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2 Chronicles 32-33
New King James Version

Sennacherib Boasts Against the Lord(A)

32 After (B)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 [a]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 (C)springs and the brook that ran through the land, saying, “Why should the [b]kings of Assyria come and find much water?” 5 And (D)he strengthened himself, (E)built up all the wall that was broken, raised it up to the towers, and built another wall outside; also he repaired [c]the (F)Millo in the City of David, and made [d]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 (G)gave them encouragement, saying, 7 (H)“Be strong and courageous; (I)do not be afraid nor dismayed before the king of Assyria, nor before all the multitude that is with him; for (J)there are more with us than with him. 8 With him is an (K)arm of flesh; but (L)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 (M)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 (N)“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, (O)“The Lord our God will deliver us from the hand of the king of Assyria”? 12 (P)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 (Q)it”? 13 Do you not know what I and my fathers have done to all the peoples of other lands? (R)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 (S)hand? 15 Now therefore, (T)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, (U)“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 (V)hand.” 18 (W)Then they called out with a loud voice in [e]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—(X)the work of men’s hands.

Sennacherib’s Defeat and Death(Y)

20 (Z)Now because of this King Hezekiah and (AA)the prophet Isaiah, the son of Amoz, prayed and cried out to heaven. 21 (AB)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 (AC)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 [f]guided them on every side. 23 And many brought gifts to the Lord at Jerusalem, and (AD)presents[g] to Hezekiah king of Judah, so that he was (AE)exalted in the sight of all nations thereafter.

Hezekiah Humbles Himself(AF)

24 (AG)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 (AH)did not repay according to the favor shown him, for (AI)his heart was lifted up; (AJ)therefore wrath was looming over him and over Judah and Jerusalem. 26 (AK)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 (AL)in the days of Hezekiah.

Hezekiah’s Wealth and Honor(AM)

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 [h]folds for flocks. 29 Moreover he provided cities for himself, and possessions of flocks and herds in abundance; for (AN)God had given him very much property. 30 (AO)This same Hezekiah also stopped the water outlet of Upper Gihon, and [i]brought the water by tunnel to the west side of the City of David. Hezekiah (AP)prospered in all his works.

31 However, regarding the ambassadors of the princes of Babylon, whom they (AQ)sent to him to inquire about the wonder that was done in the land, God withdrew from him, in order to (AR)test him, that He might know all that was in his heart.

Death of Hezekiah

32 Now the rest of the acts of Hezekiah, and his goodness, indeed they are written in (AS)the vision of Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, and in the (AT)book of the kings of Judah and Israel. 33 (AU)So Hezekiah [j]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 (AV)honored him at his death. Then Manasseh his son reigned in his place.

Manasseh Reigns in Judah(AW)

33 Manasseh (AX)was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem. 2 But he did evil in the sight of the Lord, according to the (AY)abominations of the nations whom the Lord had cast out before the children of Israel. 3 For he rebuilt the [k]high places which Hezekiah his father had (AZ)broken down; he raised up altars for the Baals, and (BA)made wooden images; and he worshiped (BB)all [l]the host of heaven and served them. 4 He also built altars in the house of the Lord, of which the Lord had said, (BC)“In Jerusalem shall My name be forever.” 5 And he built altars for all the host of heaven (BD)in the two courts of the house of the Lord. 6 (BE)Also he caused his sons to pass through the fire in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom; he practiced (BF)soothsaying, used witchcraft and sorcery, and (BG)consulted mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke Him to anger. 7 (BH)He even set a carved image, the idol which he had made, in the [m]house of God, of which God had said to David and to Solomon his son, (BI)“In this house and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put My name forever; 8 (BJ)and I will not again remove the foot of Israel from the land which I have appointed for your fathers—only if they are careful to do all that I have commanded them, according to the whole law and the statutes and the ordinances by the hand of Moses.” 9 So Manasseh seduced Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to do more evil than the nations whom the Lord had destroyed before the children of Israel.

Manasseh Restored After Repentance

10 And the Lord spoke to Manasseh and his people, but they would not [n]listen. 11 (BK)Therefore the Lord brought upon them the captains of the army of the king of Assyria, who took Manasseh with [o]hooks, (BL)bound him with [p]bronze fetters, and carried him off to Babylon. 12 Now when he was in affliction, he implored the Lord his God, and (BM)humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers, 13 and prayed to Him; and He (BN)received his entreaty, heard his supplication, and brought him back to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh (BO)knew that the Lord was God.

14 After this he built a wall outside the City of David on the west side of (BP)Gihon, in the valley, as far as the entrance of the Fish Gate; and it (BQ)enclosed Ophel, and he raised it to a very great height. Then he put military captains in all the fortified cities of Judah. 15 He took away (BR)the foreign gods and the idol from the house of the Lord, and all the altars that he had built in the mount of the house of the Lord and in Jerusalem; and he cast them out of the city. 16 He also repaired the altar of the Lord, sacrificed peace offerings and (BS)thank offerings on it, and commanded Judah to serve the Lord God of Israel. 17 (BT)Nevertheless the people still sacrificed on the [q]high places, but only to the Lord their God.

Death of Manasseh(BU)

18 Now the rest of the acts of Manasseh, his prayer to his God, and the words of (BV)the seers who spoke to him in the name of the Lord God of Israel, indeed they are written in the [r]book of the kings of Israel. 19 Also his prayer and how God received his entreaty, and all his sin and trespass, and the sites where he built [s]high places and set up wooden images and carved images, before he was humbled, indeed they are written among the sayings of [t]Hozai. 20 (BW)So Manasseh rested with his fathers, and they buried him in his own house. Then his son Amon reigned in his place.

Amon’s Reign and Death(BX)

21 (BY)Amon was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned two years in Jerusalem. 22 But he did evil in the sight of the Lord, as his father Manasseh had done; for Amon sacrificed to all the carved images which his father Manasseh had made, and served them. 23 And he did not humble himself before the Lord, (BZ)as his father Manasseh had humbled himself; but Amon trespassed more and more.

24 (CA)Then his servants conspired against him, and (CB)killed him in his own house. 25 But the people of the land executed all those who had conspired against King Amon. Then the people of the land made his son Josiah king in his place.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 32:3 Lit. mighty men
  2. 2 Chronicles 32:4 So with MT, Vg.; Arab., LXX, Syr. king
  3. 2 Chronicles 32:5 Lit. The Landfill
  4. 2 Chronicles 32:5 javelins
  5. 2 Chronicles 32:18 Lit. Judean
  6. 2 Chronicles 32:22 LXX gave them rest; Vg. gave them treasures
  7. 2 Chronicles 32:23 Lit. precious things
  8. 2 Chronicles 32:28 So with LXX, Vg.; Arab., Syr. omit folds for flocks; MT flocks for sheepfolds
  9. 2 Chronicles 32:30 Lit. brought it straight to (cf. 2 Kin. 20:20)
  10. 2 Chronicles 32:33 Died and joined his ancestors
  11. 2 Chronicles 33:3 Places for pagan worship
  12. 2 Chronicles 33:3 The gods of the Assyrians
  13. 2 Chronicles 33:7 Temple
  14. 2 Chronicles 33:10 obey
  15. 2 Chronicles 33:11 Nose hooks, 2 Kin. 19:28
  16. 2 Chronicles 33:11 chains
  17. 2 Chronicles 33:17 Places for pagan worship
  18. 2 Chronicles 33:18 Lit. words
  19. 2 Chronicles 33:19 Places for pagan worship
  20. 2 Chronicles 33:19 LXX the seers
Listen to 2 Chronicles 32-33
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2 Chronicles 32-33
New International Version

Sennacherib Threatens Jerusalem(A)(B)

32 After all that Hezekiah had so faithfully done, Sennacherib(C) king of Assyria came and invaded Judah. He laid siege to the fortified cities, thinking to conquer them for himself. 2 When Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come and that he intended to wage war against Jerusalem,(D) 3 he consulted with his officials and military staff about blocking off the water from the springs outside the city, and they helped him. 4 They gathered a large group of people who blocked all the springs(E) and the stream that flowed through the land. “Why should the kings[a] of Assyria come and find plenty of water?” they said. 5 Then he worked hard repairing all the broken sections of the wall(F) and building towers on it. He built another wall outside that one and reinforced the terraces[b](G) of the City of David. He also made large numbers of weapons(H) and shields.

6 He appointed military officers over the people and assembled them before him in the square at the city gate and encouraged them with these words: 7 “Be strong and courageous.(I) Do not be afraid or discouraged(J) because of the king of Assyria and the vast army with him, for there is a greater power with us than with him.(K) 8 With him is only the arm of flesh,(L) but with us(M) is the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles.”(N) And the people gained confidence from what Hezekiah the king of Judah said.

9 Later, when Sennacherib king of Assyria and all his forces were laying siege to Lachish,(O) he sent his officers to Jerusalem with this message for Hezekiah king of Judah and for all the people of Judah who were there:

10 “This is what Sennacherib king of Assyria says: On what are you basing your confidence,(P) that you remain in Jerusalem under siege? 11 When Hezekiah says, ‘The Lord our God will save us from the hand of the king of Assyria,’ he is misleading(Q) you, to let you die of hunger and thirst. 12 Did not Hezekiah himself remove this god’s high places and altars, saying to Judah and Jerusalem, ‘You must worship before one altar(R) and burn sacrifices on it’?

13 “Do you not know what I and my predecessors have done to all the peoples of the other lands? Were the gods of those nations ever able to deliver their land from my hand?(S) 14 Who of all the gods of these nations that my predecessors destroyed has been able to save his people from me? How then can your god deliver you from my hand? 15 Now do not let Hezekiah deceive(T) you and mislead you like this. Do not believe him, for no god of any nation or kingdom has been able to deliver(U) his people from my hand or the hand of my predecessors.(V) How much less will your god deliver you from my hand!”

16 Sennacherib’s officers spoke further against the Lord God and against his servant Hezekiah. 17 The king also wrote letters(W) ridiculing(X) the Lord, the God of Israel, and saying this against him: “Just as the gods(Y) of the peoples of the other lands did not rescue their people from my hand, so the god of Hezekiah will not rescue his people from my hand.” 18 Then they called out in Hebrew to the people of Jerusalem who were on the wall, to terrify them and make them afraid in order to capture the city. 19 They spoke about the God of Jerusalem as they did about the gods of the other peoples of the world—the work of human hands.(Z)

20 King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz cried out in prayer(AA) to heaven about this. 21 And the Lord sent an angel,(AB) who annihilated all the fighting men and the commanders and officers in the camp of the Assyrian king. So he withdrew to his own land in disgrace. And when he went into the temple of his god, some of his sons, his own flesh and blood, cut him down with the sword.(AC)

22 So the Lord saved Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib king of Assyria and from the hand of all others. He took care of them[c] on every side. 23 Many brought offerings to Jerusalem for the Lord and valuable gifts(AD) for Hezekiah king of Judah. From then on he was highly regarded by all the nations.

Hezekiah’s Pride, Success and Death(AE)

24 In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. He prayed to the Lord, who answered him and gave him a miraculous sign.(AF) 25 But Hezekiah’s heart was proud(AG) and he did not respond to the kindness shown him; therefore the Lord’s wrath(AH) was on him and on Judah and Jerusalem. 26 Then Hezekiah repented(AI) of the pride of his heart, as did the people of Jerusalem; therefore the Lord’s wrath did not come on them during the days of Hezekiah.(AJ)

27 Hezekiah had very great wealth and honor,(AK) and he made treasuries for his silver and gold and for his precious stones, spices, shields and all kinds of valuables. 28 He also made buildings to store the harvest of grain, new wine and olive oil; and he made stalls for various kinds of cattle, and pens for the flocks. 29 He built villages and acquired great numbers of flocks and herds, for God had given him very great riches.(AL)

30 It was Hezekiah who blocked(AM) the upper outlet of the Gihon(AN) spring and channeled(AO) the water down to the west side of the City of David. He succeeded in everything he undertook. 31 But when envoys were sent by the rulers of Babylon(AP) to ask him about the miraculous sign(AQ) that had occurred in the land, God left him to test(AR) him and to know everything that was in his heart.

32 The other events of Hezekiah’s reign and his acts of devotion are written in the vision of the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel. 33 Hezekiah rested with his ancestors and was buried on the hill where the tombs of David’s descendants are. All Judah and the people of Jerusalem honored him when he died. And Manasseh his son succeeded him as king.

Manasseh King of Judah(AS)(AT)

33 Manasseh(AU) was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-five years. 2 He did evil in the eyes of the Lord,(AV) following the detestable(AW) practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before the Israelites. 3 He rebuilt the high places his father Hezekiah had demolished; he also erected altars to the Baals and made Asherah poles.(AX) He bowed down(AY) to all the starry hosts and worshiped them. 4 He built altars in the temple of the Lord, of which the Lord had said, “My Name(AZ) will remain in Jerusalem forever.” 5 In both courts of the temple of the Lord,(BA) he built altars to all the starry hosts. 6 He sacrificed his children(BB) in the fire in the Valley of Ben Hinnom, practiced divination and witchcraft, sought omens, and consulted mediums(BC) and spiritists.(BD) He did much evil in the eyes of the Lord, arousing his anger.

7 He took the image he had made and put it in God’s temple,(BE) of which God had said to David and to his son Solomon, “In this temple and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put my Name forever. 8 I will not again make the feet of the Israelites leave the land(BF) I assigned to your ancestors, if only they will be careful to do everything I commanded them concerning all the laws, decrees and regulations given through Moses.” 9 But Manasseh led Judah and the people of Jerusalem astray, so that they did more evil than the nations the Lord had destroyed before the Israelites.(BG)

10 The Lord spoke to Manasseh and his people, but they paid no attention. 11 So the Lord brought against them the army commanders of the king of Assyria, who took Manasseh prisoner,(BH) put a hook(BI) in his nose, bound him with bronze shackles(BJ) and took him to Babylon. 12 In his distress he sought the favor of the Lord his God and humbled(BK) himself greatly before the God of his ancestors. 13 And when he prayed to him, the Lord was moved by his entreaty and listened to his plea; so he brought him back to Jerusalem and to his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord is God.

14 Afterward he rebuilt the outer wall of the City of David, west of the Gihon(BL) spring in the valley, as far as the entrance of the Fish Gate(BM) and encircling the hill of Ophel;(BN) he also made it much higher. He stationed military commanders in all the fortified cities in Judah.

15 He got rid of the foreign gods and removed(BO) the image from the temple of the Lord, as well as all the altars he had built on the temple hill and in Jerusalem; and he threw them out of the city. 16 Then he restored the altar of the Lord and sacrificed fellowship offerings and thank offerings(BP) on it, and told Judah to serve the Lord, the God of Israel. 17 The people, however, continued to sacrifice at the high places, but only to the Lord their God.

18 The other events of Manasseh’s reign, including his prayer to his God and the words the seers spoke to him in the name of the Lord, the God of Israel, are written in the annals of the kings of Israel.[d] 19 His prayer and how God was moved by his entreaty, as well as all his sins and unfaithfulness, and the sites where he built high places and set up Asherah poles and idols before he humbled(BQ) himself—all these are written in the records of the seers.[e](BR) 20 Manasseh rested with his ancestors and was buried(BS) in his palace. And Amon his son succeeded him as king.

Amon King of Judah(BT)

21 Amon(BU) was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem two years. 22 He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, as his father Manasseh had done. Amon worshiped and offered sacrifices to all the idols Manasseh had made. 23 But unlike his father Manasseh, he did not humble(BV) himself before the Lord; Amon increased his guilt.

24 Amon’s officials conspired against him and assassinated him in his palace. 25 Then the people(BW) of the land killed all who had plotted against King Amon, and they made Josiah his son king in his place.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 32:4 Hebrew; Septuagint and Syriac king
  2. 2 Chronicles 32:5 Or the Millo
  3. 2 Chronicles 32:22 Hebrew; Septuagint and Vulgate He gave them rest
  4. 2 Chronicles 33:18 That is, Judah, as frequently in 2 Chronicles
  5. 2 Chronicles 33:19 One Hebrew manuscript and Septuagint; most Hebrew manuscripts of Hozai
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