Divrey Hayamim Bais 32
32
1After these things, and haemes thereof, Sancheriv (Sennacherib) Melech Assyria came, and invaded Yehudah, and laid siege against the fortified cities, and thought to conquer them for himself.
2And when Chizkiyahu (Yechizkiyahu) saw that Sancheriv was come, and that he was purposed to make milchamah against Yerushalayim,
3He took counsel with his sarim and his gibborim to cover over the waters of the springs#32:3 Spring of Gihon which were outside the Ir; and they did support him.
4So there was gathered Am Rav together, who covered the springs, and the wadi that flowed through the midst of HaAretz, saying, Why should the melachim of Assyria come, and find mayim rabbim?
5Also he strengthened himself, and repaired all the chomah that was broken down, and raised it on the migdalot, and another chomah outside of it, and repaired Millo#32:5 terraces in Ir Dovid, and made weapons and shields in abundance.
6And he appointed sarim milchamot over HaAm, and gathered them together before him in the rechov of the Sha'ar HaIr, and spoke encouragingly to them, saying,
7Chizku (be strong) and courageous, be not afraid nor dismayed because of the melech Assyria, nor because of all the vast army that is with him, for there be more with us than with him.
8With him is zero'a basar, but with us is Hashem Eloheinu to help us, and to fight milchamoteinu (our battles). And HaAm took heart upon the words of Chizkiyahu (Yechizkiyahu) Melech Yehudah.
9After this did Sancheriv melech Assyria send his avadim to Yerushalayim, (but he himself laid siege against Lakhish, with all his forces with him,) unto Chizkiyahu (Yechizkiyahu) Melech Yehudah, and unto kol Yehudah that were in Yerushalayim, saying,
10Thus saith Sancheriv melech Assyria, Whereon do ye base confidence, that ye abide in the siege in Yerushalayim?
11Doth not Chizkiyahu (Yechizkiyahu) mislead you to give over yourselves to die by ra'av and by tzama, saying, Hashem Eloheinu shall deliver us out of the yad Melech Assyria?
12Is not this the same Chizkiyah (Yechizkiyahu) that has removed His high places and His mizbechot, and commanded Yehudah and Yerushalayim, saying, Ye shall worship before Mizbe'ach echad, and burn ketoret upon it?
13Know ye not what I and avotai have done unto all the people of other lands? Were the elohei goyei ha'aratzot able to deliver their land out of mine yad?
14Who was there among kol elohei haGoyim that avotai utterly destroyed, that could save his people out of mine yad, that Eloheichem should be able to save you out of mine yad?
15Now therefore let not Chizkiyahu (Yechizkiyahu) deceive you, nor mislead you on this manner, neither yet believe him, for no g-d of any goy or mamlachah was able to deliver his people out of mine yad, and out of the yad of avotai. How much less shall Eloheichem deliver you out of mine yad?
16And his avadim spoke yet more against Hashem HaElohim, and against His eved Chizkiyahu (Yechizkiyahu).
17He wrote also sefarim to blaspheme Hashem Elohei Yisroel, and to speak against Him, saying, As the elohei goyei ha'aratzot have not saved their people out of mine yad, so shall not the Elohei Chizkiyahu (Yechizkiyahu) save his people out of mine yad.
18Then they cried with a kol gadol in the language of the Yehudim unto the Am Yerushalayim that were on the chomah, to frighten them, and to terrorize them, that they might capture the Ir.
19And they spoke against the Elohei Yerushalayim, as against the g-ds of the peoples of the land, which were the work of the hands of ha'adam.
20And for this cause Chizkiyahu (Yechizkiyahu) HaMelech, and Yeshayahu ben Amotz, HaNavi, davened and cried out to Shomayim.
21And Hashem sent a malach, which destroyed all the fighting gibborim, and the nagid and sar in the machaneh of the melech Assyria. So he withdrew in boshet panim (shamefaced disgrace) to his own land. And when he was entered the bais elohav, they that came forth of his own loins#32:21 i.e., his sons cut him down there with the cherev.
22Thus Hashem saved Chizkiyahu (Yechizkiyahu) and the inhabitants of Yerushalayim from the yad Sancheriv Melech Ashur, and from the yad of all other, and guided them on every side.
23And many brought minchah unto Hashem to Yerushalayim, and migdanot (expensive gifts) to Chizkiyahu (Yechizkiyahu) Melech Yehudah, so that he was magnified in the sight of Kol HaGoyim from thenceforth.
24In those yamim Chizkiyah (Yechizkiyahu) became ill, to the point of mot, and davened unto Hashem, and He answered him, and He gave him a mofet.#32:24 See 2Kgs 20:1-11
25But Chizkiyahu (Yechizkiyahu) did not render back according to the benefit done unto him; for his lev was lifted up in pride; therefore there was ketzef (wrath) upon him, and upon Yehudah and Yerushalayim.
26Notwithstanding Chizkiyahu (Yechizkiyahu) humbled himself for the pride of his lev, both he and the inhabitants of Yerushalayim, so that the ketzef Hashem came not upon them in the days of Chizkiyah.
27And Chizkiyahu (Yechizkiyahu) had exceeding much osher and kavod, and he made himself otzarot for kesef, and for zahav, and for precious stones, and for spices, and for moginim, and for all manner of valuable things;
28Silos also for the increase of dagan, and tirosh and yitzhar (pure olive oil); and stalls for the livestock, and pens for all the sheep.
29Moreover he built him towns, and possessions of tzon and bakar in abundance, for Elohim had given him wealth very much.
30This same Chizkiyahu (Yechizkiyahu) also covered over the upper source of the Gichon Spring and tunneled it straight down to the west side of Ir Dovid. Chizkiyahu (Yechizkiyahu) prospered in all his works.
31Howbeit in the business of the ambassadors of the sarim of Babylon, who sent unto him to inquire of the mofet that was done in HaAretz, HaElohim left him, to test him, that He might know all that was in his lev.
32Now the rest of the acts of Chizkiyahu (Yechizkiyahu), and his acts of chesed, hinei, they are written in the Chazon Yeshayahu ben Amotz HaNavi, and in the Sefer Melachim of Yehudah and Yisroel.
33And Chizkiyahu (Yechizkiyahu) slept with Avotav, and they buried him on the ascent in kivrei Bnei Dovid; and all Yehudah and the inhabitants of Yerushalayim did him kavod at his mot. And Menasheh bno reigned in his place.
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Divrey Hayamim Bais 32: TOJB2011
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THE ORTHODOX JEWISH BIBLE
FOURTH EDITION © Artists For Israel Intl Inc., 2002-2011, 2021.
2 Chronicles 32
32
1And then, after this exemplary track record, this: Sennacherib king of Assyria came and attacked Judah. He put the fortified cities under siege, determined to take them.
2-4When Hezekiah realized that Sennacherib’s strategy was to take Jerusalem, he talked to his advisors and military leaders about eliminating all the water supplies outside the city; they thought it was a good idea. There was a great turnout of people to plug the springs and tear down the aqueduct. They said, “Why should the kings of Assyria march in and be furnished with running water?”
5-6a Hezekiah also went to work repairing every part of the city wall that was damaged, built defensive towers on it, built another wall of defense further out, and reinforced the defensive rampart (the Millo) of the old City of David. He also built up a large store of armaments—spears and shields. He then appointed military officers to be responsible for the people and got them all together at the public square in front of the city gate.
6b-8 Hezekiah rallied the people, saying, “Be strong! Take courage! Don’t be intimidated by the king of Assyria and his troops—there are more on our side than on their side. He only has a bunch of mere men; we have our God to help us and fight for us!”
Morale surged. Hezekiah’s words put steel in their spines.
9-15Later on, Sennacherib, who had set up camp a few miles away at Lachish, sent messengers to Jerusalem, addressing Judah through Hezekiah: “A proclamation of Sennacherib king of Assyria: You poor people—do you think you’re safe in that so-called fortress of Jerusalem? You’re sitting ducks. Do you think Hezekiah will save you? Don’t be stupid—Hezekiah has fed you a pack of lies. When he says, ‘God will save us from the power of the king of Assyria,’ he’s lying—you’re all going to end up dead. Wasn’t it Hezekiah who cleared out all the neighborhood worship shrines and told you, ‘There is only one legitimate place to worship’? Do you have any idea what I and my ancestors have done to all the countries around here? Has there been a single god anywhere strong enough to stand up against me? Can you name one god among all the nations that either I or my ancestors have ravaged that so much as lifted a finger against me? So what makes you think you’ll make out any better with your god? Don’t let Hezekiah fool you; don’t let him get by with his barefaced lies; don’t trust him. No god of any country or kingdom ever has been one bit of help against me or my ancestors—what kind of odds does that give your god?”
16The messengers felt free to throw in their personal comments, putting down both God and God’s servant Hezekiah.
17Sennacherib continued to send letters insulting the God of Israel: “The gods of the nations were powerless to help their people; the god of Hezekiah is no better, probably worse.”
18-19The messengers would come up to the wall of Jerusalem and shout up to the people standing on the wall, shouting their propaganda in Hebrew, trying to scare them into demoralized submission. They contemptuously lumped the God of Jerusalem in with the handmade gods of other peoples.
20-21King Hezekiah, joined by the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz, responded by praying, calling up to heaven. God answered by sending an angel who wiped out everyone in the Assyrian camp, both warriors and officers. Sennacherib was forced to return home in disgrace, tail between his legs. When he went into the temple of his god, his own sons killed him.
22-23 God saved Hezekiah and the citizens of Jerusalem from Sennacherib king of Assyria and everyone else. And he continued to take good care of them. People streamed into Jerusalem bringing offerings for the worship of God and expensive presents to Hezekiah king of Judah. All the surrounding nations were impressed—Hezekiah’s stock soared.
* * *
24Some time later Hezekiah became deathly sick. He prayed to God and was given a reassuring sign.
25-26But the sign, instead of making Hezekiah grateful, made him arrogant. This made God angry, and his anger spilled over on Judah and Jerusalem. But then Hezekiah, and Jerusalem with him, repented of his arrogance, and God withdrew his anger while Hezekiah lived.
27-31Hezekiah ended up very wealthy and much honored. He built treasuries for all his silver, gold, precious stones, spices, shields, and valuables, barns for the grain, new wine, and olive oil, stalls for his various breeds of cattle, and pens for his flocks. He founded royal cities for himself and built up huge stocks of sheep and cattle. God saw to it that he was extravagantly rich. Hezekiah was also responsible for diverting the upper outlet of the Gihon spring and rerouting the water to the west side of the City of David. Hezekiah succeeded in everything he did. But when the rulers of Babylon sent emissaries to find out about the sign from God that had taken place earlier, God left him on his own to see what he would do; he wanted to test his heart.
* * *
32-33The rest of the history of Hezekiah and his life of loyal service, you can read for yourself—it’s written in the vision of the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz in the Royal Annals of the Kings of Judah and Israel. When Hezekiah died, they buried him in the upper part of the King David cemetery. Everyone in Judah and Jerusalem came to the funeral. He was buried in great honor.
Manasseh his son was the next king.
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THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved. Used by permission of NavPress. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers.