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?’
13. Don’t you know what I and my fathers have done to all the peoples of the lands? Were the gods of the nations of the lands in any way able to deliver their land out of my hand?
14. Who was there among all the gods of those nations which my fathers utterly destroyed, that could deliver his people out of my hand, that your God should be able to deliver you out of my hand?
15. Now therefore don’t let Hezekiah deceive you, nor persuade you in this way. Don’t believe him, for no god of any nation or kingdom was able to deliver his people out of my hand, and out of the hand of my fathers. How much less will your God deliver you out of my hand?”
16. His servants spoke yet more against the Lord God, and against his servant Hezekiah.
17. He also wrote letters insulting the Lord, the God of Israel, and speaking against him, saying, “As the gods of the nations of the lands, which have not delivered their people out of my hand, so shall the God of Hezekiah not deliver his people out of my hand.”
18. They called out with a loud voice in the Jews’ language to the people of Jerusalem who were on the wall, to frighten them, and to trouble them; that they might take the city.
19. They spoke of the God of Jerusalem as of the gods of the peoples of the earth, which are the work of men’s hands.
20. Hezekiah the king and Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz, prayed because of this, and cried to heaven.
21. The Lord sent an angel, who cut off all the mighty men of valor, and the leaders and captains, in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he returned with shame of face to his own land. When he had come into the house of his god, those who came out of his own bowels killed him there with the sword.
22. Thus the Lord saved Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib the king of Assyria and from the hand of all others, and guided them on every side.
23. Many brought gifts to the Lord to Jerusalem, and precious things to Hezekiah king of Judah; so that he was exalted in the sight of all nations from then on.