2 Chronicles 32

He Stopped the Waters and Trusted the Lord

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Sennacherib Comes Against Judah

32:1After these events and this faithfulness, Sennacherib king of the Assyrians came. He came against Judah, camped against the walled cities, and said he would seize them beforehand.

32:2Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had arrived and that his face was set to wage war against Jerusalem.

32:3He consulted with his elders and mighty men about blocking the waters of the springs outside the city, and they joined in strengthening him.

32:4He gathered a great crowd and blocked the waters of the springs and the river that divided the city, saying, “Let the king of Assyria not come and find abundant water and gain strength.”

32:5Hezekiah grew strong and built the entire demolished wall and towers, and outside another defensive wall. He strengthened the retaining work of the City of David and prepared many weapons.

32:6He appointed commanders of war over the people, and they gathered to him in the square at the gate of the ravine. He spoke to their hearts, saying,

32:7“Be strong and act courageously. Do not be terrified before the king of Assyria or before the entire nation with him, because more are with us than with him.

32:8With him are arms of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God, to save and to fight our war.” The people took courage from the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.

The Message of Sennacherib

32:9After these things, Sennacherib king of the Assyrians sent his servants against Jerusalem; he himself was at Lachish, with all the army with him. He sent to Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah in Jerusalem, saying,

32:10“Thus says Sennacherib king of the Assyrians: On what have you placed your trust, sitting within the siege in Jerusalem?

32:11Is Hezekiah not deceiving you, to hand you over to death and hunger and thirst, saying, ‘The Lord our God will save us from the hand of the king of Assyria’?

32:12Is this not Hezekiah who removed His altars and His high places and told Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, ‘Before this altar you shall bow down, and upon it you shall burn incense’?

32:13Will you not learn what I and my fathers did to all the peoples of the countries? Were the gods of the nations of the whole earth at all able to save their people from my hand?

32:14Who among all the gods of these nations, whom my fathers destroyed? Were they able to save their people from my hand, that your God will be able to save you from my hand?

32:15Now do not let Hezekiah deceive you or make you confident on these grounds, and do not believe him. The god of any nation and kingdom certainly cannot save his people from my hand and my fathers’ hand; your God certainly will not save you from my hand.”

32:16His servants spoke still more against the Lord God and against Hezekiah His servant.

32:17He wrote a letter to reproach the Lord God of Israel and spoke about Him, saying, “As the gods of the nations of the earth did not deliver their peoples from my hand, so the God of Hezekiah certainly will not deliver His people from my hand.”

32:18He shouted in a loud voice in the Judean language to the people of Jerusalem upon the wall, to frighten and bring them down so that they might seize the city beforehand.

32:19He spoke against the God of Jerusalem as also against the gods of the peoples of the earth, works of human hands.

The Prayer of Hezekiah and Isaiah

32:20King Hezekiah and Isaiah son of Amoz the prophet prayed about these things and cried out to heaven.

32:21The Lord sent an angel, and he wiped out every mighty warrior, ruler, and commander in the camp of the king of Assyria. The king returned to his land with shame of face. He entered the house of his god, and some who had come from his own body struck him down with the sword.

32:22The Lord saved Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib king of Assyria and from everyone’s hand, and He gave them rest all around.

32:23Many brought gifts to the Lord at Jerusalem and presents to Hezekiah king of Judah, and afterward he was highly exalted in the eyes of all the nations.

The Sickness and Pride of Hezekiah

32:24In those days Hezekiah became ill to the point of death. He prayed to the Lord, and He listened to him and gave him a sign.

32:25Hezekiah did not repay according to the recompense He had given him, but his heart was lifted up. Wrath came upon him and upon Judah and Jerusalem.

32:26Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem humbled themselves from the height of his heart, and the Lord’s wrath did not come upon them in Hezekiah’s days.

The Wealth and Works of Hezekiah

32:27Hezekiah had exceedingly great wealth and glory. He made himself treasuries for silver, gold, precious stones, and spices, and armories, and places for desirable articles,

32:28and cities for the produce of grain, oil, and wine, mangers for every animal, and folds for the flocks,

32:29and cities that he built for himself, and a great stock of sheep and cattle, because the Lord gave him exceedingly many possessions.

32:30Hezekiah himself blocked the upper outlet of the water of Gihon and directed the waters downward toward the southwest of the City of David. Hezekiah prospered in all his works.

32:31And so, concerning the ambassadors of the rulers from Babylon sent to him to learn from him about the wonder that had happened upon the land, the Lord left him to test him, to know what was in his heart.

32:32The rest of Hezekiah’s deeds and his mercy are written in the prophecy of Isaiah son of Amoz the prophet and in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel.

32:33Hezekiah lay down with his fathers, and they buried him on the ascent to the tombs of David’s sons. All Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem gave him glory and honor at his death, and his son Manasseh reigned in his place.

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Saints Translation · Liturgical reading edition · V1 · working draft awaiting specialist review.