2 Chronicles 32

1 After these things and this truth, Sennacherib king of Asshur has come, indeed, he comes to Judah, and encamps against the cities of the bulwarks, and says to break into them himself.

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.

2 And Hezekiah sees that Sennacherib has come, and his face [is] to the battle against Jerusalem,

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

3 and he takes counsel with his heads and his mighty ones, to stop the waters of the fountains that [are] at the outside of the city—and they help him,

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.

4 and many people are gathered, and they stop all the fountains and the brook that is rushing into the midst of the land, saying, “Why do the kings of Asshur come, and have found much water?”

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.

5 And he strengthens himself, and builds the whole of the wall that is broken, and causes [it] to ascend to the towers, and at the outside of the wall [builds] another, and strengthens Millo [in] the City of David, and makes darts in abundance, and shields.

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.

6 And he puts heads of war over the people, and gathers them to him, to the broad place of a gate of the city, and speaks to their heart, saying,

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

7 “Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid, nor be cast down from the face of the king of Asshur, and from the face of all the multitude that [is] with him, for with us [are] more than with him.

“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.

8 With him [is] an arm of flesh, but with us [is] our God YHWH to help us and to fight our battles”; and the people are supported by the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.

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.

9 After this Sennacherib king of Asshur has sent his servants to Jerusalem—and he [is] by Lachish, and all his power with him—against Hezekiah king of Judah and against all Judah who [are] in Jerusalem, saying,

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:

10 “Thus said Sennacherib king of Asshur: On what are you trusting and abiding in the bulwark in Jerusalem?

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

11 Is Hezekiah not persuading you to give you up to die by famine and by thirst, saying, Our God YHWH delivers us from the hand of the king of Asshur?

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?’

12 Has Hezekiah himself not turned aside His high places and His altars, and speaks to Judah and to Jerusalem, saying, You bow yourselves before one altar and you make incense on it?

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’?

13 Do you not know what I have done—I and my fathers—to all peoples of the lands? Were the gods of the nations of the lands at all able to deliver their land out of my hand?

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?

14 Who among all the gods of these nations whom my fathers have devoted to destruction [is] he who has been able to deliver his people out of my hand, that your God is able to deliver you out of my hand?

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?

15 And now, do not let Hezekiah lift you up, nor persuade you thus, nor give credence to him, for no god of any nation and kingdom is able to deliver his people from my hand and from the hand of my fathers: also, surely your God does not deliver you from my hand!”

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!”

16 And again his servants have spoken against YHWH God and against His servant Hezekiah,

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

17 and he has written letters to give reproach to YHWH, God of Israel, and to speak against Him, saying, “As the gods of the nations of the lands that have not delivered their people from my hand, so the God of Hezekiah does not deliver His people from my hand.”

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.”

18 And they call with a great voice [in] Jewish against the people of Jerusalem who [are] on the wall, to frighten them and to trouble them, that they may capture the city,

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.

19 and they speak against the God of Jerusalem as against the gods of the peoples of the land—work of the hands of man.

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.

20 And Hezekiah the king prays, and Isaiah son of Amoz the prophet, concerning this, and they cry to the heavens,

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

21 and YHWH sends a messenger and cuts off every mighty man of valor—both leader and head—in the camp of the king of Asshur, and he turns back with shame of face to his land and enters the house of his god, and those coming out of his bowels have caused him to fall there by the sword.

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.

22 And YHWH saves Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib king of Asshur and from the hand of all, and He leads them around;

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.

23 and many are bringing in an offering to YHWH, to Jerusalem, and precious things to Hezekiah king of Judah, and he is lifted up before the eyes of all the nations after this.

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.

24 In those days Hezekiah has been sick even to death, and he prays to YHWH, and He speaks to him and has appointed a wonder for him;

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

25 and Hezekiah has not returned according to the deed [done] to him, for his heart has been lofty, and there is wrath on him and on Judah and Jerusalem;

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.

26 and Hezekiah is humbled for the loftiness of his heart, he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the wrath of YHWH has not come on them in the days of Hezekiah.

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.

27 And Hezekiah has very much riches and honor, and he has made treasures for himself of silver, and of gold, and of precious stone, and of spices, and of shields, and of all [kinds] of desirable vessels,

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.

28 and storehouses for the increase of grain, and new wine, and oil, and stalls for all kinds of livestock, and herds for stalls;

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.

29 and he has made cities for himself, and possessions of flocks and herds in abundance, for God has given very much substance to him.

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

30 And Hezekiah himself has stopped the upper source of the waters of Gihon, and directs them beneath to the west of the City of David, and Hezekiah prospers in all his work;

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.

31 and so with the ambassadors of the heads of Babylon, those sending to him to inquire of the wonder that has been in the land, God has left him to try him, to know all in his heart.

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.

32 And the rest of the matters of Hezekiah and his kind acts, behold, they are written in the vision of Isaiah son of Amoz the prophet, on the scroll of the kings of Judah and Israel.

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.

33 And Hezekiah lies with his fathers, and they bury him in the highest of the graves of the sons of David, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem have done honor to him at his death, and his son Manasseh reigns in his stead.

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.