1After these things, when all this had been set in order, Sennacherib king of Assyria came. He entered Judah and camped against the walled cities, planning to take them for himself.
3he talked with his officials and his mighty men about stopping up the water of the springs outside the city, and they helped him.
4So a great many people gathered together, and they stopped up all the springs and the brook that ran through the middle of the land. They said, "Why should the kings of Assyria come and find plenty of water?"
5He also made himself strong. He rebuilt all the broken parts of the wall and raised it up to the towers, and he built another wall outside it. He repaired Millo in the city of David, and he made many spears and shields.
6He put commanders of war over the people. He gathered them together to him in the open place at the city gate, and spoke words of comfort to them. He said,
7"Be strong and brave. Do not be afraid or dismayed because of the king of Assyria, or because of the whole crowd that is with him. There are more with us than with him."
8"With him is only human strength, but with us is the LORD our God, to help us and to fight our battles." And the people took heart from the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.
9After this Sennacherib king of Assyria sent his servants to Jerusalem (while he himself was laying siege to Lachish, with all his forces), to Hezekiah king of Judah and to all the people of Judah who were in Jerusalem. They said,
10"This is what Sennacherib king of Assyria says: What are you trusting in, that you stay in Jerusalem under siege?"
11"Is not Hezekiah persuading you to give yourselves up to die of hunger and thirst, when he says, 'The LORD our God will save us from the hand of the king of Assyria'?"
12"Did not this same Hezekiah take away the LORD's high places and altars, and command Judah and Jerusalem, saying, 'You shall worship before one altar, and burn incense on it'?"
13"Do you not know what I and my fathers have done to all the peoples of other lands? Were the gods of the nations of those lands able in any way to save their lands out of my hand?"
14"Among all the gods of those nations that my fathers completely destroyed, who was there who could save his people out of my hand? So how should your God be able to save you out of my hand?"
15"So now, do not let Hezekiah deceive you or persuade you like this, and do not believe him. For no god of any nation or kingdom was able to save his people out of my hand, or out of the hand of my fathers. How much less will your God save you out of my hand!"
16And his servants said still more against the LORD God, and against his servant Hezekiah.
17He also wrote letters to insult the LORD God of Israel and to speak against him. He said, "As the gods of the nations of other lands did not save their people out of my hand, so the God of Hezekiah will not save his people out of my hand."
18Then they shouted with a loud voice in the language of the Jews to the people of Jerusalem who were on the wall, to frighten them and trouble them, so that they might take the city.
19They spoke against the God of Jerusalem as if he were like the gods of the peoples of the earth, which are made by human hands.
20Because of this, Hezekiah the king and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz prayed and cried out to heaven.
21And the LORD sent an angel, who cut off all the mighty warriors, and the leaders and commanders, in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he went back to his own land with his face covered in shame. And when he came into the house of his god, his own sons killed him there with the sword.
22So the LORD saved Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib king of Assyria, and from the hand of all others, and guided them on every side.
23Many brought gifts to the LORD at Jerusalem, and presents to Hezekiah king of Judah. So from then on he was held in high honour in the sight of all nations.
24In those days Hezekiah was sick and near death. He prayed to the LORD, and the LORD spoke to him and gave him a sign.
25But Hezekiah did not repay the kindness done to him, for his heart was lifted up with pride. So anger came upon him, and upon Judah and Jerusalem.
26Yet Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart, he and the people of Jerusalem, so that the anger of the LORD did not come upon them in the days of Hezekiah.
27Hezekiah had very great riches and honour. He made himself treasure rooms for silver, for gold, for precious stones, for spices, for shields, and for all kinds of fine objects.
28He also made storehouses for the harvest of grain, wine and oil, and stalls for all kinds of animals, and pens for the flocks.
29He also provided himself with cities, and with large numbers of flocks and herds, for God had given him very much wealth.
30This same Hezekiah stopped up the upper outlet of the waters of Gihon, and brought them straight down to the west side of the city of David. And Hezekiah did well in all his work.
31But in the matter of the messengers sent by the rulers of Babylon, who came to ask about the wonder that had been done in the land, God left him alone, to test him, so that he might know all that was in his heart.