Sennacherib Invades Judah
2 Chronicles 32After these things and this faithfulness, Sennacherib king of Assyria came, entered into Judah, and besieged the fortified cities, intending to win them for himself. When Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come, and that he was planning to fight against Jerusalem, he took counsel with his princes and his mighty men to stop the waters of the springs which were outside of the city, and they helped him. Then many people gathered together and they stopped all the springs and the brook that flowed through the middle of the land, saying, “Why should the kings of Assyria come, and find abundant water?”
He took courage, built up all the wall that was broken down, and raised it up to the towers, with the other wall outside, and strengthened Millo in David’s city, and made weapons and shields in abundance. He set captains of war over the people, gathered them together to him in the wide place at the gate of the city, and spoke encouragingly to them, saying, “Y’all are to be strong and courageous. Y’all must not be afraid or dismayed because of the king of Assyria, nor for all the horde who is with him, for there is a greater one with us than with him. An arm of flesh is with him, but YHWH our God is with us to help us and to fight our battles.” The people rested themselves on the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.
After this, Sennacherib king of Assyria sent his servants to Jerusalem, (now he was attacking Lachish, and all his forces were with him), to Hezekiah king of Judah, and to all Judah who were at Jerusalem, saying, Sennacherib king of Assyria says, “What are y’all trusting, that y’all remain under siege in Jerusalem? Hezekiah says, ‘YHWH our God will deliver us from the hand of the king of Assyria,’ but he is misleading y’all to give y’all over to die of hunger and thirst. Did not Hezekiah himself take away ʜɪꜱ high places and ʜɪꜱ altars, and commanded Judah and Jerusalem, saying, ‘Y’all are to worship before one altar and burn incense on it?’ Don’t y’all know what I and my predecessors have done to all the peoples of the lands? Were the gods of the nations of those lands able to deliver-deliver their land out of my hand? Who among all the gods of those nations that my predecessors completely destroyed was able to deliver his people from my hand? Why should y’all’s God be able to deliver y’all from my hand? Now don’t let Hezekiah deceive y’all nor mislead y’all in this way. Y’all should not believe him, for no god of any nation or kingdom was able to deliver his people from my hand or the hand of my predecessors. How much less will y’all’s God deliver y’all from my hand?”
His servants spoke yet more against YHWH God and against his servant Hezekiah. He also wrote letters insulting YHWH, the God of Israel, and speaking against him, saying, “As the gods of the nations of the lands, which have not delivered their people out of my hand, so the God of Hezekiah will not deliver his people out of my hand.” They called out with a loud voice in the Jews’ language to the people of Jerusalem who were on the wall, to frighten them and to trouble them, that they might take the city. They spoke of the God of Jerusalem as of the gods of the peoples of the earth, which are the work of men’s hands.
Hezekiah the king and Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, prayed because of this, and cried to heaven.
YHWH sent an angel, who cut off all the mighty men of valor, the leaders, and captains in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he returned with shame of face to his own land. When he had come into the house of his god, those who came out of his own body+32:21 i.e., his own sons killed him there with the sword. Thus YHWH saved Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib the king of Assyria and from the hand of all others, and guided them on every side. Many brought gifts to YHWH to Jerusalem, and precious things to Hezekiah king of Judah, so that he was exalted in the sight of all nations from then on.
Hezekiah’s Pride and Successes
In those days Hezekiah was terminally ill, and he prayed to YHWH, who spoke to him and gave him a sign. Bu because his heart was proud, Hezekiah did not return gratefulness for the benefit done for him. Therefore there was wrath on him, Judah, and Jerusalem. But then, Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart, both he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that YHWH’s wrath didn’t come on them in the days of Hezekiah.
Hezekiah had exceedingly great riches and honor. He provided himself with treasuries for silver, for gold, for precious stones, for spices, for shields, and for all kinds of valuable vessels; also storehouses for the increase of grain, new wine, and oil; and stalls for all kinds of animals, and flocks in folds. Moreover he provided for himself cities, and possessions of flocks and herds in abundance; for God had given him abundant possessions. This same Hezekiah also stopped the upper spring of the waters of Gihon, and brought them straight down on the west side of David’s city. Hezekiah prospered in all his works.
However, concerning the ambassadors of the princes of Babylon, who sent to him to inquire of the wonder that was done in the land, God left him to test him, that he might know all that was in his heart.
Now the rest of the acts of Hezekiah and his good deeds, are written in the vision of Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel. Hezekiah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the ascent to the tombs of the sons of David. All Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem honored him at his death. Manasseh his son reigned in his place.