-
After
these things, and the establishment thereof,
Sennacherib king of Assyria came, and entered
into Judah, and encamped against the fenced
cities, and thought to win them for himself.
02 And when Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib was
come, and that he was purposed to fight against
Jerusalem,
03 He took counsel with his princes and his
mighty men to stop the waters of the fountains
which were without the city: and they did help
him.
04 So there was gathered much people together,
who stopped all the fountains, and the brook that
ran through the midst of the land, saying, Why
should the kings of Assyria come, and find much
water?
05 Also he strengthened himself, and built up all
the wall that was broken, and raised it up to the
towers, and another wall without, and repaired
Millo in the city of David, and made darts and
shields in abundance.
06 And he set captains of war over the people,
and gathered them together to him in the street
of the gate of the city, and spake comfortably to
them, saying,
07 Be strong and courageous, be not afraid nor
dismayed for the king of Assyria, nor for all the
multitude that is with him: for there be more
with us than with him:
08 With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is
the Lord our God to help us, and to fight our
battles. And the people rested themselves upon
the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.
09 After this did Sennacherib king of Assyria
send his servants to Jerusalem, (but he himself
laid siege against Lachish, and all his power
with him,) unto Hezekiah king of Judah, and unto
all Judah that were at Jerusalem, saying,
10 Thus saith Sennacherib king of Assyria,
Whereon do ye trust, that ye abide in the siege
in Jerusalem?
11 Doth not Hezekiah persuade you to give over
yourselves to die by famine and by thirst,
saying, The Lord our God shall deliver us out of
the hand of the king of Assyria?
12 Hath not the same Hezekiah taken away his high
places and his altars, and commanded Judah and
Jerusalem, saying, Ye shall worship before one
altar, and burn incense upon it?
13 Know ye not what I and my fathers have done
unto all the people of other lands? were the gods
of the nations of those lands any ways able to
deliver their lands out of mine hand?
14 Who was there among all the gods of those
nations that my fathers utterly destroyed, that
could deliver his people out of mine hand, that
your God should be able to deliver you out of
mine hand?
15 Now therefore let not Hezekiah deceive you,
nor persuade you on this manner, neither yet
believe him: for no god of any nation or kingdom
was able to deliver his people out of mine hand,
and out of the hand of my fathers: how much less
shall your God deliver you out of mine hand?
16 And his servants spake yet more against the
Lord God, and against his servant Hezekiah.
17 He wrote also letters to rail on the Lord God
of Israel, and to speak against him, saying, As
the gods of the nations of other lands have not
delivered their people out of mine hand, so shall
not the God of Hezekiah deliver his people out of
mine hand.
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18 Then they cried with a loud voice in the Jews'
speech unto the people of Jerusalem that were on
the wall, to affright them, and to trouble them;
that they might take the city.
19 And they spake against the God of Jerusalem,
as against the gods of the people of the earth,
which were the work of the hands of man.
20 And for this cause Hezekiah the king, and the
prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz, prayed and cried
to heaven.
21 And the Lord sent an angel, which cut off all
the mighty men of valour, and the leaders and
captains in the camp of the king of Assyria. So
he returned with shame of face to his own land.
And when he was come into the house of his god,
they that came forth of his own bowels slew him
there with the sword.
22 Thus the Lord saved Hezekiah and the
inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hand of
Sennacherib the king of Assyria, and from the
hand of all other, and guided them on every side.
23 And many brought gifts unto the Lord to
Jerusalem, and presents to Hezekiah king of
Judah: so that he was magnified in the sight of
all nations from thenceforth.
24 In those days Hezekiah was sick to the death,
and prayed unto the Lord: and he spake unto him,
and he gave him a sign.
25 But Hezekiah rendered not again according to
the benefit done unto him; for his heart was
lifted up: therefore there was wrath upon him,
and upon Judah and Jerusalem.
26 Notwithstanding Hezekiah humbled himself for
the pride of his heart, both he and the
inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the wrath of
the Lord came not upon them in the days of
Hezekiah.
27 And Hezekiah had exceeding much riches and
honour: and he made himself treasuries for
silver, and for gold, and for precious stones,
and for spices, and for shields, and for all
manner of pleasant jewels;
28 Storehouses also for the increase of corn, and
wine, and oil; and stalls for all manner of
beasts, and cotes for flocks.
29 Moreover he provided him cities, and
possessions of flocks and herds in abundance: for
God had given him substance very much.
30 This same Hezekiah also stopped the upper
watercourse of Gihon, and brought it straight
down to the west side of the city of David. And
Hezekiah prospered in all his works.
31 Howbeit in the business of the ambassadors of
the princes of Babylon, who sent unto him to
enquire of the wonder that was done in the land,
God left him, to try him, that he might know all
that was in his heart.
32 Now the rest of the acts of Hezekiah, and his
goodness, behold, they are written in the vision
of Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, and in
the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.
33 And Hezekiah slept with his fathers, and they
buried him in the chiefest of the sepulchres of
the sons of David: and all Judah and the
inhabitants of Jerusalem did him honour at his
death. And Manasseh his son reigned in his stead.
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