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2 Chronicles 32 |
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. |