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.

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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

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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Footnotes

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