King Sennacherib of Assyria Invades Judah
(2 Kings 18.13-37Isaiah 36.1-22)1 After King Hezekiah had faithfully obeyed the Lord's instructions by doing these things, King Sennacherib of Assyria invaded Judah. He attacked the fortified cities and thought he would capture every one of them.
2 As soon as Hezekiah learned that Sennacherib was planning to attack Jerusalem, 3-4 he and his officials worked out a plan to cut off the supply of water outside the city, so that the Assyrians would have no water when they came to attack. The officials got together a large work force that stopped up the springs and streams near Jerusalem.
5 Hezekiah's workers also repaired the broken sections of the city wall. Then they built defense towers and an outer wall to help protect the one already there. The landfill on the east side of David's City was also strengthened.
He gave orders to make a large supply of weapons and shields, 6 and he appointed army commanders over the troops. Then he gathered the troops together in the open area in front of the city gate and said to them:
7 Be brave and confident! There's no reason to be afraid of King Sennacherib and his powerful army. We are much more powerful, 8 because the Lord our God fights on our side. The Assyrians must rely on human power alone.
These words encouraged the army of Judah.
9 When Sennacherib and his troops were camped at the town of Lachish, he sent a message to Hezekiah and the people in Jerusalem. It said:
10 I am King Sennacherib of Assyria, and I have Jerusalem surrounded. Do you think you can survive my attack? 11 Hezekiah your king is telling you that the Lord your God will save you from me. But he is lying, and you'll die of hunger and thirst. 12 Didn't Hezekiah tear down all except one of the Lord's altars and places of worship? And didn't he tell you people of Jerusalem and Judah to worship at that one place?
13 You've heard what my ancestors and I have done to other nations. Were the gods of those nations able to defend their land against us? 14 None of those gods kept their people safe from the kings of Assyria. Do you really think your God can do any better? 15 Don't be fooled by Hezekiah! No god of any nation has ever been able to stand up to Assyria. Believe me, your God cannot keep you safe!
16 The Assyrian officials said terrible things about the Lord God and his servant Hezekiah. 17 Sennacherib's letter even made fun of the Lord. It said, “The gods of other nations could not save their people from Assyria's army, and neither will the God that Hezekiah worships.” 18 The officials said all these things in Hebrew, so that everyone listening from the city wall would understand and be terrified and surrender. 19 The officials talked about the Lord God as if he were nothing but an ordinary god or an idol that someone had made.
The Death of King Sennacherib
(2 Kings 19.14-192 35-37Isaiah 37.14-20Isaiah 37.36-38)20 Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz begged the Lord for help, 21 and he sent an angel that killed every soldier and commander in the Assyrian camp.
Sennacherib returned to Assyria, completely disgraced. Then one day he went into the temple of his god where some of his sons killed him.
22 The Lord rescued Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem from Sennacherib and also protected them from other enemies. 23 People brought offerings to Jerusalem for the Lord and expensive gifts for Hezekiah, and from that day on, every nation on earth respected Hezekiah.
Hezekiah Gets Sick and Almost Dies
(2 Kings 20.1-11Isaiah 38.1-8)24 About this same time, Hezekiah got sick and was almost dead. He prayed, and the Lord gave him a sign that he would recover. 25 But Hezekiah was so proud that he refused to thank the Lord for everything he had done for him. This made the Lord angry, and he punished Hezekiah and the people of Judah and Jerusalem. 26 Hezekiah and the people later felt sorry and asked the Lord to forgive them. So the Lord did not punish them as long as Hezekiah was king.
Hezekiah's Wealth
(2 Kings 20.12-19Isaiah 39.1-8)27 Hezekiah was very rich, and everyone respected him. He built special rooms to store the silver, the gold, the precious stones and spices, the shields, and the other valuable possessions. 28 Storehouses were also built for his supply of grain, wine, and olive oil; barns were built for his cattle, and pens were put up for his sheep. 29 God made Hezekiah extremely rich, so he bought even more sheep, goats, and cattle. And he built towns where he could keep all these animals.
30 It was Hezekiah who built a tunnel that carried the water from Gihon Spring into the city of Jerusalem. In fact, everything he did was successful! 31 Even when the leaders of Babylonia sent messengers to ask Hezekiah about the sign God had given him, God let Hezekiah give his own answer to test him and to see if he would remain faithful.
Hezekiah Dies
(2 Kings 20.202 21)32 Everything else Hezekiah did while he was king, including how faithful he was to the Lord, is included in the records kept by Isaiah the prophet. These are written in The History of the Kings of Judah and Israel. 33 When Hezekiah died, he was buried in the section of the royal tombs that was reserved for the most respected kings, and everyone in Judah and Jerusalem honored him. His son Manasseh then became king.
Sanherība iebrukums
(2Ķēn 18:13–19:34Jes 36:2–22)1 Pēc šā uzticības apliecinājuma nāca Sanherībs, Asīrijas ķēniņš. Viņš ienāca Jūdā un uzslēja nometni pie nocietinātajām pilsētām, domādams tās sagrābt sev. 2 Kad Hizkija redzēja, ka Sanherībs nāk, lai uzbruktu Jeruzālemei, 3 viņš ar saviem augstmaņiem un spēkavīriem nosprieda aizbērt ūdens avotus ārpus pilsētas, un viņi tam piekrita. 4 Sapulcējās daudz ļaužu un aizbēra visus avotus un strautu, kas plūda tur cauri, sacīdami: “Kāpēc lai Asīrijas ķēniņi atnākuši atrastu daudz ūdens?” 5 Viņš sparīgi ķērās klāt un salaboja mūri visur, kur tas bija sagāzts, uzslēja uz tā torņus un ārpusē vēl vienu mūri. Viņš nostiprināja arī Millo Dāvida pilsētā, kā arī darināja daudz ieroču un vairogu. 6 Viņš iecēla tautai kara virsniekus, sapulcināja tos pie sevis pilsētas vārtu laukumā un uzmundrinādams sacīja: 7 “Esiet droši un stipri! Nebaidieties un neiztrūkstieties ne no Asīrijas ķēniņa, ne pulkiem, kas kopā ar viņu, jo ar mums ir kāds, kas lielāks par tiem! 8 Viņiem ir miesīgs spēks, bet mums – Kungs, mūsu Dievs, kas palīdz un karo mūsu karus!” Un ļaudis paļāvās uz Jūdas ķēniņa Hizkijas vārdiem.
9 Tad Asīrijas ķēniņš Sanherībs, kurš pats ar visu karaspēku karoja pret Lāhīšu, sūtīja savus kalpus uz Jeruzālemi pie Jūdas ķēniņa Hizkijas un visiem Jeruzālemes jūdiem, lai tiem pavēsta: 10 “Tā saka Asīrijas ķēniņš Sanherībs: uz ko jūs cerat aplenktajā Jeruzālemē? 11 Vai Hizkija nav jūs maldinājis, likdams mirt badā un slāpēs un sacīdams: Kungs, mūsu Dievs, glābs mūs no Asīrijas ķēniņa! 12 Vai pats Hizkija neaizvāca augstieņu altārus un nepavēlēja Jūdā un Jeruzālemē, ka jūs drīkstat zemoties un kvēpināt tikai uz viena altāra? 13 Vai tad jūs nezināt, ko es un mans tēvs esam darījuši visu citu zemju ļaudīm? Vai tad citu tautu dievi spēja no manis paglābt savas zemes!? 14 Kurš no visiem manu tēvu iznīdēto tautu dieviem ir spējis glābt no manis savus ļaudis? Kā tad jūsu dievi jūs paglābs no manis!? 15 Neļaujiet Hizkijam sevi maldināt, neticiet viņam, ka viņš jūs nepieviļ! Ja nevienas citas tautas vai valsts dievs nav varējis paglābt savus ļaudis ne no manis, ne no maniem tēviem, tad jūsu dievs ne tik neglābs jūs no manis!”
16 Un viņa kalpi runāja vēl vairāk pret Kungu Dievu un viņa kalpu Hizkiju. 17 Sanherībs bija uzrakstījis vēstuli, lai ņirgātos par Kungu, Israēla Dievu. Viņš teica: “Tāpat kā citu tautu dievi nevienā zemē nav spējuši paglābt savus ļaudis no manis, tā arī Hizkijas Dievs neglābs savus ļaudis no manis!” 18 Tie tā klaigāja jūdu valodā Jeruzālemes iemītniekiem, kas bija uz mūra, lai ļaudis satrauktos un nobītos un tad tie varētu ieņemt pilsētu. 19 Tie runāja par Jeruzālemes Dievu tāpat kā par citu zemju tautu dieviem, kas ir cilvēku roku darināti.
Sanherība sakāve un nāve
(2Ķēn 19:35–37)20 Ķēniņš Hizkija un pravietis Jesaja, Āmoca dēls, lūgdami sauca uz debesīm. 21 Tad Kungs sūtīja eņģeli, un tas nomaitāja visus varonīgos karavīrus, virsniekus un pavēlniekus Asīrijas ķēniņa nometnē, ka viņam ar kaunu bija jāatgriežas savā zemē. Kad viņš iegāja sava dieva namā, paša dēli viņu nogalēja ar zobenu. 22 Tā Kungs paglāba Hizkiju un Jeruzālemes iemītniekus no Asīrijas ķēniņa Sanherība un visiem viņu ienaidniekiem un deva viņiem rimtumu it visur! 23 Tad daudzi pienesa dāvanas Kungam Jeruzālemē un dārglietas Jūdas ķēniņam Hizkijam, un visu tautu vidū viņš kļuva diženāks nekā iepriekš.
Hizkijas slimība
(2Ķēn 20:1–11Jes 38:1–8)24 Tolaik Hizkija bija uz nāvi slims, un viņš lūdzās Kungu, un Kungs viņam atbildēja un deva zīmi, 25 bet Hizkija neatgriezās, jo bija kļuvis lepns. Tāpēc pār viņu, Jūdu un Jeruzālemi nāca dusmu versme. 26 Tad Hizkija, atmetis lepnību, zemojās – gan viņš, gan Jeruzālemes iemītnieki, un Kunga dusmu versme nenāca Hizkijas laikā.
Hizkijas varenība un darbi
(2Ķēn 20:12–21Jes 39:1–8)27 Hizkijas bagātība un gods augtin auga. Viņš cēla mantnīcas sudrabam un zeltam, dārgakmeņiem un balzama smaržām, vairogiem un dažādām jaukām lietām 28 un noliktavas graudu ražai, jaunam vīnam un svaigai eļļai, un novietnes visdažādākajiem lopiem, un laidarus ganāmpulkiem. 29 Viņš cēla sev pilsētas, viņam bija milzums avju un vēršu, jo Dievs viņam deva daudz mantas. 30 Hizkija aizdarīja augšējā Gīhona avota izteku un novadīja to lejā uz Dāvida pilsētas rietumdaļu. Hizkijam veicās viss, ko viņš darīja. 31 Kad pie viņa nāca Bābeles augstmaņu sūtņi vaicāt par zīmi, kas dota viņa zemei, Dievs atstāja viņu vienu, lai pārbaudītu un uzzinātu visu, kas viņam prātā.
32 Pārējie Hizkijas darbi un viņa laipnība – par to Jūdas un Israēla ķēniņu grāmatā ir rakstījis pravietis Jesaja, Āmoca dēls! 33 Hizkija apgūlās pie tēviem, un viņu apbedīja Dāvida dēlu kapenēs. Viņu ar godu izvadīja visi Jūdas un Jeruzālemes iemītnieki. Pēc tam sāka valdīt viņa dēls Manase.
