2 Chronicles 32

Sennacherib’s Invasion

1 After Hezekiah’s faithful deeds, King Sennacherib of Assyria came and entered Judah. He laid siege to the fortified cities and intended  * 32:1 Lit said to himself to break into them.  * 32:1 2Kg 18:13; Is 36:12 Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come and that he planned  * 32:2 Lit that his face was for war on Jerusalem, 3 so he consulted with his officials and his warriors about stopping up the water of the springs that were outside the city, and they helped him. 4 Many people gathered and stopped up all the springs  * 32:4 2Kg 20:20 and the stream that flowed through the land;  * 32:4 2Ch 32:30 they said, "Why should the kings of Assyria come and find abundant water? " 5 Then Hezekiah strengthened his position by rebuilding the entire broken-down wall  * 32:5 2Ch 25:23 and heightening the towers and the other outside wall.  * 32:5 2Kg 25:4 He repaired the supporting terraces  * 32:5 2Sm 5:9; 1Kg 9:15 of the city of David, and made an abundance of weapons and shields.

6 He set military commanders over the people and gathered the people in the square of the city gate. Then he encouraged them,  * 32:6 Lit he spoke to their hearts,* 32:6 2Ch 30:22 saying, 7 "Be strong and courageous!  * 32:7 Dt 31:6; Jos 1:6–9; 10:25; 1Ch 22:13; Ps 31:24 Don’t be afraid or discouraged before the king of Assyria or before the large army that is with him, for there are more with us than with him.  * 32:7 2Kg 6:16; 1Jn 4:48 He has only human strength,  * 32:8 Lit With him an arm of flesh but we have the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles."  * 32:8 2Ch 20:17; Is 31:3; Jr 17:5 So the people relied on the words of King Hezekiah of Judah.

Sennacherib’s Servant’s Speech

9 After this,  * 32:9–12 2Kg 18:17–22; Is 36:2–7 while King Sennacherib of Assyria with all his armed forces besieged  * 32:9 Lit with his dominion was against Lachish, he sent his servants to Jerusalem against King Hezekiah of Judah and against all those of Judah who were in Jerusalem, saying, 10 "This is what King Sennacherib of Assyria says: ‘What are you relying on that you remain in Jerusalem under siege? 11 Isn’t Hezekiah misleading you to give you over to death by famine and thirst when he says, "The Lord our God will keep us from the grasp of the king of Assyria"? 12 Didn’t Hezekiah himself remove his high places and his altars  * 32:12 2Ch 31:1 and say to Judah and Jerusalem, "You must worship before one altar, and you must burn incense on it"?

13 " ‘Don’t you know  * 32:13–14 2Kg 18:33–35; Is 36:18–20 what I and my predecessors have done to all the peoples of the lands? Have any of the national gods of the lands been able to rescue their land from my power? 14 Who among all the gods of these nations that my predecessors completely destroyed was able to rescue his people from my power, that your God should be able to deliver you from my power?  * 32:14 Is 10:9–1115 So now,  * 32:15–18 2Kg 18:28–30; Is 36:13–15 don’t let Hezekiah deceive you, and don’t let him 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. How much less will your God rescue you from my power! ’ "

16 His servants said more against the Lord God and against his servant Hezekiah. 17 He also wrote letters to mock the Lord, the God of Israel, saying against him:

Just like the national gods of the lands that did not rescue their people from my power, so Hezekiah’s God will not rescue his people from my power.  * 32:17 2Ch 32:14

18 Then they called out loudly in Hebrew  * 32:18 Lit Judahite to the people of Jerusalem, who were on the wall, to frighten and discourage them in order that he might capture the city. 19 They spoke against the God of Jerusalem like they had spoken against the gods of the peoples of the earth, which were made by human hands.

Deliverance from Sennacherib

20 King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz prayed about this and cried out to heaven,  * 32:20 2Kg 19:15; Is 37:15–1621 and the Lord sent an angel who annihilated every valiant warrior, leader, and commander in the camp of the king of Assyria. So the king of Assyria returned in disgrace to his land. He went to the temple of his god, and there some of his own children struck him down with the sword.  * 32:21 2Kg 19:35–37; Is 37:36–38

22 So the Lord saved Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the power of King Sennacherib of Assyria and from the power of all others. He gave them rest  * 32:22 Lit He led them; Ps 23:2,* 32:22 Ps 23:2 on every side. 23 Many were bringing an offering to the Lord to Jerusalem and valuable gifts to King Hezekiah of Judah, and he was exalted in the eyes of all the nations after that.  * 32:23 2Sm 8:10; 2Ch 9:23–24

Hezekiah’s Illness and Pride

24 In those days Hezekiah became sick to the point of death, so he prayed to the Lord, who spoke to him and gave him a miraculous sign.  * 32:24 2Kg 20:1–3,8–11; Is 38:1–3,7–825 However, because his heart was proud,  * 32:25 2Ch 26:16; 32:31 Hezekiah didn’t respond according to the benefit that had come to him. So there was wrath on him, Judah, and Jerusalem.  * 32:25 2Ch 24:1826 Then Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart — he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem — so the Lord’s wrath didn’t come  * 32:26 Jr 26:18–19 on them during Hezekiah’s lifetime.  * 32:26 2Kg 20:18–19; Is 39:7–8

Hezekiah’s Wealth and Works

27 Hezekiah had abundant riches and glory, and he made himself treasuries for silver, gold, precious stones, spices, shields, and every desirable item. 28 He made warehouses for the harvest of grain, new wine, and fresh oil, and stalls for all kinds of cattle, and pens for flocks. 29 He made cities for himself, and he acquired vast numbers of flocks and herds, for God gave him abundant possessions.

30 This same Hezekiah blocked the upper outlet of the water from the Gihon Spring  * 32:30 1Kg 1:33 and channeled it smoothly downward and westward to the city of David.  * 32:30 2Kg 20:20 Hezekiah succeeded in everything he did. 31 When the ambassadors of Babylon’s rulers  * 32:31 2Kg 20:12; Is 39:1 were sent  * 32:31 LXX, Tg, Vg; MT reads of Babylon sent to him to inquire about the miraculous sign  * 32:31 2Ch 32:24 that happened in the land, God left him to test him and discover what was in his heart.  * 32:31 Dt 8:2; 13:3

Hezekiah’s Death

32 As for the rest of the events  * 32:32–33 2Kg 20:20–21 of Hezekiah’s reign and his deeds of faithful love, note that they are written in the Visions of the Prophet Isaiah son of Amoz,  * 32:32 Is 36:1–39:8 and in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel.  * 32:32 2Kg 18:9–20:1933 Hezekiah rested with his ancestors and was buried on the ascent to the tombs of David’s descendants. All Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem paid him honor at his death. His son Manasseh became king in his place.