1 ¶ After these events, and these evidences of loyalty, Sennacherib the king of Assyria invaded Judah, and besieged the fortified cities, thinking to take them for himself.

2 And when Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come, and that he planned to attack Jerusalem,

3 He consulted with his officers and his mighty men about stopping up the springs that were outside the city: and they helped him.

4 So many people gathered together, and stopped all the springs, and the brook that flowed through the land, saying, Why should the kings of Assyria come, and find plenty of water?

5 Then Hezekiah strengthened his position, and rebuilt the wall where it was broken, and raised towers upon it, and another wall outside, and strengthened the structure of David’s city, and made weapons and shields in abundance.

6 And he set captains of war over the people, and gathered them to him in the square by the gate of the city, and encouraged them, saying,

7 Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or dismayed because of the king of Assyria, or because of the multitude that is with him: for there are more with us than with him:

8 With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the LORD our God to help us, and to fight our battles. And the people drew confidence from the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.

9 ¶ After this Sennacherib the king of Assyria sent his servants to Jerusalem, (while he and his army laid siege to Lachish) to Hezekiah the king of Judah, and to all of Judah that was in Jerusalem, saying,

10 Thus says Sennacherib the king of Assyria, On what do you trust, that you remain in Jerusalem under siege?

11 Isn’t Hezekiah deluding you into giving yourselves over to death by famine and thirst, by saying, The LORD our God will deliver us out of the hand of the king of Assyria?

12 Has not the same Hezekiah taken away his high places and his altars, and commanded Judah and Jerusalem, saying, You shall worship before one altar, and burn incense upon it?

13 Do you not know what I and my fathers have done to all the people of other lands? Were the gods of the nations of those lands in any way able to deliver their lands from my hand?

14 Who was there among all the gods of those nations that my fathers utterly destroyed, who could deliver his people out of my hand, that your God should be able to deliver you from my hand?

15 Therefore do not let Hezekiah deceive you, or persuade you on this matter, and do not believe him: for no god of any nation or kingdom was able to deliver his people out of my hand, or out of the hand of my fathers: how much less shall your God deliver you from my hand?

16 And his servants said still more against the LORD God, and against his servant Hezekiah.

17 He also wrote letters to defy the LORD God of Israel, and to speak against him, saying, Just as the gods of other nations have not delivered their people from my hand, the God of Hezekiah will not deliver his people from my hand.

18 Then they shouted it loudly in the Hebrew language to the people of Jerusalem who were on the wall, to frighten them, and demoralize them; so that they might capture the city.

19 And they spoke against the God of Jerusalem, as if he were no different than the gods of the people of the world, that human hands have made.

20 And because of this Hezekiah the king, and the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz, prayed and cried to heaven.

21 And the LORD sent an angel, who killed all the brave warriors, leaders and commanders in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he returned in shame to his own land. And when he went into the house of his god, those who came out of his own bowels killed him there with the sword.

22 Thus the LORD saved Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib the king of Assyria, and from the hand of all others, and guided them on every side.

23 And many brought gifts to the LORD at Jerusalem, and presents to Hezekiah king of Judah: so that from then on he was magnified in the sight of all nations.

24 ¶ In those days Hezekiah was sick to the point of death, and prayed to the LORD: and he spoke to him, and gave him a sign.

25 But Hezekiah did not return the kindness done to him; but became proud: so there was wrath upon him, and upon Judah and Jerusalem.

26 But Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart, both he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the wrath of the LORD did not come upon them during the lifetime of Hezekiah.

27 And Hezekiah got very rich and was highly honored: and he prepared storerooms for himself for silver, for gold, for precious stones, for spices, and shields, and for all kinds of precious articles;

28 Storehouses also for the increase of grain, wine, and oil; and stalls for all his animals, and pens for flocks.

29 Moreover he made towns for himself, with many sheep and cattle: for God had given him very great possessions.

30 This same Hezekiah also closed the upper springs of Gihon, and made the water go directly underground to the west side of the city of David. And Hezekiah was successful in all that he did.

31 However in the matter of the ambassadors of the princes of Babylon, who were sent to him to enquire about the miracle that was done in the land, God left him, to try him, that he might know all that was in his heart.

32 Now the rest of the acts of Hezekiah, and the good he did, are recorded in the vision of Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, and in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.

33 And Hezekiah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the higher tombs of David’s descendants: and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem honored him at his death. And Manasseh his son reigned in his stead.