2 Chronicles 32
1 And after these things and this
faithful dealing, came Sennacherim king of the Assyrians, and he came to Juda,
and encamped against the fortified cities, and intended to take them for
himself.
2 And Ezekias saw that Sennacherim was
come, and that his face
was set to fight against Jerusalem.
3 And he took counsel with his elders
and his mighty men to stop the wells of water which
were without the city: and they helped him.
4 And he collected many people, and
stopped the wells of water, and the river that flowed through the city,
saying, Lest the king of Assyria come, and find much water, and strengthen
himself.
5 And Ezekias strengthened
himself, and built all the wall that had been pulled
down, and the towers, and another wall in front without, and fortified the
strong place of the city of David, and prepared arms in abundance.
6 And he appointed captains of war
over the people, and they were gathered to meet him
to the open place of the gate of the valley, and he encouraged them, saying,
7 Be strong and courageous, and fear
not, neither be dismayed before the king of Assyria, and before all the nation
that is with him: for
there are more with us than with him.
8 With him
are arms of flesh; but with us
is the Lord our God to save
us, and to fight our battle. And the people were
encouraged at the words of Ezekias king of Juda.
9 And afterward Sennacherim king of
the Assyrians sent his servants to Jerusalem; and
he went himself against Lachis, and all his army with
him, and sent to Ezekias king of Juda, and to all Juda that
was in Jerusalem, saying,
10 Thus says Sennacherim king of the
Assyrians, On what do ye trust, that ye will remain in the siege in Jerusalem?
11 Does not Ezekias deceive you, to
deliver you to death and famine and thirst, saying, The Lord our God will
deliver us out of the hand of the king of Assyria?
12 Is not this Ezekias who has taken
down his altars and his high places, and has spoken to Juda and the dwellers
in Jerusalem, saying, Ye shall worship before this altar, and burn incense
upon it? 13 Know ye not what I and my
fathers have done to all the nations of the countries? Could the gods of the
nations of all the earth at all rescue their people out of my hand?
14 Who is there among all the gods of
those nations whom my fathers utterly destroyed,
worthy of trust? Could they deliver their people out
of my hand, that your God should deliver you out of my hand?
15 Now then, let not Ezekias deceive
you, and let him not make you thus confident, and believe him not: for no god
of any kingdom or nation is at all able to deliver his people out of my hand,
or the hand of my fathers: therefore your God shall not deliver you out of my
hand. 16 And his servants continued
to speak against the Lord God, and against his servant Ezekias.
17 And he wrote a letter to reproach
the Lord God of Israel, and spoke concerning him, saying, As the gods of the
nations of the earth have not delivered their people out of my hand, so the
God of Ezekias shall by no means deliver his people out of my hand.
18 And he cried with a loud voice in
the Jews' language to the people of Jerusalem on the wall,
calling them to assist them, and pull down
the walls, that they might take the city.
19 And he spoke against the God of
Jerusalem, even as against the gods of the nations of the earth, the works of
the hands of men.
20 And king Ezekias and Isaiah the
prophet the son of Amos prayed concerning these things, and they cried to
heaven. 21 And the Lord sent an
angel, and he destroyed every mighty man and warrior, and leader and captain
in the camp of the king of Assyria: and he returned with shame of face to his
own land and came into the house of his god: and
some of them that came out of his bowels slew him
with the sword. 22 So the Lord
delivered Ezekias and the dwellers in Jerusalem out of the hand of Sennacherim
king of Assyria, and out of the hand of all
his enemies, and gave them rest round about.
23 And many brought gifts to the Lord
to Jerusalem, and presents to Ezekias king of Juda; and he was exalted in the
eyes of all the nations after these things.
24 In those days Ezekias was sick
even to death, and prayed to the Lord: and he hearkened to him, and gave him a
sign. 25 But Ezekias did not
recompense the Lord according to the return which he made him, but his heart
was lifted up: and wrath came upon him, and upon Juda and Jerusalem.
26 And Ezekias humbled himself after
the exaltation of his heart, he and the dwellers in Jerusalem; and the wrath
of the Lord did not come upon them in the days of Ezekias.
27 And Ezekias had wealth and very
great glory: and he made for himself treasuries of gold, and silver, and
precious stones, also for spices, and stores for arms, and for precious
vessels; 28 and cities for the
produce of corn, and wine, and oil; and stalls and mangers for every
kind of cattle, and folds for flocks;
29 and cities which he built for
himself, and store of sheep and oxen in abundance, for the Lord gave him a
very great store.
30 The same Ezekias stopped up the
course of the water of Gion above, and brought the water down straight south
of the city of David. And Ezekias prospered in all his works.
31 Notwithstanding, in regard to the
ambassadors of the princes of Babylon, who were sent to him to enquire of him
concerning the prodigy which came upon the land, the
Lord left him, to try him, to know what was in his heart.
32 And the rest of the acts of
Ezekias, and his kindness, behold, they are written in the prophecy of Isaiah
the son of Amos the prophet, and in the book of the kings of Juda and Israel.
33 And Ezekias slept with his
fathers, and they buried him in a high place among the sepulchres of the sons
of David: and all Juda and the dwellers in Jerusalem gave him glory and honour
at his death. And Manasses his son reigned in his stead.