2 Chronicles 32
Expanded Bible
Assyria Attacks Judah(A)
32 After Hezekiah ·did all these things to serve the Lord [accomplished these faithful acts], Sennacherib king of Assyria ·came and attacked [invaded] Judah. He and his army ·surrounded and attacked [besieged] the ·strong, walled [fortified] cities, ·hoping [intending] to take them for himself. 2 Hezekiah ·knew [realized] that Sennacherib had come to Jerusalem to attack it. 3 So Hezekiah and his ·officers [officials] and army ·commanders [officers] decided to ·cut off [stop the flow of] the water from the springs outside the city. So they helped Hezekiah. 4 Many people ·came [gathered] and ·cut off [stopped up] all the springs and the stream that flowed through the land. They said, “Why should the king of Assyria come and find ·plenty of [abundant] water?” 5 Then Hezekiah ·made Jerusalem stronger. He […took courage/or worked hard/L strengthened himself and] rebuilt all the broken parts of the wall and ·put [erected; raised] towers on it. He also built another wall outside the first one and strengthened the ·area that was filled in on the east side [L Millo; C possibly fortified terraces] of the City of David [C Jerusalem]. He also made many weapons and shields.
6 Hezekiah ·put [appointed] army ·commanders [officers] over the ·people [or army] and met with them ·at the open place near [in the square at] the city gate. Hezekiah encouraged them, saying, 7 “Be strong and ·brave [courageous]. Don’t be afraid or ·worried [panic] because of the king of Assyria or ·his large army [all his horde]. There is a greater ·power [one] with us than with him. 8 He only has ·men [human strength; L an arm of flesh], but we have the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles.” The people were encouraged by the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.
9 After this King Sennacherib of Assyria and all his army ·surrounded and attacked [besieged] Lachish. Then he sent his ·officers [officials; servants] to Jerusalem with this message for King Hezekiah of Judah and all the people of Judah in Jerusalem:
10 Sennacherib king of Assyria says this: “·You have nothing to trust in [L On what are you trusting…?] to help you. ·It is no use for you to [L Why do you…?] stay in Jerusalem under ·attack [siege]. 11 Hezekiah says to you, ‘The Lord our God will ·save [rescue; T deliver] us from the hand of the king of Assyria,’ but he is ·fooling [misleading; deceiving] you, condemning you to death from hunger and thirst. 12 ·Hezekiah [L Did not Hezekiah…?] himself removed your Lord’s ·places of worship [L high places; 11:15] and altars. He told you people of Judah and Jerusalem that you must worship and burn incense on only one altar [C in the Temple at Jerusalem].
13 “·You know [L Do you not realize…?] what my ·ancestors [fathers] and I have done to all the people ·in other nations [of the lands]. ·The gods of those nations could not [L Were the gods of those lands able to…?] ·save [rescue] their people from my ·power [L hand]. 14 My ·ancestors [fathers] destroyed those nations. ·None [L Which…?] of their gods could save them from ·me [L my hand]. ·So your god cannot [L Why suppose your god/God can…?] ·save [rescue; T deliver] you from my ·power [L hand]. 15 Do not let Hezekiah ·fool [deceive] you or ·trick [mislead] you, and do not believe him. No god of any nation or kingdom has been able to ·save [rescue; T deliver] his people from me or my ·ancestors [fathers]. ·Your god is even less [L How much less will your god/God be…?] able to ·save [rescue; T deliver] you from me.”
16 Sennacherib’s ·officers [officials] ·said worse things against [further insulted/mocked] the Lord God and his servant Hezekiah. 17 King Sennacherib also wrote letters ·insulting [mocking] the Lord, the God of Israel. They spoke against him, saying, “The gods of the other nations could not ·save [rescue; T deliver] their people from me. In the same way Hezekiah’s ·god [God] won’t be able to ·save [rescue; T deliver] his people from me.” 18 Then the king’s ·officers [officials] shouted in ·Hebrew [L the language of Judah], calling out to the people of Jerusalem who were on the city wall. The ·officers [officials] wanted to ·scare [frighten and terrify] the people so they could capture Jerusalem. 19 They spoke about the God of Jerusalem as though he were like the gods the people of the ·world [earth] worshiped, which are made by human hands.
God Rescues Judah(B)
20 King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz ·prayed [cried out to] to heaven about this. 21 Then the Lord sent an angel who ·killed [destroyed; annihilated] all the soldiers, ·leaders [commanders], and officers in the ·camp [army] of the king of Assyria. So the king went back to his own country in ·disgrace [shame; humiliation]. When he went into the ·temple [L house] of his god, some of his own ·sons [children] killed him with a sword.
22 So the Lord ·saved [rescued; T delivered] Hezekiah and the people in Jerusalem from [L the hand of] Sennacherib king of Assyria and from all other people. He ·took care of [guided; or gave rest to] them on every side. 23 Many people brought ·gifts [offerings] for the Lord to Jerusalem, and they also brought ·valuable gifts [precious things] to King Hezekiah of Judah. From then on all the nations ·respected [looked up to; exalted] Hezekiah.
Hezekiah Dies(C)
24 At that time Hezekiah became so sick he almost died. When he prayed to the Lord, the Lord spoke to him and gave him a ·sign [miraculous sign; C God gave him a sign that he would live for another fifteen years; Is. 38:1–8]. 25 But Hezekiah ·did not thank God for his kindness [did not respond to/was not grateful for the kindness shown him], because he was so proud. So ·the Lord was angry with [L wrath came upon] him and the people of Judah and Jerusalem. 26 ·But later [Then] Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem ·were sorry and stopped being proud [humbled themselves], so ·the Lord did not punish [L the wrath of the Lord did not come on] them while Hezekiah was alive.
27 Hezekiah had ·many riches [great wealth] and much honor. He made treasuries for his silver, gold, ·gems [precious stones], spices, shields, and other valuable things. 28 He built ·storage buildings [storehouses] for grain, new wine, and olive oil and stalls for all the cattle and pens for the sheep. 29 He also built many towns. He had ·many [vast] flocks and herds, because God had given Hezekiah much wealth.
30 It was Hezekiah who ·cut off [blocked; stopped; dammed] the upper pool of the Gihon spring and ·made those waters flow [channeled/directed the water] straight down to the west side of the City of David [C Jerusalem]. And Hezekiah ·was successful [prospered] in everything he did. 31 But one time the ·leaders [officials] of Babylon sent messengers to Hezekiah, asking him about a ·strange [miraculous] sign that had happened in the land [2 Kin. 20:12–19; Is. 39:1–8]. When they came, God left Hezekiah ·alone [to himself] to test him so he could know everything that was in Hezekiah’s heart.
Hezekiah Dies(D)
32 Hezekiah’s ·love for God [acts of devotion] and the ·other things [rest of the events/acts] he did as king are written in the vision of the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz. This is in the ·book [scroll] of the kings of Judah and Israel. 33 Hezekiah ·died [L lay down/T slept with his fathers/ancestors] and was buried on a hill, where the ·graves [tombs] of David’s ·ancestors [descendants] are. All the people of Judah and Jerusalem honored Hezekiah when he died, and his son Manasseh became king in his place.
2 Chronicles 32
New American Standard Bible
Sennacherib Invades Judah
32 After these [a]acts of faithfulness (A)Sennacherib king of Assyria came and invaded Judah and besieged the fortified cities, and [b]intended to break into them for himself. 2 Now when Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come and that [c]he intended to wage war against Jerusalem, 3 he decided with his officers and his warriors to cut off the supply of water from the springs which were outside the city, and they helped him. 4 So many people assembled (B)and stopped up all the springs and (C)the stream which flowed [d]through the region, saying, “Why should the kings of Assyria come and find abundant water?” 5 And he resolutely set to work and (D)rebuilt all of the wall that had been broken down and [e]erected towers on it, and built (E)another outside wall and strengthened the [f](F)Millo in the city of David, and made weapons and shields in great numbers. 6 He appointed military officers over the people and gathered them to him in the public square at the city gate, and (G)spoke [g]encouragingly to them, saying, 7 “(H)Be strong and courageous, do not fear or be dismayed because of the king of Assyria nor because of all the horde that is with him; (I)for the One with us is greater than the one with him. 8 With him is only (J)an arm of flesh, but (K)with us is the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles.” And the people relied on the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.
Sennacherib Undermines Hezekiah
9 After this (L)Sennacherib king of Assyria sent his servants to Jerusalem while he was [h]besieging Lachish with all his forces with him, against Hezekiah king of Judah and against all of Judah who were in Jerusalem, saying, 10 “This is what Sennacherib king of Assyria says: ‘On what are you trusting that you are staying in Jerusalem under siege? 11 Is Hezekiah not misleading you to give yourselves over to die by hunger and by thirst, saying, “The Lord our God will save us from the [i]hand of the king of Assyria”? 12 (M)Is it not the same Hezekiah who removed His high places and His altars, and said to Judah and [j]Jerusalem, “You shall worship before one altar, and on it you shall [k]burn incense”? 13 Do you not know what I and my fathers have done to all the peoples of the lands? (N)Were the gods of the nations of those lands at all able to save their land from my hand? 14 (O)Who was there among all the gods of those nations which my fathers utterly destroyed who could save his people from my hand, that your God would be able to save you from my hand? 15 Now then, do not let Hezekiah deceive you or mislead you like this, and do not believe him, for (P)no god of any nation or kingdom was able to save his people from my hand or from the hand of my fathers. How much less will your God save you from my hand?’”
16 His servants spoke further against the Lord God and against His servant Hezekiah. 17 He also wrote letters to insult the Lord God of Israel, and to speak against Him, saying, “(Q)As the gods of the nations of the lands [l]have not saved their people from my hand, so the God of Hezekiah will not save His people from my hand.” 18 (R)They called this out with a loud voice in the language of Judah to the people of Jerusalem who were on the wall, to frighten and terrify them, so that they might take the city. 19 They spoke [m]of the God of Jerusalem as they did against (S)the gods of the peoples of the earth, the work of human hands.
Hezekiah’s Prayer Is Answered
20 But King Hezekiah and Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, prayed about this and called out to heaven for help. 21 And the Lord sent an angel who destroyed every warrior, commander, and officer in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he returned [n]in shame to his own land. And when he had entered the temple of his god, some of his own sons killed him there with the sword. 22 So the Lord (T)saved Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib the king of Assyria and from the hand of all others, and [o]guided them on every side. 23 And (U)many were bringing gifts to the Lord at Jerusalem and valuable presents to Hezekiah king of Judah; so thereafter (V)he rose in the sight of all nations.
24 (W)In those days Hezekiah became [p]mortally ill; and he prayed to the Lord, and [q]the Lord spoke to him and gave him a sign. 25 But Hezekiah did nothing in return for the benefit [r]he received, (X)because his heart was [s]proud; (Y)therefore wrath came upon him and upon Judah and Jerusalem. 26 However, (Z)Hezekiah [t]humbled the pride of his heart, both he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the wrath of the Lord did not come on them in the days of Hezekiah.
27 Now Hezekiah had immense riches and honor; and he made for himself treasuries for silver, gold, precious stones, spices, shields, and all kinds of valuable articles, 28 also storehouses for the produce of grain, wine, and oil; stalls for all kinds of cattle, and [u]sheepfolds for the flocks. 29 He made cities for himself and acquired flocks and herds in abundance, because (AA)God had given him very great [v]wealth. 30 It was Hezekiah who (AB)stopped the upper outlet of the waters of (AC)Gihon and directed them to the west side of the city of David. And Hezekiah was successful in everything that he did. 31 Even in the matter of (AD)the messengers of the rulers of Babylon, who were sent to him to inquire about (AE)the wonder that had happened in the land; God left him alone only (AF)to test him, so that He might know everything that was in his heart.
32 Now the rest of the acts of Hezekiah and his deeds of devotion, behold, they are written in the vision of Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel. 33 So Hezekiah [w]lay down with his fathers, and they buried him in the [x]upper section of the tombs of the sons of David; and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem (AG)honored him at his death. And his son Manasseh became king in his place.
Footnotes
- 2 Chronicles 32:1 Lit things and this faithfulness
- 2 Chronicles 32:1 Lit said
- 2 Chronicles 32:2 Lit he set his face for war
- 2 Chronicles 32:4 Lit in the midst of
- 2 Chronicles 32:5 Lit raised on the towers
- 2 Chronicles 32:5 I.e., terraced structure
- 2 Chronicles 32:6 Lit upon their hearts
- 2 Chronicles 32:9 Lit against
- 2 Chronicles 32:11 Lit palm
- 2 Chronicles 32:12 Lit Jerusalem, saying,
- 2 Chronicles 32:12 Lit offer up in smoke
- 2 Chronicles 32:17 Lit who have
- 2 Chronicles 32:19 Lit to
- 2 Chronicles 32:21 Lit in shame of face
- 2 Chronicles 32:22 Another reading is gave them rest
- 2 Chronicles 32:24 Lit sick to the point of death
- 2 Chronicles 32:24 Lit He
- 2 Chronicles 32:25 Lit to Him
- 2 Chronicles 32:25 Lit high
- 2 Chronicles 32:26 Lit humbled himself in
- 2 Chronicles 32:28 As in ancient versions; MT herds for the stables
- 2 Chronicles 32:29 Lit possessions; or property
- 2 Chronicles 32:33 I.e., died
- 2 Chronicles 32:33 Or ascent to
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
