1After these matters and this trustworthiness, Sanḥĕriḇ sovereign of Ashshur came. And he entered Yehuḏah and encamped against the cities of defence, and said to break them open to himself.

2And Ḥizqiyahu saw that Sanḥĕriḇ had come, and his face set to fight against Yerushalayim,

3and he took counsel with his rulers and mighty men to stop the water from the springs which were outside the city. And they helped him.

4And many people were gathered, and they stopped all the springs and the stream that ran through the land, saying, “Why should the sovereigns of Ashshur come and find much water?”

5And he strengthened himself, and built up all the wall that was broken, and raised it up to the towers, and outside of it another wall, and strengthened Millo, the City of Dawiḏ, and made large numbers of weapons and shields.

6And he appointed battle officers over the people, and gathered them to him in the open space at the city gate, and spoke to their heart, saying,

7“Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid nor be cast down before the sovereign of Ashshur, nor before all the army that is with him. For with us there are more than with him.

8“With him is an arm of flesh, but with us is יהוה our Elohim, to help us and to fight our battles.” And the people leaned on the words of Ḥizqiyahu sovereign of Yehuḏah.

9After this Sanḥĕriḇ the sovereign of Ashshur sent his servants to Yerushalayim – but he himself, and all his power with him against Laḵish – to Ḥizqiyahu sovereign of Yehuḏah, and to all Yehuḏah who were in Yerushalayim, saying,

10“Thus said Sanḥĕriḇ the sovereign of Ashshur, ‘On what are you trusting, that you remain in Yerushalayim under siege?

11‘Is Ḥizqiyahu not persuading you to give yourselves over to die by scarcity of food and by thirst, saying, “יהוה our Elohim shall deliver us from the hand of the sovereign of Ashshur”?

12‘Has not Ḥizqiyahu himself taken away His high places and His altars, and ordered Yehuḏah and Yerushalayim, saying, “Bow yourselves before one altar and burn incense on it”?

13‘Do you not know what I and my fathers have done to all the peoples of other lands? Were the mighty ones of the nations of those lands in any way able to deliver their lands out of my hand?

14‘Who was there among all the mighty ones of those nations that my fathers put under the ban that could deliver his people from my hand, that your Elohim should be able to deliver you from my hand?

15‘And now, do not let Ḥizqiyahu deceive you or persuade you like this, and do not believe him; for no mighty one of any nation or reign was able to deliver his people from my hand or the hand of my fathers – much less your Elohim, to deliver you from my hand!’ ”

16And his servants spoke even more against יהוה Elohim and against His servant Ḥizqiyahu.

17And he wrote letters to reproach יהוה Elohim of Yisra’ĕl, and to speak against Him, saying, “As the mighty ones of the nations of other lands have not delivered their people from my hand, so the Elohim of Ḥizqiyahu shall not deliver His people from my hand.”

18Then they called out with a loud voice in the language of Yehuḏah to the people of Yerushalayim who were on the wall, to frighten them and to trouble them, in order to capture the city.

19And they spoke against the Elohim of Yerushalayim, as against the mighty ones of the people of the earth, the work of men’s hands.

20And Sovereign Ḥizqiyahu and the prophet Yeshayahu, son of Amots, prayed about this, and cried out to the heavens.

21And יהוה sent a messenger who cut down every mighty brave one, both the leader and the commander in the camp of the sovereign of Ashshur, and he returned shamefaced to his own land, and went into the house of his mighty one, and there some of his own offspring caused him to fall by the sword.

22Thus יהוה saved Ḥizqiyahu and the inhabitants of Yerushalayim from the hand of Sanḥĕriḇ the sovereign of Ashshur, and from the hand of all others, and guided them on every side.

23And many brought gifts to יהוה at Yerushalayim, and presents to Ḥizqiyahu sovereign of Yehuḏah, and he was exalted in the eyes of all nations thereafter.

24In those days Ḥizqiyahu was sick and near death, and he prayed to יהוה. And He spoke to him and appointed a sign for him.

25However, Ḥizqiyahu did not repay according to the good done to him, for his heart was lifted up, therefore wrath came upon him and upon Yehuḏah and Yerushalayim.

26Then Ḥizqiyahu humbled himself for the pride of his heart, he and the inhabitants of Yerushalayim, so that the wrath of יהוה did not come upon them in the days of Ḥizqiyahu.

27And Ḥizqiyahu had much riches and esteem. And he made himself treasuries for silver, and for gold, and for precious stones, and for spices, and for shields, and for all desirable utensils;

28and storehouses for the harvest of grain, and wine, and oil, and stalls for all kinds of livestock, and folds for flocks.

29And he made cities for himself, and possessions of great numbers of flocks and herds, for Elohim gave him much property.

30And Ḥizqiyahu himself had stopped the upper outlet of the waters of Giḥon, and directed them to the west side of the City of Dawiḏ. And Ḥizqiyahu prospered in all his work.

31However with the envoys of the princes of Baḇel, whom they sent to ask him about the wonder that was done in the land, Elohim left him, in order to try him, to know all that was in his heart.

32And the rest of the acts of Ḥizqiyahu, and his kindness, see, they are written in the vision of Yeshayahu the prophet, son of Amots, in the book of the sovereigns of Yehuḏah and Yisra’ĕl.

33So Ḥizqiyahu slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the upper tombs of the sons of Dawiḏ. And all Yehuḏah and the inhabitants of Yerushalayim esteemed him at his death. And Menashsheh his son reigned in his place.