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.
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.
2 When Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come [with his army] and that they intended to attack Jerusalem,
And Hezekiah sees that Sennacherib has come, and his face [is] to the battle 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 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,
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?”
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 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.
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 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,
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, 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.
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 [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.
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:
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,
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 said Sennacherib king of Asshur: On what are you trusting and abiding in the bulwark 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.
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?
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”?
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?
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?
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?
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?
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'.”
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!”
16 Sennacherib’s officers said more things to belittle Yahweh the God of the Israelis and Hezekiah, who served God [well].
And again his servants have spoken against YHWH God and against His servant Hezekiah,
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 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.”
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 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,
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 they speak against the God of Jerusalem as against the gods of the peoples of the land—work of the hands of man.
20 Then King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah cried out to God, praying about this.
And Hezekiah the king prays, and Isaiah son of Amoz the prophet, concerning this, and they cry to the heavens,
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 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.
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.
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;
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 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.
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 Hezekiah has been sick even to death, and he prays to YHWH, and He speaks to him and has appointed a wonder for him;
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.
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;
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 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.
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 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,
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 storehouses for the increase of grain, and new wine, and oil, and stalls for all kinds of livestock, and herds for stalls;
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 he has made cities for himself, and possessions of flocks and herds in abundance, for God has given very much substance to him.
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.
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;
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].
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.
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 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.
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 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.
