2 Chronicles 32: Sennacherib comes against Jerusalem, and Hezekiah's later years

In plain English: After these things and this faithfulness, Sennacherib king of Assyria came and entered Judah. He camped against the fortified cities, and he meant to break into them and take them for himself (literally: he said to break into them).

The Hebrew words: "This faithfulness" is emet, which the dictionary gives as "stability; (figuratively) certainty, truth, trustworthiness". This Bible says "truth" in 83 of the 125 verses where the word is found and a form of "faithful" in 14.

In plain English: Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come and that he meant to make war on Jerusalem (literally: his face was for war).

In plain English: He took counsel with his officials and his mighty men about stopping up the water of the springs outside the city, and they helped him.

In plain English: Many people gathered, and they stopped up all the springs and the stream that flowed through the middle of the land. They said, "Why should the kings of Assyria come and find plenty of water?"

Good to know: The text gives the reason in the people's own words: "Why should the kings of Assyria come, and find abundant water?" Verse 30 later says Hezekiah stopped the upper outlet of the water of Gihon. 2 Kings 20:20 says he "made the pool, and the conduit, and brought water into the city".

In plain English: Hezekiah strengthened himself (or: took courage). He rebuilt all the wall that was broken down and raised it up to the towers, built another wall outside it, strengthened the Millo in David's city, and made a great number of weapons and shields.

In plain English: He appointed commanders of war over the people and gathered them to himself in the open place at the city gate. He spoke to their hearts (or: spoke encouragingly to them), saying,

In plain English: "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or dismayed because of the king of Assyria or all the crowd that is with him, for there is a greater one with us than with him (or: there are more with us than with him).

In plain English: With him is an arm of flesh, but with us is Yahweh our God, to help us and to fight our battles." The people leaned on (or: supported themselves on) the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.

In plain English: After this, Sennacherib king of Assyria sent his servants to Jerusalem while he and all his forces (literally: all his rule) were at Lachish. They came to Hezekiah king of Judah and to all the people of Judah who were in Jerusalem, saying,

In plain English: "Sennacherib king of Assyria says: 'What are you relying on (this Bible: In whom do you trust), that you stay in Jerusalem under siege?

In plain English: Is Hezekiah not misleading you, to give you over to die by hunger and by thirst, when he says, "Yahweh our God will save us out of the hand of the king of Assyria"?

In plain English: Is it not that same Hezekiah who removed his high places and his altars, and told Judah and Jerusalem, "You shall bow down before one altar, and you shall burn incense on it"?

In plain English: Do you not know what I and my fathers have done to all the peoples of the lands? Were the gods of the nations of those lands able at all to save their land out of my hand?

In plain English: Who among all the gods of those nations that my fathers completely destroyed was able to save his people out of my hand, that your God should be able to save you out of my hand?

In plain English: So now do not let Hezekiah deceive you or mislead you like this, and do not believe him. For no god of any nation or kingdom has been able to save his people out of my hand or out of the hand of my fathers. How much less will your gods (or: your God) save you out of my hand?'"

In plain English: His servants spoke still more against Yahweh God and against his servant Hezekiah.

In plain English: He also wrote letters to taunt Yahweh, the God of Israel, and to speak against him, saying, "Like the gods of the nations of the lands, which did not save their people out of my hand, so the God of Hezekiah will not save his people out of my hand."

In plain English: They called out with a loud voice in the Jews' language (literally: in Judean) to the people of Jerusalem who were on the wall, to frighten and terrify them, so that they might take the city.

The Hebrew word: "The Jews' language" is Yehudit, which the dictionary gives as "the Jewish (used adverbially) language". It is in 6 verses of the Bible, and this Bible says "Jews" in all 6. 2 Kings 18:26 says the same: Hezekiah's officials ask Rabshakeh not to speak "in the Jews' language, in the hearing of the people who are on the wall". The Hebrew word itself is "Judean".

In plain English: They spoke about the God of Jerusalem as they spoke about the gods of the peoples of the earth, the work of human hands.

In plain English: King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz prayed because of this, and cried out to heaven.

In plain English: Yahweh sent an angel, who wiped out every mighty man of valor, leader and commander in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he went back to his own land in shame (literally: with shame of face). When he came into the house of his god, some of his own sons (literally: some who came out of his own body) struck him down there with the sword.

Good to know: This verse says Yahweh sent an angel who cut off "all the mighty men of valor, the leaders, and captains" in the Assyrian camp. 2 Kings 19:35 says the angel "struck one hundred eighty-five thousand in the camp of the Assyrians"; this verse gives no number. 2 Kings 19:37 says Sennacherib was struck down in the house of Nisroch his god by Adrammelech and Sharezer; this verse says "some of his own sons" (word for word, "some who came out of his own body") and does not name them or the god.

In plain English: So Yahweh saved Hezekiah and the people living in Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib king of Assyria and from the hand of everyone else, and he led them (this Bible: guided them) on every side.

In plain English: Many people brought offerings to Yahweh at Jerusalem, and valuable gifts to Hezekiah king of Judah, and from then on he was lifted up in the eyes of all the nations.

In plain English: In those days Hezekiah was sick, near death. He prayed to Yahweh, and Yahweh spoke to him and gave him a sign.

Good to know: This verse is very short: Hezekiah was sick, near death, prayed, and Yahweh "spoke to him" and gave a sign. It gives none of Yahweh's words. 2 Kings 20:1 and the verses after it tell the story in full, with Isaiah's message and a sign. The Hebrew word for "sign" is the same one the note on verse 31 looks at.

In plain English: But Hezekiah did not repay the good done for him, because his heart was proud. So wrath came on him and on Judah and Jerusalem.

Good to know: The text says Hezekiah did not repay the good done for him "because his heart was lifted up", and that wrath came on him, Judah and Jerusalem. It does not say here what he did. Verse 26 says he and the people of Jerusalem humbled themselves, and the wrath did not come in his days.

In plain English: Then Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart, he and the people living in Jerusalem, and Yahweh's wrath did not come on them in the days of Hezekiah.

In plain English: Hezekiah had very great riches and honor. He made himself treasuries for silver, for gold, for precious stones, for spices, for shields, and for all kinds of valuable articles,

In plain English: and storehouses for the harvest of grain, new wine and oil, and stalls for every kind of livestock, and pens (or: stalls) for the flocks.

In plain English: He also made himself cities, and had a great deal of flocks and herds, for God had given him very many possessions.

In plain English: This same Hezekiah stopped up the upper outlet of the water of Gihon and directed it down to the west side of the city of David. Hezekiah did well in everything he did.

In plain English: So with the envoys of the officials of Babylon, who were sent to him to ask about the sign (this Bible: the wonder) that had happened in the land, God left him to test him, to know everything that was in his heart.

The Hebrew word: "The wonder" is mophet, which the dictionary gives as "a miracle; by implication, a token or omen". It is in 35 verses of the Bible. This Bible says "sign" in 25 of those verses and "wonder" in 25. It is the same Hebrew word as "a sign" in verse 24. The verse does not say whether the "wonder that was done in the land" is that sign.

Good to know: 2 Kings 20:12 says Berodach Baladan king of Babylon sent letters and a present because he heard Hezekiah had been sick. This verse says "God left him to test him, that he might know all that was in his heart". The Hebrew does not name who would know.

In plain English: The rest of the acts of Hezekiah and his good deeds (or: his acts of loyal love) are written in the vision of Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz, in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.

Good to know: The verse names two places where the acts of Hezekiah are written: "the vision of Isaiah the prophet" and "the book of the kings of Judah and Israel". Word for word it says "on the scroll of the kings of Judah and Israel". It can be read as two writings, or as the vision of Isaiah being written inside that scroll. The text does not say which.

In plain English: Hezekiah lay down with his fathers, and they buried him at the ascent (or: the upper part) of the tombs of the sons of David. All Judah and the people living in Jerusalem honored him at his death. Manasseh his son became king in his place.

The Hebrew word: "Ascent" is maaleh, which the dictionary gives as "an elevation, i.e. (concretely) acclivity or platform". This Bible says "ascent" in 14 of the 15 verses where the word is found. So "the ascent to the tombs" could be a slope leading up to them, or "the upper part of the tombs" a raised place. The text does not say which.