2 Chronicles 32

1 After that these deedes were faythfully done, Sennacherib king of the Assyrians came, and entred into Iuda, & compassed the strong cities, and thought to winne them for him selfe.

2 And so when Hezekia sawe that Sennacherib was come, and that he was purposed to fight against Hierusalem,

3 He toke counsell with his lordes and men of might, to stop the water of the fountaynes without the citie: And they dyd helpe him.

4 For there gathered many of the people together, and stopt all the welles, and the broke that ran through the middes of the land, saying: Why shall the kinges of the Assyrians come and finde much water?

5 And Hezekia went to lustyly, and buylt vp the wall where it was broken, and made ordinaunce vpon the towres, and to the other wall without, and repaired Millo in the citie of Dauid, and made many dartes and shieldes.

6 And he set captaynes of warre ouer the people, and gathered them together to him in the large streete of the gate of the citie, and spake gentylly to them, saying:

7 Plucke vp your heartes and be strong: be not afrayde nor discouraged for the king of the Assyrians, & for all the multitude that he hath with hym: for there be mo with vs then with hym.

8 With him is an arme of flesh: but with vs is the Lord our God for to helpe vs, and to fight our battayles. And the people toke a courage through the wordes of Hezekia king of Iuda.

9 After this did Sennacherib king of the Assyrians send of his seruauntes to Hierusalem (but he him selfe remayned beside Lachis, hauing all his power with him) vnto Hezekia king of Iuda, and vnto all Iuda that were at Hierusalem, saying,

10 Thus saith Sennacherib king of the Assyrians: wherin do ye trust O ye that dwell in Hierusalem which is besieged?

11 Doth not Hezekia entice you to geue ouer your selues vnto death, hunger, and thirst, saying: The Lord our God shall ryd vs out of the hand of the king of the Assyrians?

12 Hath not the same Hezekia put downe his hye places and his aulters, & commaunded Iuda and Hierusalem, saying, Ye shall worship before one aulter, and burne incense vpon the same?

13 Knowe ye not what I and my fathers haue done vnto the people of all landes? Were the gods of the people of other landes, able or mightie to saue their landes out of my hande?

14 Which of all the gods of those nations that my fathers destroyed, could deliuer his people out of my hande? And shall your God be able to deliuer you out of my hande?

15 Wherfore nowe let not Hezekia deceaue you, nor persuade you of this fassion, nor yet beleue him: For as no god among all nations and kingdomes, was able to rid his people out of my hand and out of the hand of my fathers: Howe much lesse shall your gods be able to kepe you out of my hande?

16 And yet mo thinges did his seruauntes speake against the Lorde God, and against his seruaunt Hezekia.

17 And Sennacherib also wrote a letter to rayle on the Lord God of Israel, and spake against him, saying: As the gods of the nations of [other] landes haue not ben able to deliuer their people out of my hande: euen so shal not the God of Hezekia deliuer his people out of my hande.

18 And they cried with a loude voyce in the Iewes speach vnto the people of Hierusalem that were on the wall, to feare them, and to make them faynt hearted, and that they might so take the citie.

19 And they spake against the God of Hierusalem, as against the gods of the nations of the earth, [whiche were] the workes of the handes of men.

20 But Hezekia the king, and the prophet Esai the sonne of Amos prayed against that [blasphemie,] and cried vp to heauen.

21 And the Lord sent an angel, which destroyed all the men of warre and the lordes and captaynes of the hoast of the king of the Assyrians, that he turned his face againe with shame towarde his owne lande: And when he was come into the house of his god, they that came of his owne body slue him there with the sworde.

22 And so the Lorde saued Hezekia and the inhabiters of Hierusalem out of the hand of Sennacherib the king of the Assyrians, and from the hande of all other, and mayntayned them on euery side.

23 And many brought offeringes vnto the Lorde to Hierusalem, and presentes to Hezekia king of Iuda: so that he was magnified in the sight of all nations from thence foorth.

24 In those dayes Hezekia was sicke to the death, and prayed vnto the Lorde: which aunswered him, and shewed him a wonderfull miracle.

25 But Hezekia dyd not againe vnto God according to it that he had shewed him: for his heart arose, & there came wrath vpon hym, and vpon Iuda and Hierusalem.

26 Notwithstanding Hezekia submitted him selfe after that his heart was risen vp, he and the inhabiters of Hierusalem: and the wrath of the Lorde came not vpon them in the dayes of Hezekia.

27 And Hezekia had exceeding much riches and honour: And he gat him treasures of siluer and gold, pretious stones, and spices, shieldes, and of all maner pleasaunt iewels:

28 And made store houses for the fruites of corne, for wine and oyle, and stalles for all maner of beastes, and foldes for sheepe.

29 And he made him cities, & had of sheepe and oxen great aboundaunce: For God had geuen him substaunce exceeding much.

30 This same Hezekia stopped the vpper water springes of Gihon, and brought them downe to the west side of the citie of Dauid: And Hezekia prospered in all his workes.

31 And when the princes of Babylon sent vnto him ambassadours, to enquire of the wonder that chaunced in the lande, God left him, to trye him, and that all that was in his heart might be knowen.

32 The rest of the deedes of Hezekia, and his goodnes, beholde they are written in the vision of Esai the prophet the sonne of Amoz, in the booke of the kinges of Iuda and Israel.

33 And Hezekia slept with his fathers, and they buried hym in the most worthy place of the sepulchres of the sonnes of Dauid, and all Iuda and the inhabiters of Hierusalem dyd him worship at his death: and Manasse his sonne raigned in his steade.