2 Chronicles 32:1–23

^*aAfter these things, and the establishment thereof, Sennacherib king of Assyria came, and entered into Judah, and encamped against the fenced cities, and thought ^†to win them for himself. ²And when Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib was come, and that ^†he was purposed to fight against Jerusalem, ³He took counsel with his princes and his mighty men to stop the waters of the fountains which were without the city: and they did help him. ⁴So there was gathered much people together, who stopped all the fountains, and ^bthe brook that ^†ran through the midst of the land, saying, Why should the kings of Assyria come, and find much water? ⁵Also he strengthened himself, ^cand built up all the wall that was broken, and raised it up to the towers, and another wall without, and repaired ^dMillo in the city of David, and made ^||darts and shields in abundance. ⁶And he set captains of war over the people, and gathered them together to him in the street of the gate of the city, and ^†spake comfortably to them, saying, ^7eBe strong and courageous, ^fbe not afraid nor dismayed for the king of Assyria, nor for all the multitude that is with him: for ^gthere be more with us than with him: ⁸With him is an ^harm of flesh; but ⁱwith us is the Lord our God to help us, and to fight our battles. And the people ^†rested themselves upon the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.

^9*jAfter this did Sennacherib king of Assyria send his servants to Jerusalem, (but he himself laid siege against Lachish, and all his ^†power with him,) unto Hezekiah king of Judah, and unto all Judah that were at Jerusalem, saying, ^10kThus saith Sennacherib king of Assyria, Whereon do ye trust, that ye abide ^||in the ^lsiege in Jerusalem? ¹¹Doth not Hezekiah ^mpersuade you to give over yourselves to die by famine and by thirst, saying, ⁿThe Lord our God shall deliver us out of the hand of the king of Assyria? ^12oHath not the same Hezekiah taken away his high places and his altars, and commanded Judah and Jerusalem, saying, Ye shall worship before one altar, and burn incense upon it? ¹³Know ye not what I and my fathers have done unto all the people of other lands? ^pwere the gods of the nations of those lands any ways able to deliver their lands out of mine hand? ^14pWho was there among all the gods of those nations that my fathers utterly destroyed, that could deliver his people out of mine hand, that your God should be able to deliver you out of mine hand? ¹⁵Now therefore let not Hezekiah ^qdeceive you, nor ^mpersuade 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 less shall your God deliver you out of mine hand? ¹⁶And ^rhis servants spake yet more against the Lord God, and against his servant Hezekiah. ¹⁷He wrote also ^sletters to rail on the Lord God of Israel, and to speak against him, saying, ^tAs the gods 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. ¹⁸Then they ^ucried with a loud voice in the Jews’ speech unto the people of Jerusalem ^xthat were on the wall, to affright them, and to trouble them; that they might take the city. ¹⁹And they spake ^yagainst the God of Jerusalem, as against the gods of the people of the earth, which were ^zthe work of the hands of man. ²⁰And for this cause ^aHezekiah the king, and ^bthe prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz, prayed and cried to heaven. ^21*cAnd the Lord sent an angel, which cut off all the mighty men of valour, and the leaders and captains in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he returned with ^dshame of face to his own land. And when he was come into the house of his god, they that came forth of his own bowels ^†slew him there with the sword. ²²Thus the Lord saved Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib the king of Assyria, and from the hand of all other, and guided them on every side. ²³And many brought ^egifts unto the Lord to Jerusalem, and ^†presents to Hezekiah king of Judah: so that ^fhe was magnified in the sight of all nations from thenceforth.