God in Whom you trust, delude you, saying, “Yerusholayim will not be given into the king of Ashur’s hand.

Behold, you have heard what the kings of Ashur have done to all the lands, to destroy them. [Now] will you be saved?

Did they save them— the gods of the nations whom my forefathers destroyed, Gozan, Choron, Retzeph and the children of Eden which is in Selassor?

Where are the king of Chamos, the king of Arpod, and the king of the city of Sepharvayim? He exiled and twisted them.”’”

Chizkiyohu took the letters from the messengers and read them; he went up to the Beis [Hamikdosh] of Adonoy, and Chizkiyohu spread them out before Adonoy.

Chizkiyohu prayed before Adonoy and said, “Adonoy, God of Yisroel, Who dwells [between] the Cheruvim, You alone are the God of all the kingdoms of the earth. You created heaven and earth.

Adonoy, incline Your ear and listen, Adonoy, open Your eyes and see; hear the words of Sancheiriv, who sent him to blaspheme the living God.

Indeed, Adonoy, the kings of Ashur have destroyed the nations and their land.

They have placed their gods into the fire, for they are not gods but the work of man’s hands wood and stone, and they destroyed them.

And now, Adonoy our God, please save us from his hand, so that all the kingdoms of the world will know that You alone are Adonoy, God.”

Yeshayohu son of Amotz sent to Chizkiyohu, saying, “So has Adonoy, God of Yisroel said, ‘Regarding what you prayed to me concerning Sancheiriv, king of Ashur, I have heard.’

This is the word that Adonoy has spoken about him, ‘She has despised you and has mocked you the virgin daughter of Tzion. She has shaken her head at you the daughter of Yerusholayim.

Whom have you insulted and blasphemed, and against Whom have you raised [your] voice? And you have lifted your eyes on high against the Holy One of Yisroel.

Through your messengers you have insulted the LORD, and said, “With my multitude of chariots I have ascended the highest mountains, to the ends of the Levanon, and I will cut down its tallest cedar [trees], its choice cypress [trees], and I will come to its remotest lodge, to its fruitful forest.

I dug and drank strange water, and I dry up with the soles of my feet all rivers of the siege.”

Have you not heard from afar what I did in days of yore, and what I formed? Now I have brought it about and it shall be to make desolate, blossoming hills, and fortified cities.

Their inhabitants were short of strength, crushed and ashamed; they were [like] the grass of the field, and green herbage, like grass on the rooftops, and wind blast before [becoming] standing grain.

Your sitting and your going out and your coming in I know, and your raging against Me.

Because you have raged against Me, and your tumult has ascended into My ears, I will place My ring into your nose and My bit in your lips, and I will make you return by the road on which you came.

And this shall be the sign for you, this year you will eat what grows by itself, and next year, what grows from the tree stumps, and in the third year, sow, harvest, plant vineyards and eat their fruit.

The remaining survivors of the house of Yehudah will continue to take root below, and they will produce fruit above.

For from Yerusholayim shall come out a remnant, and survivors from Mount Tzion; the zeal of Adonoy of Hosts shall do this.

Therefore, so has Adonoy said concerning the king of Ashur, “He will not enter this city, and he will not shoot there an arrow, he will not advance upon it with a shield, and he will not pile up a ramp against it.

By the way he comes he will return, and he will not enter this city,” says Adonoy.

I will protect this city to save it, for My sake and for the sake of My servant, Dovid.’”

And it was that very night, that an angel of Adonoy went out and killed in Ashur’s camp, one hundred and eighty-five thousand [men]. They arose in the morning, and behold, they were all dead corpses.

He left and went away, and he returned—Sancheiriv king of Ashur— and dwelt in Nineveh.

It happened that he was prostrating himself in the temple of Nisroch his god, and Adramelech and Sharetzer, his sons, slew him with a sword, and they fled to the land of Ararat; his son Eisar Chadon reigned in his place.