2 *Chronicles 32

₁After King Hezekiah did all these good things and showed that he wanted to do what God wanted, King Sennacherib of Assyria came to attack him. Sennacherib came into the land_of_Judah and he put up his army's tents around all the towns. He wanted to break down the walls around the towns so that he could go into the towns. ₂When they told Hezekiah that Sennacherib had come and that he wanted to make war_against Jerusalem, ₃Hezekiah talked to his officials and officers and they helped him make plans. They wanted to close and stop the water from the water-wells outside the city and the people helped him. ₄There were many people who came to help and they closed all the water-wells and stopped the water from flowing through the valley into the land. They said: ‘When the king of Assyria comes here, he must not get water.’

₅Hezekiah and his people worked quickly. He repaired the wall that King Jehoash of Israel had broken down and he built towers on the wall and he built a 2nd wall outside of that wall. He also made the big steps at the City of David stronger and he made a lot of spears and shields. ₆He chose officers to lead his men and told them to come to him in front of the city gate. He talked to his soldiers and said:

₇‘You must be strong and brave. Do not be afraid of the king of Assyria and his many soldiers, because there are more with us than with them. ₈He has only people who can help him, but the Lord our God is with us. Our God will help us and He will fight our wars for us.’

After King Hezekiah of Judah had spoken to the men, they felt strong and encouraged.

₉Later, King Sennacherib of Assyria sent messengers to King Hezekiah and all the people of Judah in Jerusalem. Sennacherib and his army were at the town of Lachish. The messengers came and they said:

₁₀‘King Sennacherib of Assyria says: Who do you think will help you? You sit behind the walls of Jerusalem, but ₁₁Hezekiah is deceiving you. He says: “The Lord our God will help us and save us from the king of Assyria,” but it is not_true. Hezekiah wants you to die from hunger and thirst. ₁₂It was Hezekiah who took away the places_of_sacrifice and the altars of the Lord and he told the people of Judah and Jerusalem: “You may sacrifice to the Lord only on the one altar at the temple and you may serve Him only on this altar.”

₁₃You know what the kings who ruled before me and I have done to people who lived in other lands. The gods of those lands could not save the people from me. ₁₄The kings before me destroyed a lot of nations and their gods could not save them. Your God can not save you from me. ₁₅That is why you must not let Hezekiah deceive you. Do not trust him because there is no god of any nation or land that could save its people from me and the kings before me. Your God can not save you from me.’

₁₆The messengers of Sennacherib said more bad things about the Lord God and against his servant Hezekiah. ₁₇Sennacherib also wrote letters and he said bad things about the Lord, the God of Israel. He said things that were wrong about the Lord. He wrote: ‘The gods of other nations could not save their people from me, and the God of Hezekiah will not be able to save you from me.’

₁₈The messengers of Sennacherib shouted_loudly to all the people of Jerusalem who were standing on the walls. They spoke in the language of the people of Judah. The messengers wanted to make the people afraid and discouraged so that the Assyrians could defeat the city. ₁₉They talked about the God of Jerusalem in the same way as they had talked about the idols and gods of other people on earth, gods that people had made.

₂₀King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah, son of Amoz, prayed. They looked up to heaven and asked God to help them. ₂₁Then God sent an angel who killed all the soldiers of Assyria, and the officers and leaders in the camp of the king of Assyria. Sennacherib was humiliated and he went back to his land. When he went to the temple of his god, one of his sons killed him with a sword. ₂₂This is how the Lord saved Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem from King Sennacherib of Assyria and all his soldiers with him. The Lord saved and protected his people from their enemies around them.

₂₃Many people brought gifts for the Lord to Jerusalem and they gave precious things to King Hezekiah. Then all the nations knew that Hezekiah was an important king.

₂₄Later Hezekiah became very sick, and he almost died. He prayed to the Lord and the Lord talked to him. The Lord did a miracle. He showed Hezekiah that He would heal him. ₂₅The Lord was good to Hezekiah but Hezekiah was not thankful. He did not do what God wanted him to do and he became proud. The Lord became angry with him and the people of Judah and Jerusalem. ₂₆But then Hezekiah humbled himself and he stopped being proud. Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem humbled themselves and the Lord did not punish them while Hezekiah lived. He punished them only later after Hezekiah had died.

₂₇Hezekiah became very rich and everyone respected him. He had a lot of silver, gold and gemstones, spices, shields and everything he wanted. ₂₈He built store rooms for the wheat, wine and olive oil that his people gave him. He also built stables for his animals and kraals for his sheep and goats. ₂₉He built towns and he had many sheep and goats. God made him very rich. ₃₀It was Hezekiah who built the channel that brought the water from the Gihon Water-well to the west of the City of David. Hezekiah succeeded in everything he did. ₃₁The leaders of Babylon sent messengers to Hezekiah and they asked him about the miracles that God had done in the land. Then God waited to see what Hezekiah would say to them. God tested him.

₃₂The other things that happened to Hezekiah, and how he continued to believe the Lord, are written in the book of visions that God gave the prophet Isaiah, the son of Amoz. They are in the book of the kings_of_Judah and Israel. ₃₃Hezekiah died and they buried him in the tomb of kings, on the way to the tombs of the descendants of David. All the people of Judah and Jerusalem showed him respect. His son, Manasseh, became king after him.