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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, |
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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? |
| 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. |
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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? |
| 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? |
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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. |
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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 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. |
| 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 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. |
| 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. |
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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. |
