Dual Panel1After <0310> these <0428> faithful <0571> deeds were accomplished <0935>, King <04428> Sennacherib <05576> of Assyria <0804> invaded <0935> Judah <03063>. He besieged <02583> the fortified <01219> cities <05892>, intending <0559> to <0413> seize <01234> them.
2When Hezekiah <02396> saw <07200> that <03588> Sennacherib <05576> had invaded <0935> and intended <06440> to attack <05921> <04421> Jerusalem <03389>,
3he consulted <03289> with <05973> his advisers <08269> and military officers <01368> about stopping up <05640> the springs <05869> <04325> outside <02351> the city <05892>, and they supported <05826> him.
4A large number <07227> of people <05971> gathered together <06908> and stopped up <05640> all <03605> the springs <04599> and the stream <05158> that flowed <07857> through <08432> the district <0776>. They reasoned <0559>, “Why <04100> should the kings <04428> of Assyria <0804> come <0935> and find <04672> plenty <07227> of water <04325>?”
5Hezekiah energetically <02388> rebuilt <01129> every <03605> broken <06555> wall <02346>. He erected <05927> towers <04026> and an outer <02351> wall <02346>, and fortified <02388> the terrace <04407> of the City <05892> of David <01732>. He made <06213> many <07230> weapons <07973> and shields <04043>.
6He appointed <05414> military <04421> officers <08269> over <05921> the army <05971> and assembled <06908> them in <0413> the square <07339> at <0413> the city <05892> gate <08179>. He encouraged <03824> <05921> <01696> them, saying <0559>,
7“Be strong <02388> and brave <0553>! Don’t <0408> be afraid <03372> and don’t <0408> panic <02865> because <06440> of the king <04428> of Assyria <0804> and this huge army <01995> that <0834> is with <05973> him! We have with <05973> us one who is stronger <07227> than those who are with <05973> him.
8He has with <05973> him mere human <01320> strength <02220>, but the Lord <03069> our God <0430> is with <05973> us to help <05826> us and fight <03898> our battles <04421>!” The army <05971> was encouraged <05564> by <05921> the words <01697> of King <04428> Hezekiah <02396> of Judah <03063>.
9Afterward <0310> King <04428> Sennacherib <05576> of Assyria <0804>, while attacking <05921> Lachish <03923> with <05973> all <03605> his military <04475> might, sent <07971> his messengers <05650> to Jerusalem <03389>. The message was for <05921> King <04428> Hezekiah <02396> of Judah <03063> and all <03605> the people of Judah <03063> who <0834> were in Jerusalem <03389>. It read:
10“This is what <03541> King <04428> Sennacherib <05576> of Assyria <0804> says <0559>: ‘Why <04100> are you <0859> so confident <0982> that you remain <03427> in Jerusalem <03389> while it is under siege <04692>?
11Hezekiah <02396> says, “The Lord <03068> our God <0430> will rescue <05337> us from the power <03709> of the king <04428> of Assyria <0804>.” But he is misleading <05496> you and you will die <04191> of hunger <07458> and thirst <06772>!
12Hezekiah <02396> is the one who eliminated <05493> the Lord’s high places <01116> and altars <04196> and then told <0559> Judah <03063> and Jerusalem <03389>, “At <06440> one <0259> altar <04196> you must worship <07812> and offer sacrifices <06999>.”
13Are you not <03808> aware <03045> of what <04100> I <0589> and my predecessors <01> have done <06213> to all <03605> the nations <05971> of the surrounding lands <0776>? Have the gods <0430> of the surrounding <03605> lands <0776> actually been able <03201> to rescue <05337> their lands <0776> from my power <03027>?
14Who <04310> among all <03605> the gods <0430> of these <0428> nations <01471> whom <0834> my predecessors <01> annihilated <02763> was able <03201> to rescue <05337> his people <05971> from my power <03027>?
15Now <06258> don’t <0408> let Hezekiah <02396> deceive <05377> you or <0408> mislead <05496> you like this <02063>. Don’t <0408> believe <0539> him, for <03588> no <03808> god <0433> of any <03605> nation <01471> or kingdom <04467> has been able <03201> to rescue <05337> his people <05971> from my power <03027> or the power <03027> of my predecessors <01>. So <0637> how <03588> can your gods <0430> rescue <05337> you from my power <03027>?’”
16Sennacherib’s servants <05650> further <05750> insulted <05921> <01696> the Lord <03068> God <0430> and his servant <05650> Hezekiah <02396>.
17He wrote <03789> letters <05612> mocking <02778> the Lord <03068> God <0430> of Israel <03478> and insulting <05921> him with these words <0559>: “The gods <0430> of the surrounding nations <01471> could not <03808> rescue <05337> their people <05971> from my power <03027>. Neither <03808> can Hezekiah’s <02396> god <0430> rescue <05337> his people <05971> from my power <03027>.”
18They called <07121> out loudly <01419> <06963> in the Judahite dialect <03066> to <05921> the people <05971> of Jerusalem <03389> who <0834> were on <05921> the wall <02346>, trying to scare <03372> and terrify <0926> them so <04616> they could seize <03920> the <0853> city <05892>.
19They talked <01696> about <0413> the God <0430> of Jerusalem <03389> as if he were one of the man-made <0120> <03027> <04639> gods <0430> of the nations <05971> of the earth <0776>.
20King <04428> Hezekiah <02396> and the prophet <05030> Isaiah <03470> son <01121> of Amoz <0531> prayed <06419> about <05921> this <02063> and cried out <02199> to heaven <08064>.
21The Lord <03068> sent <07971> a messenger <04397> and he wiped out <03582> all <03605> the soldiers <02428> <01368>, princes <05057>, and officers <08269> in the army <04264> of the king <04428> of Assyria <0804>. So Sennacherib returned <07725> home <0776> humiliated <06440> <01322>. When he entered <0935> the temple <01004> of his god <0430>, some of his own sons <04578> sons <03329> struck <05307> him down <05307> with the sword <02719>.
22The Lord <03068> delivered <03467> Hezekiah <02396> and the residents <03427> of Jerusalem <03389> from the power <03027> of King <04428> Sennacherib <05576> of Assyria <0804> and from all <03605> the other nations. He made <05095> them secure <05095> on every side <05439>.
23Many <07227> were bringing <0935> presents <04503> to the Lord <03068> in Jerusalem <03389> and precious gifts <04030> to King <04428> Hezekiah <02396> of Judah <03063>. From that time on <03651> <0310> he was respected <05375> by all <03605> the nations <01471>.
24In those <01992> days <03117> Hezekiah <02396> was stricken <02470> with <05704> a terminal illness <04191>. He prayed <06419> to <0413> the Lord <03068>, who answered <0559> him and gave <05414> him a sign <04159> confirming that he would be healed.
25But Hezekiah <02396> was ungrateful <01576> <03808>; he had a proud <01361> attitude <03820>, provoking God to be <01961> angry <07110> at him, as well as Judah <03063> and Jerusalem <03389>.
26But then Hezekiah <02396> and the residents <03427> of Jerusalem <03389> humbled <03665> themselves and abandoned their <01931> pride <03820> <01363>, and the Lord <03068> was not <03808> angry <07110> with <05921> them for the rest of Hezekiah’s <02396> reign <03117>.
27Hezekiah <02396> was <01961> very wealthy <06239> and greatly <03966> <07235> respected <03519>. He made <06213> storehouses <0214> for his silver <03701>, gold <02091>, precious <03368> stones <068>, spices <01314>, and all <03605> his other valuable <02532> possessions <03627> <04043>.
28He made storerooms <04543> for the harvest <08393> of grain <01715>, wine <08492>, and olive oil <03323>, and stalls <0723> for all <03605> his various kinds <0929> of livestock <0929> and his flocks <05739>.
29He built <06213> royal cities <05892> and owned a large number <07230> of sheep <06629> <04735> and cattle <01241>, for <03588> God <0430> gave <05414> him a huge <07227> amount <03966> of possessions <07399>.
30Hezekiah <02396> dammed up <05640> the source <04161> of the waters <04325> of the Upper <05945> Gihon <01521> and directed <03474> them down <04295> to the west side <04628> of the City <05892> of David <01732>. Hezekiah <02396> succeeded <06743> in all <03605> that he did <04639>.
31So <03651> when the envoys <03887> arrived from the Babylonian <0894> officials <08269> to visit <07971> him and inquire <01875> about the sign <04159> that <0834> occurred <01961> in the land <0776>, God <0430> left <05800> him alone to test <05254> him, in order to know <03045> his true motives <03824>.
32The rest <03499> of the events <01697> of Hezekiah’s <02396> reign, including his faithful <02617> deeds, are recorded <03789> in the vision <02377> of the prophet <05030> Isaiah <03470> son <01121> of Amoz <0531>, included in <05921> the Scroll <05612> of the Kings <04428> of Judah <03063> and Israel <03478>.
33Hezekiah <02396> passed away <01> <05973> <07901> and was buried <06912> on the ascent <04608> of the tombs <06913> of the descendants <01121> of David <01732>. All <03605> the people of Judah <03063> and the residents <03427> of Jerusalem <03389> buried <06213> him with great honor <04194> <03519>. His son <01121> Manasseh <04519> replaced <08478> him as king <04427>.