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The Second
Book of Paralipomenon 32
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.
And when Ezechias saw that Sennacherib was come, and
that the whole force of the war was turning against
Jerusalem,
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,
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.
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:
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:
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.
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.
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:
Thus saith Sennacherib king of the Assyrians: In whom
do you trust, that you sit still besieged in Jerusalem?
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?
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?
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?
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?
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.
And many other things did his servants speak against
the Lord God, and against Ezechias his servant.
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.
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.
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.
And Ezechias the king, and Isaias the prophet the son
of Amos, prayed against this blasphemy, and cried out
to heaven.
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.
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.
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.
In those days Ezechias was sick even to death, and he
prayed to the Lord: and he heard him, and gave him a
sign.
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.
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.
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.
Storehouses also of corn, of wine, and of oil, and stalls
for all beasts, and folds for cattle.
And he built himself cities: for he had docks of sheep,
and herds without number, for the Lord had given him
very much substance.
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.
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.
Now the rest of the acts of Ezechias, and of his mercies
are written in the book of the kings of Juda and Israel.
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. |
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