2 Chronicles
Chapter Thirty-Two
1 ¶ After these deeds
of faithfulness, Sennacherib king of Assyria came and entered Judah; he encamped
against the fortified cities, thinking to win them over to himself.
2 And when Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come, and that his purpose was
to make war against Jerusalem,
3 he consulted with his leaders and commanders to stop the water from the springs
which were outside the city; and they helped him.
4 Thus many people gathered together who stopped all the springs and the brook
that ran through the land, saying, "Why should the kings of Assyria come
and find much water?"
5 And he strengthened himself, built up all the wall that was broken, raised
it up to the towers, and built another wall outside; also he repaired the Millo
in the City of David, and made weapons and shields in abundance.
6 Then he set military captains over the people, gathered them together to him
in the open square of the city gate, and gave them encouragement, saying,
7 "Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid nor dismayed before the king
of Assyria, nor before 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 strengthened by the words
of Hezekiah king of Judah.
9 ¶ After this Sennacherib king of Assyria sent his servants to Jerusalem
(but he and all the forces with him laid siege against Lachish), to Hezekiah
king of Judah, and to all Judah who were in Jerusalem, saying,
10 "Thus says Sennacherib king of Assyria: 'In what do you trust, that
you remain under siege in Jerusalem?
11 'Does not Hezekiah persuade you to give yourselves over to die by famine
and by thirst, saying, "The LORD our God will deliver us from 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, "You shall worship before one altar
and burn incense on it"?
13 'Do you not know what I and my fathers have done to all the peoples of other
lands? Were the gods of the nations of those lands in any way able to deliver
their lands out of my hand?
14 'Who was there among all the gods of those nations that my fathers utterly
destroyed that could deliver his people from my hand, that your God should be
able to deliver you from my hand?
15 'Now therefore, do not let Hezekiah deceive you or persuade you like this,
and do not believe him; for no god of any nation or kingdom was able to deliver
his people from my hand or the hand of my fathers. How much less will your God
deliver you from my hand?'"
16 Furthermore, his servants spoke against the LORD God and against His servant
Hezekiah.
17 He also wrote letters to revile the LORD God of Israel, and to speak against
Him, saying, "As the gods of the nations of other lands have not delivered
their people from my hand, so the God of Hezekiah will not deliver His people
from my hand."
18 Then they called out with a loud voice in Hebrew to the people of Jerusalem
who were on the wall, to frighten them and trouble them, that they might take
the city.
19 And they spoke against the God of Jerusalem, as against the gods of the people
of the earth-the work of men's hands.
20 Now because of this King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah, the son of Amoz,
prayed and cried out to heaven.
21 Then the LORD sent an angel who cut down every mighty man of valor, leader,
and captain in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he returned shamefaced to
his own land. And when he had gone into the temple of his god, some of his own
offspring struck him down with the sword there.
22 Thus the LORD saved Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hand
of Sennacherib the king of Assyria, and from the hand of all others, and guided
them on every side.
23 And many brought gifts to the LORD at Jerusalem, and presents to Hezekiah
king of Judah, so that he was exalted in the sight of all nations thereafter.
24 ¶ In those days Hezekiah was sick and near death, and he prayed to the
LORD; and He spoke to him and gave him a sign.
25 But Hezekiah did not repay according to the favor shown him, for his heart
was lifted up; therefore wrath was looming over him and over Judah and Jerusalem.
26 Then Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart, he and the inhabitants
of Jerusalem, so that the wrath of the LORD did not come upon them in the days
of Hezekiah.
27 Hezekiah had very great riches and honor. And he made himself treasuries
for silver, for gold, for precious stones, for spices, for shields, and for
all kinds of desirable items;
28 storehouses for the harvest of grain, wine, and oil; and stalls for all kinds
of livestock, and folds for flocks.
29 Moreover he provided cities for himself, and possessions of flocks and herds
in abundance; for God had given him very much property.
30 This same Hezekiah also stopped the water outlet of Upper Gihon, and brought
the water by tunnel to the west side of the City of David. Hezekiah prospered
in all his works.
31 However, regarding the ambassadors of the princes of Babylon, whom they sent
to him to inquire about the wonder that was done in the land, God withdrew from
him, in order to test him, that He might know all that was in his heart.
32 Now the rest of the acts of Hezekiah, and his goodness, indeed 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 So Hezekiah rested with his fathers, and they buried him in the upper tombs
of the sons of David; and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem honored
him at his death. Then Manasseh his son reigned in his place.
Go to Chapter Thirty-Three
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