1 ^zAfter these things and these acts of faithfulness, Sennacherib king of Assyria came and invaded Judah and encamped against the fortified cities, thinking to win them for himself. 2 And when Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come and intended to fight against Jerusalem, 3 he planned with his officers and his mighty men to stop the water of the springs that were outside the city; and they helped him. 4 A great many people were gathered, and they stopped all the springs and the brook that flowed through the land, saying, “Why should the kings of Assyria come and find much water?” 5 He set to work resolutely and built up all the wall that was ^abroken down and raised towers upon it,¹ and outside it he built ^banother wall, and he strengthened the Millo in the city of David. He also made weapons and shields in abundance. 6 And he set combat commanders over the people and gathered them together to him in the square at the gate of the city and ^cspoke encouragingly to them, saying, 7 ^d“Be strong and courageous. ^eDo not be afraid or dismayed before the king of Assyria and all the horde that is with him, for ^fthere are more with us than with him. 8 With him is an arm of flesh, ^gbut with us is the Lord our God, to ^hhelp us and to fight our battles.” And the people took confidence from the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.