THE SECOND BOOK OF THE
CHRONICLES
2 Chronicles 32 ©
As Sennacherib, king of Assyria, invades Judah, Hezekiah fortifies the city of Jerusalem, v. 1, etc. Comforts and exhorts the people, 7. Sennacherib defies Hezekiah, and blasphemes God, 9. Hezekiah and Isaiah the prophet call unto the Lord, 20. The Assyrians are smitten by an angel, 21. Hezekiah falls sick, 24. Being recovered, he provokes God, but is afterward grieved for it, and repents, 25. He remains blessed, 27. Offends, by dealing with the ambassadors of Babel, 31. He dies, and Manasseh, his son, becomes king, 33.
AFTER 1these things, and the 2establishment thereof, Sennacherib king of Assyria came,a and entered into Judah, and encamped against the fenced cities, and 3thought to win them 4for himself.
And when Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib was come, and that 5he was purposed to fight against Jerusalem,
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.
So there was gathered much people together, who stopped all the fountains, and the 6brook that ran through the midst of the land, saying, Why should the 7kings of Assyria come, and find much water?
Also he 8strengthened himself, and built up all the wall that was 9broken, and raised it up to the 10towers, and 11another wall without, and repaired 12Millo in the city of David, and made darts and shields in abundance.
And he set captains of war over the people, and gathered them together to him in the street 13of the gate of the city, and spake 14comfortably to them, saying,
Be strong and courageous, be not afraid nor dismayed for the king of Assyria, nor for all the multitude that is with him: forbthere be more with us than with him:
With him is an armc of 15flesh; but with us is the LORD our God to help us, and to fight our 16battles. And the people 17rested themselves upon the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.
¶Afterd this did Sennacherib king of Assyria send his 18servants to Jerusalem, (but he himself laid siege against Lachish, and 19all his power with him,) unto Hezekiah king of Judah, and unto all Judah that were at Jerusalem, saying,
Thus saith Sennacherib king of Assyria, Whereon do ye trust, that ye 20abide in the 21siege in Jerusalem?
Doth not Hezekiah persuadee you to give over yourselves to die by famine and by thirst, saying, The LORD our God shall 22deliver us out of the hand of the king of Assyria?
Hathf not the same Hezekiah taken away 23his high places and his altars, and commanded Judah and Jerusalem, saying, Ye shall worship before 24one altar, and burn incense upon it?
Know ye not what I and my 25fathers have done unto all the 26people of other lands? were the gods of the nations of those lands 27any ways able to deliver their lands out of mine hand?
Who was there among all the gods of those nations that my fathers 28utterly destroyed, that could deliver his people out of mine hand, that your God should be able to deliver you out of mine hand?
Now therefore letg 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: 29how much less shall 30your God deliver you out of mine hand?
Andh his servants spake 31yet more against the LORD God, and against his servant Hezekiah.
He wrote also 32lettersi toj 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.
Then they cried with a loud voice ink 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.
And they spake 33against the 34God of Jerusalem, as against the gods of the people of the earth, which were the work of the hands of man.
And 35for this cause Hezekiahl the king, and the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz, 36prayed and cried to heaven.
¶Andm the LORD sent an angel, which cut off all the mighty men of valour, and the leaders and captains 37in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he returned with shame of face to his own land. Andn when he was 38come into the house of 39his god, they 40that came forth of his own bowels slew him there with the sword.
Thus the LORD saved Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib the king of Assyria, and from the 41hand of all other, and 42guided them on every side.
And many brought gifts unto the LORD to Jerusalem, and presents to Hezekiah king of Judah: so that he was 43magnified in the sight of all nations from thenceforth.
¶Ino those days Hezekiah 44was sick to the death, and 45prayed unto the LORD: and he 46spake unto him, and he gave him a 47sign.
But Hezekiah 48rendered not again according to the benefit done unto him; for his heart was lifted up: therefore there was 49wrath upon him, and upon Judah and Jerusalem.
Notwithstandingp Hezekiah 50humbled 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.
¶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 51pleasant jewels;
Storehouses also for the increase of corn, and wine, and oil; and stalls 52for all manner of beasts, and 53cotes for flocks.
Moreover he provided him cities, and possessions of flocks and herds in abundance: for God had given him substance very much.
This same Hezekiah also stopped the 54upper watercourse of 55Gihon, and brought 56it straight down to the west side 57of the city of David. And Hezekiah prospered in all his works.
¶Howbeit in the business of the ambassadors of the 58princes of Babylon, who sent unto him to enquire of 59the wonder that was done in the land, God 60left him, to 61try him, that he might 62know all that was in his heart.
¶Now the rest of the acts of Hezekiah, and his 63goodness, behold, they are written in the 64vision of Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, and in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.
And Hezekiahq slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the 65chiefest 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.