Sennacherib Invades Judah
1After these acts of faithfulness (A)Sennacherib
king of Assyria came and invaded Judah and besieged the fortified
cities, and thought to break into them for himself.
2Now when Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come and that he intended to make war on Jerusalem,
3he
decided with his officers and his warriors to cut off the supply of
water from the springs which were outside the city, and they helped
him.
4So many people assembled (B)and stopped up all the springs and (C)the stream which flowed through the region, saying, "Why should the kings of Assyria come and find abundant water?"
5And he took courage and (D)rebuilt all the wall that had been broken down and erected towers on it, and built (E)another outside wall and strengthened the (F)Millo in the city of David, and made weapons and shields in great number.
6He appointed military officers over the people and gathered them to him in the square at the city gate, and (G)spoke encouragingly to them, saying,
7"(H)Be
strong and courageous, do not fear or be dismayed because of the king
of Assyria nor because of all the horde that is with him; (I)for the one with us is greater than the one with him.
8"With him is only (J)an arm of flesh, but (K)with us is the LORD our God to help us and to fight our battles." And the people relied on the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.
Sennacherib Undermines Hezekiah
9After this (L)Sennacherib
king of Assyria sent his servants to Jerusalem while he was besieging
Lachish with all his forces with him, against Hezekiah king of Judah
and against all Judah who were at Jerusalem, saying,
10"Thus says Sennacherib king of Assyria, 'On what are you trusting that you are remaining in Jerusalem under siege?
11'Is
not Hezekiah misleading you to give yourselves over to die by hunger
and by thirst, saying, "The LORD our God will deliver us from the hand
of the king of Assyria"?
12'(M)Has
not the same Hezekiah taken away His high places and His altars, and
said to Judah and Jerusalem, "You shall worship before one altar, and
on it you shall burn incense"?
13'Do you not know what I and my fathers have done to all the peoples of the lands? (N)Were the gods of the nations of the lands able at all to deliver their land from my hand?
14'(O)Who
was there among all the gods of those nations which my fathers utterly
destroyed who could deliver his people out of my hand, that your God
should be able to deliver you from my hand?
15'Now therefore, do not let Hezekiah deceive you or mislead you like this, and do not believe him, for (P)no
god of any nation or kingdom was able to deliver his people from my
hand or from the hand of my fathers. How much less will your God
deliver you from my hand?'"
16His servants spoke further against the LORD God and against His servant Hezekiah.
17He also wrote letters to insult the LORD God of Israel, and to speak against Him, saying, "(Q)As
the gods of the nations of the lands have not delivered their people
from my hand, so the God of Hezekiah will not deliver His people from
my hand."
18(R)They
called this out with a loud voice in the language of Judah to the
people of Jerusalem who were on the wall, to frighten and terrify them,
so that they might take the city.
19They spoke of the God of Jerusalem as of (S)the gods of the peoples of the earth, the work of men's hands.
Hezekiah's Prayer Is Answered
20But King Hezekiah and Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, prayed about this and cried out to heaven.
21And
the LORD sent an angel who destroyed every mighty warrior, commander
and officer in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he returned in shame
to his own land. And when he had entered the temple of his god, some of
his own children killed him there with the sword.
22So the LORD (T)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.
23And (U)many were bringing gifts to the LORD at Jerusalem and choice presents to Hezekiah king of Judah, so that (V)he was exalted in the sight of all nations thereafter.
24(W)In those days Hezekiah became mortally ill; and he prayed to the LORD, and the LORD spoke to him and gave him a sign.
25But Hezekiah gave no return for the benefit he received, (X)because his heart was proud; (Y)therefore wrath came on him and on Judah and Jerusalem.
26However, (Z)Hezekiah
humbled the pride of his heart, both he and the inhabitants of
Jerusalem, so that the wrath of the LORD did not come on them in the
days of Hezekiah.
27Now
Hezekiah had immense riches and honor; and he made for himself
treasuries for silver, gold, precious stones, spices, shields and all
kinds of valuable articles,
28storehouses also for the produce of grain, wine and oil, pens for all kinds of cattle and sheepfolds for the flocks.
29He made cities for himself and acquired flocks and herds in abundance, for (AA)God had given him very great wealth.
30It was Hezekiah who (AB)stopped the upper outlet of the waters of (AC)Gihon and directed them to the west side of the city of David. And Hezekiah prospered in all that he did.
31Even in the matter of (AD)the envoys of the rulers of Babylon, who sent to him to inquire of (AE)the wonder that had happened in the land, God left him alone only (AF)to test him, that He might know all that was in his heart.
32Now
the rest of the acts of Hezekiah and his deeds of devotion, behold,
they are written in the vision of Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz,
in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel.
33So
Hezekiah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the upper
section of the tombs of the sons of David; and all Judah and the
inhabitants of Jerusalem (AG)honored him at his death. And his son Manasseh became king in his place.
