After these
1acts
of faithfulness
aSennacherib
king
of Assyria
came
and invaded
Judah
and besieged
the fortified
cities
, and 2thought
to break
into them for himself.
Now when Hezekiah saw
that Sennacherib
had come
and that 1he intended
to make war
on Jerusalem
,
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.
So many people
assembled
aand stopped
up all
the springs
and bthe stream
which flowed
1through
the region
, saying
, "Why
should the kings
of Assyria
come
and find
abundant
water
?"
And he took courage
and arebuilt
all
the wall
that had been broken
down
and 1erected
towers
on it, and built banother
outside
wall
and strengthened
the cMillo
in the city
of David
, and made
weapons
and shields
in great
number
.
He appointed military
officers
over
the people
and gathered
them to him in the square
at the city
gate
, and aspoke
1encouragingly
to them, saying
,
" aBe 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; bfor the one with us is greater
than
the one with him.
"With him is only aan arm of flesh
, but bwith us is the LORD
our God
to help
us and to fight
our battles
." And the people
relied
on the words
of Hezekiah
king
of Judah
.
After this
aSennacherib
king
of Assyria
sent
his servants
to Jerusalem
while he was 1besieging
Lachish
with all
his forces
with him, against
Hezekiah
king
of Judah
and against
all
Judah
who
were at Jerusalem
, saying
,
"Thus says
Sennacherib
king
of Assyria
, `On what
are you trusting
that you are remaining
in Jerusalem
under siege
?
`Is not Hezekiah misleading
you to give
yourselves over to die
by hunger
and by thirst
, saying
, "The LORD
our God
will deliver
us from the 1hand
of the king
of Assyria
"?
` aHas not the same Hezekiah
taken
away
His high
places
and His altars
, and said
to Judah
and 1Jerusalem
, "You shall worship
before
one
altar
, and on it you shall 2burn
incense
"?
`Do you not know what
I and my fathers
have done
to all
the peoples
of the lands
? aWere the gods
of the nations
of the lands
able
at all
to deliver
their land
from my hand
?
` aWho 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
?
`Now therefore, do not let Hezekiah
deceive
you or mislead
you like this
, and do not believe
him, for ano
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
?' "
His servants spoke
further
against
the LORD
God
and against
His servant
Hezekiah
.
He also wrote letters
to insult
the LORD
God
of Israel
, and to speak
against
Him, saying
, " aAs the gods
of the nations
of the lands
1have not delivered
their people
from my hand
, so
the God
of Hezekiah
will not deliver
His people
from my hand
."
aThey 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
.
They spoke 1of the God
of Jerusalem
as of athe gods
of the peoples
of the earth
, the work
of men's
hands
.
But King Hezekiah
and Isaiah
the prophet
, the son
of Amoz
, prayed
about
this
and cried
out to heaven
.
And the LORD sent
an angel
who destroyed
every
mighty
warrior
, commander
and officer
in the camp
of the king
of Assyria
. So he returned
1in 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
.
So the LORD asaved
Hezekiah
and the inhabitants
of Jerusalem
from the hand
of Sennacherib
the king
of Assyria
and from the hand
of all
others, and 1guided
them on every
side
.
And amany were bringing
gifts
to the LORD
at Jerusalem
and choice
presents
to Hezekiah
king
of Judah
, so that bhe was exalted
in the sight
of all
nations
thereafter
.
aIn those days
Hezekiah
became
1mortally
ill
; and he prayed
to the LORD
, and 2the LORD spoke
to him and gave
him a sign
.
But Hezekiah gave
no
return
for the benefit
1he received
, abecause
his heart
was 2proud
; btherefore wrath
came
on him and on Judah
and Jerusalem
.
However, aHezekiah 1humbled
the pride
of his heart
, both he and the inhabitants
of Jerusalem
, so that the wrath
of the LORD
did not come
on them in the days
of Hezekiah
.
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
,
storehouses also for the produce
of grain
, wine
and oil
, pens
for all
kinds
of cattle
and 1sheepfolds
for the flocks
.
He made cities
for himself and acquired
flocks
and herds
in abundance
, for aGod
had given
him very
great
1wealth
.
It was Hezekiah who astopped
the upper
outlet
of the waters
of bGihon
and directed
them to the west
side
of the city
of David
. And Hezekiah
prospered
in all
that he did
.
Even in the matter of athe envoys
of the rulers
of Babylon
, who sent
to him to inquire
of bthe wonder
that had happened
in the land
, God
left
him alone only cto test
him, that He might know
all
that was in his heart
.
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
.
So Hezekiah slept
with his fathers
, and they buried
him in the 1upper
section
of the tombs
of the sons
of David
; and all
Judah
and the inhabitants
of Jerusalem
ahonored
him at his death
. And his son
Manasseh
became
king
in his place
.