2 Chronicles 32

1 After these words and this faithful dealing, Sennacherib king of the Assyrians came. He came into Judah and camped against the fortified cities, and he said he would seize them for himself. [a] 2 And Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come, and that his face was set to make war against Jerusalem.

3 And he took counsel with his elders and his mighty men to block up the waters of the springs that lay outside the city; and they helped him. 4 And he gathered many people, and they blocked up the waters of the springs, and the river that ran through the city. For he said, “Let the king of the Assyrians not come and find much water and grow strong.” [b] 5 And Hezekiah grew strong. He built up all the wall that had been torn down, and towers, and outside it another wall in front; and he strengthened the earthworks of the city of David, and he made weapons in abundance. [c]

6 And he set leaders of the war over the people, and they were gathered to him at the open square of the gate of the valley, and he spoke to their heart, saying, 7 “Be strong and brave. Do not be terrified before the king of the Assyrians, or before all the nation that is with him; for there are more with us than with him. [d] 8 With him are arms of flesh; but with us is the Lord our God, to save us and to fight our battle.” And the people took heart at the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.

9 After this, Sennacherib king of the Assyrians sent his servants to Jerusalem — and he himself was against Lachish, and all his army with him — and he sent to Hezekiah king of Judah, and to all Judah that was in Jerusalem, saying, 10 “This is what Sennacherib king of the Assyrians says: On what are you trusting, that you sit under siege in Jerusalem? [e] 11 Is not Hezekiah deceiving you, to hand you over to death and to famine and to thirst, when he says, ‘The Lord our God will save us out of the hand of the king of the Assyrians’? 12 Is this not the same Hezekiah who took away his altars and his high places, and said to Judah and to those living in Jerusalem, ‘You shall bow down before this altar, and burn incense on it’? 13 Do you not know what I and my fathers have done to all the peoples of the lands? Were the gods of the nations of all the earth able at all to save their people out of my hand? 14 Who is there among all the gods of these nations whom my fathers destroyed? Were they able to save their people out of my hand, that your God should be able to save you out of my hand? [f] 15 So now, do not let Hezekiah deceive you, and do not let him make you confident in this way, and do not believe him; for no god of any nation or kingdom is able to save his people out of my hand, or out of the hand of my fathers — so your God will certainly not save you out of my hand.”

16 And his servants went on speaking against the Lord God, and against Hezekiah his servant. 17 And he wrote a letter to reproach the Lord, the God of Israel, and he spoke about him, saying, “As the gods of the nations of the earth did not rescue their peoples out of my hand, so the God of Hezekiah will not rescue his people out of my hand.” 18 And he called out in a loud voice in the language of Judah to the people of Jerusalem who were on the wall, to frighten them and to pull them down, so that they might capture the city. [g] 19 And he spoke against the God of Jerusalem as against the gods of the peoples of the earth, the works of men’s hands.

20 And Hezekiah the king and Isaiah son of Amoz the prophet prayed about these things, and they cried out to heaven. [h] 21 And the Lord sent a messenger, and he wiped out every mighty warrior and leader and commander in the camp of the king of the Assyrians. And he went back to his own land with the shame of it on his face. And he came into the house of his god, and some of those who had come out of his own body struck him down with the sword. [i]

22 So the Lord saved Hezekiah and those living in Jerusalem out of the hand of Sennacherib king of the Assyrians, and out of the hand of them all, and he gave them rest on every side. [k] 23 And many brought gifts to the Lord at Jerusalem, and presents to Hezekiah king of Judah; and after this he was lifted high in the eyes of all the nations.

24 In those days Hezekiah fell sick, even to death; and he prayed to the Lord, and the Lord listened to him and gave him a sign. 25 But Hezekiah did not pay back according to the repayment that was given him. His heart was lifted up instead, and anger came upon him, and upon Judah and Jerusalem. 26 And Hezekiah was humbled from the height of his heart, he and those living in Jerusalem; and the anger of the Lord did not come upon them in the days of Hezekiah.

27 And Hezekiah had wealth and very great glory. He made himself treasuries for silver and gold and precious stone, and for spices, and armories, and for costly vessels; 28 and cities for the produce of grain and oil and wine, and mangers for every kind of cattle, and folds for the flocks; 29 and cities that he built for himself, and a great store of sheep and oxen, for the Lord gave him a very great store.

30 It was this same Hezekiah who blocked up the upper outlet of the water of Gihon and brought it down to the southwest of the city of David. And Hezekiah did well in all his works. [l] 31 And so it was with the ambassadors of the rulers from Babylon, who were sent to him to ask him about the wonder that had happened in the land: the Lord left him, to test him, to know what was in his heart. [m]

32 And the rest of the words of Hezekiah, and his mercy — look, they are written in the prophecy of Isaiah son of Amoz the prophet, and in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel. 33 And Hezekiah slept with his fathers, and they buried him on the ascent to the tombs of the sons of David; and all Judah and those living in Jerusalem gave him glory and honor at his death. And Manasseh his son reigned in his place. [n]