32:1 After all that Hezekiah had so faithfully done, Sennacherib king of Assyria came and invaded Judah. He laid siege to the fortified cities, thinking to conquer them for himself.
32:2 When Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come and that he intended to make war on Jerusalem,
32:3 he consulted with his officials and military staff about blocking off the water from the springs outside the city, and they helped him.
32:4 A large force of men assembled, and they blocked all the springs and the stream that flowed through the land. “Why should the kings of Assyria come and find plenty of water?” they said.
32:5 Then he worked hard repairing all the broken sections of the wall and building towers on it. He built another wall outside that one and reinforced the supporting terraces of the City of David. He also made large numbers of weapons and shields.
32:6 He appointed military officers over the people and assembled them before him in the square at the city gate and encouraged them with these words:
32:7 “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria and the vast army with him, for there is a greater power with us than with him.
32:8 With him is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the LORD our God to help us and to fight our battles.” And the people gained confidence from what Hezekiah the king of Judah said.
32:9 Later, when Sennacherib king of Assyria and all his forces were laying siege to Lachish, he sent his officers to Jerusalem with this message for Hezekiah king of Judah and for all the people of Judah who were there:
32:10 “This is what Sennacherib king of Assyria says: On what are you basing your confidence, that you remain in Jerusalem under siege?
32:11 When Hezekiah says, ‘The LORD our God will save us from the hand of the king of Assyria,’ he is misleading you, to let you die of hunger and thirst.
32:12 Did not Hezekiah himself remove this god’s high places and altars, saying to Judah and Jerusalem, ‘You must worship before one altar and burn sacrifices on it’?
32:13 “Do you not know what I and my fathers have done to all the peoples of the other lands? Were the gods of those nations ever able to deliver their land from my hand?
32:14 Who of all the gods of these nations that my fathers destroyed has been able to save his people from me? How then can your god deliver you from my hand?
32:15 Now do not let Hezekiah deceive you and mislead you like this. Do not believe him, for no god of any nation or kingdom has been able to deliver his people from my hand or the hand of my fathers. How much less will your god deliver you from my hand!”
32:16 Sennacherib’s officers spoke further against the LORD God and against his servant Hezekiah.
32:17 The king also wrote letters insulting the LORD, the God of Israel, and saying this against him: “Just as the gods of the peoples of the other lands did not rescue their people from my hand, so the god of Hezekiah will not rescue his people from my hand.”
32:18 Then they called out in Hebrew to the people of Jerusalem who were on the wall, to terrify them and make them afraid in order to capture the city.
32:19 They spoke about the God of Jerusalem as they did about the gods of the other peoples of the world–the work of men’s hands.
32:20 King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz cried out in prayer to heaven about this.
32:21 And the LORD sent an angel, who annihilated all the fighting men and the leaders and officers in the camp of the Assyrian king. So he withdrew to his own land in disgrace. And when he went into the temple of his god, some of his sons cut him down with the sword.
32:22 So the LORD saved Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib king of Assyria and from the hand of all others. He took care of them on every side.
32:23 Many brought offerings to Jerusalem for the LORD and valuable gifts for Hezekiah king of Judah. From then on he was highly regarded by all the nations.
32:24 In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. He prayed to the LORD, who answered him and gave him a miraculous sign.
32:25 But Hezekiah’s heart was proud and he did not respond to the kindness shown him; therefore the LORD’S wrath was on him and on Judah and Jerusalem.
32:26 Then Hezekiah repented of the pride of his heart, as did the people of Jerusalem; therefore the LORD’S wrath did not come upon them during the days of Hezekiah.
32:27 Hezekiah had very great riches and honor, and he made treasuries for his silver and gold and for his precious stones, spices, shields and all kinds of valuables.
32:28 He also made buildings to store the harvest of grain, new wine and oil; and he made stalls for various kinds of cattle, and pens for the flocks.
32:29 He built villages and acquired great numbers of flocks and herds, for God had given him very great riches.
32:30 It was Hezekiah who blocked the upper outlet of the Gihon spring and channeled the water down to the west side of the City of David. He succeeded in everything he undertook.
32:31 But when envoys were sent by the rulers of Babylon to ask him about the miraculous sign that had occurred in the land, God left him to test him and to know everything that was in his heart.
32:32 The other events of Hezekiah’s reign and his acts of devotion are written in the vision of the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.
32:33 Hezekiah rested with his fathers and was buried on the hill where the tombs of David’s descendants are. All Judah and the people of Jerusalem honored him when he died. And Manasseh his son succeeded him as king.
32:1 After these things and this faithfulness, Sennacherib the king of Assyria came and entered Judah. And he encamped against the fortified cities and intended to break into them for himself.
32:2 And when Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come and that his face was set to fight against Jerusalem,
32:3 He took counsel with his officers and mighty men to stop the water of the fountains that were outside the city, and they helped him.
32:4 So many people gathered together and stopped all the fountains and the brook that flowed through the land, saying, Why should the kings of Assyria come and find an abundance of water?
32:5 And he took courage and built up all the wall that was broken down and erected towers on it and built another wall outside; and he strengthened the Millo in the city of David and made weapons and shields in abundance.
32:6 And he set battle captains over the people and gathered them to himself in the square at the gate of the city. And he encouraged them, saying,
32:7 Be strong and be bold; do not be afraid or dismayed because of the king of Assyria or because of all the multitude that is with him, for there is Someone greater with us than with him:
32:8 With him is an arm of flesh, but with us is Jehovah our God to help us and to fight our battles. And the people relied on the words of Hezekiah the king of Judah.
32:9 After this Sennacherib the king of Assyria sent his servants to Jerusalem ? now he was before Lachish and all his forces were with him ? to Hezekiah the king of Judah and to all Judah who were in Jerusalem, saying,
32:10 Thus says Sennacherib the king of Assyria, In what are you trusting, that you remain in a siege in Jerusalem?
32:11 Is not Hezekiah trying to persuade you to give yourselves up to die by famine and by thirst, saying, Jehovah our God will deliver us from the hand of the king of Assyria?
32:12 Was it not the same Hezekiah who took away His high places and His altars and who commanded Judah and Jerusalem, saying, Before one altar you shall worship, and upon it shall you burn incense?
32:13 Do you not know what I and my fathers have done to all the peoples of the lands? Were the gods of the nations of the lands at all able to deliver their land out of my hand?
32:14 Who was there among all the gods of those nations that my fathers destroyed who could deliver his people out of my hand, that your God would be able to deliver you out of my hand?
32:15 Now therefore do not let Hezekiah deceive you, nor persuade you in this way, and do not believe him; for there is no god of any nation or kingdom who was able to deliver his people out of my hand and out of the hand of my fathers. How much less will your God deliver you out of my hand!
32:16 And his servants said still more against Jehovah God and against Hezekiah His servant.
32:17 And he wrote letters to cast contempt on Jehovah the God of Israel and to speak against Him, saying, Like the gods of the nations of the lands that did not deliver their people out of my hand, so the God of Hezekiah will not deliver His people out of my hand.
32:18 And they cried out in a loud voice in the Jews’ language against the people of Jerusalem who were upon the wall in order to frighten them and terrify them, so that they might take the city.
32:19 And they spoke against the God of Jerusalem as they had against the gods of the peoples of the land, the work of men’s hands.
32:20 But Hezekiah the king and Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, prayed about this, and they cried out to heaven.
32:21 And Jehovah sent an angel, who annihilated all the mighty men of valor and the leaders and the captains in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he returned with shame of face to his own land. And when he entered the house of his god, some of those who had come forth from his bowels felled him there with the sword.
32:22 Thus Jehovah saved Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem out of the hand of Sennacherib the king of Assyria and out of the hand of everyone, and He protected them on all sides.
32:23 And many brought gifts to Jehovah at Jerusalem and precious things to Hezekiah the king of Judah, so that he was exalted in the sight of all the nations thereafter.
32:24 In those days Hezekiah became mortally ill, and he prayed to Jehovah. And He spoke to him and gave him a sign.
32:25 But Hezekiah did not respond according to the benefit he had received, for his heart was proud; therefore wrath came upon him and upon Judah and Jerusalem.
32:26 But Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart, he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the wrath of Jehovah did not come again upon them in the days of Hezekiah.
32:27 Now Hezekiah had very much wealth and honor, and he made for himself treasuries for silver and gold and precious stones and for spices and shields and all kinds of valuable goods,
32:28 As well as storehouses for produce of grain and new wine and fresh oil, and stalls for all kinds of cattle, and flocks in sheepfolds.
32:29 And he built cities and acquired many flocks and herds, for God had given him very many possessions.
32:30 And it was this Hezekiah who stopped the upper spring of the water of Gihon and directed it down to the west side of the city of David. And Hezekiah prospered in all his works.
32:31 So also in the matter of the envoys of the princes of Babylon, who had been sent to him to inquire about the wonders that had happened in the land, God forsook him only to test him and know all that was in his heart.
32:32 And the rest of the acts of Hezekiah and his deeds of faithfulness are there written in the vision of Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.
32:33 And Hezekiah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the upper part of the tombs of David’s sons; and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem honored him when he died. And Manasseh his son reigned in his place.