³ He did what was right^(A) in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father David^(B) had done. ⁴ He removed^(C) the high places,^(D) smashed the sacred stones^(E) and cut down the Asherah poles. He broke into pieces the bronze snake^(F) Moses had made, for up to that time the Israelites had been burning incense to it. (It was called Nehushtan.^[a])

⁵ Hezekiah trusted^(G) in the Lord, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him. ⁶ He held fast^(H) to the Lord and did not stop following him; he kept the commands the Lord had given Moses. ⁷ And the Lord was with him; he was successful^(I) in whatever he undertook. He rebelled^(J) against the king of Assyria and did not serve him.

Hezekiah’s Prayer^(A)

¹⁴ Hezekiah received the letter^(B) from the messengers and read it. Then he went up to the temple of the Lord and spread it out before the Lord. ¹⁵ And Hezekiah prayed to the Lord: “Lord, the God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim,^(C) you alone^(D) are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. ¹⁶ Give ear,^(E) Lord, and hear;^(F) open your eyes,^(G) Lord, and see; listen to the words Sennacherib has sent to ridicule the living God.

¹⁷ “It is true, Lord, that the Assyrian kings have laid waste these nations and their lands. ¹⁸ They have thrown their gods into the fire and destroyed them, for they were not gods^(H) but only wood and stone, fashioned by human hands.^{(I) 19} Now, Lord our God, deliver^(J) us from his hand, so that all the kingdoms^(K) of the earth may know^(L) that you alone, Lord, are God.”