M'lakhim Bet (2 Ki) 19:5-20, 32-37

When King Hizkiyahu’s servants came to Yesha‘yahu, he said to them, “Tell your master that this is what ADONAI says: ‘Don’t be afraid of the words you heard the servants of the king of Ashur use to insult me. I will put a spirit in him that will make him hear a rumor and return to his own land; then I will cause him to die by the sword in his own land.’” Rav-Shakeh returned and, having heard that the king of Ashur had left Lakhish, found him making war with Livnah. Then, on hearing it said that Tirhakah king of Ethiopia was on his way to fight him, the king of Ashur sent messengers to Hizkiyahu, telling them, “This is what you are to say to Hizkiyahu king of Y’hudah: ‘Don’t let your God in whom you trust deceive you by saying, “Yerushalayim will not be handed over to the power of the king of Ashur.” You have heard what the kings of Ashur have done to all lands — they have completely destroyed them. So how will you be delivered? Have the gods of the nations delivered them? No, my ancestors destroyed them — Gozan, Haran, Retzef and the people of ‘Eden who were in Tel’asar. Where is the king of Hamat? the king of Arpad? the king of the city of S’farvayim, of Hena and ‘Ivah?’” Hizkiyahu took the letter from the messengers’ hands and read it. Then Hizkiyahu went up to the house of ADONAI and spread it out before ADONAI. Hizkiyahu prayed as follows in the presence of ADONAI: “ADONAI God of Isra’el, who dwells above the k’ruvim! You alone are God of all the kingdoms on earth. You made heaven and earth. Turn your ear, ADONAI, and hear! Open your eyes, ADONAI, and see! Hear the words that Sancheriv sent to taunt the living God. It is true, ADONAI, that the kings of Ashur have laid waste the nations and their lands and have thrown their gods into the fire. For those were non-gods, merely the product of people’s hands, wood and stone; this is why they could destroy them. Now therefore, ADONAI our God, please save us from his power — so that all the kingdoms on earth will know that you are ADONAI, God — you only.” Then Yesha‘yahu the son of Amotz sent this message to Hizkiyahu: “ADONAI the God of Isra’el says: ‘You prayed to me against Sancheriv king of Ashur, and I have heard you.’

“Therefore this is what ADONAI says concerning the king of Ashur: ‘He will not come to this city or even shoot an arrow there; he will not confront it with a shield or erect earthworks against it. By the way he came he will return; he will not come to this city,’ says ADONAI. ‘For I will defend this city and save it, both for my own sake and for my servant David’s sake.’” That night the angel of ADONAI went out and struck down 185,000 men in the camp of Ashur. Early the next morning, there they were, all of them, corpses — dead. So Sancheriv king of Ashur left, went and returned to live in Ninveh. One day, as he was worshipping in the temple of Nisrokh his god, [his sons] Adramelekh and Shar’etzer struck him with the sword and escaped into the land of Ararat. So his son Esar-Hadon took his place as king.