rsv 2Chronicles:32:1-23 SEEK
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After these things and these acts of faithfulness Sennach '
erib king of Assyria came and invaded Judah and encamped against the fortified cities ,
thinking to win them for himself .
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And when Hezeki '
ah saw that Sennach '
erib had come and intended to fight against Jerusalem ,
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he planned with his officers and his mighty men to stop the water of the springs that were outside the city ;
and they helped him .
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A great many people were gathered ,
and they stopped all the springs and the brook that flowed through the land ,
saying , "
Why should the kings of Assyria come and find much water ?"
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He set to work resolutely and built up all the wall that was broken down ,
and raised towers upon it ,
and outside it he built another wall ;
and he strengthened the Millo in the city of David .
He also made weapons and shields in abundance .
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And he set combat commanders over the people ,
and gathered them together to him in the square at the gate of the city and spoke encouragingly to them ,
saying ,
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Be strong and of good courage .
Do not be afraid or dismayed before the king of Assyria and all the horde that is with him ;
for there is one greater with us than with him .
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With him is an arm of flesh ;
but with us is the LORD our God ,
to help us and to fight our battles ."
And the people took confidence from the words of Hezeki '
ah king of Judah .
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After this Sennach '
erib king of Assyria ,
who was besieging Lachish with all his forces ,
sent his servants to Jerusalem to Hezeki '
ah king of Judah and to all the people of Judah that were in Jerusalem ,
saying ,
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Thus says Sennach '
erib king of Assyria , `
On what are you relying ,
that you stand siege in Jerusalem ?
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Is not Hezeki '
ah misleading you ,
that he may give you over to die by famine and by thirst ,
when he tells you , "
The LORD our God will deliver us from the hand of the king of Assyria "?
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Has not this same Hezeki '
ah taken away his high places and his altars and commanded Judah and Jerusalem , "
Before one altar you shall worship ,
and upon it you shall burn your sacrifices "?
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Do you not know what I and my fathers have done to all the peoples of other lands ?
Were the gods of the nations of those lands at all able to deliver their lands out of my hand ?
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Who among all the gods of those nations which my fathers utterly destroyed was able to deliver his people from my hand ,
that your God should be able to deliver you from my hand ?
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Now therefore do not let Hezeki '
ah deceive you or mislead you in this fashion ,
and do not believe him ,
for no god of any nation or kingdom has been able to deliver his people from my hand or from the hand of my fathers .
How much less will your God deliver you out of my hand !'"
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And his servants said still more against the Lord GOD and against his servant Hezeki '
ah .
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And he wrote letters to cast contempt on the LORD the God of Israel and to speak against him ,
saying , "
Like the gods of the nations of the lands who have not delivered their people from my hands ,
so the God of Hezeki '
ah will not deliver his people from my hand ."
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And they shouted it with a loud voice in the language of Judah to the people of Jerusalem who were upon the wall ,
to frighten and terrify them ,
in order that they might take the city .
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And they spoke of the God of Jerusalem as they spoke of the gods of the peoples of the earth ,
which are the work of men '
s hands .
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Then Hezeki '
ah the king and Isaiah the prophet ,
the son of Amoz ,
prayed because of this and cried to heaven .
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And the LORD sent an angel ,
who cut off all the mighty warriors and commanders and officers in the camp of the king of Assyria .
So he returned with shame of face to his own land .
And when he came into the house of his god ,
some of his own sons struck him down there with the sword .
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So the LORD saved Hezeki '
ah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennach '
erib king of Assyria and from the hand of all his enemies ;
and he gave them rest on every side .
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And many brought gifts to the LORD to Jerusalem and precious things to Hezeki '
ah king of Judah ,
so that he was exalted in the sight of all nations from that time onward .