Sennacherib Invades Judah

32 (A)After these things and these acts of faithfulness, Sennacherib king of Assyria came and invaded Judah and encamped against the fortified cities, thinking to win them for himself. And when Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come and intended to fight against Jerusalem, he planned with his officers and his mighty men to stop the water of the springs that were outside the city; and they helped him. A great many people were gathered, and they stopped all the springs and (B)the brook that flowed through the land, saying, “Why should the kings of Assyria come and find much water?” He set to work resolutely and built up (C)all the wall that was broken down and raised towers upon it,[a] and outside it he built another wall, and he strengthened the (D)Millo in the city of David. He also made weapons and shields in abundance. And he set combat commanders over the people and gathered them together to him in the square at the gate of the city and spoke (E)encouragingly to them, saying, (F)“Be strong and courageous. (G)Do not be afraid or dismayed before the king of Assyria and all the horde that is with him, (H)for there are more with us than with him. With him is (I)an arm of flesh, (J)but with us is the Lord our God, to help us and to fight our battles.” And the people took confidence from the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.

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Notas al pie

  1. 2 Chronicles 32:5 Vulgate; Hebrew and raised upon the towers

Sennacherib’s invasion

32 After these things and these faithful acts, Assyria’s King Sennacherib invaded Judah and attacked its fortified cities, intending to capture them. When Hezekiah realized that Sennacherib also planned on fighting Jerusalem, he consulted with his officials and soldiers about stopping up the springs outside the city, and they supported him. A large force gathered to stop up all the springs and the streams that flowed through the land. “Why should the kings of Assyria come and find plenty of water?” they asked. Hezekiah vigorously rebuilt all the broken sections of the wall, erected towers, constructed another wall outside the first, reinforced the terrace of David’s City, and made a large supply of weapons and shields. He appointed military officers over the troops, assembled them in the square of the city gate, and spoke these words of encouragement: “Be brave and be strong! Don’t let the king of Assyria and all those warriors he brings with him scare you or cause you dismay, because our forces are greater than his.[a] All he has is human strength, but we have the Lord our God, who will help us fight our battles!”

The troops trusted Judah’s King Hezekiah.

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Notas al pie

  1. 2 Chronicles 32:7 Or there is greater power with us than with him