II Chronicles 32 Sennacherib Invades Judah, and God Destroys His Army

 II Chronicles 32

Sennacherib Invades Judah, and God Destroys His Army

1 After these things and this faithfulness, Sennacherib king of Assyria came and entered Judah and encamped against the fortified cities, and intended to separate them for himself.

2 When Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib was coming and that he was set on war against Jerusalem,

3 He took counsel with his princes and his men to stop the springs of water that were outside the city, and they helped him.

4 So a large crowd gathered together, and they stopped all the springs and the brook that ran through the middle of the land, saying, “Why should the kings of Assyria come and find so much water?”

5 So he strengthened himself and built up all the broken wall, even to the towers, and raised up the other wall outside, and he fortified Millo in the city of David, and made weapons and shields in abundance. 

6 He placed officers of war over the people and gathered them to him in the square at the gate of the city. He spoke to them kindly, saying, 

7 “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or dismayed because of the king of Assyria or because of all the hordes who are with him, for there is one greater with us than with him. 

8 With him is an arm of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles. And the people rested upon the words of Hezekiah king of Judah. 

​​9 After this Sennacherib king of Assyria sent his servants to Jerusalem (he was before Lachish with all his dominion), to Hezekiah king of Judah and to all Judah who were in Jerusalem, saying, 

10 Thus says Sennacherib king of Assyria: On what do you trust, who remain in the stronghold of Jerusalem? 

11 Does not Hezekiah incite you to die by famine and thirst, saying, ‘The Lord our God will deliver us from the hand of the king of Assyria?’ 

12 Is it not Hezekiah who took away their high places and their altars, and spoke to Judah and Jerusalem, saying, ‘You shall worship before one altar and burn incense on it?’ 

13 Do you not know what I and my fathers have done to all the peoples of the lands? Were the gods of the nations of those lands able to deliver their land out of my hand?

14 Who among all the gods of those nations that my fathers destroyed was able to deliver his people out of my hand, so that your God should be able to deliver you out of my hand?

15 Now therefore let not Hezekiah deceive you, nor entice you, nor believe him; for no god of any nation or kingdom was able to deliver his people out of my hand, nor out of the hand of my fathers: how much less shall your God deliver you out of my hand?

16 Moreover his servants spake yet more against the Lord God, and against his servant Hezekiah.

17 And he wrote letters to blaspheme the Lord God of Israel, and to speak against him, saying, Just as the gods of the nations of the lands have not delivered their people out of my hand, so also the God of Hezekiah will not deliver his people out of my hand.

18 And they cried out with a loud voice in the Jews' language against the people of Jerusalem who were on the wall, to terrify them and to harass them, so that they might take the city.

19 And they spoke of the God of Jerusalem, as of the gods of the peoples of the earth, the work of men's hands.

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

21 Then the Lord sent an angel, who destroyed all the mighty men, the princes, and the leaders in the camp of the king of Assyria; and he returned to his own land with shame; and when he entered the house of his god, those who came out of his own body killed him there with the sword.

22 Thus the Lord delivered Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib king of Assyria, and from the hand of all; and he led them on every side. 

23 And many brought gifts to Jerusalem unto the LORD, and gifts to Hezekiah king of Judah: so that he was exalted in the sight of all nations from thenceforth.