2 Chronicles 32

32 ¹After these things and these acts of faithfulness, Sennacherib, Assyria's king, invaded Judah, besieged its fortified cities, meaning to break into them for himself. ²When Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come, intent on making war against Jerusalem, ³he consulted his officials and warriors about blocking the springs outside the city, and they helped him. ⁴Many people gathered and blocked all the springs and the stream flowing through the land, asking, "Why should Assyria's kings come and find abundant water?"

⁵He worked hard to rebuild all the broken sections of the wall, raised towers on it, built another wall outside, strengthened the Millo of the city of David, and made abundant weapons and shields. ^a a v5 The Millo was a system of terraced fill and retaining walls built into the hillside of the City of David. ⁶He set war commanders over the people, gathered them at the city gate square, and encouraged them: ⁷"Be strong and brave. Don't fear or dread Assyria's king and all his horde, for more are with us than with him. ⁸With him is only an arm of flesh; with us is our Father, to help us and fight our battles." The people relied on Hezekiah king of Judah's words.

Sennacherib Mocks Our Father

⁹After this, while besieging Lachish with all his forces, Sennacherib king of Assyria sent his servants to Jerusalem, to Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah there, saying: ¹⁰"This is what Sennacherib king of Assyria says: On what are you trusting, staying under siege in Jerusalem? ¹¹Isn't Hezekiah deceiving you, surrendering you to die by famine and thirst, when he says, 'The LORD our God will save us from the hand of the king of Assyria'? ¹²Wasn't it Hezekiah who removed his high places and altars, telling Judah and Jerusalem to worship at one altar and burn offerings there? ¹³Don't you know what I and my fathers did to all peoples of other lands? Could their nations' gods rescue their lands from my hand? ¹⁴What god of nations my fathers devoted to destruction could save his people from my hand? How then can your God save you from my hand? ¹⁵Don't let Hezekiah deceive or mislead you like this, and don't believe him: no god of any nation or kingdom could rescue his people from my hand or my fathers'—much less will your God rescue you from my hand!"

¹⁶And his servants spoke still more against our Father and against his servant Hezekiah. ¹⁷Sennacherib also wrote letters insulting our Father, the God of Israel, speaking against him: 'The nations' gods did not rescue their people from my hand; neither will Hezekiah's God rescue his people from my hand.' ¹⁸They shouted loudly in Judah's language to Jerusalem's people on the wall, to frighten and terrify them, to seize the city. ¹⁹They spoke of Jerusalem's God like the gods of earth's peoples, the work of human hands.

²⁰Then King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz prayed about this, crying out to heaven. ²¹So our Father sent an angel who killed every mighty warrior, commander, and officer in the Assyrian king's camp. Sennacherib returned home in disgrace, and when he entered his god's temple, some of his own sons killed him there with the sword. ²²So our Father saved Hezekiah and Jerusalem's people from the hand of Sennacherib king of Assyria and all others, and he cared for them on every side. ²³Many brought gifts to our Father in Jerusalem, and treasures to Hezekiah king of Judah; afterward all nations honored Hezekiah highly.

Hezekiah's Illness, Pride, and Prosperity

²⁴In those days Hezekiah grew sick to death; he prayed to our Father, who answered, giving him a sign. ²⁵But Hezekiah didn't repay the good done him; his heart grew proud, so anger came on him and on Judah and Jerusalem. ²⁶Hezekiah humbled himself for his proud heart, he and Jerusalem's people, so our Father's wrath didn't reach them in Hezekiah's days.

²⁷Hezekiah had great wealth and honor. He built storerooms for silver, gold, gems, spices, shields, and other valuables, ²⁸storerooms for the harvest of grain, new wine, and oil; stalls for all kinds of livestock; pens for flocks. ²⁹He built cities for himself and gained huge flocks and herds, for our Father gave him very great wealth. ³⁰Hezekiah stopped Gihon's upper outlet and directed the water down the west side of David's city. He succeeded in all he did. ³¹When Babylon's rulers sent envoys to him asking about the land's sign, our Father left him to himself, to test him and to know all in his heart.

³²Hezekiah's remaining acts and faithful deeds are written in the vision of Isaiah the prophet, son of Amoz, in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel. ³³Hezekiah slept with his ancestors, buried in the upper tombs of David's sons. All Judah and Jerusalem's residents honored him at death. His son Manasseh succeeded him.