2 Chronicles 32

NEW JERUSALEM	DOUAI-RHEIMS
1 After these loyal actions, Sennacherib king of Assyria advanced and invaded Judah, and laid siege tothe fortified towns, intending to demolish them.	1 After these things, and this truth, Sennacherib king of the Assyrians came and entered into Juda, and besieged the fenced cities, desiring to take them.
2 Hezekiah, realising that Sennacherib's advance was the preliminary to an attack on Jerusalem,	2 And when Ezechias saw that Sennacherib was come, and that the whole force of the war was turning against Jerusalem,
3 consulted his officers and warriors about sealing off the waters of the springs outside the city, and theysupported him.	3 He took counsel with the princes, and the most valiant men, to stop up the heads of the springs, that were without the city: and as they were all of this mind,
4 So a large number of people were cal ed out to block al the springs and cut off the watercourseflowing through the country. 'Why', they said, 'should the kings of Assyria find plenty of water when they arrive?'	4 He gathered together a very great multitude, and they stopped up all the springs, and the brook, that ran through the midst of the land, saying: Lest the kings of the Assyrians should come, and And abundance of water.
5 Acting with determination, he also repaired al the damaged parts of the wal , built towers on it,constructed a second wal on the outer side, strengthened the Mil o of the City of David and made quantities ofmissiles and shields.	5 He built up also with great diligence all the wall that had been broken down, and built towers upon it, and another wall without: and he repaired Mello in the city of David, and made all sorts of arms and shields:
6 He then appointed generals to command the people, summoned them to him in the square by the citygate and spoke as fol ows to encourage them,	6 And he appointed captains of the soldiers of the army: and he called them all together in the street of the gate of the city, and spoke to their heart, saying:
7 'Be strong and brave; do not be afraid or tremble when you face the king of Assyria and the wholehorde he brings with him, for there are more on our side than on his.	7 Behave like men, and take courage: be not afraid nor dismayed for the king of the Assyrians, nor for all the multitude that is with him: for there are many more with us than with him.
8 He has only human strength, but we have Yahweh our God to help us and fight our battles.' Thepeople took heart at the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.	8 For with him is an arm of flesh: with us the Lord our God, who is our helper, and fighteth for us. And the people were encouraged with these words of Ezechias king of Juda.
9 Next, Sennacherib king of Assyria, who was then besieging Lachish with all his forces, sent hisrepresentatives to Jerusalem, to Hezekiah king of Judah, and al Judah at Jerusalem, with the fol owingmessage,	9 After this, Sennacherib king of the Assyrians sent his servants to Jerusalem, (for he with all his army was besieging Lachis,) to Ezechias king of Juda, and to all the people that were in the city, saying:
10 'Sennacherib king of Assyria says this, "What gives you the confidence to remain in the fortress ofJerusalem?	10 Thus saith Sennacherib king of the Assyrians: In whom do you trust, that you sit still besieged in Jerusalem?
11 Isn't Hezekiah deluding you, only to condemn you to die of famine and thirst, when he says: Yahwehour God wil save us from the King of Assyria's clutches?	11 Doth not Ezechias deceive you, to give you up to die by hunger and thirst, affirming that the Lord your God shall deliver you from the hand of the king of the Assyrians?
12 Isn't Hezekiah the very man who has suppressed his high places and altars, and given the order toJudah and to Jerusalem: You must worship before one altar and on that alone offer incense?	12 Is it not this same Ezechias, that hath destroyed his high places, and his altars, and commanded Juda and Jerusalem, saying: You shall worship before one altar, and upon it you shall burn incense?
13 Don't you know what I and my ancestors have done to al the peoples of the other countries? Havethe national gods of those countries had the slightest success in saving their countries from my clutches?	13 Know you not what I and my fathers have done to all the people of the lands? have the gods of any nations and lands been able to deliver their country out of my hand?
14 Of al the gods of those nations whom my ancestors devoted to destruction, which one has been ableto save his people from my clutches, for your god to be able to save you from my clutches?	14 Who is there among all the gods of the nations, which my fathers have destroyed, that could deliver his people out of my hand, that your God should be able to deliver you out of this hand?
15 Do not let Hezekiah mislead you. Do not let him delude you like this. Do not believe him, for no godof any nation or kingdom has been able to save his people from me or from my ancestors' clutches. No more wilyour god be able to save you from my clutches." '	15 Therefore let not Ezechias deceive you, nor delude you with a vain persuasion, and do not believe him. For if no god of all the nations and kingdoms, could deliver his people out of my hand, and out of the hand of my fathers, consequently neither shall your God be able to deliver you out of my hand.
16 And his representatives said a great deal more, maligning Yahweh God, and his servant Hezekiah.	16 And many other things did his servants speak against the Lord God, and against Ezechias his servant.
17 He also wrote a letter to insult Yahweh, God of Israel, maligning him as follows, 'Just as the nationalgods of the other countries could not save their peoples from my clutches, so Hezekiah's god cannot save hispeople from my clutches.'	17 He wrote also letters full of blasphemy against the Lord the God of Israel, and he spoke against him: As the gods of other nations could not deliver their people out of my hand, so neither can the God of Ezechias deliver his people out of this hand.
18 They then shouted loudly in the Judaean language to the people of Jerusalem on the ramparts tofrighten and confuse them, in the hope of capturing the city,	18 Moreover he cried out with a loud voice, in the Jews' tongue, to the people that sat on the walls of Jerusalem, that he might frighten them, and take the city.
19 maligning the God of Jerusalem as though he were one of the man-made gods of other peoples inthe world.	19 And he spoke against the God of Jerusalem, as against the gods of the people of the earth, the works of the hands of men.
20 Then King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz prayed and cried out to Heaven about this,	20 And Ezechias the king, and Isaias the prophet the son of Amos, prayed against this blasphemy, and cried out to heaven.
21 and Yahweh sent an angel who destroyed every warrior, commander and officer in the king ofAssyria's camp. So he had to retire shamefacedly to his own country and when he went into the temple of hisgod, some of his own sons there struck him down with the sword.	21 And the Lord sent an angel who cut off all the stout men and the warriors, and the captains of the army of the king of the Assyrians: and he returned with disgrace into his own country. And when he was come into the house of his god, his sons that came out of his bowels, slew him with the sword.
22 So Yahweh saved Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the clutches of Sennacherib kingof Assyria and of everyone else, and gave them peace on every side.	22 And the Lord saved Ezechias and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, out of the hand of Sennacherib king of the Assyrians, and out of the hand of all, and gave them treasures on every side.
23 Many people then brought gifts to Yahweh in Jerusalem and valuable presents to Hezekiah king ofJudah; from then on, all the other nations held him in high esteem.	23 Many also brought victims, and sacrifices to the Lord to Jerusalem, and presents to Ezechias king of Juda: and he was magnified thenceforth in the sight of all nations.
24 About then Hezekiah fel il and was at the point of death. He prayed to Yahweh, who heard him andgranted him a sign.	24 In those days Ezechias was sick even to death, and he prayed to the Lord: and he heard him, and gave him a sign.
25 But Hezekiah made no return for the benefit which he had received; he became proud and broughtretribution on himself and on Judah and Jerusalem.	25 But he did not render again according to the benefits which he had received, for his heart was lifted up: and wrath was enkindled against him, and against Juda and Jerusalem.
26 Then, however, Hezekiah did humble himself in his pride, and so did the inhabitants of Jerusalem; asa result of which, Yahweh's retribution did not overtake them during Hezekiah's lifetime.	26 And he humbled himself afterwards, because his heart had been lifted up, both he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem: and therefore the wrath of the Lord came not upon them in the days of Ezechias.
27 Hezekiah enjoyed immense riches and honour. He built himself treasuries for gold, silver, preciousstones, spices, jewels and every kind of desirable object,	27 And Ezechias was rich, and very glorious, and he gathered himself great treasures of silver and of gold, and of precious stones, of spices, and of arms, of all kinds, and of vessels of great price.
28 as wel as storehouses for his returns of grain, new wine and olive oil, and stal s for al kinds of cattleand pens for the flocks.	28 Storehouses also of corn, of wine, and of oil, and stalls for all beasts, and folds for cattle.
29 He also provided himself with donkeys in addition to his immense wealth of flocks and herds, sinceGod had made him immensely wealthy.	29 And he built himself cities: for he had docks of sheep, and herds without number, for the Lord had given him very much substance.
30 It was Hezekiah who stopped the upper outlet of the waters of Gihon and directed them straightdown on the west side of the City of David. Hezekiah succeeded in al that he undertook,	30 This same Ezechias was, he that stopped the upper source of the waters of Gihon, and turned them away underneath toward the west of the city of David : in ail his works he did prosperously what he would.
31 although when the envoys were sent to him by the rulers of Babylon to enquire about theextraordinary thing which had taken place in the country, God left him alone to test him and discover what lay inhis heart.	31 But yet in the embassy of the princes of Babylon, that were sent to him, to inquire of the wonder that had happened upon the earth, God left him that he might be tempted, and all things might be made known that were in his heart.
32 The rest of the history of Hezekiah, and his deeds of faithful love, are recorded in the Vision of theprophet Isaiah son of Amoz, in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel.	32 Now the rest of the acts of Ezechias, and of his mercies are written in the book of the kings of Juda and Israel.
33 Then Hezekiah fel asleep with his ancestors and was buried in the upper section of the tombs of thesons of David. Al Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem paid him honours at his death. His son Manassehsucceeded him.	33 And Ezechias slept with his fathers, m and they buried him above the sepulchres of the sons of David: and all Juda, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem celebrated his funeral: and Manasses his son reigned in his stead.