¶ After these things¹, and the establishment thereof, Sennacherib king of Assyria² came, and entered into Judah, and encamped against the fenced cities, and thought to win them³ for himself.

And when Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib was come, and that he was purposed to fight⁴ against Jerusalem,

He took counsel⁵ with his princes and his mighty men to stop⁶ the waters of the fountains which were without the city: and they did help him.

So there was gathered much people together, who stopped⁷ all the fountains, and the brook⁸ that ran through the midst of⁹ the land, saying, Why should the kings of Assyria come, and find¹⁰ much water?

Also he strengthened¹¹ himself, and built up all the wall that was broken¹², and raised it up to the towers, and another wall¹³ without, and repaired Millo¹⁴ in the city of David, and made darts¹⁵ and shields in abundance.

And he set captains¹⁶ of war over the people, and gathered them together to him in the street¹⁷ of the gate of the city, and spake comfortably to them,¹⁸ saying,

Be strong¹⁹ and courageous, be not afraid²⁰ nor dismayed for the king of Assyria, nor for all the multitude that is with him: for there²¹ be more with us than with him:

With him is an arm²² of flesh; but with us²³ is the LORD our God to help us, and to fight²⁴ our battles. And the people rested²⁵ themselves upon the words²⁶ of Hezekiah king of Judah.

¶ After this did Sennacherib²⁷ king of Assyria send his servants to Jerusalem, (but he himself laid siege against Lachish²⁸, and all his power²⁹ with him,) unto Hezekiah king of Judah, and unto all Judah that were at Jerusalem, saying,

¶ Thus saith³⁰ Sennacherib king of Assyria, Whereon do ye trust, that ye abide in the siege³¹ in Jerusalem?

Doth not Hezekiah persuade you to give over³² yourselves to die by famine and by thirst, saying, The LORD our God³³ shall deliver us out of the hand of the king of Assyria?

Hath not³⁴ the same Hezekiah taken away³⁵ his high places and his altars, and commanded Judah and Jerusalem, saying, Ye shall worship³⁶ before one altar³⁷, and burn incense upon it?

Know ye not what I and my³⁸ fathers have done unto all the people of other lands? were the gods³⁹ of the nations of those lands any ways able to deliver their lands out of mine hand?

Who was there among⁴⁰ all the gods of those nations that my fathers utterly destroyed, that could deliver his people out of mine hand, that your God⁴¹ should be able to deliver you out of mine hand?

Now therefore let not Hezekiah deceive⁴² you, nor persuade⁴³ you on this manner, neither yet believe him: for no god of any nation or kingdom was able to deliver his people out of mine hand, and out of the hand of my fathers: how much less⁴⁴ shall your God deliver you out of mine hand?

And his servants spake yet⁴⁵ more against⁴⁶ the LORD God, and against his servant Hezekiah.

He wrote⁴⁷ also letters to rail⁴⁸ on the LORD God of Israel, and to speak against him, saying, As the gods⁴⁹ of the nations of other lands have not delivered their people out of mine hand, so shall not the God of Hezekiah deliver his people out of mine hand.

Then they cried⁵⁰ with a loud voice in the Jews' speech unto the people of Jerusalem that were on the wall, to affright⁵¹ them, and to trouble them; that they might take the city.

And they spake⁵² against the God⁵³ of Jerusalem, as against the gods of the people of the earth, which were the work⁵⁴ of the hands of man.

¶ And for this cause Hezekiah⁵⁵ the king, and the prophet⁵⁶ Isaiah the son of Amoz, prayed⁵⁷ and cried to heaven.

And the LORD⁵⁸ sent an angel⁵⁹, which cut off all⁶⁰ the mighty men of valour, and the leaders⁶¹ and captains in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he returned with shame⁶² of face to his own land. And when he was come⁶³ into the house of his god, they that came forth of his own bowels slew him⁶⁴ there with the sword.

Thus the LORD⁶⁵ saved Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib the king of Assyria, and from the hand of all other, and guided⁶⁶ them on every side.

And many brought gifts⁶⁷ unto the LORD to Jerusalem, and presents⁶⁸ to Hezekiah king of Judah: so that he was magnified⁶⁹ in the sight of all nations from thenceforth.

¶ In those days Hezekiah⁷⁰ was sick to the death, and prayed unto the LORD: and he spake unto him, and he gave him a sign⁷¹.

But Hezekiah rendered⁷² not again according to the benefit done unto him; for his heart⁷³ was lifted up: therefore⁷⁴ there was wrath upon him, and upon Judah and Jerusalem.

Notwithstanding Hezekiah⁷⁶ humbled himself for the pride⁷⁷ of his heart, both he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the wrath of the LORD came not upon them in the days⁷⁸ of Hezekiah.

And Hezekiah had exceeding much⁸⁰ riches and honour: and he made himself treasuries⁸¹ for silver, and for gold, and for precious stones, and for spices, and for shields, and for all manner of pleasant jewels⁸²;

Storehouses⁸³ also for the increase of corn, and wine, and oil; and stalls⁸⁴ for all manner of beasts, and cotes⁸⁵ for flocks.

Moreover he provided him cities, and possessions⁸⁶ of flocks and herds in abundance: for God⁸⁷ had given him substance very much.

¶ This same Hezekiah⁸⁸ also stopped⁸⁹ the upper watercourse of Gihon⁹⁰, and brought it straight down to the west side of the city of David. And Hezekiah⁹¹ prospered in all his works.

Howbeit in the business⁹² of the ambassadors⁹³ of the princes of Babylon, who sent unto him to enquire of the wonder that was done in the land, God left him,⁹⁴ to try him,⁹⁵ that he might⁹⁶ know all that was in his heart.

Now the rest of the acts of Hezekiah, and his goodness⁹⁷, behold, they are written in the vision⁹⁸ of Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, and in the book⁹⁹ of the kings of Judah and Israel.

And Hezekiah slept¹⁰⁰ with his fathers, and they buried him in the chiefest¹⁰¹ of the sepulchres of the sons of David: and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem did him honour at his death. And Manasseh¹⁰² his son reigned in his stead.