2 ChroniclesChapter 32

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¹After Hezekiah had done all these faithful things, Sennacherib king of Assyria came and invaded Judah. He surrounded the walled cities. He planned to take them for himself. ²Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come. He saw that he planned to make war on Jerusalem. ³So he talked with his leaders and his strong soldiers. They planned to block up the water from the springs outside the city. And they helped him do it. ⁴Many people came together. They blocked up all the springs and the stream that flowed through the land. They said, "Why should the kings of Assyria come and find lots of water?" ⁵Then Hezekiah worked hard to rebuild all the broken parts of the wall. He built towers on it. He also built another wall outside it. He made the terraces of the City of David stronger. And he made many weapons and shields. ⁶Hezekiah put army commanders over the people. He gathered the people in the open square at the city gate. Then he gave them courage. He said, ⁷"Be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or lose heart because of the king of Assyria and his huge army. There is One with us who is greater than the one with him. ⁸He only has human strength. But we have the LORD our God to help us and to fight our battles." So the people took courage from what Hezekiah king of Judah said.a ⁹Later, Sennacherib king of Assyria and all his army were attacking Lachish. He sent his servants to Jerusalem. They had a message for King Hezekiah of Judah and for all the people of Judah in Jerusalem. ¹⁰"This is what Sennacherib king of Assyria says: What are you trusting in? Why do you stay in Jerusalem while it is surrounded? ¹¹Hezekiah says, 'The LORD our God will save us from the king of Assyria.' Isn't he fooling you? He is leading you to die from hunger and thirst. ¹²Didn't Hezekiah himself take away this God's high places and altars? Didn't he tell Judah and Jerusalem, 'You must worship at one altar and burn your sacrifices on it'? ¹³Don't you know what my fathers and I have done to all the peoples of other lands? Were the gods of those nations ever able to save their land from me? ¹⁴My fathers set those nations apart for destruction. Which of all their gods could save his people from me? So how can your God save you from me? ¹⁵So don't let Hezekiah trick you. Don't let him fool you like this. Don't believe him. No god of any nation or kingdom has been able to save his people from me or from my fathers. Your God surely can't save you from me!" ¹⁶Sennacherib's servants said even more against the LORD God and against his servant Hezekiah. ¹⁷Sennacherib also wrote letters that made fun of the LORD, the God of Israel. He spoke against him. He wrote, "The gods of the other nations did not save their people from me. In the same way, Hezekiah's God will not save his people from me." ¹⁸Then the Assyrians shouted loudly in Hebrew to the people of Jerusalem on the wall. They wanted to scare them and fill them with fear. Then they could capture the city. ¹⁹They talked about the God of Jerusalem the same way they talked about the gods of the other peoples of the earth. Those gods were made by human hands. ²⁰Then King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz cried out to heaven in prayer. ²¹And the LORD sent an angel. The angel wiped out every brave fighting man, every leader, and every commander in the camp of the king of Assyria. So the king went back to his own land in shame. He went into the temple of his god. There some of his own sons killed him with the sword. ²²So the LORD saved Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem from King Sennacherib of Assyria. He saved them from everyone else too. He gave them rest on every side. ²³Many people brought offerings to Jerusalem for the LORD. They brought costly gifts for Hezekiah king of Judah. From then on, all the nations looked up to him. ²⁴In those days Hezekiah became sick and was about to die. He prayed to the LORD. The LORD spoke to him and gave him a sign. ²⁵But because his heart was proud, Hezekiah did not give back thanks for the kindness shown to him. So wrath came on him and on Judah and Jerusalem. ²⁶Then Hezekiah humbled his proud heart. The people of Jerusalem humbled themselves too. So the LORD's anger did not come on them while Hezekiah lived. ²⁷Hezekiah had very great riches and honor. He made treasure rooms for his silver and gold. He made them for his gems, spices, shields, and all kinds of valuable things. ²⁸He also built storehouses for grain, new wine, and oil. He built stalls for all kinds of cattle and pens for the sheep. ²⁹He built cities for himself. He had many herds of sheep and cattle, because God had given him very great wealth. ³⁰Hezekiah was the one who blocked the upper outlet of the Spring of Gihon. He sent the water down to the west side of the City of David. Hezekiah did well in everything he did. ³¹The rulers of Babylon sent men to him. They came to ask about the wonder that had happened in the land. Then God left him alone to test him. God wanted to know everything that was in Hezekiah's heart. ³²The rest of what Hezekiah did, and his acts of faithful love, are written down. They are in the vision of the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz. That is in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel. ³³Hezekiah died and joined his fathers. He was buried in the upper tombs of David's sons. All Judah and the people of Jerusalem honored him when he died. And his son Manasseh became king after him.