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God Saves Judah from the Assyrians(A)

32 After everything Hezekiah had done so faithfully, King Sennacherib of Assyria came to invade Judah. He set up camp to attack the fortified cities. He intended to conquer them himself.

When Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come to wage war against Jerusalem, he, his officers, and his military staff made plans to stop the water from flowing out of the springs outside the city. They helped him do it. A large crowd gathered as they stopped all the springs and the brook that flowed through the land. They said, “Why should the kings of Assyria find plenty of water?”

Hezekiah worked hard. He rebuilt all the broken sections of the wall, made the towers taller, built another wall outside the city wall, strengthened the Millo[a] in the City of David, and made plenty of weapons and shields. He appointed military commanders over the troops and gathered the commanders in the square by the city gate. He spoke these words of encouragement: “Be strong and courageous. Don’t be frightened or terrified by the king of Assyria or the crowd with him. Someone greater is on our side. The king of Assyria has human power on his side, but Yahweh our Elohim is on our side to help us and fight our battles.” So the people were encouraged by what King Hezekiah of Judah said.

After this, while King Sennacherib of Assyria and all his royal forces were attacking Lachish, he sent his officers to King Hezekiah of Judah and to all of the people in Judah who were in Jerusalem to say: 10 “This is what King Sennacherib of Assyria says: Why are you so confident as you live in Jerusalem while it is blockaded? 11 Isn’t Hezekiah misleading you and abandoning you to die from hunger and thirst when he says, ‘Yahweh our Elohim will rescue us from the king of Assyria?’ 12 Isn’t this the same Hezekiah who got rid of Yahweh’s places of worship and altars and told Judah and Jerusalem, ‘Worship and sacrifice at one altar?’ 13 Don’t you know what I and my predecessors have done to the people of all other countries? Were any of the gods of these other nations ever able to rescue their countries from me? 14 Were the gods of these nations able to rescue their people from my control? My predecessors claimed and destroyed those nations. Is your Elohim able to rescue you from my control? 15 Don’t let Hezekiah deceive you or persuade you like this. Don’t believe him. No god of any nation or kingdom could save his people from me or my ancestors. Certainly, your Elohim will not rescue you from me!”

16 Sennacherib’s officers said more against Yahweh Elohim and his servant Hezekiah. 17 Sennacherib wrote letters cursing Yahweh Elohim of Israel. These letters said, “As the gods of the nations in other countries couldn’t rescue their people from me, Hezekiah’s Elohim cannot rescue his people from me.” 18 Sennacherib’s officers shouted loudly in the Judean language to the troops who were on the wall of Jerusalem. They tried to frighten and terrify the troops so that they could capture the city. 19 They spoke about the Elohim of Jerusalem as if he were one of the gods made by human hands and worshiped by the people in other countries.

20 Then King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah, son of Amoz, prayed about this and called to heaven. 21 Yahweh sent an angel who exterminated all the soldiers, officials, and commanders in the Assyrian king’s camp. Humiliated, Sennacherib returned to his own country. When he went into the temple of his god, some of his own sons killed him with a sword. 22 So Yahweh saved Hezekiah and the people living in Jerusalem from King Sennacherib of Assyria and from everyone else. Yahweh gave them peace with all their neighbors.

23 Many people still went to Jerusalem to bring gifts to Yahweh and expensive presents to King Hezekiah of Judah. From then on, he was considered important by all the nations.

Other Events in Hezekiah’s Life(B)

24 In those days Hezekiah became sick and was about to die. He prayed to Yahweh, who answered him and gave him a miraculous sign. 25 But Hezekiah was conceited, so he didn’t repay Yahweh for his kindness. Yahweh became angry with him, with Judah, and with Jerusalem. 26 Hezekiah and the people living in Jerusalem humbled themselves when they realized they had become conceited. So Yahweh didn’t vent his anger on them during Hezekiah’s time.

27 Hezekiah became richer and was highly honored. He prepared storerooms for himself to hold silver, gold, precious stones, spices, shields, and all kinds of valuables. 28 He made sheds to store his harvests of grain, new wine, and fresh olive oil, and he made barns for all his cattle and stalls for his flocks. 29 He made cities for himself because he had many sheep and cattle. Elohim had given him a lot of property. 30 Hezekiah was the one who stopped the water from flowing from the upper outlet of Gihon. He channeled the water directly underground to the west side of the City of David. Hezekiah succeeded in everything he did.

31 When the leaders of Babylon sent ambassadors to ask him about the miraculous sign that had happened in the land, Elohim left him. Elohim did this to test him, to find out everything that was in Hezekiah’s heart.

32 Everything else about Hezekiah, including his devotion to Elohim, is written in the vision of the prophet Isaiah, son of Amoz, and in the records of the kings of Judah and Israel. 33 Hezekiah lay down in death with his ancestors. He was buried in the upper tombs of David’s descendants. When Hezekiah died, all of Judah and the people in Jerusalem honored him. His son Manasseh succeeded him as king.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 32:5 The exact place referred to as “the Millo” is unknown.

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. Now when Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come and that [c]he intended to wage war against Jerusalem, 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. 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?” 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. 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, (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. 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

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

  1. 2 Chronicles 32:1 Lit things and this faithfulness
  2. 2 Chronicles 32:1 Lit said
  3. 2 Chronicles 32:2 Lit he set his face for war
  4. 2 Chronicles 32:4 Lit in the midst of
  5. 2 Chronicles 32:5 Lit raised on the towers
  6. 2 Chronicles 32:5 I.e., terraced structure
  7. 2 Chronicles 32:6 Lit upon their hearts
  8. 2 Chronicles 32:9 Lit against
  9. 2 Chronicles 32:11 Lit palm
  10. 2 Chronicles 32:12 Lit Jerusalem, saying,
  11. 2 Chronicles 32:12 Lit offer up in smoke
  12. 2 Chronicles 32:17 Lit who have
  13. 2 Chronicles 32:19 Lit to
  14. 2 Chronicles 32:21 Lit in shame of face
  15. 2 Chronicles 32:22 Another reading is gave them rest
  16. 2 Chronicles 32:24 Lit sick to the point of death
  17. 2 Chronicles 32:24 Lit He
  18. 2 Chronicles 32:25 Lit to Him
  19. 2 Chronicles 32:25 Lit high
  20. 2 Chronicles 32:26 Lit humbled himself in
  21. 2 Chronicles 32:28 As in ancient versions; MT herds for the stables
  22. 2 Chronicles 32:29 Lit possessions; or property
  23. 2 Chronicles 32:33 I.e., died
  24. 2 Chronicles 32:33 Or ascent to