Sennacherib invading Judah, Hezekiah fortifieth himself, and encourageth his people.

1 ¶ Afterº these² things,º and the establishmentº thereof, Sennacheribº kingº of Assyriaº came,ºª and enteredºª into Judah,º and encampedºª against² the fencedºª cities,º and thoughtºª to winºª them for² himself. 2 And when Hezekiahº sawºª that² Sennacheribº was come,ºª and that he was purposedº to fightº against² Jerusalem,º 3 He took counselºª with² his princesº and his mighty menº to stopºª² the watersº of the fountainsº which² [were] withoutº² the city:º and they did helpºª him. 4 So there was gatheredºª muchº peopleº together,¹ª who stoppedºª² all² the fountains,º and the brookº that ranºª through the midstº of the land,º saying,ºª Why² should the kingsº of Assyriaº come,ºª and findºª muchº water?º 5 Also he strengthened¹ª himself,² and built upºª² all² the wallº that was broken,ºª and raised [it] upºª to² the towers,º and anotherº wallº without,º and repairedºª² Milloº [in] the cityº of David,º and madeºª dartsº and shieldsº in abundance.º 6 And he setºª captainsº of warº over² the people,º and gathered them togetherºª to² him in² the streetº of the gateº of the city,º and spakeºª comfortablyº² to them, saying,ºª 7 Be strongºª and courageous,ºª be not afraidºª² nor² dismayedºª forº² the kingº of Assyria,º nor for²² all² the multitudeº that² [is] with² him: for² [there be] moreº with² us than with²² him: 8 With² him [is] an armº of flesh;º but with² us [is] the LORDº our Godº to helpºª us, and to fightºª our battles.º And the peopleº rested¹ª themselves² upon² the wordsº of Hezekiahº kingº of Judah.º

Against the blasphemies of Sennacherib, by message and letters, Hezekiah and Isaiah pray.

9 ¶ Afterº this² did Sennacheribº kingº of Assyriaº sendºª his servantsº to Jerusalem,º (but he² [himself laid siege] against² Lachish,º and all² his powerº with² him,) unto² Hezekiahº kingº of Judah,º and unto² all² Judahº that² [were] at Jerusalem,º saying,ºª 10 Thus² saithºª Sennacheribº kingº of Assyria,º Whereon²² do ye² trust,ºª that ye abideºª in the siegeº in Jerusalem?º 11 Doth not² Hezekiahº persuadeºª you to give¹ª over² yourselves to dieºª by famineº and by thirst,º saying,ºª The LORDº our Godº shall deliverºª us out of the handº² of the kingº of Assyria?º 12 Hath not² the same² Hezekiahº taken awayºª² his high placesº and his altars,º and commandedºª Judahº and Jerusalem,º saying,ºª Ye shall worshipºª beforeº oneº altar,º and burn incenseºª upon² it? 13 Knowºª ye not² what² I² and my fathersº have doneºª unto all² the peopleº of [other] lands?º were the godsº of the nationsº of those landsº any ways¹ª ableºª to deliverºª² their landsº out of mine hand?º² 14 Who² [was there] among all² the godsº of those² nationsº that² my fathersº utterly destroyed,ºª that² couldºª deliverºª² his peopleº out of mine hand,º² that² your Godº should be ableºª to deliverºª you out of mine hand?º² 15 Now² therefore let not¹² Hezekiahº deceiveºª you, nor² persuadeºª you on this manner,² neither² yet believeºª him: for² no²² godº of any² nationº or kingdomº was ableºª to deliverºª his peopleº out of mine hand,º² and out of the handº² of my fathers:º how much less²² shall your Godº deliverºª you out of mine hand?º² 16 And his servantsº spakeºª yet² [more] against² the LORDº God,º and against² his servantº Hezekiah.º 17 He wroteºª also lettersº to railºª on the LORDº Godº of Israel,º and to speakºª against² him, saying,ºª As the godsº of the nationsº of [other] landsº have not² deliveredºª their peopleº out of mine hand,º² so² shall not² the Godº of Hezekiahº deliverºª his peopleº out of mine hand.º² 18 Then they criedºª with a loudº voiceº in the Jews' speechº unto² the peopleº of Jerusalemº that² [were] on² the wall,º to affrightºª them, and to troubleºª them; that² they might takeºª² the city.º 19 And they spakeºª against¹² the Godº of Jerusalem,º as against² the godsº of the peopleº of the earth,º [which were] the workº of the handsº of man.º 20 And for² this² [cause] Hezekiahº the king,º and the prophetº Isaiahº the sonº of Amoz,º prayedºª and criedºª to heaven.º

An angel destroyeth the host of the Assyrians, to the glory of Hezekiah.

21 ¶ And the LORDº sentºª an angel,º which cut offºª all² the mighty menº of valour,º and the leadersº and captainsº in the campº of the kingº of Assyria.º So he returnedºª with shameº of faceº to his own land.º And when he was come¹ª into² the houseº of his god,º they that came forthº² of his own bowelsº slewºª him there² with the sword.º 22 Thus the LORDº savedºª² Hezekiahº and the inhabitantsºª of Jerusalemº from the handº² of Sennacheribº the kingº of Assyria,º and from the handº² of all² [other], and guidedºª them on every side.º² 23 And manyº broughtºª giftsº unto the LORDº to Jerusalem,º and presentsº to Hezekiahº kingº of Judah:º so that he was magnifiedºª in the sightº of all² nationsº from thenceforth.º²²

Hezekiah praying in his sickness, God giveth him a sign of recovery.

24 ¶ In those² daysº Hezekiahº was sickºª to² the death,ºª and prayedºª unto² the LORD:º and he spakeºª unto him, and he gaveºª him a sign.º

He waxing proud is humbled by God.

25 But Hezekiahº rendered not againºª² according to the benefitº [done] unto² him; for² his heartº was lifted up:ºª therefore there was² wrathº upon² him, and upon² Judahº and Jerusalem.º 26 Notwithstanding Hezekiahº humbled¹ª himself² for the prideº of his heart,º [both] he² and the inhabitantsºª of Jerusalem,º so that the wrathº of the LORDº cameºª not² upon² them in the daysº of Hezekiah.º

His wealth and works.

27 ¶ And Hezekiahº had² exceedingº muchºª richesº and honour:º and he madeºª himself treasuriesº for silver,º and for gold,º and for preciousº stones,º and for spices,º and for shields,º and for all manner² of pleasantº jewels;º 28 Storehousesº also for the increaseº of corn,º and wine,º and oil;º and stallsº for all manner² of beasts,º and cotesº for flocks.º 29 Moreover he providedºª him cities,º and possessionsº of flocksº and herdsº in abundance:º for² Godº had givenºª him substanceº veryº much.º 30 This same² Hezekiahº also stoppedºª² the upperº watercourseºº of Gihon,º and brought it straightºª downº to the west sideº of the cityº of David.º And Hezekiahº prosperedºª in all² his works.º

His error in the embassage of Babylon.

31 ¶ Howbeitº in [the business of] the ambassadorsºª of the princesº of Babylon,º who sentºª unto² him to enquire¹ª of² the wonderº that² was² [done] in the land,º Godº leftºª him, to tryºª him, that he might knowºª all² [that was] in his heart.º

He dying, Manasseh succeedeth him.

32 ¶ Now the restº of the actsº of Hezekiah,º and his goodness,º behold,² they [are] writtenºª in the visionº of Isaiahº the prophet,º the sonº of Amoz,º [and] in² the bookº of the kingsº of Judahº and Israel.º 33 And Hezekiahº sleptºª with² his fathers,º and they buriedºª him in the chiefestº of the sepulchresº of the sonsº of David:º and all² Judahº and the inhabitantsºª of Jerusalemº did² him¹ª honourº at his death.º And Manassehº his sonº reignedºª in his stead.²