Removal of Idolatry

31 When all this was completed, all Israel who had attended went out to the cities of Judah and broke up the sacred pillars, chopped down the Asherah poles, and tore down the high places and altars^(A) throughout Judah and Benjamin, as well as in Ephraim and Manasseh, to the last one.^[a] Then all the Israelites returned to their cities, each to his own possession.

Offerings for Levites

² Hezekiah reestablished the divisions^(B) of the priests and Levites for the burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, for ministry, for giving thanks, and for praise in the gates of the camp of the Lord,^(C) each division corresponding to his service among the priests and Levites. ³ The king contributed^[b] from his own possessions^(D) for the regular morning and evening burnt offerings, the burnt offerings of the Sabbaths, of the New Moons, and of the appointed feasts, as written in the law of the Lord.^{(E) 4} He told the people who lived in Jerusalem to give a contribution^(F) for the priests and Levites so that they could devote their energy to the law of the Lord. ⁵ When the word spread, the Israelites gave liberally of the best of the grain, new wine, fresh oil, honey, and of all the produce of the field, and they brought in an abundance, a tenth^(G) of everything. ⁶ As for the Israelites and Judahites who lived in the cities of Judah, they also brought a tenth of the herds and flocks, and a tenth of the dedicated things that were consecrated to the Lord their God.^(H) They gathered them into large piles. ⁷ In the third month they began building up the piles, and they finished in the seventh month. ⁸ When Hezekiah and his officials came and viewed the piles, they blessed the Lord and his people Israel.

⁹ Hezekiah asked the priests and Levites about the piles. ¹⁰ The chief priest Azariah, of the household of Zadok,^(I) answered him, “Since they began bringing the offering to the Lord’s temple, we have been eating and are satisfied and there is plenty left over because the Lord has blessed his people; this abundance is what is left over.”^(J)

¹¹ Hezekiah told them to prepare chambers^(K) in the Lord’s temple, and they prepared them. ¹² The offering, the tenth, and the dedicated things were brought faithfully. Conaniah the Levite was the officer in charge of them, and his brother Shimei was second.^{(L) 13} Jehiel, Azaziah, Nahath, Asahel, Jerimoth, Jozabad, Eliel, Ismachiah, Mahath, and Benaiah were deputies under the authority of Conaniah and his brother Shimei by appointment of King Hezekiah and of Azariah the chief official of God’s temple.

¹⁴ Kore son of Imnah the Levite, the keeper of the East Gate, was over the freewill offerings to God to distribute the contribution to the Lord and the consecrated things.^{(M) 15} Eden,^(N) Miniamin, Jeshua, Shemaiah, Amariah, and Shecaniah in the cities of the priests^(O) were to distribute it faithfully under his authority to their brothers by divisions, whether large or small. ¹⁶ In addition, they distributed it to males registered by genealogy three^[c](P) years old and above; to all who would enter the Lord’s temple for their daily duty,^(Q) for their service in their responsibilities according to their divisions. ¹⁷ They distributed also to those recorded by genealogy of the priests by their ancestral families^[d] and the Levites twenty years old and above,^(R) by their responsibilities in their divisions; ¹⁸ to those registered by genealogy—with all their dependents, wives, sons, and daughters—of the whole assembly (for they had faithfully consecrated themselves as holy); ¹⁹ and to the descendants of Aaron, the priests, in the common fields of their cities,^(S) in each and every city. There were men who were registered by name^(T) to distribute a portion to every male among the priests and to every Levite recorded by genealogy.

²⁰ Hezekiah did this throughout all Judah. He did what was good and upright and true before the Lord his God.^{(U) 21} He was diligent in every deed that he began in the service of God’s temple, in the instruction and the commands, in order to seek his God, and he prospered.

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^[e] to break into them.^{(V) 2} Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come and that he planned^[f] 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^(W) and the stream that flowed through the land;^(X) 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^(Y) and heightening the towers and the other outside wall.^(Z) He repaired the supporting terraces^(AA) 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,^[g](AB) saying, ⁷ “Be strong and courageous!^(AC) 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.^{(AD) 8} He has only human strength,^[h] but we have the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles.”^(AE) So the people relied on the words of King Hezekiah of Judah.

Sennacherib’s Servant’s Speech

⁹ After this,^(AF) while King Sennacherib of Assyria with all his armed forces besieged^[i] 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^(AG) and say to Judah and Jerusalem, “You must worship before one altar, and you must burn incense on it”?

¹³ “‘Don’t you know^(AH) 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?^{(AI) 15} So now,^(AJ) 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.^(AK)

¹⁸ Then they called out loudly in Hebrew^[j] 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 like 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,^{(AL) 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.^(AM)

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^[k](AN) 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.^(AO)

Hezekiah’s Illness and Pride

²⁴ In those days Hezekiah became sick to the point of death, so he prayed to the Lord, who spoke to him and gave him a miraculous sign.^{(AP) 25} However, because his heart was proud,^(AQ) Hezekiah didn’t respond according to the benefit that had come to him. So there was wrath on him, Judah, and Jerusalem.^{(AR) 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^(AS) on them during Hezekiah’s lifetime.^(AT)

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^(AU) and channeled it smoothly downward and westward to the city of David.^(AV) Hezekiah succeeded in everything he did. ³¹ When the ambassadors of Babylon’s rulers^(AW) were sent^[l] to him to inquire about the miraculous sign^(AX) that happened in the land, God left him to test him and discover what was in his heart.^(AY)

Hezekiah’s Death

³² As for the rest of the events^(AZ) 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,^(BA) and in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel.^{(BB) 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 honor at his death. His son Manasseh became king in his place.

The Damascus Road

9 Now Saul was still breathing threats and murder against the disciples^(A) of the Lord. He went to the high priest^{(B) 2} and requested letters^(C) from him to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any men or women who belonged to the Way,^(D) he might bring them as prisoners to Jerusalem. ³ As^(E) he traveled and was nearing Damascus, a light from heaven suddenly flashed around him. ⁴ Falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?”

⁵ “Who are you, Lord?” Saul said.

“I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting,” he replied. ⁶ “But get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”

⁷ The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the sound but seeing no one.^{(F) 8} Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing. So they took him by the hand and led him into Damascus. ⁹ He was unable to see for three days and did not eat or drink.

Saul’s Baptism

¹⁰ There was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias, and the Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.”

“Here I am, Lord,” he replied.^(G)

¹¹ “Get up and go to the street called Straight,” the Lord said to him, “to the house of Judas, and ask for a man from Tarsus^(H) named Saul, since he is praying there. ¹² In a vision^[a] he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and placing his hands on him so that he may regain his sight.”^(I)

¹³ “Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard from many people about this man, how much harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem.^{(J) 14} And he has authority here from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.”^(K)

¹⁵ But the Lord said to him, “Go, for this man is my chosen instrument^(L) to take my name to Gentiles,^(M) kings, and Israelites.^{(N) 16} I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”^(O)

¹⁷ Ananias went and entered the house. He placed his hands on him and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road you were traveling, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”^(P)

¹⁸ At once something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he got up and was baptized. ¹⁹ And after taking some food, he regained his strength.^(Q)

Saul Proclaiming the Messiah

Saul was with the disciples in Damascus for some time. ²⁰ Immediately he began proclaiming Jesus in the synagogues: “He is the Son of God.”^(R)

²¹ All who heard him were astounded and said, “Isn’t this the man in Jerusalem who was causing havoc for those who called on this name and came here for the purpose of taking them as prisoners to the chief priests?” ^(S)

²² But Saul grew stronger and kept confounding the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Messiah.

²³ After many days had passed, the Jews conspired to kill him, ²⁴ but Saul learned of their plot. So they were watching the gates day and night intending to kill him,^{(T) 25} but his disciples took him by night and lowered him in a large basket through an opening in the wall.^(U)

Psalm 79

Faith amid Confusion

A psalm of Asaph.^(A)