KJV ORIGINAL
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.
Close to the original. Clear modern English.
✦ MADE SIMPLE
When King Hezekiah heard this news, he tore his clothes, put on rough sackcloth, and went into the Lord's temple.
⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE
King Hezekiah responded to devastating news by mourning deeply and immediately turning to God in prayer.
📚 Historical Context
This verse follows the Assyrian commander's threatening message to Jerusalem, claiming that God wouldn't save them from Assyria's mighty army. Tearing clothes and wearing sackcloth were traditional Jewish expressions of grief, mourning, and repentance. Hezekiah ruled Judah around 715-686 BC during a time when the Assyrian Empire was conquering surrounding nations.
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