32After these things and these acts of faithfulness, Sennacherib the king of Assyria came, and he came against Judah. And he encamped against the fortified cities and planned to break them down for himself. ²When Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come and that his face was set for battle against Jerusalem, ³he took counsel with his commanders and his mighty warriors to block off the waters of the springs that came from outside the city, and they helped him. ⁴Then many people were gathered, and they blocked off all the springs and the river that flowed through the midst of the land, saying, “Why should the kings of Assyria come and find much water?” ⁵Then he strengthened himself and built up all the walls that were broken down, and raised towers upon them and another wall outside.^a And he strengthened the Millo of the city of David and made much weaponry and small shields. ⁶And he appointed commanders for battle over the people and gathered them to himself into the public square of the gate of the city. And he spoke to their hearts, saying, ⁷“Be strong! Be courageous! Do not fear and do not be dismayed before the king of Assyria and before all the crowd that is with him, for there are more with us than with him. ⁸With him is the arm of flesh, and with us is Yahweh our God, to help us and to fight our battles.” And the people took confidence with the words of Hezekiah, king of Judah.

⁹After this Sennacherib the king of Assyria sent his servants to Jerusalem (now he and all his armies with him were against Lachish) to Hezekiah king of Judah and to all of Judah that was in Jerusalem, saying, ¹⁰“Thus says Sennacherib the king of Assyria: ‘On what are you relying that you are dwelling in siege works in Jerusalem? ¹¹Is not Hezekiah urging you to give you up to die by starvation and thirst, saying, “Yahweh our God will save us from the hand of the king of Assyria”? ¹²Has not Hezekiah himself removed his high places and his altars and said to Judah and to Jerusalem, saying, “You must bow down before one altar and upon it you must make offerings”? ¹³Do you not know what I have done, I and my ancestors,^b to all the peoples of the lands? Were the gods of the nations of all the lands at all able to save their land from my hand? ¹⁴Who among all the gods of those nations whom my ancestors^c utterly destroyed was able to save his people from my hand, that your God will be able to save you from my hand? ¹⁵So now, do not let Hezekiah deceive you. Do not let him urge you according to this. Do not put trust in him, for no god of any nation and kingdom has been able to save his people from my hand and from the hand of my ancestors.^d Surely then your God will not save you from my hand!’ ”

¹⁶And still more his servants said against Yahweh God and against Hezekiah his servant.

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Footnotes

aLiterally “toward the street”
bOr “fathers”
cOr “fathers”
dOr “fathers”