12. Didn't Hezekiah tear down all except one of the Lord's altars and places of worship? And didn't he tell you people of Jerusalem and Judah to worship at that one place?
13. You've heard what my ancestors and I have done to other nations. Were the gods of those nations able to defend their land against us?
14. None of those gods kept their people safe from the kings of Assyria. Do you really think your God can do any better?
15. Don't be fooled by Hezekiah! No god of any nation has ever been able to stand up to Assyria. Believe me, your God cannot keep you safe!
16. The Assyrian officials said terrible things about the Lord God and his servant Hezekiah.
17. Sennacherib's letter even made fun of the Lord. It said, “The gods of other nations could not save their people from Assyria's army, and neither will the God that Hezekiah worships.”
18. The officials said all these things in Hebrew, so that everyone listening from the city wall would understand and be terrified and surrender.
19. The officials talked about the Lord God as if he were nothing but an ordinary god or an idol that someone had made.
20. Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz asked the Lord for help,
21. and he sent an angel who killed every soldier and commander in the Assyrian camp.Sennacherib returned to Assyria, completely disgraced. Then one day he went into the temple of his god where some of his sons killed him.
22. The Lord rescued Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem from Sennacherib and also protected them from other enemies.
23. People brought offerings to Jerusalem for the Lord and expensive gifts for Hezekiah, and from that day on, every nation on earth respected Hezekiah.
24. About this same time, Hezekiah got sick and was almost dead. He prayed, and the Lord gave him a sign that he would recover.
25. But Hezekiah was so proud that he refused to thank the Lord for everything he had done for him. This made the Lord angry, and he punished Hezekiah and the people of Judah and Jerusalem.
26. Hezekiah and the people later felt sorry and asked the Lord to forgive them. So the Lord did not punish them as long as Hezekiah was king.
27. Hezekiah was very rich, and everyone respected him. He built special rooms to store the silver, the gold, the precious stones and spices, the shields, and the other valuable possessions.
28. Storehouses were also built for his supply of grain, wine, and olive oil; barns were built for his cattle, and pens were put up for his sheep.