1 After these things and this faithfulness, Sennacherib king of Assyria came and entered into Judah, and encamped against the fortified cities, and thought to break into them.2 And when Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib was come, and that he was minded to fight against Jerusalem,3 he took counsel with his princes and his mighty men to stop the fountains of waters that were outside the city; and they helped him.4 And there was gathered together much people, and they stopped all the fountains, and the torrent that flows through the midst of the land, saying, Why should the kings of Assyria come and find much water?5 And he strengthened himself, and built up all the wall that was broken down, and raised it up to the towers, and {built} another wall outside, and fortified the Millo of the city of David, and made darts and shields in abundance.6 And he set captains of war over the people, and assembled them to him on the open place at the gate of the city, and spoke consolingly to them saying,7 Be strong and courageous, be not afraid nor dismayed for the king of Assyria, nor for all the multitude that is with him; for there are more with us than with him: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 depended upon the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.9 After this, Sennacherib king of Assyria sent his servants to Jerusalem (but he himself was before Lachish, and all his power with him), unto Hezekiah king of Judah, and unto all Judah that were at Jerusalem, saying,10 Thus says Sennacherib king of Assyria: On what do ye rely that ye abide in the siege in Jerusalem?11 Does not Hezekiah persuade you, to give yourselves over to die by famine and by thirst, saying, Jehovah our God will deliver us out of the hand of the king of Assyria?12 Has not the same Hezekiah removed his high places and his altars, and commanded Judah and Jerusalem saying, Ye shall worship before *one* altar, and burn incense upon it?13 Do ye not know what I and my fathers have done to all the peoples of the countries? Were the gods of the nations of the countries in any wise able to deliver their country out of my hand?14 Who is there among all the gods of those nations that my fathers have utterly destroyed, that was able to deliver his people out of my hand, that your God should be able to deliver you out of my hand?15 And now, let not Hezekiah deceive you, nor persuade you in this manner, neither yet believe him; for no +god of any nation or kingdom was able to deliver his people out of my hand, nor out of the hand of my fathers: how much less shall your God deliver you out of my hand?16 And his servants spoke yet more against Jehovah, the {true} God, and against his servant Hezekiah.17 And he wrote a letter to rail at Jehovah the God of Israel, and to speak against him saying, As the gods of the nations of the countries have not delivered their people out of my hand, so shall not the God of Hezekiah deliver his people out of my hand.18 And they cried with a loud voice in the Jewish {language} to the people of Jerusalem that were on the wall, to frighten them and to trouble them; that they might take the city.19 And they spoke of the God of Jerusalem as of the gods of the peoples of the earth, the work of man's hand.20 And because of this, king Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz prayed and cried to heaven.21 And Jehovah sent an angel, who cut off all the mighty men of valour, and the princes and the captains in the camp of the king of Assyria. And he returned with shame of face to his own land. And when he was come into the house of his god, they that came forth of his own bowels made him fall there with the sword.22 And Jehovah saved Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib the king of Assyria, and from the hand of all, and protected them on every side.23 And many brought gifts unto Jehovah to Jerusalem, and precious things to Hezekiah king of Judah; and he was thenceforth magnified in the sight of all the nations.24 In those days Hezekiah was sick unto death, and he prayed to Jehovah; and he spoke to him and gave him a sign.25 But Hezekiah rendered not again according to the benefit {done} to him, for his heart was lifted up; and there was wrath upon him, and upon Judah and Jerusalem.26 And Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart, he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the wrath of Jehovah came not upon them in the days of Hezekiah.27 And Hezekiah had very much riches and honour; and he made himself treasuries for silver, and for gold, and for precious stones, and for spices, and for shields, and for all manner of pleasant vessels;28 storehouses also for the increase of corn and new wine and oil, and stalls for all manner of beasts, and {he procured} flocks for the stalls.29 And he provided for himself cities, and possessions of flocks and herds in abundance; for God gave him very much substance.30 And he, Hezekiah, stopped the upper outlet of the waters of Gihon, and brought it straight down to the west side of the city of David. And Hezekiah prospered in all his works.31 However in {the matter of} the ambassadors of the princes of Babylon, who sent to him to inquire of the wonder that was done in the land, God left him, to try him, that he might know all {that was} in his heart.32 And the rest of the acts of Hezekiah and his good deeds, behold, they are written in the vision of the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.33 And Hezekiah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the highest place of the sepulchres of the sons of David; and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem did him honour at his death. And Manasseh his son reigned in his stead.

1 N hierdie dinge en hierdie bewys van getrouheid het S nherib, die koning van Assirië, gekom en Juda binnegedring en die vaste stede beleër en bedoel om hulle vir hom te verower.2 En toe Jehisk¡a sien dat S nherib kom met die doel om teen Jerusalem te veg,3 het hy raad gehou met sy owerstes en sy helde, om die fontein-oë buitekant die stad toe te stop; en hulle het hom gehelp:4 baie mense het byeengekom en al die oë toegestop, ook die spruit wat dwarsdeur die land stroom, met die gedagte: Waarom moet die konings van Assirië kom en baie water vind?5 En hy het moed geskep en die hele muur opgetrek wat afgebreek was, en daar torings op gebou, ook die ander muur buitekant het hy gebou; en hy het Millo in die stad van Dawid versterk en werpspiese en skilde in menigte laat maak.6 En hy het krygsowerstes oor die manskappe aangestel en hulle by hom op die plein van die stadspoort byeen laat kom en na hulle hart gespreek en gesê:7 Wees sterk en vol moed, wees nie bevrees of verskrik vanweë die koning van Assirië of vanweë die hele menigte wat saam met hom is nie; want by ons is meer as by hom.8 By hom is 'n vleeslike arm, maar by ons is die HERE onse God om ons te help en ons oorloë te voer! En die manskappe het gesteun op die woorde van Jehisk¡a, die koning van Juda.9 Hierna het S nherib, die koning van Assirië -- hy self en sy hele ryksmag was saam met hom by Lagis -- sy dienaars na Jerusalem gestuur, na Jehisk¡a, die koning van Juda, en na die hele Juda wat in Jerusalem was, om te sê:10 So sê S nherib, die koning van Assirië: Waarop vertrou julle, dat julle daar ingesluit bly sit in Jerusalem?11 Verlei Jehisk¡a julle nie, om julle van honger en dors te laat sterwe deur te sê: Die HERE onse God sal ons red uit die hand van die koning van Assirië?12 Het dieselfde Jehisk¡a nie sy hoogtes en sy altare verwyder en aan Juda en Jerusalem dit gesê nie: Voor ,,n altaar moet julle jul neerbuig en daarop offerrook laat opgaan?13 Weet julle nie wat ,k en my vaders aan al die volke van die lande gedoen het nie? Het die gode van die nasies van die lande ooit hulle land uit my hand kon red?14 Wie was daar onder al die gode van daardie nasies wat my vaders met die banvloek getref het, wat sy volk uit my hand kon red -- dat julle God julle uit my hand sou kan red?15 Laat Jehisk¡a julle dan nou nie bedrieg en julle nie op so 'n manier verlei nie; en glo hom nie, want geen enkele god van enige nasie of koninkryk het sy volk uit my hand of uit die hand van my vaders kon verlos nie; hoeveel minder sal julle God julle uit my hand kan verlos?16 Sy dienaars het nog meer teen die HERE God gespreek en teen sy kneg Jehisk¡a.17 Hy het ook 'n brief geskrywe om die HERE, die God van Israel, te smaad en teen Hom te spreek deur te sê: Soos die gode van die nasies van die lande wat hulle volk uit my hand nie gered het nie, so sal die God van Jehisk¡a sy volk uit my hand nie red nie.18 En hulle het hardop in die Joodse taal geroep na die manskappe van Jerusalem wat op die muur was, om die bevrees en verskrik te maak, sodat hulle die stad kon inneem.19 En hulle het oor die God van Jerusalem gespreek soos oor die gode van die volke van die aarde -- 'n maaksel van mensehande.20 Maar toe koning Jehisk¡a en die profeet Jesaja, die seun van Amos, hieroor gebid en na die hemel geroep het,21 stuur die HERE 'n engel, en die het al die dapper helde en bevelhebbers en owerstes in die laer van die koning van Assirië verdelg, sodat hy met 'n beskaamde aangesig na sy land teruggegaan het; en toe hy in die huis van sy god kom, het die wat uit sy eie liggaam voortgekom het, hom daar met die swaard neergeslaan.22 En die HERE het Jehisk¡a en die inwoners van Jerusalem verlos uit die hand van S nherib, die koning van Assirië, en uit die hand van almal, en hulle rondom tot rus gebring.23 En baie het geskenke aan die HERE na Jerusalem gebring en kosbare geskenke aan Jehisk¡a, die koning van Juda, sodat hy daarna in die oë van al die nasies hoog gestaan het.24 In die dae het Jehisk¡a dodelik siek geword, maar hy het tot die HERE gebid, en Hy het met hom gespreek en hom 'n wonderteken gegee.25 Maar Jehisk¡a het die weldaad wat aan hom bewys is, nie vergeld nie; want sy hart het hoogmoedig geword. Daarom was daar 'n toorn oor hom en oor Juda en Jerusalem.26 Maar Jehisk¡a het hom verootmoedig in die hoogmoedigheid van sy hart, hy en die inwoners van Jerusalem, sodat die toorn van die HERE nie oor hulle gekom het in die dae van Jehisk¡a nie.27 En Jehisk¡a het buitengewoon baie rykdom en eer besit en vir hom skatkamers gemaak vir silwer en goud en edelgesteentes en vir speserye en skilde en allerhande kosbare voorwerpe;28 ook pakhuise vir die opbrings van koring en mos en olie; en stalle vir allerhande soorte vee en krale vir die troppe vee.29 Ook het hy vir hom stede aangelê; verder was daar besittings van kleinvee en beeste in menigte, want God het hom baie goed gegee.30 Dieselfde Jehisk¡a het ook die boonste uitloop van die water van die Gihon toegestop en dit gelei na onder toe, westelik na die stad van Dawid. En Jehisk¡a was voorspoedig in al sy werk.31 So ook in die geval van die gesante van die vorste van Babel -- wat na hom gestuur het om ondersoek te doen na die wonderteken wat in die land gebeur het -- het God hom net verlaat om hom op die proef te stel, om te weet alles wat in sy hart was.32 En die verdere geskiedenis van Jehisk¡a en sy vrome dade, kyk, dit is beskrywe in die Gesig van die profeet Jesaja, die seun van Amos, in die Boek van die konings van Juda en Israel.33 En Jehisk¡a het ontslaap met sy vaders, en hy is begrawe teen die hoogte van die grafte van die seuns van Dawid; en die hele Juda en die inwoners van Jerusalem het hom eer bewys by sy dood; en sy seun Manasse het in sy plek koning geword.