2 Chronicles 32 in plain modern English. New Ground English Translation.

After all this — after everything Hezekiah had faithfully done — Sennacherib king of Assyria invaded Judah and set up camp against the fortified cities, planning to break through them for himself.

When Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come and intended to attack Jerusalem,

he consulted with his officials and military commanders about blocking the water sources outside the city, and they backed him up.

A huge crowd of people gathered and blocked all the springs and the stream that flowed through the region. "Why should the kings of Assyria show up and find plenty of water?" they said.

He got to work with determination — he rebuilt every section of the wall that had been broken down, raised towers on it, built a second outer wall, and reinforced the terraced structure in the City of David. He also made large quantities of weapons and shields.

He appointed military commanders over the people and gathered everyone together in the open square by the city gate. Then he spoke to their hearts:

"Be strong and courageous! Don't be afraid or intimidated by the king of Assyria or the massive army with him, because the one with us is greater than the one with him.

He has an arm of flesh, but we have Yahweh our God — to help us and to fight our battles." And the people drew strength from the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.

After this, while Sennacherib king of Assyria was besieging Lachish with all his forces, he sent his officials to Jerusalem with a message for Hezekiah king of Judah and all the people of Judah who were in Jerusalem:

"This is what Sennacherib king of Assyria says: What are you trusting in, sitting there under siege in Jerusalem?

Hezekiah is misleading you — he's going to let you die of hunger and thirst when he says, 'Yahweh our God will rescue us from the king of Assyria.'

Isn't Hezekiah the one who removed Yahweh's own high places and altars and told Judah and Jerusalem, 'You will worship before one altar only, and on it alone you will burn offerings'?

Don't you know what I and my ancestors have done to all the peoples of other lands? Were the gods of those nations ever able to rescue their land from my power?

Which of all the gods of these nations that my ancestors completely destroyed was able to rescue his people from my power? So how could your God rescue you from me?

So don't let Hezekiah deceive you. Don't let him mislead you like this. Don't trust him, because no god of any nation or kingdom has been able to rescue his people from my power or my ancestors' power. How much less will your God rescue you from my power!"

His officials said even more against Yahweh God and against his servant Hezekiah.

He also wrote letters insulting Yahweh, the God of Israel, speaking against him: "Just like the gods of the nations of other lands did not rescue their people from my power, the God of Hezekiah will not rescue his people from my power either."

Then they shouted in a loud voice in the Judean language to the people of Jerusalem who were on the wall, trying to frighten and terrify them so they could capture the city.

They spoke about the God of Jerusalem as if he were like the gods of the peoples of the earth — things made by human hands.

King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz prayed about this and cried out to the heavens.

And Yahweh sent a messenger who wiped out every warrior, commander, and officer in the camp of the king of Assyria. So Sennacherib went home humiliated. When he entered the temple of his god, some of his own sons cut him down with the sword right there.

That's how Yahweh rescued Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem from Sennacherib king of Assyria and from everyone else. He gave them rest on every side.

Many people brought offerings to Yahweh in Jerusalem, along with valuable gifts for Hezekiah king of Judah. From that point on, he was respected in the eyes of all the nations.

Around that time, Hezekiah became deathly ill. He prayed to Yahweh, who answered him and gave him a sign.

But Hezekiah didn't respond with the gratitude that matched what had been done for him, because his heart had become proud. So anger came against him, and against Judah and Jerusalem.

Then Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart — both he and the people of Jerusalem — so Yahweh's anger didn't fall on them during Hezekiah's lifetime.

Hezekiah had enormous wealth and honor. He made treasuries for silver, gold, precious stones, spices, shields, and all kinds of valuable items.

He built storehouses for the harvest of grain, new wine, and olive oil, along with stalls for all kinds of livestock and pens for the flocks.

He also built cities for himself and acquired huge numbers of sheep and cattle, because God had given him very great wealth.

This same Hezekiah blocked the upper outlet of the Gihon spring and channeled the water down to the west side of the City of David. Hezekiah succeeded in everything he did.

But when envoys were sent by the rulers of Babylon to ask him about the extraordinary sign that had happened in the land, God withdrew from him to test him — to find out everything that was in his heart.

As for the rest of what Hezekiah did, and the loyal acts of devotion he showed, they're recorded in the vision of the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz, in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel.

Hezekiah rested with his ancestors and was buried on the upper part of the tombs of David's descendants. All of Judah and the people of Jerusalem honored him when he died. And his son Manasseh became king in his place.