2 Chronicles 32
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3 4 5
6 7 8
9 10 11
12 13 14
15 16 17
18 19
20 21 22 23
24 25 26
27 28 29
30 31 32
33 34 35
36
1 After these things, and the
establishment thereof, Sennacherib king of Assyria came, and entered into Judah,
and encamped against the fenced cities, and thought to win them for himself.
2 And when Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib
was come, and that he was purposed to fight against Jerusalem,
3 He took counsel with his princes and his
mighty men to stop the waters of the fountains which were without the
city: and they did help him.
4 So there was gathered much people
together, who stopped all the fountains, and the brook that ran through the
midst of the land, saying, Why should the kings of Assyria come, and find much
water?
5 Also he strengthened himself, and built
up all the wall that was broken, and raised it up to the towers, and
another wall without, and repaired Millo in the city of David, and made
darts and shields in abundance.
6 And he set captains of war over the
people, and gathered them together to him in the street of the gate of the city,
and spake comfortably 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 be more with us than with him:
8 With him is an arm of flesh; but
with us is the LORD our God to help us, and to fight our battles. And the
people rested themselves upon the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.
9 After this did Sennacherib
king of Assyria send his servants to Jerusalem, (but he himself laid siege
against Lachish, and all his power with him,) unto Hezekiah king of Judah, and
unto all Judah that were at Jerusalem, saying,
10 Thus saith Sennacherib king of Assyria,
Whereon do ye trust, that ye abide in the siege in Jerusalem?
11 Doth not Hezekiah persuade you to give
over yourselves to die by famine and by thirst, saying, The LORD our God shall
deliver us out of the hand of the king of Assyria?
12 Hath not the same Hezekiah taken away
his high places and his altars, and commanded Judah and Jerusalem, saying, Ye
shall worship before one altar, and burn incense upon it?
13 Know ye not what I and my fathers have
done unto all the people of other lands? were the gods of the nations of
those lands any ways able to deliver their lands out of mine hand?
14 Who was there among all the gods
of those nations that my fathers utterly destroyed, that could deliver his
people out of mine hand, that your God should be able to deliver you out of mine
hand?
15 Now therefore let not Hezekiah deceive
you, nor persuade you on this manner, neither yet believe him: for no god of any
nation or kingdom was able to deliver his people out of mine hand, and out of
the hand of my fathers: how much less shall your God deliver you out of mine
hand?
16 And his servants spake yet more
against the LORD God, and against his servant Hezekiah.
17 He wrote also letters to rail on the
LORD God of Israel, and to speak against him, saying, As the gods of the nations
of other lands have not delivered their people out of mine hand, so shall
not the God of Hezekiah deliver his people out of mine hand.
18 Then they cried with a loud voice in
the Jews’ speech unto the people of Jerusalem that were on the wall, to
affright them, and to trouble them; that they might take the city.
19 And they spake against the God of
Jerusalem, as against the gods of the people of the earth, which were the
work of the hands of man.
20 And for this cause Hezekiah the
king, and the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz, prayed and cried to heaven.
21 And the LORD sent an angel, which cut
off all the mighty men of valour, and the leaders and captains in the camp of
the king of Assyria. So 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
slew him there with the sword.
22 Thus the LORD saved Hezekiah and the
inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib the king of Assyria, and
from the hand of all other, and guided them on every side.
23 And many brought gifts unto the LORD to
Jerusalem, and presents to Hezekiah king of Judah: so that he was magnified in
the sight of all nations from thenceforth.
24 In those days Hezekiah was
sick to the death, and prayed unto the LORD: and he spake unto him, and he gave
him a sign.
25 But Hezekiah rendered not again
according to the benefit done unto him; for his heart was lifted up:
therefore there was wrath upon him, and upon Judah and Jerusalem.
26 Notwithstanding Hezekiah humbled
himself for the pride of his heart, both he and the inhabitants of
Jerusalem, so that the wrath of the LORD came not upon them in the days of
Hezekiah.
27 And Hezekiah had exceeding 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
jewels;
28 Storehouses also for the increase of
corn, and wine, and oil; and stalls for all manner of beasts, and cotes for
flocks.
29 Moreover he provided him cities, and
possessions of flocks and herds in abundance: for God had given him substance
very much.
30 This same Hezekiah also stopped the
upper watercourse of Gihon, and brought it straight down to the west side of the
city of David. And Hezekiah prospered in all his works.
31 Howbeit in the business of the
ambassadors of the princes of Babylon, who sent unto him to enquire 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 Now the rest of the acts of Hezekiah,
and his goodness, behold, they are written in the vision of Isaiah the
prophet, the son of Amoz, and in the book of the kings of Judah and
Israel.
33 And Hezekiah slept with his fathers,
and they buried him in the chiefest 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.
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