2 Chronicles 32

1 After these things and this truth, come hath Sennacherib king of Asshur, yea, he cometh in to Judah, and encampeth against the cities of the bulwarks, and saith to rend them unto himself.

After Hezekiah's faithful work, Sennacherib, king of Assyria, invaded Judah and attacked its fortified towns, planning to conquer them for himself.

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

When Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come to attack Jerusalem,

3 and he taketh 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 talked with his army commanders about blocking up the water sources that lay outside the city. This is what they did.

4 and much 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?'

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.

5 And he strengtheneth himself, and buildeth the whole of the wall that is broken, and causeth [it] to ascend unto the towers, and at the outside of the wall another, and strengtheneth Millo, [in] the city of David, and maketh darts in abundance, and shields.

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.

6 And he putteth heads of war over the people, and gathereth them unto him, unto the broad place of a gate of the city, and speaketh unto their heart, saying,

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,

7 'Be strong and courageous, be not 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 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.

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

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.

9 After this hath Sennacherib king of Asshur 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,

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.

10 'Thus said Sennacherib king of Asshur, On what are ye trusting and abiding in the bulwark, in Jerusalem?

“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?

11 'Is not Hezekiah persuading you, to give you up to die by famine, and by thirst, saying, Jehovah our God doth deliver us from the hand of the king of Asshur?

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’?

12 Hath not Hezekiah himself turned aside His high places, and His altars, and speaketh to Judah and to Jerusalem, saying, Before one altar ye bow yourselves, and on it ye make perfume?

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’?

13 'Do ye 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?

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!

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

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?

15 'And, now, let not 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 doth not deliver you from my hand!'

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!”

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

Sennacherib's officers continued criticizing the Lord God and his servant Hezekiah.

17 and letters he hath written to give reproach to Jehovah, 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 doth not deliver His people from my hand.'

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.”

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,

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.

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 talked about the God of Jerusalem like they did about the gods of the other nations, gods made by human beings.

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

King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah, son of Amoz, appealed about this in prayer to the God of heaven.

21 and Jehovah sendeth a messenger, and cutteth off every mighty one of valour — both leader and head — in the camp of the king of Asshur, and he turneth back with shame of face to his land, and entereth the house of his god, and those coming out of his bowels have caused him to fall there by the sword.

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.

22 And Jehovah saveth Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib king of Asshur, and from the hand of all, and He leadeth them round about;

The Lord saved Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem from King Sennacherib of Assyria and all other enemies, giving them peace in every direction.

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

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.

24 In those days hath Hezekiah been sick even unto death, and he prayeth unto Jehovah, and He speaketh to him, and a wonder hath appointed for him;

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.

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

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.

26 and Hezekiah is humbled for the loftiness of his heart, he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the wrath of Jehovah hath not come upon them in the days of Hezekiah.

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.

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

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.

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

He constructed buildings to store supplies of grain, new wine, and olive oil, and stalls for all kinds of animals, including cattle and sheep.

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

He built many towns, and he owned large herds of cattle and flocks of sheep, for God had made him very wealthy.

30 And Hezekiah himself hath stopped the upper source of the waters of Gihon, and directeth them beneath to the west of the city of David, and Hezekiah prospereth in all his work;

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.

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

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.

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

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.

33 And Hezekiah lieth with his fathers, and they bury him in the uppermost of the graves of the sons of David, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem have done honour to him at his death, and reign doth Manasseh his son in his stead.

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.