2 Chronicles 32
1 After King Hezekiah had obeyed Yahweh’s instructions and had done all those things, King Sennacherib of Assyria came [with his army] and invaded Judah. He commanded his soldiers to surround the cities that had walls around them, thinking that they would [break through those walls and] conquer those cities.
And after these things and this faithful dealing, came Sennacherim king of the Assyrians, and he came to Juda, and encamped against the fortified cities, and intended to take them for himself.
2 When Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come [with his army] and that they intended to attack Jerusalem,
And Ezekias saw that Sennacherim was come, and [that] his face [was set] to fight against Jerusalem.
3 he consulted with his officials and army leaders. They said among themselves, “Why should we allow the king of Assyria [and his army] to come and find plenty of water to drink?” So they decided to stop the water from flowing outside the city. So a large group of men gathered together and blocked all the springs and the stream that flowed through that area.
And he took counsel with his elders and his mighty [men] to stop the wells of water which were without the city: and they helped him.
And he collected many people, and stopped the wells of water, and the river that flowed through the city, saying, Lest the king of Assyria come, and find much water, and strengthen [himself].
5 Then they worked hard to repair all the sections of the city wall that had been broken, and they built watchtowers on the walls. They built another wall outside/around the wall that was already outside the city, and they strengthened the defenses on the sloping terraces [on the east side of the area called ‘The City of David’]. They also made a large number of weapons and shields.
And Ezekias strengthened [himself], and built all the wall that had been pulled down, and the towers, and another wall in front without, and fortified the strong place of the city of David, and prepared arms in abundance.
6 Hezekiah appointed army commanders, and he gathered them in front of him in the square at one of the city gates, and he encouraged them by saying this to them:
And he appointed captains of war over the people, and they were gathered to [meet] him to the open place of the gate of the valley, and he encouraged them, saying,
7 “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged on account of the king of Assyria and the huge army that is with him, because [Yahweh] is with us, and his [power] is greater than their [power].
Be strong and courageous, and fear not, neither be dismayed before the King of Assyria, and before all the nation that [is] with him: for [there are] more with us than with him.
8 They have to rely on the power of humans, but we have Yahweh our God to help us and to fight battles for us.” So the people became more confident because of what Hezekiah, the king of Judah, said.
With him [are] arms of flesh; but with us [is] the Lord our God to save [us], and to fight our battle. And the people were encouraged at the words of Ezekias king of Juda.
9 Later, when Sennacherib and all his soldiers were surrounding Lachish [city], he sent some officers to Jerusalem to give this message to King Hezekiah and to all the people of Judah who were there:
And afterward Sennacherim king of the Assyrians sent his servants to Jerusalem; and [he went] himself against Lachis, and all his army with him, and sent to Ezekias king of Juda, and to all Juda that [was] in Jerusalem, saying,
10 “[I am] Sennacherib, the [great] king of Assyria, [and] this is what I say: 'While you are staying in Jerusalem, my soldiers are surrounding the city. So why [RHQ] are you so confident?
Thus says Sennacherim king of the Assyrians, On what do you trust, that you will remain in the siege in Jerusalem?
11 Hezekiah says to you, “Yahweh our God will save us from [being defeated by the army of] the king of Assyria,” but he is misleading you. He wants you to die from having no food or water.
Does not Ezekias deceive you, to deliver you to death and famine and thirst, saying, The Lord our God will deliver us out of the hand of the king of Assyria?
12 Isn’t Hezekiah the one who told his men to get rid of your god Yahweh’s shrines and altars on the hilltops, saying to [you people of] Jerusalem and other places in Judah, “You must worship at only one altar and burn sacrifices on only that altar”?
Is not this Ezekias who has taken down his altars and his high places and has spoken to Juda and the dwellers in Jerusalem, saying, You shall worship before this altar and burn incense upon it?
13 'Do you people not know what I and my ancestors have done to all the people-groups in other countries? [We destroyed them all, and] none of the gods of those nations were ever able to prevent my [troops] from conquering them! So how can your god prevent my soldiers from conquering you?
Know you not what I and my fathers have done to all the nations of the countries? Could the gods of the nations of all the earth at all rescue their people out of my hand?
Who is there among all the gods of those nations whom my fathers utterly destroyed, [worthy of trust]? Could they deliver their people out of my hand, that your God should deliver you out of my hand?
15 So do not allow Hezekiah to deceive you like this. Do not believe what he says, because no god of any nation or kingdom has ever been able to rescue his people from being conquered by my army and the armies of my ancestors. So certainly your god will not be able to rescue you from my power'.”
Now then, let not Ezekias deceive you, and let him not make you thus confident, and believe him not: for no god of any kingdom or nation is at all able to deliver his people out of my hand, or the hand of my fathers: therefore your God shall not deliver you out of my hand.
16 Sennacherib’s officers said more things to belittle Yahweh the God of the Israelis and Hezekiah, who served God [well].
And his servants continued to speak against the Lord God, and against his servant Ezekias.
17 King Sennacherib wrote more letters insulting Yahweh, the God whom the Israelis [belonged to/worshiped]. He said things like this: “The gods [worshiped by] the people-groups in other countries did not rescue their people from my power. Similarly, the god of Hezekiah will not rescue his people from my power.”
And he wrote a letter to reproach the Lord God of Israel, and spoke concerning him, saying, As the gods of the nations of the earth have not delivered their people out of my hand, so the God of Ezekias shall by no means deliver his people out of my hand.
18 Then King Sennachereb’s officers shouted in the Hebrew language to the people who were on the wall, in order to cause them to be terrified, thinking that as a result the army of Assyria could capture the city [without a battle].
And he cried with a loud voice in the Jews' language to the people of Jerusalem on the wall, [calling them] to assist them, and pull down [the walls], that they might take the city.
19 They belittled the God [worshiped by the people] of Jerusalem as they belittled the gods of the other people-groups of the world—saying that they were only [idols] made by humans.
And he spoke against the God of Jerusalem, even as against the gods of the nations of the earth, the works of the hands of men.
20 Then King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah cried out to God, praying about this.
And king Ezekias and Esaias the prophet the son of Amos prayed concerning these things, and they cried to heaven.
21 And [that night] Yahweh sent an angel who killed all the soldiers of Assyria and their leaders and their officers in the place where the king of Assyria and his army had set up their tents. So the king of Assyria left and returned to his own country, very disgraced. And one day when he went into the temple of his god, some of his sons struck him with their swords and killed him.
And the Lord sent an angel, and he destroyed every mighty man and warrior, and leader and captain in the camp of the king of Assyria: and he returned with shame of face to his own land and came into the house of his god: and [some] of them that came out of his bowels killed him with the sword.
22 That is how Yahweh rescued Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem from the power of Sennacherib, the king of Assyria, and from their other enemies. Yahweh took care of them (OR, gave them peace) everywhere in the country.
So the Lord delivered Ezekias and the dwellers in Jerusalem out of the hand of Sennacherim King of Assyria, and out of the hand of all [his enemies], and gave them rest round about.
23 Many people brought offerings for Yahweh to Jerusalem, and also brought valuable gifts for King Hezekiah. And from that time, Hezekiah was highly respected/honored by the people of all the other nations.
And many brought gifts to the Lord to Jerusalem, and presents to Ezekias king of Juda; and he was exalted in the eyes of all the nations after these things.
24 About that time, Hezekiah became very ill. He was about to die. But he prayed to Yahweh, and Yahweh answered his prayer. He performed a miracle [and healed Hezekiah].
In those days Ezekias was sick even to death, and prayed to the Lord: and he listened to him, and gave him a sign.
25 But Hezekiah [SYN] was very proud, and he did not thank Yahweh for being kind to him. Therefore Yahweh was angry with him and [and punished him] and [the people of] Jerusalem and other places in Judah.
But Ezekias did not recompense the Lord according to the return which he made him, but his heart was lifted up: and wrath came upon him, and upon Juda and Jerusalem.
26 Then Hezekiah said that he was sorry for being proud, and the people of Jerusalem also said that they were sorry [for their sins]. So Yahweh did not punish them during the remaining years that Hezekiah [was their king].
And Ezekias humbled himself after the exaltation of his heart, he and the dwellers in Jerusalem; and the wrath of the Lord did not come upon them in the days of Ezekias.
27 Hezekiah became very rich and was greatly honored. His [workers] made storerooms for his silver and gold, and for his very valuable stones, and for spices and shields and other valuable things.
And Ezekias had wealth and very great glory: and he made for himself treasuries of gold, and silver, and precious stones, also for spices, and stores for arms, and for precious vessels;
28 [His workers] also built buildings to store the grain and wine and [olive] oil [that people produced and brought to him]. They also made stalls for various kinds of cattle and pens for his flocks [of sheep and goats].
and cities for the produce of corn, and wine, and oil; and stalls and mangers for every [kind of] cattle, and folds for flocks;
29 They built towns and acquired for the king many flocks [of sheep and goats] and herds [of cattle], because God had enabled him to become very rich.
and cities which he built for himself, and store of sheep and oxen in abundance, for the Lord gave him a very great store.
30 Hezekiah was the one who told his workers to block the place where the water flows out of the Gihon Spring, and to build a tunnel through which the water flowed to the west side of the area called ‘The City of David’. He was able to do everything that he wanted to do.
The same Ezekias stopped up the course of the water of Gion above, and brought the water down straight south of the city of David. And Ezekias prospered in all his works.
31 But when messengers who were sent by the rulers of Babylon came and asked about the miracle that God had performed for him, God allowed Hezekiah to say what he himself wanted to say, in order to test [whether or not Hezekiah would admit that God had performed a miracle].
Notwithstanding, in regard to the ambassadors of the princes of Babylon, who were sent to him to enquire of him [concerning] the prodigy which came upon the land, the Lord left him, to try him, to know what was in his heart.
32 A record of the other things that happened while Hezekiah was ruling, and the things that he did to please God, is on the scroll in which is written the vision that [Yahweh gave to] the prophet Isaiah. It is also written in the scroll called ‘The History of the Kings of Judah and Israel’.
And the rest of the acts of Ezekias, and his kindness, behold, they are written in the prophecy of Esaias the son of Amos the prophet, and in the book of the kings of Juda and Israel.
33 When Hezekiah died, he was buried in the tombs where the most respected kings [of Judah] were buried. Everyone in Jerusalem and other places in Judah honored him. Then his son Manasseh became the king.
And Ezekias slept with his fathers, and they buried him in a high place among the sepulchres of the sons of David: and all Juda and the dwellers in Jerusalem gave him glory and honor at his death. And Manasses his son reigned in his stead.
