2 Chronicles 32 - Easy To Read Version

¹ After all these things that Hezekiah had faithfully done happened, Sennacherib king of Assyria came to attack the country of Judah. Sennacherib and his army camped outside the fortresses. {\cf2\super [390]} He did this so he could make plans to defeat those towns. Sennacherib wanted to win those towns for himself.

² Hezekiah knew that Sennacherib came to Jerusalem to attack it.

³ Then Hezekiah talked to his officials and army officers. They all agreed to stop the waters of the water springs outside the city. Those officials and army officers helped Hezekiah.

⁴ Many people came together and stopped all the springs and the stream that flowed through the middle of the country. They said, “The king of Assyria will not find much water when he comes here!”

^5-7 Hezekiah made Jerusalem stronger. This is how he did it: He built again all the parts of the wall that were broken down. He built towers on the wall. He also built another wall outside the first wall. He built again the strong places on the east side of the old part of Jerusalem. He made many weapons and shields.

⁸ The king of Assyria only has men. But we have the Lord our God with us! Our God will help us. He will fight our battles!” So Hezekiah king of Judah encouraged the people and made them feel stronger.

⁹ Sennacherib king of Assyria and all his army were camped near the town of Lachish so they could defeat it. Then Sennacherib sent his officers to Hezekiah king of Judah and to all the people of Judah in Jerusalem. Sennacherib’s officers had a message for Hezekiah and all the people in Jerusalem.

¹⁰ They said, “Sennacherib king of Assyria says this: ‘What do you trust in that makes you stay under attack in Jerusalem?

¹¹ Hezekiah is fooling you. You are being tricked into staying in Jerusalem so you will die from hunger and thirst. Hezekiah says to you, “The Lord our God will save us from the king of Assyria.”

¹² Hezekiah himself took away the Lord’s high places {\cf2\super [391]} and altars. {\cf2\super [392]} He told you people of Judah and Jerusalem that you must worship and burn incense {\cf2\super [393]} on only one altar.

¹³ Of course, you know what my ancestors {\cf2\super [394]} and I have done to all the peoples in other countries. The gods of the other countries could not save their people. Those gods could not stop me from destroying their people.

¹⁴ My ancestors destroyed those countries. There is no god that can stop me from destroying his people. So you think your god can save you from me?

¹⁵ Do not let Hezekiah fool you or trick you. Don’t believe him because no god of any nation or kingdom has ever been able to keep his people safe from me or my ancestors. So don’t think your god can stop me from destroying you.’”

¹⁶ The officers of the king of Assyria said worse things against the Lord God and against Hezekiah, God’s servant.

¹⁷ The king of Assyria also wrote letters that insulted the Lord God of Israel. This is what the king of Assyria said in those letters: “The gods of the other nations could not stop me from destroying their people. In the same way Hezekiah’s god won’t be able to stop me from destroying his people.”

¹⁸ Then the king of Assyria’s officers shouted loudly to the people of Jerusalem that were on the city wall. Those officers used the Hebrew language when they shouted to the people on the wall. Those officers of the king of Assyria did this to make the people of Jerusalem afraid. They said those things so they could capture the city of Jerusalem.

¹⁹ Those officers said bad things against the gods the people of the world worshiped. Those gods are only things people made with their hands. In the same way, those officers said the same bad things against the God of Jerusalem.

²⁰ Hezekiah the king and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz prayed about this problem. They prayed very loudly to heaven.

²¹ Then the Lord sent an angel to the king of Assyria’s camp. That angel killed all the soldiers and the leaders and the officers in the Assyrian army. So the king of Assyria went back home to his own country, and his people were ashamed of him. He went into the temple of his god and some of his own sons killed him there with a sword.

²² So the Lord saved Hezekiah and the people in Jerusalem from Sennacherib the king of Assyria and from all other people. The Lord cared for Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem.

²³ Many people brought gifts for the Lord to Jerusalem. They brought valuable things to Hezekiah king of Judah. From that time on, all the nations respected Hezekiah.

²⁴ It was in those days that Hezekiah became very sick and near death. He prayed to the Lord. The Lord spoke to Hezekiah and gave him a sign. {\cf2\super [395]}

²⁵ But Hezekiah’s heart was proud, so he did not give God thanks for God’s kindness. This is why God was angry at Hezekiah and at the people of Judah and Jerusalem.

²⁶ But Hezekiah and those people living in Jerusalem changed their hearts and lives. They became humble and stopped being proud. So the Lord’s anger didn’t come on them while Hezekiah was alive.

²⁷ Hezekiah had very much riches and honor. He made places to keep silver, gold, valuable jewels, spices, shields, and all kinds of things.

²⁸ Hezekiah had storage buildings for the grain, new wine, and oil that people sent to him. He had stalls for all the cattle and stalls for the sheep.

²⁹ Hezekiah also built many towns, and he got many flocks of sheep and cattle. God gave Hezekiah very much wealth.

³⁰ It was Hezekiah that stopped up the upper source of the waters of the Gihon spring in Jerusalem and made those waters flow straight down on the west side of David’s city. And Hezekiah was successful in everything he did.

³¹ One time the leaders of Babylon sent messengers to Hezekiah. Those messengers asked about a strange sign that had happened in the nations. {\cf2\super [396]} When they came, God left Hezekiah alone to test him and to know everything that was in Hezekiah’s heart. {\cf2\super [397]}

³² The others things that Hezekiah did and how he loved the Lord are written in the book, The Vision of the Isaiah Son of Amoz and in the book, The History of the Kings of Judah and Israel.

³³ Hezekiah died and was buried with his ancestors. {\cf2\super [398]} The people buried Hezekiah on the hill where the graves of David’s ancestors are. All the people of Judah and those living in Jerusalem gave honor to Hezekiah when he died. Manasseh became the new king in Hezekiah’s place. Manasseh was Hezekiah’s son.