2 Chronicles 32
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.
Footnotes
- 2 Chronicles 32:3 Lit. mighty men
- 2 Chronicles 32:4 So with MT, Vg.; Arab., LXX, Syr. king
- 2 Chronicles 32:5 Lit. The Landfill
- 2 Chronicles 32:5 javelins
- 2 Chronicles 32:18 Lit. Judean
- 2 Chronicles 32:22 LXX gave them rest; Vg. gave them treasures
- 2 Chronicles 32:23 Lit. precious things
- 2 Chronicles 32:28 So with LXX, Vg.; Arab., Syr. omit folds for flocks; MT flocks for sheepfolds
- 2 Chronicles 32:30 Lit. brought it straight to (cf. 2 Kin. 20:20)
- 2 Chronicles 32:33 Died and joined his ancestors
2 Chronicles 32
21st Century King James Version
32 After these things and the establishment thereof, Sennacherib king of Assyria came and entered into Judah, and encamped against the fortified cities, and thought to win them for himself.
2 And when Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had 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 there were gathered many people together, who stopped 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 raised it up to the towers, and another wall outside, and repaired Millo in the City of David, and made darts and shields in abundance.
6 And he set captains of war over the people, and gathered them together to him in the street of the gate of the city, and spoke comfortingly to them, saying,
7 “Be strong and courageous. Be not afraid nor dismayed by the king of Assyria and 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 rested themselves upon the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.
9 After this Sennacherib king of Assyria sent his servants to Jerusalem (but he himself laid siege against Lachish, and all his power with him) unto Hezekiah king of Judah, and unto all Judah who were at Jerusalem, saying,
10 “Thus saith Sennacherib king of Assyria: ‘Whereon do ye trust, that ye abide in the siege in Jerusalem?
11 Doth not Hezekiah persuade 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 Hath 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 Know ye not what I and my fathers have done unto all the people of other lands? Were the gods of the nations of those lands any way able to deliver their lands out of mine hand?
14 Who was there among all the gods of those nations that my fathers utterly destroyed that could deliver his people out of mine hand, that your God should be able to deliver you out of mine hand?
15 Now therefore let not Hezekiah deceive you nor persuade you on this manner, neither yet believe him; for no god of any nation or kingdom was able to deliver his people out of mine hand and out of the hand of my fathers. How much less shall your God deliver you out of mine hand?’”
16 And his servants spoke yet more against the Lord God and against his servant Hezekiah.
17 He wrote also letters to rail at 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 out of mine hand, so shall not the God of Hezekiah deliver his people out of mine hand.”
18 Then they cried with a loud voice in the Jews’ speech unto the people of Jerusalem who were on the wall to frighten them 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 people 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 valor, and the leaders and captains in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he returned with shame of face to his own land. And when he had come into the house of his god, those who came forth from his own loins slew him there with the sword.
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 unto the Lord to Jerusalem, and presents to Hezekiah king of Judah, so that he was magnified in the sight of all nations from thenceforth.
24 In those days Hezekiah was sick and near death, and prayed unto the Lord; and He spoke unto him, and He gave him a sign.
25 But Hezekiah rendered not again according to the benefit done unto him, for his heart was lifted up. Therefore there was wrath upon him, and upon Judah and Jerusalem.
26 Notwithstanding, Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart, both he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the rath of the Lord came not upon them in the days of Hezekiah.
27 And Hezekiah had exceeding much riches and honor; and he made himself treasuries for silver, and for gold, and for recious stones, and for spices, and for shields, and for all manner of pleasant jewels;
28 storehouses also for the increase of corn and wine and oil, and stalls for all manner of beasts, and cotes for flocks.
29 Moreover he provided for himself cities, and possessions of flocks and herds in abundance; for God had given him very much 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 prospered in all his works.
31 Howbeit, in the business of the ambassadors of the princes of Babylon, who sent unto him to inquire of the wonder that was done 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 goodness, 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 sepulchers of the sons of David; and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem did him honor at his death. And Manasseh his son reigned in his stead.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 1994 by Deuel Enterprises, Inc.