< 2 Chronicles 32 >

1 After Hezekiah's faithful work, Sennacherib, king of Assyria, invaded Judah and attacked its fortified towns, planning to conquer them for himself.
After these things and these acts of faithfulness, Sennacherib, king of Assyria, came and entered Judah. He camped to attack the fortified cities, which he intended to capture for himself.
2 When Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come to attack Jerusalem,
When Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come and that he intended to fight against Jerusalem,
3 he talked with his army commanders about blocking up the water sources that lay outside the city. This is what they did.
he consulted with his leaders and his powerful men to stop up the waters of the springs that were outside the city; they helped him do so.
4 They directed a large group of workers to block all the springs as well as the stream flowing nearby. “Why should the kings of Assyria come here and find plenty of water?” they asked.
So many people gathered together and stopped up all the springs and the stream that was flowing through the middle of the land. They said, “Why should the kings of Assyria come and find a lot of water?”
5 Hezekiah set to work and rebuilt all the parts of the wall that had fallen down and constructed towers on it. He also built another wall outside the first wall. He reinforced the Millo in the city of David. He also made a large quantity of weapons and shields.
Hezekiah took courage and built up all the wall that was broken down. He built the towers higher, and also the other wall outside. He also strengthened the Millo in the city of David, and he made large amounts of weapons and shields.
6 Hezekiah put army commanders in charge of the people. Then he summoned the people to gather in the square at the city gate. He spoke to them confidently, telling them,
He placed military commanders over the people. He gathered them together to him in the broad place at the city gate and spoke encouragingly to them. He said,
7 “Be strong and be brave! Don't be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria with his large army, for there are more with us than with him.
“Be strong and of good courage. Do not be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria and all the army that is with him, for someone is with us who is greater than those with him.
8 He has human help, but we have the Lord God on our side to help us and fight our battles.” The people were encouraged by this speech of Hezekiah, king of Judah.
With him is only an arm of flesh, but with us is Yahweh, our God, to help us, and to fight our battles.” Then the people comforted themselves with the words of Hezekiah, king of Judah.
9 Some time later, when Sennacherib was attacking the town of Lachish with his armies, he sent his officers to Jerusalem with this message for Hezekiah, king of Judah, and for everyone from Judah living there.
After this, Sennacherib, king of Assyria, sent his servants to Jerusalem (now he was in front of Lachish, and all his army was with him), to Hezekiah, king of Judah, and to all of Judah who were in Jerusalem. He said,
10 “This is what Sennacherib, king of Assyria, says. What are you going to trust in to help you survive when I come to attack Jerusalem?
“This is what Sennacherib, king of Assyria, says: What are you relying on in order to endure a siege in Jerusalem?
11 Can't you see that in reality Hezekiah is telling you to die from starvation and thirst when he tells you, ‘The Lord our God will save us from the king of Assyria’?
Is not Hezekiah misleading you, that he may give you over to die by famine and by thirst, when he tells you, 'Yahweh our God will rescue us from the hand of the king of Assyria'?
12 Wasn't it Hezekiah who destroyed the high places and altars of this god and told Judah and Jerusalem, ‘You must worship at this one altar, and offer sacrifices on it alone’?
Has not this same Hezekiah taken away his high places and his altars and commanded Judah and Jerusalem, 'On one altar you must worship, and on it you must burn your sacrifices'?
13 Don't you know what I and my fathers have done to all the nations of the earth? None of their gods could save them or their lands from me!
Do you not know what I and my ancestors have done to all the peoples of the other lands? Were the gods of the peoples of the surrounding lands able in any way to rescue their land from my power?
14 Which one of all these gods of these nations that my fathers destroyed has been able to save them from me? So why would you think your god can save you from me?
Among all the gods of those nations that my ancestors completely destroyed, was there any god who could rescue his people out of my hand? Why should your God be able to rescue you from my power?
15 So don't let Hezekiah fool you, and don't let him mislead you like this. Don't trust him, for no god of any nation or kingdom has been able to save their people from me or from my fathers. So it's even less possible for your god to save you from me!”
Now do not let Hezekiah deceive you or persuade you in this way. Do not believe him, for no god of any nation or kingdom has been able to rescue his people out of my hand, or out of the hand of my ancestors. How much less will your God rescue you from my hand?”
16 Sennacherib's officers continued criticizing the Lord God and his servant Hezekiah.
Sennacherib's servants spoke even more against Yahweh God and against his servant Hezekiah.
17 Sennacherib also wrote letters insulting the Lord, the God of Israel, taunting him by saying, “In the same way the gods of the nations did not save their people from me, so the god of Hezekiah will not save his people from me either.”
Sennacherib also wrote letters in order to mock Yahweh, the God of Israel, and to speak against him. He said, “As the gods of the nations of the lands have not rescued their people out of my hand, so the God of Hezekiah will not rescue his people out of my hand.”
18 The Assyrians also shouted this out in Hebrew to the people of Jerusalem standing on the wall to frighten and to terrify them so that the city would be surrendered.
They cried out in the language of the Jews to the people of Jerusalem who were on the wall, to frighten them and trouble them, in order that they might capture the city.
19 They talked about the God of Jerusalem like they did about the gods of the other nations, gods made by human beings.
They spoke of the God of Jerusalem as they had spoken of the gods of the other peoples of the earth, which are merely the work of men's hands.
20 King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah, son of Amoz, appealed about this in prayer to the God of heaven.
Hezekiah, the king, and Isaiah son of Amoz, the prophet, prayed because of this matter and he cried out to heaven.
21 The Lord sent an angel who wiped out every warrior, leader, and commander in the camp of the Assyrian king. So he returned home in disgrace. When he went into the temple of his god, some of his own sons killed him with their swords.
Yahweh sent an angel, who killed the fighting men, the commanders, and the officers of the king in the camp. So Sennacherib returned to his own land with shame on his face. When he had gone into the house of his god, some of his own children killed him there with the sword.
22 The Lord saved Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem from King Sennacherib of Assyria and all other enemies, giving them peace in every direction.
In this way, Yahweh saved Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib, the king of Assyria, and from the hand of all others, and gave them rest on every side.
23 From then on he was very well respected by all the nations, and many brought offerings to Jerusalem for the Lord and valuable gifts for Hezekiah, king of Judah.
Many were bringing offerings to Yahweh in Jerusalem, and precious gifts to Hezekiah king of Judah, so that he was lifted up in the eyes of all nations from that time forward.
24 Around that time Hezekiah fell sick and was about to die. So he prayed to the Lord, who replied by healing him and giving him a miraculous sign.
In those days Hezekiah was sick to the point of dying. He prayed to Yahweh, who spoke to him and gave him a sign that he would be healed.
25 But because he had become proud, Hezekiah did not acknowledge the gift he'd been given. So the Lord's anger fell on him, and on Judah and Jerusalem.
But Hezekiah did not pay back Yahweh for the help given to him, for his heart was lifted up. So anger came on him, and on Judah and Jerusalem.
26 Then Hezekiah apologized for his arrogance, as did the people of Jerusalem, and the Lord's anger no longer fell on them during Hezekiah's lifetime.
Nevertheless, Hezekiah later humbled himself for the pride of his heart, both he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that Yahweh's anger did not come on them during Hezekiah's days.
27 Hezekiah was very rich and highly honored, and he built treasury storerooms to hold silver, gold, precious stones, spices, shields, and all kinds of valuable things.
Hezekiah had very many riches and much honor. He provided himself with storerooms for silver, gold, precious stones, and for spices, as well as for shields and for all kinds of valuable objects.
28 He constructed buildings to store supplies of grain, new wine, and olive oil, and stalls for all kinds of animals, including cattle and sheep.
He also had storehouses for the harvest of grain, new wine, and oil, and stalls for all kinds of animals. He also had flocks in their pens.
29 He built many towns, and he owned large herds of cattle and flocks of sheep, for God had made him very wealthy.
In addition, he provided himself with cities and possessions of flocks and herds in abundance, for God had given him very much wealth.
30 Hezekiah blocked off the outlet of the upper Gihon spring and made the water flow down to the west side of the City of David. Hezekiah was successful in everything he did.
It was this same Hezekiah who also stopped up the upper spring of the waters of Gihon, and who brought them straight down on the west side of the city of David. Hezekiah succeeded in all his projects.
31 But when ambassadors of the rulers of Babylon came to him to ask about the miraculous sign that had happened in the country, God left him to himself test him, so he could know Hezekiah's true thinking.
However, in the matter of the ambassadors of the princes of Babylon, who sent to him to ask questions of those who knew, about the miraculous sign that had been done in the land, God left him to himself, in order to test him, and to know all that was in his heart.
32 The rest of what Hezekiah did, including his acts of loyalty, are recorded in the vision of the prophet Isaiah, son of Amoz, in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel.
As for the other matters concerning Hezekiah, including his actions of covenant loyalty, you can see that they are written in the vision of the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz, and in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.
33 Hezekiah died and was buried in the upper cemetery of David's descendants. All Judah and the people of Jerusalem honored him at his death. His son Manasseh took over as king.
Hezekiah slept with his ancestors, and they buried him on the hill of the tombs of the descendants of David. All Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem honored him at his death. Manasseh his son became king in his place.

< 2 Chronicles 32 >