2 Chronicles
32
- 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.
- When Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come
and that he intended to make war on Jerusalem,
- he consulted with his officials and military
staff about blocking off the water from the springs outside the city, and
they helped him.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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:
- "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.
- 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.
- 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:
- "This is what Sennacherib king of Assyria
says: On what are you basing your confidence, that you remain in Jerusalem
under siege ?
- 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.
- 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' ?
- "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 ?
- 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 ?
- 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 !"
- Sennacherib's officers spoke further against
the LORD God and against his servant Hezekiah.
- 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."
- 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.
- 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.
- King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah son
of Amoz cried out in prayer to heaven about this.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- He built villages and acquired great numbers
of flocks and herds, for God had given him very great riches.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Back |
Home |
Next