2 Chronicles 32

NEW JERUSALEM	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
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 after this manner of truth, Sennacherib, the king of the Assyrians arrived. And entering Judah, he besieged the fortified cities, desiring to seize them.
2 Hezekiah, realising that Sennacherib's advance was the preliminary to an attack on Jerusalem,	2 And when Hezekiah had seen this, specifically that Sennacherib had arrived, and that the entire 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 rulers and with the most valiant men, so that they might obstruct the heads of the springs which were beyond the city. And with everyone discerning the same judgment about this,
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 great multitude, and they obstructed all the springs, and the brook which was flowing through the midst of the land, saying: “Otherwise, the kings of the Assyrians might arrive and find an 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 Also, acting industriously, he built up the entire wall that had been broken apart. And he constructed towers upon it, and another wall outside it. And he repaired Millo, in the City of David. And he made all kinds of weapons 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 leaders of the warriors within the army. And he summoned them all to the wide street of the gate of the city. And he 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 “Act manfully and be strengthened. Do not be afraid. Neither should you dread the king of the Assyrians and the entire multitude that is with him. For many more are 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 is the Lord our God, who is our helper, and who fights for us.” And the people were strengthened by this type of words from Hezekiah, the king of Judah.
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 these things, Sennacherib, the king of the Assyrians, sent his servants to Jerusalem, (for he and his entire army were besieging Lachish) to Hezekiah, the king of Judah, and to all the people who 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 says Sennacherib, the king of the Assyrians: In whom do you have faith, as you sit 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 Does not Hezekiah deceive you, so that he would deliver you to die from hunger and thirst, by affirming that the Lord your God will free 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 this not the same Hezekiah who destroyed his own high places and altars, and who instructed Judah and Jerusalem, saying: ‘You shall worship before one altar, and you shall burn incense upon it?’
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 Do you not know what I and my fathers have done to all the peoples of the lands? Have the gods of the nations and all the lands prevailed so as to free their region from 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, out of all the gods of the nations that my fathers destroyed, who is able to rescue his people from my hand, so that now also your God would be able to rescue you from 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 Hezekiah deceive or delude you with vain persuasion. And you should not believe him. For if no god out of all the nations and kingdoms was able to free his people from my hand, and from the hand of my fathers, consequently neither will your God be able to rescue you from my hand.”
16 And his representatives said a great deal more, maligning Yahweh God, and his servant Hezekiah.	16 Then too, his servants were speaking many other things against the Lord God, and against his servant Hezekiah.
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 Also, he wrote letters full of blasphemy against the Lord God of Israel. And against him he said: “Just as the gods of other nations were unable to free their people from my hand, so also is the God of Hezekiah unable to rescue his people from 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 also shouted with a great clamor, in the language of the Jews, toward the people who were sitting upon the walls of Jerusalem, so that he might frighten them and so seize 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 was speaking against the God of Jerusalem, just as against the gods of the peoples of the earth, which are 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 Hezekiah the king, and Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, prayed against this blasphemy, and they 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 struck all the experienced men and warriors, and the leaders of the army of the king of the Assyrians. And he returned in disgrace to his own land. And when he had entered the house of his god, the sons who had gone forth from his loins killed 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 Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib, the king of the Assyrians, and from the hand of all. And he presented to them peace 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 And now many were bringing victims and sacrifices to the Lord in Jerusalem, and gifts to Hezekiah, the king of Judah. And after these things, he was exalted before all the 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, Hezekiah was sick, even unto death, and he prayed to the Lord. And he heeded him, and gave to 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 repay according to the benefits which he had received, for his heart was lifted up. And so wrath was brought against him, and against Judah 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 after this, he was humbled, because he had exalted his heart, both he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And therefore the wrath of the Lord did not overwhelm them in the days of Hezekiah.
27 Hezekiah enjoyed immense riches and honour. He built himself treasuries for gold, silver, preciousstones, spices, jewels and every kind of desirable object,	27 Now Hezekiah was wealthy and very famous. And he gathered for himself many treasures of silver and gold and precious stones, of aromatics, and all kinds of weapons, and 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 and also repositories of grain, wine, and oil, and stalls for every beast of burden, and fencing 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 for himself cities. For indeed, he had innumerable herds and flocks of sheep. For the Lord had given to him an exceedingly great 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 Hezekiah was the one who blocked the upper font of the waters of Gihon, and who diverted them down to the western part of the City of David. In all his works, he prosperously accomplished whatever he willed.
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 Yet still, concerning the legates from the leaders of Babylon, who had been sent to him so that they might inquire about the portent which had happened upon the earth, God permitted him to be tempted, so that everything might be made known which was 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 words of Hezekiah, and his mercies, have been written in the vision of the prophet Isaiah, the son of Amos, and in the book of the kings of Judah 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 Hezekiah slept with his fathers. And they buried him above the sepulchers of the sons of David. And all of Judah, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, celebrated his funeral. And his son, Manasseh, reigned in his place.