7a“Be strong and courageous; bdo not be afraid nor dismayed before the king of Assyria, nor before all the multitude that is with him; for cthereare more with us than with him.
8 With him is an aarm of flesh; but bwith us is the Lord our God, to help us and to fight our battles.” And the people were strengthened by the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.
9aAfter this Sennacherib king of Assyria sent his servants to Jerusalem (but he and all the forces with him laidsiege against Lachish), to Hezekiah king of Judah, and to all Judah who were in Jerusalem, saying,
10a“Thus says Sennacherib king of Assyria: ‘In what do you trust, that you remain under siege in Jerusalem?
11 Does not Hezekiah persuade you to give yourselves over to die by famine and by thirst, saying, a“The Lord our God will deliver us from the hand of the king of Assyria”?
12aHas not the same Hezekiah taken away His high places and His altars, and commanded Judah and Jerusalem, saying, “You shall worship before one altar and burn incense on bit”?
13 Do you not know what I and my fathers have done to all the peoples of other lands? aWere the gods of the nations of those lands in any way able to deliver their lands out of my hand?
14 Who wasthere among all the gods of those nations that my fathers utterly destroyed that could deliver his people from my hand, that your God should be able to deliver you from my ahand?
15 Now therefore, ado not let Hezekiah deceive you or persuade you like this, and do not believe him; for no god of any nation or kingdom was able to deliver his people from my hand or the hand of my fathers. How much less will your God deliver you from my hand?’ ”
16 Furthermore, his servants spoke against the Lord God and against His servant Hezekiah.
17 He also wrote letters to revile the Lord God of Israel, and to speak against Him, saying, a“As the gods of the nations of other lands have not delivered their people from my hand, so the God of Hezekiah will not deliver His people from my bhand.”
18aThen they called out with a loud voice in1 Hebrew to the people of Jerusalem who were on the wall, to frighten them and trouble them, that they might take the city.
19 And they spoke against the God of Jerusalem, as against the gods of the people of the earth—athe work of men’s hands.
Sennacherib’s Defeat and Death
20aNow because of this King Hezekiah and bthe prophet Isaiah, the son of Amoz, prayed and cried out to heaven.
21aThen the Lord sent an angel who cut down every mighty man of valor, leader, and captain in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he returned bshamefaced to his own land. And when he had gone into the temple of his god, some of his own offspring struck him down with the sword there.
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, and1 guided them on every side.
23 And many brought gifts to the Lord at Jerusalem, and apresents to Hezekiah king of Judah, so that he was bexalted in the sight of all nations thereafter.
Hezekiah Humbles Himself
24aIn those days Hezekiah was sick and near death, and he prayed to the Lord; and He spoke to him and gave him a sign.
25 But Hezekiah adid not repay according to the favor shown him, for bhis heart was lifted up; ctherefore wrath was looming over him and over Judah and Jerusalem.
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