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Then, taking courage, he rebuilt all the broken sections of the wall, raised towers on it, built another wall outside that, strengthened the Millo in the City of David, and made a large quantity of spears and shields.
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He appointed military commanders over the people, then gathered them before him in the open space at the city gate and spoke these words of encouragement to them:
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"Be strong! Take courage! Don't be afraid or distressed on account of the king of Ashur or all the horde he brings with him. For the One with us is greater than the one with him -
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he has human strength, but we have ADONAI our God to help us and fight our battles!"The people took heart at the words of Hizkiyahu king of Y'hudah.
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After this, while Sancheriv and all his army were besieging Lakhish, he sent his envoys to Yerushalayim, to Hizkiyahu king of Y'hudah and to all Y'hudah who were there in Yerushalayim, with this message:
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"This is what Sancheriv king of Ashur says: 'What gives you the confidence that you can endure a siege against Yerushalayim?
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Hasn't Hizkiyahu deluded you? Isn't he condemning you to death by starvation and thirst when he says, "ADONAI our God will save us from the king of Ashur"?
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Isn't this the same Hizkiyahu who removed [your God's] high places and altars and ordered Y'hudah and Yerushalayim to worship before one altar and offer sacrifices only on it?
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Don't you realize what I and my ancestors have done to all the peoples of the other countries? Were the gods of these nations able to do a thing to rescue their country from me?
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Who of all the gods of those nations that my ancestors completely destroyed was able to rescue his people from me? How then will your God rescue you from me?
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Don't let Hizkiyahu mislead you or delude you this way, don't believe him. For no god of any nation or kingdom has ever been able to rescue his people from me or my ancestors; how much less will your God rescue you from me!'"