2Ch 32 | NASB2020 | STEP | After these acts of faithfulness Sennacherib king of Assyria came and invaded Judah and besieged the fortified cities , and intended to break into them for himself.

2 Chronicles 32

Sennacherib Invades Judah

1 After these ^{▼▼Lit things and this faithfulness}acts of faithfulness ^bSennacherib king of Assyria came and invaded Judah and besieged the fortified cities, and ^{▼▼Lit said}intended to break into them for himself. 2 Now when Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come and that ^{▼▼Lit he set his face for war}he intended to wage war against Jerusalem, 3 he 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. 4 So many people assembled ^eand stopped up all the springs and ^fthe stream which flowed ^{▼▼Lit in the midst of}through the region, saying, “Why should the kings of Assyria come and find abundant water?” 5 And he resolutely set to work and ^hrebuilt all of the wall that had been broken down and ^{▼▼Lit raised on the towers}erected towers on it, and built ^janother outside wall and strengthened the ^{▼▼I.e., terraced structure
,} ^lMillo in the city of David, and made weapons and shields in great numbers. 6 He appointed military officers over the people and gathered them to him in the public square at the city gate, and ^mspoke ^{▼▼Lit upon their hearts}encouragingly to them, saying, 7 “ ^oBe 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; ^pfor the One with us is greater than the one with him. 8 With him is only ^qan arm of flesh, but ^rwith 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

9 After this ^sSennacherib king of Assyria sent his servants to Jerusalem while he was ^{▼▼Lit against}besieging Lachish with all his forces with him, against Hezekiah king of Judah and against all of Judah who were in Jerusalem, saying, 10 “This is what Sennacherib king of Assyria says: ‘On what are you trusting that you are staying in Jerusalem under siege? 11 Is Hezekiah not misleading you to give yourselves over to die by hunger and by thirst, saying, “The Lord our God will save us from the ^{▼▼Lit palm}hand of the king of Assyria”? 12 ^vIs it not the same Hezekiah who removed His high places and His altars, and said to Judah and ^{▼▼Lit Jerusalem, saying,}Jerusalem, “You shall worship before one altar, and on it you shall ^{▼▼Lit offer up in smoke}burn incense”? 13 Do you not know what I and my fathers have done to all the peoples of the lands? ^yWere the gods of the nations of those lands at all able to save their land from my hand? 14 ^zWho was there among all the gods of those nations which my fathers utterly destroyed who could save his people from my hand, that your God would be able to save you from my hand? 15 Now then, do not let Hezekiah deceive you or mislead you like this, and do not believe him, for ^aano god of any nation or kingdom was able to save his people from my hand or from the hand of my fathers. How much less will your God save you from my hand?’”

16 His servants spoke further against the Lord God and against His servant Hezekiah. 17 He also wrote letters to insult the Lord God of Israel, and to speak against Him, saying, “ ^abAs the gods of the nations of the lands ^{▼▼Lit who have}have not saved their people from my hand, so the God of Hezekiah will not save His people from my hand.” 18 ^adThey 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. 19 They spoke ^{▼▼Lit to}of the God of Jerusalem as they did against ^afthe gods of the peoples of the earth, the work of human hands.

Hezekiah’s Prayer Is Answered

20 But King Hezekiah and Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, prayed about this and called out to heaven for help. 21 And the Lord sent an angel who destroyed every warrior, commander, and officer in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he returned ^{▼▼Lit in shame of face}in shame to his own land. And when he had entered the temple of his god, some of his own sons killed him there with the sword. 22 So the Lord ^ahsaved Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib the king of Assyria and from the hand of all others, and ^{▼▼Another reading is gave them rest}guided them on every side. 23 And ^ajmany were bringing gifts to the Lord at Jerusalem and valuable presents to Hezekiah king of Judah; so thereafter ^akhe rose in the sight of all nations.

24 ^alIn those days Hezekiah became ^{▼▼Lit sick to the point of death}mortally ill; and he prayed to the Lord, and ^{▼▼Lit He}the Lord spoke to him and gave him a sign. 25 But Hezekiah did nothing in return for the benefit ^{▼▼Lit to Him}he received, ^apbecause his heart was ^{▼▼Lit high}proud; ^artherefore wrath came upon him and upon Judah and Jerusalem. 26 However, ^asHezekiah ^{▼▼Lit humbled himself in}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.

27 Now 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, 28 also storehouses for the produce of grain, wine, and oil; stalls for all kinds of cattle, and ^{▼▼As in ancient versions; MT herds for the stables}sheepfolds for the flocks. 29 He made cities for himself and acquired flocks and herds in abundance, because ^avGod had given him very great ^{▼▼Lit possessions; or property}wealth. 30 It was Hezekiah who ^axstopped the upper outlet of the waters of ^ayGihon and directed them to the west side of the city of David. And Hezekiah was successful in everything that he did. 31 Even in the matter of ^azthe messengers of the rulers of Babylon, who were sent to him to inquire about ^bathe wonder that had happened in the land; God left him alone only ^bbto test him, so that He might know everything that was in his heart.

32 Now 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. 33 So Hezekiah ^{▼▼I.e., died}lay down with his fathers, and they buried him in the ^{▼▼Or ascent to}upper section of the tombs of the sons of David; and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem ^behonored him at his death. And his son Manasseh became king in his place.