2 Chronicles 32

1 After all these acts of faithfulness, Sennacherib king of Assyria came and invaded Judah. He laid siege to the fortified cities, intending to conquer them for himself.

After these things and veritable events came Sennacherib the king of Assyria, and invaded Judah, and encamped against the fortified cities, and thought to break them open for himself.

2 When Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come to make war against Jerusalem,

And when Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib was coming, and that his face [was directed] for war against Jerusalem,

3 he consulted with his leaders and commanders about stopping up the waters of the springs outside the city, and they helped him carry it out.

He consulted with his princes and his mighty men to stop up the waters of the springs which were without the city: and they helped him.

4 Many people assembled and stopped up all the springs and the stream that flowed through the land. “Why should the kings of Assyria come and find plenty of water?” they said.

And there were gathered together a very numerous body of people, and they stopped up all the springs, and the brook that flowed through the midst of the land, saying, Why should the kings of Assyria come, and find much water?

5 Then Hezekiah worked resolutely to rebuild all the broken sections of the wall and to raise up towers on it. He also built an outer wall and reinforced the supporting terraces of the City of David, and he produced an abundance of weapons and shields.

Also he strengthened himself, and built up all the wall where it was broken down, and heightened the towers, and [built] without another wall, and fortified the Millo of the city of David, and made weapons in abundance and shields.

6 Hezekiah appointed military commanders over the people and gathered the people in the square of the city gate. Then he encouraged them, saying,

And he appointed war-officers over the people, and gathered them together unto him in the open place at the gate of the city, and spoke comfortingly to them, saying,

7 “Be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged before the king of Assyria and the vast army with him, for there is a greater One with us than with him.

Be strong and of good courage, do not fear and be not dismayed because of the king of Assyria, and because of all the multitude that is with him; for with us there is One greater than with him:

8 With him is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the LORD our God to help us and to fight our battles.” So the people were strengthened by the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.

With him there is an arm of flesh; but with us is the Lord our God to help us, and to fight our battles. And the people relied upon the words of Hezekiah the king of Judah.

9 Later, as Sennacherib king of Assyria and all his forces besieged Lachish, he sent his servants to Jerusalem with a message for King Hezekiah of Judah and all the people of Judah who were in Jerusalem:

After this did Sennacherib the king of Assyria send his servants to Jerusalem, while he was himself lying before Lachish, and all [the chief troops of] his dominion with him, against Hezekiah the king of Judah, and against all Judah that were at Jerusalem, saying,

10 “This is what Sennacherib king of Assyria says: What is the basis of your confidence, that you remain in Jerusalem under siege?

Thus hath said Sennacherib the king of Assyria, On what do ye trust, that ye remain besieged in Jerusalem?

11 Is not Hezekiah misleading you to give you over to death by famine and thirst when he says, ‘The LORD our God will deliver us from the hand of the king of Assyria?’

Doth not Hezekiah mislead you to give you up to die by famine and by thirst, when he saith, The Lord our God will deliver us out of the grasp of the king of Assyria?

12 Did not Hezekiah himself remove His high places and His altars and say to Judah and Jerusalem, ‘You must worship before one altar, and on it you shall burn sacrifices’?

Is it not this Hezekiah that hath removed his high-places and his altars, when he said to Judah and to Jerusalem, saying, Before one altar shall ye prostrate yourselves, and upon it shall ye burn incense?

13 Do you not know what I and my fathers have done to all the peoples of the lands? Have the gods of these nations ever been able to deliver their land from my hand?

Know ye not what I have done, I and my fathers, unto all the people of [other] lands? were the gods of the nations of those lands at all able to deliver their land out of my hand?

14 Who among all the gods of these nations that my fathers devoted to destruction has been able to deliver his people from my hand? How then can your God deliver you from my hand?

Who among all the gods of those nations that my fathers utterly destroyed, was it, that was able to deliver his people out of my hand, that your God should be able to deliver you out of my hand?

15 So now, do not let Hezekiah deceive you, and do not let him mislead you like this. Do not believe him, for no god of any nation or kingdom has been able to deliver his people from my hand or from the hand of my fathers. How much less will your God deliver you from my hand!”

And now let not Hezekiah deceive you, and let him not mislead you in this manner, nor believe him; for no god of any nation or kingdom whatever was able to deliver his people out of my hand, and out of the hand of my fathers: how much less will you Gods, deliver you out of my hand!

16 And the servants of Sennacherib spoke further against the LORD God and against His servant Hezekiah.

And yet more did his servants speak against the Lord God, and against his servant Hezekiah.

17 He also wrote letters mocking the LORD, the God of Israel, and saying against Him: “Just as the gods of the nations did not deliver their people from my hand, so the God of Hezekiah will not deliver His people from my hand.”

He wrote also letters to blaspheme against the Lord the God of Israel, and to speak against him, saying, As the gods of the nations of [other] lands, who have not delivered their people out of my hand, so will the God of Hezekiah not deliver his people out of my hand.

18 Then the Assyrians called out loudly in Hebrew to the people of Jerusalem who were on the wall, to frighten and terrify them in order to capture the city.

Then did they call out with a loud voice in the Jewish language unto the people of Jerusalem that were on the wall, to frighten them, and to terrify them: in order that they might capture the city.

19 They spoke against the God of Jerusalem as they had spoken against the gods of the peoples of the earth—the work of human hands.

And they spoke of the God of Jerusalem, as concerning the gods of the nations of the earth, the work of the hands of man.

20 In response, King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz cried out to heaven in prayer,

And king Hezekiah and Isaiah the son of Amos the prophet prayed for this cause, and they cried to heaven.

21 and the LORD sent an angel who annihilated every mighty man of valor and every leader and commander in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he withdrew to his own land in disgrace. And when he entered the temple of his god, some of his own sons struck him down with the sword.

And the Lord sent an angel, who cut off every mighty man of valor and leader and captain in the camp of the king of Assyria: and when he was returned with shame of face to his own land, he went into the house of his god, and [those] that were come forth from his own bowels felled him there with the sword.

22 So the LORD saved Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem from the hands of King Sennacherib of Assyria and all the others, and He gave them rest on every side.

Thus did the Lord save Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem out of the hand of Sennacherib the king of Assyria, and out of the hand of all, and guided them [safely] on every side.

23 Many brought offerings to Jerusalem for the LORD and valuable gifts for Hezekiah king of Judah, and from then on he was exalted in the eyes of all nations.

And many brought presents unto the Lord to Jerusalem, and precious things to Hezekiah the king of Judah: so that he was exalted before the eyes of all the nations after that time.

24 In those days Hezekiah became mortally ill. So he prayed to the LORD, who spoke to him and gave him a sign.

In those days fell Hezekiah sick to the death; and he prayed unto the Lord: and he spoke unto him, and he gave him a wonderful token.

25 But because his heart was proud, Hezekiah did not repay the favor shown to him. Therefore wrath came upon him and upon Judah and Jerusalem.

But not according to the mercy shown unto him did Hezekiah act in return; for his heart was lifted up: wherefore there came wrath over him, and over Judah and Jerusalem.

26 Then Hezekiah humbled the pride of his heart—he and the people of Jerusalem—so that the wrath of the LORD did not come upon them during the days of Hezekiah.

Then became Hezekiah humbled because of the lifting up of his heart, both he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and the wrath of the Lord came not upon them in the days of Hezekiah.

27 Hezekiah had very great riches and honor, and he made treasuries for his silver, gold, precious stones, spices, shields, and all kinds of valuable articles.

And Hezekiah had riches and honor in exceeding abundance; and he made himself treasuries for silver, and for gold, and for precious stones, and for spices, and for shields, and for all manner of costly vessels;

28 He also made storehouses for the harvest of grain and new wine and oil, stalls for all kinds of livestock, and pens for the flocks.

And storehouses for the produce of corn, and new wine, and oil; and stalls for all kinds of cattle, and sheepfolds for flocks.

29 He made cities for himself, and he acquired herds of sheep and cattle in abundance, for God gave him very great wealth.

Moreover he erected for himself cities, and [acquired] possessions of flocks and herds in multitude; for God had given him wealth in great abundance.

30 It was Hezekiah who blocked the upper outlet of the Spring of Gihon and channeled it down to the west side of the City of David. And Hezekiah prospered in all that he did.

This same Hezekiah also stopped up the upper mouth of the waters of Gichon, and brought them straight down to the west side of the city of David. And Hezekiah prospered in all his works.

31 And so when ambassadors of the rulers of Babylon were sent to him to inquire about the wonder that had happened in the land, God left him alone to test him, that He might know all that was in Hezekiah’s heart.

And in the same manner in the business of the ambassadors of the princes of Babylon, who sent unto him to inquire concerning the wonder that had happened in the land, God left him, to prove him, to know all that was in his heart.

32 As for the rest of the acts of Hezekiah and his deeds of loving devotion, they are indeed written in the vision of the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel.

And the rest of the acts of Hezekiah, and his pious deeds, behold, they are written in the vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, the prophet, [and] in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.

33 And Hezekiah rested with his fathers and was buried in the upper tombs of David’s descendants. All Judah and the people of Jerusalem paid him honor at his death. And his son Manasseh reigned in his place.

And Hezekiah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the highest place of the sepulchres of the sons of David: and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem showed him honor at his death. And Manasseh his son became king in his stead.