2 Chronicles 32

Sennacherib Invades Judah

1 After these faithful deeds were accomplished, King Sennacherib of Assyria invaded Judah. He besieged the fortified cities, intending to seize them.t2 When Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had invaded and intended to attack Jerusalem,ts3 he consulted with his advisers and military officers about stopping up the springst outside the city, and they supported him.4 A large number of people gathered together and stopped up all the springs and the stream that flowed through the district.t They reasoned,t “Why should the kings of Assyria come and find plenty of water?”

5 Hezekiaht energetically rebuiltt every broken wall. He erected towers and an outer wall,t and fortified the terrace of the City of David.s He made many weapons and shields.
6 He appointed military officers over the armyt and assembled them in the square at the city gate. He encouraged them,t saying,7 “Be strong and brave! Don’t be afraid and don’t panict because of the king of Assyria and this huge army that is with him! We have with us one who is stronger than those who are with him.t

8 He has with him mere human strength,t but the Lord our God is with us to help us and fight our battles!” The armyt was encouraged by the words of King Hezekiah of Judah.
9 Afterward King Sennacherib of Assyria, while attacking Lachish with all his military might, sent his messengerst to Jerusalem. The message was for King Hezekiah of Judah and all the people oft Judah who were in Jerusalem. It read:10 “This is what King Sennacherib of Assyria says: ‘Why are you so confident that you remain in Jerusalem while it is under siege?t11 Hezekiah says, “The Lord our God will rescue us from the powert of the king of Assyria.” But he is misleading you and you will die of hunger and thirst!t12 Hezekiah is the one who eliminatedt the Lord’st high places and altars and then told Judah and Jerusalem, “At one altar you must worship and offer sacrifices.”13 Are you not aware of what I and my predecessorst have done to all the nations of the surrounding lands? Have the gods of the surrounding lands actually been able to rescue their lands from my power?t14 Who among all the gods of these nations whom my predecessors annihilated was able to rescue his people from my power?t

15 Now don’t let Hezekiah deceive you or 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. So howt can your gods rescuet you from my power?’”
16 Sennacherib’st servants further insultedt the Lord God and his servant Hezekiah.17 He wrote letters mocking the Lord God of Israel and insulting him with these words:t “The gods of the surrounding nations could not rescue their people from my power. Neither can Hezekiah’s god rescue his people from my power.”t18 They called out loudly in the Judahite dialect to the people of Jerusalem who were on the wall, trying to scare and terrify them so they could seize the city.

19 They talked about the God of Jerusalem as if he were one of the man-made gods of the nations of the earth.
20 King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz prayed about this and cried out to heaven.21 The Lord sent a messengert and he wiped out all the soldiers, princes, and officers in the army of the king of Assyria. So Sennacheribt returned home humiliated.t When he entered the temple of his god, some of his own sonst struck him down with the sword.22 The Lord delivered Hezekiah and the residents of Jerusalem from the power of King Sennacherib of Assyria and from all the other nations.t He made them secure on every side.s

23 Many were bringing presentst to the Lord in Jerusalem and precious gifts to King Hezekiah of Judah. From that time on he was respected byt all the nations.

Hezekiah’s Shortcomings and Accomplishments

24 In those days Hezekiah was stricken with a terminal illness.t He prayed to the Lord, who answered him and gave him a sign confirming that he would be healed.t25 But Hezekiah was ungrateful; he had a proud attitude, provoking God to be angry at him, as well as Judah and Jerusalem.ts

26 But then Hezekiah and the residents of Jerusalem humbled themselves and abandoned their pride, and the Lord was not angry with them for the rest of Hezekiah’s reign.t
27 Hezekiah was very wealthy and greatly respected. He made storehouses for his silver, gold, precious stones, spices, and all his other valuable possessions.s28 He made storerooms for the harvest of grain, wine, and olive oil, and stalls for all his various kinds of livestock and his flocks.t

29 He built royal citiest and owned a large number of sheep and cattle, for God gave him a huge amount of possessions.
30 Hezekiah dammed up the source of the waters of the Upper Gihon and directed them down to the west side of the City of David.s Hezekiah succeeded in all that he did.

31 So when the envoys arrived from the Babylonian officials to visit him and inquire about the sign that occurred in the land,t God left him alone to test him, in order to know his true motives.t
32 The rest of the events of Hezekiah’s reign, including his faithful deeds, are recorded in the vision of the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz, included in the Scroll of the Kings of Judah and Israel.t

33 Hezekiah passed awayt and was buried on the ascent of the tombs of the descendants of David. All the people of Judah and the residents of Jerusalem buried him with great honor.t His son Manasseh replaced him as king.

2 Chronicles 32

The Assyrians Threaten Jerusalem

1 After these events, in which King Hezekiah served the LORD faithfully, Sennacherib, the emperor of Assyria, invaded Judah. He besieged the fortified cities and gave orders for his army to break their way through the walls. 2 When Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib intended to attack Jerusalem also, 3-4 he and his officials decided to cut off the supply of water outside the city in order to keep the Assyrians from having any water when they got near Jerusalem. The officials led a large number of people out and stopped up all the springs, so that no more water flowed out of them. 5 The king strengthened the city's defenses by repairing the wall, building towers on it,t and building an outer wall. In addition, he repaired the defenses built on the land that was filled in on the east side of the old part of Jerusalem. He also had a large number of spears and shields made. 6 He placed all the men in the city under the command of army officers and had them assemble in the open square at the city gate. He said to them, 7 “Be determined and confident, and don't be afraid of the Assyrian emperor or of the army he is leading. We have more power on our side than he has on his.

8 He has human power, but we have the LORD our God to help us and to fight our battles.” The people were encouraged by these words of their king.
9 Some time later, while Sennacherib and his army were still at Lachish, he sent the following message to Hezekiah and the people of Judah who were with him in Jerusalem: 10 “I, Sennacherib, Emperor of Assyria, ask what gives you people the confidence to remain in Jerusalem under siege. 11 Hezekiah tells you that the LORD your God will save you from our power, but Hezekiah is deceiving you and will let you die of hunger and thirst. 12 He is the one who destroyed the LORD's shrines and altars and then told the people of Judah and Jerusalem to worship and burn incense at one altar only. 13 Don't you know what my ancestors and I have done to the people of other nations? Did the gods of any other nation save their people from the emperor of Assyria? 14 When did any of the gods of all those countries ever save their country from us? Then what makes you think that your god can save you?

15 Now don't let Hezekiah deceive you or mislead you like that. Don't believe him! No god of any nation has ever been able to save his people from any Assyrian emperor. So certainly this god of yours can't save you!”
16 The Assyrian officials said even worse things about the LORD God and Hezekiah, the LORD's servant. 17 The letter that the emperor wrote defied the LORD, the God of Israel. It said, “The gods of the nations have not saved their people from my power, and neither will Hezekiah's god save his people from me.” 18 The officials shouted this in Hebrew in order to frighten and discourage the people of Jerusalem who were on the city wall, so that it would be easier to capture the city.

19 They talked about the God of Jerusalem in the same way that they talked about the gods of the other peoples, idols made by human hands.
20 Then King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz prayed to God and cried out to him for help.

21 The LORD sent an angel that killed the soldiers and officers of the Assyrian army. So the emperor went back to Assyria disgraced. One day when he was in the temple of his god, some of his sons killed him with their swords.
22 In this way the LORD rescued King Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem from the power of Sennacherib, the emperor of Assyria, and also from their other enemies. He let the people live in peacet with all the neighboring countries.

23 Many people came to Jerusalem, bringing offerings to the LORD and gifts to Hezekiah, so that from then on all the nations held Hezekiah in honor.

Hezekiah's Illness and Pride

24 About this time King Hezekiah became sick and almost died. He prayed, and the LORD gave him a sign that he would recover. 25 But Hezekiah was too proud to show gratitude for what the LORD had done for him, and Judah and Jerusalem suffered for it.

26 Finally, however, Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem humbled themselves, and so the LORD did not punish the people until after Hezekiah's death.

Hezekiah's Wealth and Splendor

27 King Hezekiah became very wealthy, and everyone held him in honor. He had storerooms built for his gold, silver, precious stones, spices, shields, and other valuable objects. 28 In addition, he had storehouses built for his grain, wine, and olive oil; barns for his cattle; and pens for his sheep. 29 Besides all this, God gave him sheep and cattle and so much other wealth that he built many cities. 30 It was King Hezekiah who blocked the outlet for Gihon Spring and channeled the water to flow through a tunnel to a point inside the walls of Jerusalem. Hezekiah succeeded in everything he did,

31 and even when the Babylonian ambassadors came to inquire about the unusual event that had happened in the land, God let Hezekiah go his own way only in order to test his character.

The End of Hezekiah's Reign

32 Everything else that King Hezekiah did and his devotion to the LORD are recorded in The Vision of the Prophet Isaiah Son of Amoz and in The History of the Kings of Judah and Israel.

33 Hezekiah died and was buried in the upper section of the royal tombs. All the people of Judah and Jerusalem paid him great honor at his death. His son Manasseh succeeded him as king.