2 Chronicles 32

1 Aftir whiche thingis and sich treuthe, Senacherib, the kyng of Assiriens, cam and entride in to Juda; and he bisegide stronge citees, and wolde take tho.

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 And whanne Ezechie hadde herd this thing, that is, that Senacherib was comun, and that al the fersnesse of batel was turned ayens Jerusalem,

When Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come and that he intended to fight against Jerusalem,

3 he took counsel with the princes and strongest men, that thei schulden stoppe the heedis of wellis, that weren without the citee; and whanne the sentence of alle men demyde this,

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 he gaderide togidere a ful greet multitude, and thei stoppiden alle the wellis, and the ryuer, that flowide in the myddis of the lond; and seiden, Lest the kyngis of Assiriens comen, and fynden abundance of watris.

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 Also he dide wittili, and bildide al the wal that was distride, and he bildide touris aboue, and an other wal withoutforth. And he reparilide Mello in the citee of Dauid; and made armure of al kynde, and scheldis.

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 And he ordeynede princes of werriouris in the oost; and he clepide togidere alle men in the street of the yate of the citee, and spake to the herte of hem,

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 and seide, Do ye manli, and be ye coumfortid; nyle ye drede, nether be ye aferd of the kyng of Assiriens, and of al the multitude which is with him; for many mo ben with vs 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 Fleischli arm is with him; `oure Lord God is with vs, which is oure helpere, and schal fiyte for vs. And the puple was coumfortid with sich wordis of Ezechie, kyng of Juda.

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 And aftir that these thingis weren doon, Sennacherib sente hise seruauntis to Jerusalem; for he `with al the oost bisegide Lachis. He sente to Ezechie, kyng of Juda, and to al the puple that was in the citee,

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 and seide, Sennacherib, the kyng of Assiriens, seith these thingis, In whom han ye trist, and sitten bisegid in Jerusalem?

“This is what Sennacherib, king of Assyria, says: What are you relying on in order to endure a siege in Jerusalem?

11 Whether Ezechie disseyueth you, that he bitake you to deeth in hungur and thirst, and affermeth, that `youre Lord God schal delyuere you fro the hond of the kyng of Assyriens?

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 Whether not this is Ezechie, that distriede hiy places, and auteris of hym, and comaundide to Juda and to Jerusalem, and seide, Ye schulen worschipe bifor oon auter, and therynne ye schulen brenne encense?

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 Whether ye witen not what thingis Y haue do, and my fadir, to alle the puplis of londis? Whether the goddis of folkis and of alle londis myyten delyuere her cuntrei fro myn hond?

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 Who is of alle goddis of folkis, whiche my fadris distrieden, that myyte delyuere his puple fro myn hond, that also youre God may delyuere you fro this hond?

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 Therfor Ezechie disseyue not you, nether scorne bi veyn counselyng, nethir bileue ye to hym; for if no god of alle folkis and cuntreis myyte delyuere his puple fro myn hond, and fro the hond of my fadris, suyngli nether youre God schal mowe delyuere you fro this myn hond.

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 But also hise seruauntis spaken many othir thingis ayenus the Lord God, and ayens Ezechie, his seruaunte.

Sennacherib's servants spoke even more against Yahweh God and against his servant Hezekiah.

17 Also he wroot epistlis ful of blasfemye ayens the Lord God of Israel, and he spak ayens God, As the goddis of othere folkis myyten not delyuere her puple fro myn hond, so and the God of Ezechie may not delyuere his puple fro myn hond.

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 Ferthermore and with greet cry in the langage of Jewis he sownede ayens the puple, that sat on the wallis of Jerusalem, to make hem aferd, and to take the citee.

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 And he spake ayens God of Israel, as ayens the goddis of the puplis of erthe, the werkis of mennus hondis.

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 Therfor Ezechie, the kyng, and Ysaie, the profete, the sone of Amos, preieden ayens this blasfemye, and crieden til in to heuene.

Hezekiah, the king, and Isaiah son of Amoz, the prophet, prayed because of this matter and he cried out to heaven.

21 And the Lord sente his aungel, that killide ech strong man and werriour, and the prince of the oost of the kyng of Assiriens; and he turnede ayen with schenship `in to his lond. And whanne he hadde entrid in to the hows of his god, the sones, that yeden out of his wombe, killiden hym with swerd.

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 And the Lord sauyde Ezechie, and the dwelleris of Jerusalem, fro the hond of Senacherib, kyng of Assiriens, and fro the hond of alle men; and yaf to hem reste bi cumpas.

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 Also many men brouyten offryngis and sacrifices to the Lord in to Jerusalem, and yiftis to Ezechie, kyng of Juda; which was enhaunsid aftir these thingis bifor alle folkis.

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 In tho daies Ezechie was sijk `til to the deth, and he preiede the Lord; and he herde hym, and yaf to hym a signe;

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 he yeldide not bi the benefices whiche he hadde take, for his herte was reisid; and ire was maad ayens hym, and ayens Juda, and ayens 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 And he was mekid aftirward, for his herte was reisid; bothe he was mekid, and the dwelleris of Jerusalem; and therfor the ire of the Lord cam not on hem in the daies of Ezechie.

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 Forsothe Ezechie was riche, and ful noble, and gaderide to hym silf ful many tresours of siluer, of gold, and of preciouse stoon, of swete smellynge spices, and of armuris of al kynde, and of vessels of greet prijs.

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 Also he bildide large housis of wheete, of wyn, and of oile, and cratchis of alle beestis,

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 and fooldis to scheep, and sixe citees. For he hadde vnnoumbrable flockis of scheep and of grete beestis; for the Lord hadde youe to hym ful myche catel.

In addition, he provided himself with cities and possessions of flocks and herds in abundance, for God had given him very much wealth.

30 Thilke is Ezechie, that stoppide the hiyere welle of the watris of Gion, and turnede tho awei vndur the erthe at the west of the citee of Dauid; in alle hise werkis he dide `bi prosperite, what euer thing he wolde.

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 Netheles in the message of the princes of Babiloyne, that weren sent to hym for to axe of the grete wondir, that bifelde on the lond, God forsook hym, that he were temptid, and that alle thingis weren knowun that weren in his herte.

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 Sotheli the residue of wordis of Ezechie, and of hise mercies, ben writun in the profesie of Ysaie, the profete, sone of Amos, and in the book of kyngis of Juda and of 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 And Ezechie slepte with hise fadris, and thei birieden hym aboue the sepulcris of the sones of Dauid. And al Juda and alle the dwelleris of Jerusalem maden solempne the seruyces of his biriyng; and Manasses, his sone, regnide for him.

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.