32:16 Sennacherib’s 4 servants further insulted 5 the Lord God and his servant Hezekiah. 32:17 He wrote letters mocking the Lord God of Israel and insulting him with these words: 6 “The gods of the surrounding nations could not rescue their people from my power. Neither can Hezekiah’s god rescue his people from my power.” 7 32:18 They called out loudly in the Judahite dialect to the people of Jerusalem who were on the wall, trying to scare and terrify them so they could seize the city. 32:19 They talked about the God of Jerusalem as if he were one of the man-made gods of the nations of the earth.
32:20 King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz prayed about this and cried out to heaven. 32:21 The Lord sent a messenger 8 and he wiped out all the soldiers, princes, and officers in the army of the king of Assyria. So Sennacherib 9 returned home humiliated. 10 When he entered the temple of his god, some of his own sons 11 struck him down with the sword. 32:22 The Lord delivered Hezekiah and the residents of Jerusalem from the power of King Sennacherib of Assyria and from all the other nations. 12 He made them secure on every side. 13 32:23 Many were bringing presents 14 to the Lord in Jerusalem and precious gifts to King Hezekiah of Judah. From that time on he was respected by 15 all the nations.
32:24 In those days Hezekiah was stricken with a terminal illness. 16 He prayed to the Lord, who answered him and gave him a sign confirming that he would be healed. 17 32:25 But Hezekiah was ungrateful; he had a proud attitude, provoking God to be angry at him, as well as Judah and Jerusalem. 18 32:26 But then Hezekiah and the residents of Jerusalem humbled themselves and abandoned their pride, and the Lord was not angry with them for the rest of Hezekiah’s reign. 19
32:27 Hezekiah was very wealthy and greatly respected. He made storehouses for his silver, gold, precious stones, spices, and all his other valuable possessions. 20 32:28 He made storerooms for the harvest of grain, wine, and olive oil, and stalls for all his various kinds of livestock and his flocks. 21 32:29 He built royal cities 22 and owned a large number of sheep and cattle, for God gave him a huge amount of possessions.
32:30 Hezekiah dammed up the source of the waters of the Upper Gihon and directed them down to the west side of the City of David. 23 Hezekiah succeeded in all that he did. 32:31 So when the envoys arrived from the Babylonian officials to visit him and inquire about the sign that occurred in the land, 24 God left him alone to test him, in order to know his true motives. 25
32:32 The rest of the events of Hezekiah’s reign, including his faithful deeds, are recorded in the vision of the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz, included in the Scroll of the Kings of Judah and Israel. 26 32:33 Hezekiah passed away 27 and was buried on the ascent of the tombs of the descendants of David. All the people of Judah and the residents of Jerusalem buried him with great honor. 28 His son Manasseh replaced him as king.
1 tn Heb “hand.”
2 tn Heb “how much less.”
3 tn The verb is plural, suggesting that the preceding אֱלֹהֵיכֶם (’elohekhem) be translated “your gods,” rather than “your God.”
4 tn Heb “his”; the referent (Sennacherib) has been specified in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons.
5 tn Heb “spoke against.”
6 tn Heb “and speaking against him, saying.”
7 tn Heb “Like the gods of the nations of the lands who did not rescue their people from my hand, so the god of Hezekiah will not rescue his people from my hand.”
8 tn Or “an angel.”
9 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Sennacherib) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
10 tn Heb “and he returned with shame of face to his land.”
11 tn Heb “and some from those who went out from him, from his inward parts.”
12 tn Heb “and from the hand of all.”
13 tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “and he led him from all around.” However, the present translation assumes an emendation to וַיָּנַח לָהֶם מִסָּבִיב (vayyanakh lahem missaviv, “and he gave rest to them from all around”). See 2 Chr 15:15 and 20:30.
14 tn Or perhaps, “offerings.”
15 tn Heb “lifted up in the eyes of.”
16 tn Heb “was sick to the point of dying.”
17 tn Heb “and he spoke to him and a sign he gave to him.”
18 tn Heb “but not according to the benefit [given] to him did Hezekiah repay, for his heart was high, and there was anger against him and against Judah and Jerusalem.”
19 tn Heb “and Hezekiah humbled himself in the height of his heart, he and the residents of Jerusalem, and the anger of the
20 tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “and shields and all the desirable items.” The present translation assumes an emendation of מָגִנִּים (maginnim, “shields”) to מִגְדָּנִים (migdanim, “precious items”). See v. 23.
21 tn Heb “and stalls for all beasts and beasts, and flocks for the stalls.” The repetition of בְהֵמָה (bÿhemah, “beast”) here indicates various kinds of livestock.
22 tn Heb “and cities he made for himself.”
23 sn The phrase the City of David refers here to the fortress of Zion in Jerusalem, not to Bethlehem. See 2 Sam 5:7.
24 tn Heb “and when the envoys of the officials of Babylon, who sent to him to inquire concerning the sign which was in the land, [arrived].”
25 tn Heb “to know all [that was] in his heart.”
26 tn Heb “and the rest of the deeds of Hezekiah and his faithful acts, behold, they are written in the vision of Isaiah son of Amoz the prophet upon the scroll of the kings of Judah and Israel.”
27 tn Heb “lay down with his fathers.”
28 tn Heb “and honor they did to him in his death, all Judah and the residents of Jerusalem.”