1. After these things and this faithfulness, Sennacherib king of Assyria came, entered into Judah, and encamped against the fortified cities, and intended to win them for himself.
2. When Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come, and that he was planning to fight against Jerusalem,
3. he took counsel with his princes and his mighty men to stop the waters of the springs which were outside of the city, and they helped him.
4. So, many people gathered together and they stopped all the springs and the brook that flowed through the middle of the land, saying, “Why should the kings of Assyria come, and find abundant water?”
5. He took courage, built up all the wall that was broken down, and raised it up to the towers, with the other wall outside, and strengthened Millo in David’s city, and made weapons and shields in abundance.
6. He set captains of war over the people, and gathered them together to him in the wide place at the gate of the city, and spoke encouragingly to them, saying,
7. “Be strong and courageous. Don’t be afraid or dismayed because of the king of Assyria, nor for all the multitude who is with him; for there is a greater one with us than with him.
8. An arm of flesh is with him, but the Lord our God is with us to help us and to fight our battles.” The people rested themselves on the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.
9. After this, Sennacherib king of Assyria sent his servants to Jerusalem, (now he was before Lachish, and all his power with him), to Hezekiah king of Judah, and to all Judah who were at Jerusalem, saying,
10. Thus says Sennacherib king of Assyria, “In whom do you trust, that you remain under siege in Jerusalem?
11. Doesn’t Hezekiah persuade you, to give you over to die by famine and by thirst, saying, ‘The Lord our God will deliver us out of the hand of the king of Assyria?’
12. Hasn’t the same Hezekiah taken away his high places and his altars, and commanded Judah and Jerusalem, saying, ‘You shall worship before one altar, and you shall burn incense on it?’