32And then, after this exemplary track record, this: Sennacherib king of Assyria came and attacked Judah. He put the fortified cities under siege, determined to take them.H310H1697H571H5576H4428H804H935H935H3063H2583H1219H5892H559H12342When Hezekiah realized that Sennacherib's strategy was to take Jerusalem,H3169H7200H5576H935H6440H4421H33893he talked to his advisors and military leaders about eliminating all the water supplies outside the city; they thought it was a good idea.H3289H8269H1368H5640H4325H5869H2351H5892H58264There was a great turnout of people to plug the springs and tear down the aqueduct. They said, "Why should the kings of Assyria march in and be furnished with running water?"H6908H7227H5971H6908H5640H4599H5158H7857H8432H776H559H4428H804H935H4672H7227H43255Hezekiah also went to work repairing every part of the city wall that was damaged, built defensive towers on it, built another wall of defense further out, and reinforced the defensive rampart (the Millo) of the old City of David. He also built up a large store of armaments—spears and shields.H2388H1129H2346H6555H5927H4026H312H2346H2351H2388H4407H5892H1732H6213H7973H4043H72306He then appointed military officers to be responsible for the people and got them all together at the public square in front of the city gate. Hezekiah rallied the people, saying,H5414H8269H4421H5971H6908H7339H8179H5892H1696H3824H5597"Be strong! Take courage! Don't be intimidated by the king of Assyria and his troops—there are more on our side than on their side.H2388H553H3372H2865H6440H4428H804H1995H72278He only has a bunch of mere men; we have our GOD to help us and fight for us!" Morale surged. Hezekiah's words put steel in their spines.H2220H1320H3068H430H5826H3898H4421H5971H5564H1697H3169H4428H30639Later on, Sennacherib, who had set up camp a few miles away at Lachish, sent messengers to Jerusalem, addressing Judah through Hezekiah:H310H5576H4428H804H7971H5650H3389H3923H4475H3169H4428H3063H3063H3389H55910"A proclamation of Sennacherib king of Assyria: You poor people—do you think you're safe in that so-called fortress of Jerusalem? You're sitting ducks.H559H5576H4428H804H982H3427H4692H338911Do you think Hezekiah will save you? Don't be stupid—Hezekiah has fed you a pack of lies. When he says, 'GOD will save us from the power of the king of Assyria,' he's lying—you're all going to end up dead.H3169H5496H5414H4191H7458H6772H559H3068H430H5337H3709H4428H80412Wasn't it Hezekiah who cleared out all the neighborhood worship shrines and told you, 'There is only one legitimate place to worship'?H3169H5493H1116H4196H559H3063H3389H559H7812H6440H259H4196H699913Do you have any idea what I and my ancestors have done to all the countries around here? Has there been a single god anywhere strong enough to stand up against me?H3045H1H6213H5971H776H430H1471H776H3201H3201H5337H776H302714Can you name one god among all the nations that either I or my ancestors have ravaged that so much as lifted a finger against me? So what makes you think you'll make out any better with your god?H430H1471H1H2763H3201H5337H5971H3027H430H3201H5337H302715Don't let Hezekiah fool you; don't let him get by with his barefaced lies; don't trust him. No god of any country or kingdom ever has been one bit of help against me or my ancestors—what kind of odds does that give your god?"H3808H2396H5377H5496H539H433H1471H4467H3201H5337H5971H3027H3027H1H430H5337H302716The messengers felt free to throw in their personal comments, putting down both GOD and God's servant Hezekiah.H5650H1696H3068H430H5650H316917Sennacherib continued to send letters insulting the GOD of Israel: "The gods of the nations were powerless to help their people; the god of Hezekiah is no better, probably worse."H3789H5612H2778H3068H430H3478H559H559H430H1471H776H5337H5971H3027H430H3169H5337H5971H302718The messengers would come up to the wall of Jerusalem and shout up to the people standing on the wall, shouting their propaganda in Hebrew, trying to scare them into demoralized submission.H7121H1419H6963H3066H5971H3389H2346H3372H926H3920H589219They contemptuously lumped the God of Jerusalem in with the handmade gods of other peoples.H1696H5921H430H3389H430H5971H776H4639H3027H12020King Hezekiah, joined by the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz, responded by praying, calling up to heaven.H3169H4428H5030H3470H1121H531H6419H2199H806421GOD answered by sending an angel who wiped out everyone in the Assyrian camp, both warriors and officers. Sennacherib was forced to return home in disgrace, tail between his legs. When he went into the temple of his god, his own sons killed him.H3068H7971H4397H3582H1368H2428H5057H8269H4264H4428H804H7725H1322H6440H776H935H1004H430H3329H4578H5307H271922GOD saved Hezekiah and the citizens of Jerusalem from Sennacherib king of Assyria and everyone else. And he continued to take good care of them.H3068H3467H3169H3427H3389H3027H5576H4428H804H3027H5095H543923People streamed into Jerusalem bringing offerings for the worship of GOD and expensive presents to Hezekiah king of Judah. All the surrounding nations were impressed—Hezekiah's stock soared.H7227H935H4503H3068H3389H4030H3169H4428H3063H5375H5869H1471H31024Some time later Hezekiah became deathly sick. He prayed to GOD and was given a reassuring sign.H3117H3169H2470H4191H6419H3068H559H5414H415925But the sign, instead of making Hezekiah grateful, made him arrogant. This made GOD angry, and his anger spilled over on Judah and Jerusalem.H3169H7725H1576H3820H1361H7110H3063H338926But then Hezekiah, and Jerusalem with him, repented of his arrogance, and GOD withdrew his anger while Hezekiah lived.H3169H3665H1363H3820H3427H3389H7110H3068H935H3117H316927Hezekiah ended up very wealthy and much honored. He built treasuries for all his silver, gold, precious stones, spices, shields, and valuables,H3169H3966H7235H6239H3519H6213H214H3701H2091H3368H68H1314H4043H2532H362728barns for the grain, new wine, and olive oil, stalls for his various breeds of cattle, and pens for his flocks.H4543H8393H1715H8492H3323H723H929H220H573929He founded royal cities for himself and built up huge stocks of sheep and cattle. God saw to it that he was extravagantly rich.H6213H5892H4735H6629H1241H7230H430H5414H7399H3966H722730Hezekiah was also responsible for diverting the upper outlet of the Gihon spring and rerouting the water to the west side of the City of David. Hezekiah succeeded in everything he did.H3169H5640H5945H4161H4325H1521H3474H4295H4628H5892H1732H3169H6743H463931But when the rulers of Babylon sent emissaries to find out about the sign from God that had taken place earlier, God left him on his own to see what he would do; he wanted to test his heart.H3651H3887H8269H894H7971H1875H4159H776H430H5800H5254H3045H382432The rest of the history of Hezekiah and his life of loyal service, you can read for yourself—it's written in the vision of the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz in the Royal Annals of the Kings of Judah and Israel.H3499H1697H3169H2617H3789H2377H3470H5030H1121H531H5612H4428H3063H347833When Hezekiah died, they buried him in the upper part of the King David cemetery. Everyone in Judah and Jerusalem came to the funeral. He was buried in great honor. Manasseh his son was the next king.H3169H7901H1H6912H4608H6913H1121H1732H3063H3427H3389H6213H3519H4194H4519H1121H4427