b was come, and that he intended to fight against Jerusalem,
he took counsel with his princes and his mighty men to stop the waters
of the fountains which were without the city; and they helped him. So
there was gathered many people together, and they stopped all the
fountains, and the brook that flowed through the midst of the land,
saying, "Why should the kings of Assyria come, and find much water?"

And he took courage, and built up all the wall that was broken down,
and raised it up to the towers, and the other wall without, and
strengthened Millo in the city of David, and made weapons and shields
in abundance. And he set captains of war over the people, and gathered
them together to him in the broad place at the gate of the city, and
spoke encouragingly to them, saying, "Be strong and of a good courage,
be not afraid nor dismayed for the king of Assyria, nor for all the
multitude that is with him: for there is a greater with us than with
him: with him is {312} an arm of flesh; but with us is the Lord our
God to help us, and to fight our battles." And the people rested
themselves upon the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.

After this did Sennacherib king of Assyria send his servants to
Jerusalem (now he was before Lachish, and all his army with him), unto
Hezekiah king of Judah, and unto all Judah that were at Jerusalem,
saying, "Thus saith Sennacherib king of Assyria, Whereon do ye trust,
that ye abide the siege in Jerusalem? Doth not Hezekiah persuade you,
to give you over to die by famine and by thirst, saying, 'The Lord our
God shall deliver us out of the hand of the king of Assyria'? Hath not
the same Hezekiah taken away his high places and his altars, and
commanded Judah and Jerusalem, saying, 'Ye shall worship before one
altar, and upon it shall ye burn incense'? Know ye not what I and my
fathers have done unto all the peoples of the lands? Were the gods of
the nations of the lands any ways able to deliver their land out of my
hand? 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? Now
therefore let not Hezekiah deceive you, nor persuade you on this
manner, neither believe ye 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 shall your God deliver you out of my hand?"

And his servan