2 Chronicles Chapter 32

Assyria Invades Judah

¹ After those faithful acts, Sennacherib, king of Assyria, invaded Judah, laid siege to fortified towns, and intended to break into them. ² When Hezekiah saw he’d come and meant to attack Jerusalem, ³ he, his officers, and soldiers decided to cut off the water supply from the springs outside the city. ⁴ Many people came together and stopped up the springs feeding the stream that flowed through the region, “Why should Assyria’s kings come and find abundant water?” ⁵ He took courage and rebuilt the wall that had been torn down, erected towers on it, built an outside wall, strengthened the Millo in The City of David, and made a great number of weapons and shields. ⁶ He appointed military officers over the people, and gathered them in the square at the city gate to encourage them,                                                   

⁷ “Be strong and courageous; don’t be afraid or intimidated by Assyria’s king or his host. The One that’s with us is greater than the one that’s with him. ⁸ All he’s got is a physical army, but we have Yahveh our God to help us and fight our battles.”

The people trusted what he said.                                                                                        2 Ch 32:1-8

Sennacherib Threatens Jerusalem

⁹ After that, Sennacherib sent officers to Jerusalem while he was laying siege to Lachish with his forces. He sent them against Hezekiah and all Judah that were in Jerusalem,

¹⁰ “Sennacherib, king of Assyria, says, ‘What are you trusting in that you stay in Jerusalem under siege? ¹¹ Isn’t Hezekiah misleading you to give yourselves over to die by hunger and thirst, and saying Yahveh your God will deliver you from the king of Assyria? ¹² Hasn’t the same Hezekiah taken away his high places and altars, and told Judah and Jerusalem to worship at one altar and burn incense on it? ¹³ Don’t you know what my predecessors and I have done to all the countries? Were their gods able to deliver their land from me? ¹⁴ Who among them that my predecessors destroyed, could deliver his people from me? ¹⁵ Don’t let Hezekiah mislead you. No god could deliver his people from me and the kings before me. How much less your God?’”           2 Ch 32:9-15

¹⁶ His officers spoke against Yahveh God and Hezekiah. ¹⁷ He wrote letters to insult Yahveh God of Israel:

“None of the nations’ gods have delivered their people from me. Hezekiah’s god won’t deliver his people either.”

¹⁸ They shouted it out in the language of Judah to the people on the wall to terrify them so they could take the city. ¹⁹ They talked about the God of Jerusalem like the other people’s hand-made gods.

²⁰ But King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah Ben-Amoz, prayed about that and appealed to Heaven. ²¹ Yahveh sent an angel that destroyed every powerful soldier, commander, and officer in the camp. Sennacherib went back to his own land humiliated. When he entered the temple of his god, two of his own sons killed him with a sword. ²² Yahveh saved Hezekiah, the people in Jerusalem, and the rest and guided them on every side. ²³ Many people started bringing gifts to Yahveh at Jerusalem and special presents to Hezekiah so that all the nations regarded him highly after that.                                                                                                                                         2 Ch 32:16-23

Hezekiah’s Sickness and Recovery

²⁴ At that time, Hezekiah became deathly ill. He prayed to Yahveh, and he answered him and gave him a sign. ^25-26 Hezekiah and the people in Jerusalem humbled themselves, so Yahveh’s wrath didn’t come on them during his lifetime.

²⁷ Hezekiah had immense wealth and honor. He made treasuries for silver, gold, precious stones, spices, shields, and all kinds of valuable articles; ²⁸ as well as storehouses for grain, wine, and olive oil; pens for all kinds of livestock, and shepherds for the flocks. ²⁹ He built towns for himself and acquired flocks and herds in abundance. ³⁰ Hezekiah was the one that stopped the upper outlet of Gihon and diverted the water to the west side of The City of David. He succeeded at everything. ³¹ Even in regard to envoys from Babylon who asked about the wonder that had happened, God left him alone to test him, to know what was in his heart.

Summary of Hezekiah’s Reign

³² The rest of his acts and his deeds of devotion are recorded in The Vision of the Prophet Isaiah Ben-Amoz and The Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel. ³³ He died and they buried him in the upper section of the tombs of David’s descendants. The people in Judah and Jerusalem honored him when he died. His son Manasseh became king.                                          2 Ch 32:24-33