After these things, and this faithfulness, Sennacherib king of Assyria came, and entered into Judah, and encamped against the fortified cities, and thought {Hebrew: to break them up.}to win them for himself.
And when Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib was come, and that {Hebrew: his face was to fight.}he was purposed to fight against Jerusalem,
he took counsel with his princes and his mighty men to stop the waters of the fountains which were without the city; and they helped him.
So there was gathered much people together, and they stopped all the fountains, and the brook that flowed through the midst of the land, saying, Why should the kings of Assyria come, and find much water?
And he took courage, and built up all the wall that was broken down, and {The Vulgate has, built towers thereon.}raised it up to the towers, and {Or, another}the other wall without, and strengthened Millo in the city of David, and made weapons and shields in abundance.
And he set captains of war over the people, and gathered them together to him in the broad place at the gate of the city, and spake comfortably to them, saying,
Be strong and of good courage, be not afraid nor dismayed for the king of Assyria, nor for all the multitude that is with him; for {Or, there are more}there is a greater with us than with him:
with him is an arm of flesh; but with us is Jehovah our God to help us, and to fight our battles. And the people rested themselves upon the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.
After this did Sennacherib king of Assyria send his servants to Jerusalem, (now he was before Lachish, and all his power with him), unto Hezekiah king of Judah, and unto all Judah that were at Jerusalem, saying,
Thus saith Sennacherib king of Assyria, Whereon do ye trust, that ye abide {Or, in the stronghold}the siege in Jerusalem?
Doth not Hezekiah persuade you, to give you over to die by famine and by thirst, saying, Jehovah our God will deliver us out of the hand of the king of Assyria?
Hath not the same Hezekiah taken away his high places and his altars, and commanded Judah and Jerusalem, saying, Ye shall worship before one altar, and upon it shall ye burn incense?
Know ye not what I and my fathers have done unto all the peoples of the lands? Were the gods of the nations of the lands in any wise able to deliver their land out of my hand?
Who was there among all the gods of those nations which my fathers {Hebrew: devoted.}utterly destroyed, that could deliver his people out of my hand, that your God should be able to deliver you out of my hand?
Now therefore let not Hezekiah deceive you, nor persuade you after this manner, neither believe ye him; for no god of any nation or kingdom was able to deliver his people out of my hand, and out of the hand of my fathers: how much less shall your {Or, gods}God deliver you out of my hand?
And his servants spake yet more against Jehovah God, and against his servant Hezekiah.
He wrote also {Or, a letter}letters, to rail on Jehovah, the God of Israel, and to speak against him, saying, As the gods of the nations of the lands, which have not delivered their people out of my hand, so shall not the God of Hezekiah deliver his people out of my hand.
And they cried with a loud voice in the Jews' language unto the people of Jerusalem that were on the wall, to affright them, and to trouble them; that they might take the city.
And they spake of the God of Jerusalem, as of the gods of the peoples of the earth, which are the work of men's hands.
And Hezekiah the king, and Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz, prayed because of this, and cried to heaven.
And Jehovah sent an angel, who cut off all the mighty men of valor, and the leaders and captains, in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he returned with shame of face to his own land. And when he was come into the house of his god, they that came forth from his own bowels {Hebrew: caused him to fall.}slew him there with the sword.
Thus Jehovah saved Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib the king of Assyria, and from the hand of all others, and guided them on every side.
And many brought gifts unto Jehovah to Jerusalem, and precious things to Hezekiah king of Judah; so that he was exalted in the sight of all nations from thenceforth.
In those days Hezekiah was sick even unto death: and he prayed unto Jehovah; and he spake unto him, and gave him a {Or, wonder}sign.
But Hezekiah rendered not again according to the benefit done unto him; for his heart was lifted up: therefore there was wrath upon him, and upon Judah and Jerusalem.
Notwithstanding Hezekiah humbled himself for {Hebrew: the lifting up.}the pride of his heart, both he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the wrath of Jehovah came not upon them in the days of Hezekiah.
And Hezekiah had exceeding much riches and honor: and he provided him treasuries for silver, and for gold, and for precious stones, and for spices, and for shields, and for all manner of goodly vessels;
store-houses also for the increase of grain and new wine and oil; and stalls for all manner of beasts, and flocks in folds.
Moreover he provided him cities, and possessions of flocks and herds in abundance; for God had given him very much substance.
This same Hezekiah also stopped the upper spring of the waters of Gihon, and brought them straight down on the west side of the city of David. And Hezekiah prospered in all his works.
Howbeit in the business of the {Hebrew: interpreters.}ambassadors of the princes of Babylon, who sent unto him to inquire of the wonder that was done in the land, God left him, to try him, that he might know all that was in his heart.
Now the rest of the acts of Hezekiah, and his good deeds, behold, they are written in the vision of Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz, in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.
And Hezekiah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the ascent of the sepulchres of the sons of David: and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem did him honor at his death. And Manasseh his son reigned in his stead.
Querverweise zu 2. Chronika 32,31 2Chr 32,31
At that time {In Isaiah 39:1, Merodach-baladan.}Berodach-baladan the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a present unto Hezekiah; for he had heard that Hezekiah had been sick.
And Hezekiah said unto Isaiah, What shall be the sign that Jehovah will heal me, and that I shall go up unto the house of Jehovah the third day?
And Isaiah said, This shall be the sign unto thee from Jehovah, that Jehovah will do the thing that he hath spoken: {Or, the shadow is gone forward ten steps, shall it go back &c.}shall the shadow go forward ten {Or, degrees}steps, or go back ten steps?
And Hezekiah answered, It is a light thing for the shadow to decline ten steps: nay, but let the shadow return backward ten steps.
And Isaiah the prophet cried unto Jehovah; and he brought the shadow ten steps backward, by which it had gone down on the {Hebrew: steps.}dial of Ahaz.
And she said, The Philistines are upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times, and shake myself free. But he knew not that Jehovah was departed from him.
And it came to pass after these things, that God did prove Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham; and he said, Here am I.
And thou shalt remember all the way which Jehovah thy God hath led thee these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble thee, to prove thee, to know what was in thy heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or not.
And Hezekiah hearkened unto them, and showed them all the house of {Or, spicery}his precious things, the silver, and the gold, and the spices, and the precious oil, and {Another reading is, all the house.}the house of his {Or, jewels}armor, and all that was found in his treasures: there was nothing in his house, nor in all his dominion, that Hezekiah showed them not.
behold, I will cause the shadow on the steps, which is gone down on the {Hebrew: steps.}dial of Ahaz {Or, by}with the sun, to return backward ten steps. So the sun returned ten steps {Or, by which steps it &c.}on the dial whereon it was gone down.
Hide not thy face from me;Put not thy servant away in anger:Thou hast been my help;Cast me not off, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation.
And thou shalt remember all the way which Jehovah thy God hath led thee these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble thee, to prove thee, to know what was in thy heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or not.
thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or unto that dreamer of dreams: for Jehovah your God proveth you, to know whether ye love Jehovah your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
At that time Merodach-baladan the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a present to Hezekiah; for he heard that he had been sick, and was recovered.
Cast me not away from thy presence;And take not thy holy Spirit from me.
who fed thee in the wilderness with manna, which thy fathers knew not; that he might humble thee, and that he might prove thee, to do thee good at thy latter end:
And Hezekiah was glad of them, and showed them the house of his {Or, spicery}precious things, the silver, and the gold, and the spices, and the precious oil, and all the house of his {Or, jewels}armor, and all that was found in his treasures: there was nothing in his house, nor in all his dominion, that Hezekiah showed them not.
Then came Isaiah the prophet unto king Hezekiah, and said unto him, What said these men? and from whence came they unto thee? And Hezekiah said, They are come from a far country unto me, even from Babylon.
Then said he, What have they seen in thy house? And Hezekiah answered, All that is in my house have they seen: there is nothing among my treasures that I have not showed them.
Then said Isaiah to Hezekiah, Hear the word of Jehovah of hosts:
Behold, the days are coming, when all that is in thy house, and that which thy fathers have laid up in store until this day, shall be carried to Babylon: nothing shall be left, saith Jehovah.
And of thy sons that shall issue from thee, whom thou shalt beget, shall they take away; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.
Then said Hezekiah unto Isaiah, Good is the word of Jehovah which thou hast spoken. He said moreover, For there shall be peace and truth in my days.
Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation;And uphold me with a willing spirit.
But put forth thy hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will renounce thee to thy face.
Uphold me according unto thy word, that I may live;And let me not be ashamed of my hope.
And Jehovah said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy {Hebrew: hand.}power; only upon himself put not forth thy hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of Jehovah.
Hold thou me up, and I shall be safe,And shall have respect unto thy statutes continually.
And Jehovah said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job? {Or, that}for there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and turneth away from evil: and he still holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, {Hebrew: to swallow him up.}to destroy him without cause.
And Satan answered Jehovah, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life.
But put forth thy hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will renounce thee to thy face.
And Jehovah said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thy hand; only spare his life.
I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same beareth much fruit: for apart from me ye can do nothing.
For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.O Jehovah, thou hast searched me, and known me.
Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising;Thou understandest my thought afar off.
Search me, O God, and know my heart:Try me, and know my thoughts;
And see if there be any {Or, way of pain}wicked way in me,And lead me in the way everlasting.
The refining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold;But Jehovah trieth the hearts.
And I will bring the third part into the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried. They shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people; and they shall say, Jehovah is my God.
But who can abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap:
and he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi, and refine them as gold and silver; and they shall offer unto Jehovah offerings in righteousness.
that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold that perisheth though it is proved by fire, may be found unto praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ:
Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted {Greek: from.}of God; for God {Or, is untried in evil}cannot be tempted with {Greek: evil things.}evil, and he himself tempteth no man: