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Sennacherib
Invades Judah |
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| 2 Chronicles 32:1 |
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After these acts of faithfulness Sennacherib
king of Assyria came and invaded Judah and besieged the fortified cities, and
thought to break into them for himself. |
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| 2 Chronicles 32:2 |
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Now when Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come
and that he intended to make war on Jerusalem, |
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| 2 Chronicles 32:3 |
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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. |
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| 2 Chronicles 32:4 |
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So many people assembled and stopped up all
the springs and the stream which flowed through the region, saying, "Why should
the kings of Assyria come and find abundant water?" |
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| 2 Chronicles 32:5 |
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And he took courage and rebuilt all the wall
that had been broken down and erected towers on it, and built another outside
wall and strengthened the Millo in the city of David, and made weapons and shields
in great number. |
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| 2 Chronicles 32:6 |
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He appointed military officers over the people
and gathered them to him in the square at the city gate, and spoke encouragingly
to them, saying, |
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| 2 Chronicles 32:7 |
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"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; for the one with us is greater than the one with him. |
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| 2 Chronicles 32:8 |
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With him is only an arm of flesh, but 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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Sennacherib
Undermines Hezekiah |
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| 2 Chronicles 32:9 |
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After this Sennacherib king of Assyria sent
his servants to Jerusalem while he was besieging Lachish with all his forces with
him, against Hezekiah king of Judah and against all Judah who were at Jerusalem,
saying, |
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| 2 Chronicles 32:10 |
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"Thus says Sennacherib king of Assyria, 'On
what are you trusting that you are remaining in Jerusalem under siege? |
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| 2 Chronicles 32:11 |
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Is not Hezekiah misleading you to give yourselves
over to die by hunger and by thirst, saying, "The LORD our God will deliver us
from the hand of the king of Assyria"? |
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| 2 Chronicles 32:12 |
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Has not the same Hezekiah taken away His high
places and His altars, and said to Judah and Jerusalem, "You shall worship before
one altar, and on it you shall burn incense"? |
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| 2 Chronicles 32:13 |
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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 able
at all to deliver their land from my hand? |
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| 2 Chronicles 32:14 |
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Who was there among all the gods of those nations
which my fathers utterly destroyed who could deliver his people out of my hand,
that your God should be able to deliver you from my hand? |
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| 2 Chronicles 32:15 |
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Now therefore, do not let Hezekiah deceive you
or mislead you like this, and do not believe him, for no god of any nation or
kingdom was able to deliver his people from my hand or from the hand of my fathers.
How much less will your God deliver you from my hand?'" |
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| 2 Chronicles 32:16 |
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His servants spoke further against the LORD
God and against His servant Hezekiah. |
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| 2 Chronicles 32:17 |
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He also wrote letters to insult the LORD God
of Israel, and to speak against Him, saying, "As the gods of the nations of the
lands have not delivered their people from my hand, so the God of Hezekiah will
not deliver His people from my hand." |
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| 2 Chronicles 32:18 |
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They called this out with a loud voice in the
language of Judah to the people of Jerusalem who were on the wall, to frighten
and terrify them, so that they might take the city. |
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| 2 Chronicles 32:19 |
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They spoke of the God of Jerusalem as of the
gods of the peoples of the earth, the work of men's hands. |
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Hezekiah's
Prayer Is Answered |
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| 2 Chronicles 32:20 |
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But King Hezekiah and Isaiah the prophet, the
son of Amoz, prayed about this and cried out to heaven. |
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| 2 Chronicles 32:21 |
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And the LORD sent an angel who destroyed every
mighty warrior, commander and officer in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he
returned in shame to his own land. And when he had entered the temple of his god,
some of his own children killed him there with the sword. |
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| 2 Chronicles 32:22 |
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So the LORD saved Hezekiah and the inhabitants
of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib the king of Assyria and from the hand
of all others, and guided them on every side. |
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| 2 Chronicles 32:23 |
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And many were bringing gifts to the LORD at
Jerusalem and choice presents to Hezekiah king of Judah, so that he was exalted
in the sight of all nations thereafter. |
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| 2 Chronicles 32:24 |
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In those days Hezekiah became mortally ill;
and he prayed to the LORD, and the LORD spoke to him and gave him a sign. |
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| 2 Chronicles 32:25 |
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But Hezekiah gave no return for the benefit
he received, because his heart was proud; therefore wrath came on him and on Judah
and Jerusalem. |
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| 2 Chronicles 32:26 |
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However, Hezekiah humbled the pride of his heart,
both he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the wrath of the LORD did not
come on them in the days of Hezekiah. |
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| 2 Chronicles 32:27 |
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Now Hezekiah had immense riches and honor; and
he made for himself treasuries for silver, gold, precious stones, spices, shields
and all kinds of valuable articles, |
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| 2 Chronicles 32:28 |
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storehouses also for the produce of grain,
wine and oil, pens for all kinds of cattle and sheepfolds for the flocks. |
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| 2 Chronicles 32:29 |
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He made cities for himself and acquired flocks
and herds in abundance, for God had given him very great wealth. |
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| 2 Chronicles 32:30 |
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It was Hezekiah who stopped the upper outlet
of the waters of Gihon and directed them to the west side of the city of David.
And Hezekiah prospered in all that he did. |
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| 2 Chronicles 32:31 |
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Even in the matter of the envoys of the rulers
of Babylon, who sent to him to inquire of the wonder that had happened in the
land, God left him alone only to test him, that He might know all that was in
his heart. |
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| 2 Chronicles 32:32 |
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Now the rest of the acts of Hezekiah and his
deeds of devotion, behold, they are written in the vision of Isaiah the prophet,
the son of Amoz, in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel. |
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| 2 Chronicles 32:33 |
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So Hezekiah slept with his fathers, and they
buried him in the upper section of the tombs of the sons of David; and all Judah
and the inhabitants of Jerusalem honored him at his death. And his son Manasseh
became king in his place. |
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