1 After these 1Lit things and this faithfulnessacts of faithfulness A2 Kin 18:13-19, 37; Is 36:1-37:38Sennacherib king of Assyria came and invaded Judah and besieged the fortified cities, and 2Lit saidthought to break into them for himself. 2 Now when Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come and that 1Lit his face for war againsthe intended to make war on Jerusalem, 3 he decided with his officers and his warriors to cut off the supply of water from the springs which were outside the city, and they helped him. 4 So many people assembled A2 Kin 20:20and stopped up all the springs and B2 Chr 32:30the stream which flowed 1Lit in the midst of the landthrough the region, saying, “Why should the kings of Assyria come and find abundant water?” 5 And he took courage and A2 Chr 25:23rebuilt all the wall that had been broken down and 1Lit raised on the towerserected towers on it, and built B2 Kin 25:4another outside wall and strengthened the C1 Kin 9:24Millo in the city of David, and made weapons and shields in great number. 6 He appointed military officers over the people and gathered them to him in the square at the city gate, and A2 Chr 30:22spoke 1Lit upon their heartsencouragingly to them, saying, 7 “A1 Chr 22:13Be strong and courageous, do not fear or be dismayed because of the king of Assyria nor because of all the horde that is with him; B2 Kin 6:16for the one with us is greater than the one with him. 8  “With him is only AJer 17:5an arm of flesh, but B2 Chr 20:17with us is the Loʀᴅ our God to help us and to fight our battles.” And the people relied on the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.

9 After this A2 Kin 18:17Sennacherib king of Assyria sent his servants to Jerusalem while he was 1Lit againstbesieging Lachish with all his forces with him, against Hezekiah king of Judah and against all Judah who were at Jerusalem, saying, 10 “Thus says Sennacherib king of Assyria, ‘On what are you trusting that you are remaining in Jerusalem under siege? 11  ‘Is not Hezekiah misleading you to give yourselves over to die by hunger and by thirst, saying, “The Loʀᴅ our God will deliver us from the 1Lit palmhand of the king of Assyria”? 12  ‘A2 Chr 31:1Has not the same Hezekiah taken away His high places and His altars, and said to Judah and 1Lit Jerusalem, saying,Jerusalem, “You shall worship before one altar, and on it you shall 2Lit offer up in smokeburn incense”? 13  ‘Do you not know what I and my fathers have done to all the peoples of the lands? A2 Kin 18:33-35Were the gods of the nations of the lands able at all to deliver their land from my hand? 14  ‘AIs 10:9-11Who was there among all the gods of those nations which 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  ‘Now therefore, do not let Hezekiah deceive you or mislead you like this, and do not believe him, for AEx 5:2; Is 36:18-20; Dan 3:15no god of any nation or kingdom was able to deliver his people from my hand or from the hand of my fathers. How much less will your God deliver you from my hand?’ ”

16 His servants spoke further against the Loʀᴅ God and against His servant Hezekiah. 17 He also wrote letters to insult the Loʀᴅ God of Israel, and to speak against Him, saying, “A2 Chr 32:14As the gods of the nations of the lands 1Lit who havehave not delivered their people from my hand, so the God of Hezekiah will not deliver His people from my hand.” 18 A2 Kin 18:28They called this out with a loud voice in the language of Judah to the people of Jerusalem who were on the wall, to frighten and terrify them, so that they might take the city. 19 They spoke 1Lit toof the God of Jerusalem as of APs 115:4-8the gods of the peoples of the earth, the work of men’s hands.

20 But King Hezekiah and Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, prayed about this and cried out to heaven. 21 And the Loʀᴅ sent an angel who destroyed every mighty warrior, commander and officer in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he returned 1Lit in shame of facein shame to his own land. And when he had entered the temple of his god, some of his own children killed him there with the sword. 22 So the Loʀᴅ AIs 31:5saved Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib the king of Assyria and from the hand of all others, and 1Another reading is gave them restguided them on every side. 23 And A2 Sam 8:10many were bringing gifts to the Loʀᴅ at Jerusalem and choice presents to Hezekiah king of Judah, so that B2 Chr 1:1he was exalted in the sight of all nations thereafter.

24 A2 Kin 20:1-11; Is 38:1-8In those days Hezekiah became 1Lit sick to the point of deathmortally ill; and he prayed to the Loʀᴅ, and 2Lit Hethe Loʀᴅ spoke to him and gave him a sign. 25 But Hezekiah gave no return for the benefit 1Lit to himhe received, A2 Chr 26:16; 32:31because his heart was 2Lit highproud; B2 Chr 24:18therefore wrath came on him and on Judah and Jerusalem. 26 However, AJer 26:18, 19Hezekiah 1Lit humbled himself inhumbled the pride of his heart, both he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the wrath of the Loʀᴅ did not come on them in the days of Hezekiah.

27 Now Hezekiah had immense riches and honor; and he made for himself treasuries for silver, gold, precious stones, spices, shields and all kinds of valuable articles, 28 storehouses also for the produce of grain, wine and oil, pens for all kinds of cattle and 1So ancient versions; Heb flocks for the sheepfoldssheepfolds for the flocks. 29 He made cities for himself and acquired flocks and herds in abundance, for A1 Chr 29:12God had given him very great 1Lit possessions, propertywealth. 30 It was Hezekiah who A2 Kin 20:20stopped the upper outlet of the waters of B1 Kin 1:33Gihon and directed them to the west side of the city of David. And Hezekiah prospered in all that he did. 31 Even in the matter of A2 Kin 20:12; Is 39:1the envoys of the rulers of Babylon, who sent to him to inquire of B2 Chr 32:24; Is 38:7, 8the wonder that had happened in the land, God left him alone only CDeut 8:16to test him, that He might know all that was in his heart.

32 Now the rest of the acts of Hezekiah and his deeds of devotion, behold, they are written in the vision of Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel. 33 So Hezekiah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the 1Or ascent toupper section of the tombs of the sons of David; and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem APs 112:6; Prov 10:7honored him at his death. And his son Manasseh became king in his place.