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

When Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come and that he intended to fight against 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 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 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?'

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 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 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 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,

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 '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 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 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.

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 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,

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 '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 relying on in order to endure a siege in 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?

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 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?

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 '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?

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 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?

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 '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!'

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

Sennacherib's servants spoke even more against Yahweh God and against 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 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 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,

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

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

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 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;

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 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.

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 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;

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 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 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 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.

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

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

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

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;

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 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,

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 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.

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 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 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.