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Chapter 32 |
| 1 | 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. |
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2 | And when Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib was come, and
that he was purposed to fight against Jerusalem, |
| 3 | 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. |
| 4 | 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? |
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5 | 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. |
| 6 | 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, |
| 7 | 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: |
| 8 | 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. |
| 9 |
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? |
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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. |
| 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. |
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21 | And the LORD sent an
angel, which cut off all the mighty men of valor, 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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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 honor: 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. |
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29 | Moreover he provided
him cities, and possessions of flocks and herds in abundance: for God had given
him substance very much. |
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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 honor at his death. And Manasseh
his son reigned in his stead. |
