1After these events and after Hezekiah’s faithfulness, King Sennacherib of Assyria came into Judah. He set up camp against the fortified cities with the intention of conquering them for himself.
2When Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had arrived and intended to fight against Jerusalem,
3he discussed with his officials and powerful men how to block the water from the springs outside the city, and they helped him.
4So a large crowd gathered and blocked all the springs and the stream that flowed through the land. They said, “Why should the kings of Assyria come and find plenty of water?”
5Hezekiah courageously rebuilt all the broken sections of the wall, raising it to the towers and adding another outer wall. He also strengthened the Millo fortress in David's City and produced a great number of weapons and shields.
6He appointed military commanders over the people and gathered them in the open area at the city gate. He encouraged them, saying,
7"Be strong and brave. Don't be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria, or because of the large army with him. We have a greater power with us than he has.
8He has only human strength, but Yahweh our God is with us to help us and to fight our battles." The people were reassured by the words of Hezekiah, king of Judah.
9After this, Sennacherib, king of Assyria, sent his officers to Jerusalem (while he and his entire army were at Lachish). They were sent to Hezekiah, king of Judah, and to all the people of Judah in Jerusalem, with this message:
10Sennacherib, king of Assyria, says, "What are you trusting in that makes you stay under siege in Jerusalem?
11Isn't Hezekiah misleading you, abandoning you to die by hunger and thirst, by saying, 'Yahweh our God will rescue us from the king of Assyria's power?'
12Didn't the same Hezekiah remove his high places and altars? And didn't he command Judah and Jerusalem, saying, 'You must worship before only one altar and burn incense on it?'
13Don't you know what I and my ancestors have done to all the peoples in the other lands? Were the gods of those nations able to save their land from my control?
14Among all the gods of the nations my ancestors completely destroyed, which one could save his people from my control? How then could your God save you from my control?
15So don't let Hezekiah deceive you or persuade you like this. Don't believe him, because no god of any nation or kingdom was able to save his people from my control or from my ancestors' control. How much less will your God rescue you from my control?"
16His officers continued to speak against Yahweh God and against his servant Hezekiah.
17Sennacherib also wrote letters insulting Yahweh, the God of Israel, and speaking against him, saying, "Just as the gods of the nations in other lands, who could not save their people from my control, so also the God of Hezekiah will not save his people from my control."
18They shouted loudly in the Jewish language to the people of Jerusalem who were on the wall, to frighten and trouble them, hoping to capture the city.
19They spoke about the God of Jerusalem as if he were like the gods of the other peoples of the earth, which are merely made by human hands.
20Because of this, King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah, Amoz's son, prayed and cried out to heaven.
21Yahweh sent an angel, who killed all the mighty warriors, leaders, and commanders in the camp of the king of Assyria. So Sennacherib returned to his own land in disgrace. When he entered the temple of his god, his own sons killed him there with a sword.
22In this way, Yahweh saved Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem from the power of King Sennacherib of Assyria and from the power of all others, guiding them on every side.
23Many people brought gifts to Yahweh in Jerusalem and valuable items to King Hezekiah of Judah. From that time on, he was honored by all nations.
24In those days, Hezekiah became terminally ill. He prayed to Yahweh, and Yahweh spoke to him and gave him a miraculous sign.
25But Hezekiah did not properly respond to the good that had been done for him, because he became proud. So, God's anger came upon him, Judah, and Jerusalem.
26However, Hezekiah, along with the people of Jerusalem, humbled himself for his pride, preventing Yahweh’s anger from coming upon them during Hezekiah’s lifetime.
27Hezekiah had a great deal of wealth and honor. He built storerooms for silver, gold, precious stones, spices, shields, and all kinds of valuable items.
28He also built storehouses for abundant grain, new wine, and olive oil, as well as stalls for all types of animals and pens for flocks.
29Additionally, he built cities for himself and had vast numbers of flocks and herds, because God had given him abundant possessions.
30Hezekiah also blocked the upper spring of the Gihon waters and directed them down to the west side of David’s city. Hezekiah succeeded in everything he did.
31However, when the officials from Babylon sent messengers to ask about the miraculous sign that had occurred in the land, God left Hezekiah to test him, so that He might know everything that was in his heart.
32The rest of Hezekiah’s actions and his good deeds are written in the vision of the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz, in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.
33Hezekiah died and was buried in the upper part of the tombs of David's descendants. All of Judah and the people of Jerusalem honored him when he died. His son Manasseh became king in his place.