2 Chronicles 32
Christian Standard Bible Anglicised
Sennacherib’s Invasion
32 After Hezekiah’s faithful deeds, King Sennacherib of Assyria came and entered Judah. He laid siege to the fortified cities and intended[a] to break into them.(A) 2 Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come and that he planned[b] war on Jerusalem, 3 so he consulted with his officials and his warriors about stopping up the water of the springs that were outside the city, and they helped him. 4 Many people gathered and stopped up all the springs(B) and the stream that flowed through the land;(C) they said, ‘Why should the kings of Assyria come and find abundant water? ’ 5 Then Hezekiah strengthened his position by rebuilding the entire broken-down wall(D) and heightening the towers and the other outside wall.(E) He repaired the supporting terraces(F) of the city of David, and made an abundance of weapons and shields.
6 He set military commanders over the people and gathered the people in the square of the city gate. Then he encouraged them,[c](G) saying, 7 ‘Be strong and courageous!(H) Don’t be afraid or discouraged before the king of Assyria or before the large army that is with him, for there are more with us than with him.(I) 8 He has only human strength,[d] but we have the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles.’(J) So the people relied on the words of King Hezekiah of Judah.
Sennacherib’s Servant’s Speech
9 After this,(K) while King Sennacherib of Assyria with all his armed forces besieged[e] Lachish, he sent his servants to Jerusalem against King Hezekiah of Judah and against all those of Judah who were in Jerusalem, saying, 10 ‘This is what King Sennacherib of Assyria says: “What are you relying on that you remain in Jerusalem under siege? 11 Isn’t Hezekiah misleading you to give you over to death by famine and thirst when he says, ‘The Lord our God will keep us from the grasp of the king of Assyria’? 12 Didn’t Hezekiah himself remove his high places and his altars(L) and say to Judah and Jerusalem, ‘You must worship before one altar, and you must burn incense on it’?
13 ‘ “Don’t you know(M) what I and my predecessors have done to all the peoples of the lands? Have any of the national gods of the lands been able to rescue their land from my power? 14 Who among all the gods of these nations that my predecessors completely destroyed was able to rescue his people from my power, that your God should be able to deliver you from my power?(N) 15 So now,(O) don’t let Hezekiah deceive you, and don’t let him mislead you like this. Don’t believe him, for no god of any nation or kingdom has been able to rescue his people from my power or the power of my predecessors. How much less will your God rescue you from my power! ” ’
16 His servants said more against the Lord God and against his servant Hezekiah. 17 He also wrote letters to mock the Lord, the God of Israel, saying against him:
Just like the national gods of the lands that did not rescue their people from my power, so Hezekiah’s God will not rescue his people from my power.(P)
18 Then they called out loudly in Hebrew[f] to the people of Jerusalem, who were on the wall, to frighten and discourage them in order that he might capture the city. 19 They spoke against the God of Jerusalem as they had spoken against the gods of the peoples of the earth, which were made by human hands.
Deliverance from Sennacherib
20 King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz prayed about this and cried out to heaven,(Q) 21 and the Lord sent an angel who annihilated every valiant warrior, leader, and commander in the camp of the king of Assyria. So the king of Assyria returned in disgrace to his land. He went to the temple of his god, and there some of his own children struck him down with the sword.(R)
22 So the Lord saved Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the power of King Sennacherib of Assyria and from the power of all others. He gave them rest[g](S) on every side. 23 Many were bringing an offering to the Lord to Jerusalem and valuable gifts to King Hezekiah of Judah, and he was exalted in the eyes of all the nations after that.(T)
Hezekiah’s Illness and Pride
24 In those days Hezekiah became ill to the point of death, so he prayed to the Lord, who spoke to him and gave him a miraculous sign.(U) 25 However, because his heart was proud,(V) Hezekiah didn’t respond according to the benefit that had come to him. So there was wrath on him, Judah, and Jerusalem.(W) 26 Then Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart – he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem – so the Lord’s wrath didn’t come(X) on them during Hezekiah’s lifetime.(Y)
Hezekiah’s Wealth and Works
27 Hezekiah had abundant riches and glory, and he made himself treasuries for silver, gold, precious stones, spices, shields, and every desirable item. 28 He made warehouses for the harvest of grain, new wine, and fresh oil, and stalls for all kinds of cattle, and pens for flocks. 29 He made cities for himself, and he acquired vast numbers of flocks and herds, for God gave him abundant possessions.
30 This same Hezekiah blocked the upper outlet of the water from the Gihon Spring(Z) and channelled it smoothly downwards and westwards to the city of David.(AA) Hezekiah succeeded in everything he did. 31 When the ambassadors of Babylon’s rulers(AB) were sent[h] to him to enquire about the miraculous sign(AC) that happened in the land, God left him to test him and discover what was in his heart.(AD)
Hezekiah’s Death
32 As for the rest of the events(AE) of Hezekiah’s reign and his deeds of faithful love, note that they are written in the Visions of the Prophet Isaiah son of Amoz,(AF) and in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel.(AG) 33 Hezekiah rested with his ancestors and was buried on the ascent to the tombs of David’s descendants. All Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem paid him honour at his death. His son Manasseh became king in his place.
2 Chronicles 32
Jubilee Bible 2000
32 ¶ After these things and after this faithfulness, Sennacherib king of Assyria came, and entered into Judah, and encamped against the fenced cities and thought to break them up.
2 And when Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib was come and that he was purposed to fight against Jerusalem,
3 he took counsel with his princes and his mighty men to stop the waters of the fountains which were outside the city, and they helped him.
4 So many people gathered together, and they stopped up all the fountains and the brook that ran through the midst of the land, saying, Why should the kings of Assyria come and find much water?
5 Also he strengthened himself and built up all the wall that was broken and caused the towers to be raised up, and another wall outside, and repaired Millo in the city of David, and made swords and shields in abundance.
6 And he set captains of war over the people and gathered them together to him in the plaza of the gate of the city and spoke unto their heart, saying,
7 Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid nor dismayed for the king of Assyria nor for all the multitude that is with him, for there are more with us than with him.
8 With him is an arm of flesh, but with us is the LORD our God to help us and to fight our battles. And the people were upheld by the words of Hezekiah, king of Judah.
9 ¶ After this Sennacherib, king of Assyria, sent his slaves to Jerusalem (but he himself laid siege against Lachish, and all his power with him) unto Hezekiah king of Judah, and unto all Judah that were at Jerusalem, saying,
10 Thus hath said Sennacherib, king of Assyria, In whom do ye trust that ye abide in the siege in Jerusalem?
11 Does not Hezekiah deceive you to give yourselves over to die by famine and by thirst, saying, The LORD our God shall deliver us out of the hand of the king of Assyria?
12 Has not the same Hezekiah taken away his high places and his altars and commanded Judah and Jerusalem, saying, Ye shall worship before one altar and burn incense upon it?
13 Have ye not known what I and my fathers have done unto all the people of other lands? Could peradventure the gods of the Gentiles of those lands deliver their lands out of my hand?
14 Who was there among all the gods of those Gentiles that my fathers utterly destroyed that could deliver his people out of my hands? Why should your God be able to deliver you out of my hand?
15 Now, therefore, do not let Hezekiah deceive you nor persuade you in this matter neither believe him, for no god of any nation or kingdom was able to deliver his people out of my hands and out of the hands of my fathers; how much less shall your God deliver you out of my hand?
16 And his slaves spoke yet more against the LORD God and against his slave Hezekiah.
17 In addition to this, he wrote letters that blasphemed the LORD God of Israel and spoke against him, saying, As the gods of the Gentiles of other lands could not deliver their people out of my hand, neither shall the God of Hezekiah deliver his people out of my hand.
18 Then they cried with a loud voice in the Jews’ speech unto the people of Jerusalem that were on the wall, to make them afraid and to trouble them, that they might take the city.
19 And they spoke against the God of Jerusalem as against the gods of the peoples of the earth, which were the work of the hands of man.
20 And for this cause Hezekiah, the king, and the prophet Isaiah, the son of Amoz, prayed and cried to heaven.
21 And the LORD sent an angel who cut off all the mighty men of valour and the captains and the princes in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he returned with shame of face to his own land. And as he entered into the house of his god, those that had come forth of his own bowels slew him there with the sword.
22 Thus, the LORD saved Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hands of Sennacherib, the king of Assyria, and from the hands of all others and guided them concerning everything.
23 And many brought a present unto the LORD to Jerusalem and precious gifts unto Hezekiah, king of Judah, so that he was magnified in the sight of all the Gentiles from then on.
24 ¶ In those days Hezekiah was sick unto the death and prayed to the LORD, who responded to him and gave him a sign.
25 But Hezekiah did not render again according to the benefit done unto him, for his heart lifted itself up; therefore there was wrath against him and against Judah and Jerusalem.
26 Notwithstanding, Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart, both he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the wrath of the LORD did not come upon them in the days of Hezekiah.
27 And Hezekiah had exceedingly great riches and honour, and he made himself treasures of silver and of gold and of precious stones and of spices and of shields and of all manner of pleasant vessels,
28 storehouses also for the increase of grain and wine and oil and stalls for all manner of beasts and places for cattle.
29 Moreover, he made himself cities and possessions of sheep and cows in abundance, for God had given him great substance.
30 This same Hezekiah also stopped the upper watercourse of Gihon and brought it straight down to the west side of the city of David. And Hezekiah was prospered in all that he did.
31 However, because of the ambassadors {Heb. scorners} of the princes of Babylon, who sent unto him to enquire of the wonder that had happened in the land, God left him, to try him, that he might know all that was in his heart.
32 Now the rest of the acts of Hezekiah and his mercy, behold, they are written in the vision of Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, and in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.
33 And Hezekiah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the chiefest of the sepulchres of the sons of David; and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem did him honour at his death. And Manasseh, his son, reigned in his stead.
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