The Daily Audio Bible

32 After these things, and this faithfulness, Sennacherib king of Assyria came, and entered into Judah, and encamped against the fortified cities, and thought ^[a]to win them for himself. ² And when Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib was come, and that ^[b]he was purposed to fight against Jerusalem, ³ 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. ⁴ 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? ⁵ And he took courage, and built up all the wall that was broken down, and ^[c]raised it up to the towers, and ^[d]the other wall without, and strengthened Millo in the city of David, and made weapons and shields in abundance. ⁶ 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, ⁷ 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 ^[e]there is a greater with us than with him: ⁸ 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.

⁹ 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, ¹⁰ Thus saith Sennacherib king of Assyria, Whereon do ye trust, that ye abide ^[f]the siege in Jerusalem? ¹¹ 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? ¹² 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? ¹³ 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? ¹⁴ Who was there among all the gods of those nations which my fathers ^[g]utterly destroyed, that could deliver his people out of my hand, that your God should be able to deliver you out of my hand? ¹⁵ 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 ^[h]God deliver you out of my hand? ¹⁶ And his servants spake yet more against Jehovah God, and against his servant Hezekiah. ¹⁷ He wrote also ^[i]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. ¹⁸ 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. ¹⁹ 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.

²⁰ And Hezekiah the king, and Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz, prayed because of this, and cried to heaven. ²¹ 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 ^[j]slew him there with the sword. ²² 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. ²³ 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.

²⁴ In those days Hezekiah was sick even unto death: and he prayed unto Jehovah; and he spake unto him, and gave him a ^[k]sign. ²⁵ 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. ²⁶ Notwithstanding Hezekiah humbled himself for ^[l]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.

²⁷ 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; ²⁸ store-houses also for the increase of grain and new wine and oil; and stalls for all manner of beasts, and flocks in folds. ²⁹ Moreover he provided him cities, and possessions of flocks and herds in abundance; for God had given him very much substance. ³⁰ 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. ³¹ Howbeit in the business of the ^[m]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.

³² 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. ³³ 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.

33 Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign; and he reigned fifty and five years in Jerusalem. ² And he did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah, after the abominations of the nations whom Jehovah cast out before the children of Israel. ³ For he built again the high places which Hezekiah his father had broken down; and he reared up altars for the Baalim, and made Asheroth, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served them. ⁴ And he built altars in the house of Jehovah, whereof Jehovah said, In Jerusalem shall my name be for ever. ⁵ And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of Jehovah. ⁶ He also made his children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom; and he practised augury, and used enchantments, and practised sorcery, and dealt with them that had familiar spirits, and with wizards: he wrought much evil in the sight of Jehovah, to provoke him to anger. ⁷ And he set the graven image of the idol, which he had made, in the house of God, of which God said to David and to Solomon his son, In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, will I put my name for ever: ⁸ neither will I any more remove the foot of Israel from off the land which I have appointed for your fathers, if only they will observe to do all that I have commanded them, even all the law and the statutes and the ordinances given by Moses. ⁹ And Manasseh seduced Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that they did evil more than did the nations whom Jehovah destroyed before the children of Israel.

¹⁰ And Jehovah spake to Manasseh, and to his people; but they gave no heed. ¹¹ Wherefore Jehovah brought upon them the captains of the host of the king of Assyria, who took Manasseh ^[n]in chains, and bound him with fetters, and carried him to Babylon. ¹² And when he was in distress, he besought Jehovah his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers. ¹³ And he prayed unto him; and he was entreated of him, and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that Jehovah he was God.

²³ but now, having no more any place in these regions, and having these many years a longing to come unto you, ²⁴ whensoever I go unto Spain (for I hope to see you in my journey, and to be brought on my way thitherward by you, if first in some measure I shall have been satisfied with your company)— ²⁵ but now, I say, I go unto Jerusalem, ministering unto the saints. ²⁶ For it hath been the good pleasure of Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor among the saints that are at Jerusalem. ²⁷ Yea, it hath been their good pleasure; and their debtors they are. For if the Gentiles have been made partakers of their spiritual things, they owe it to them also to minister unto them in carnal things. ²⁸ When therefore I have accomplished this, and have sealed to them this fruit, I will go on by you unto Spain. ²⁹ And I know that, when I come unto you, I shall come in the fulness of the blessing of Christ.

³⁰ Now I beseech you, brethren, by our Lord Jesus Christ, and by the love of the Spirit, that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me; ³¹ that I may be delivered from them that are disobedient in Judaea, and that my ministration which I have for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints; ³² that I may come unto you in joy through the will of God, and together with you find rest. ³³ Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen.

16 I commend unto you Phoebe our sister, who is a ^[a]servant of the church that is at Cenchreae: ² that ye receive her in the Lord, worthily of the saints, and that ye assist her in whatsoever matter she may have need of you: for she herself also hath been a helper of many, and of mine own self.

³ Salute Prisca and Aquila my fellow-workers in Christ Jesus, ⁴ who for my life laid down their own necks; unto whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles: ⁵ and salute the church that is in their house. Salute Epaenetus my beloved, who is the first-fruits of Asia unto Christ. ⁶ Salute Mary, who bestowed much labor on you. ⁷ Salute Andronicus and ^[b]Junias, my kinsmen, and my fellow-prisoners, who are of note among the apostles, who also have been in Christ before me. ⁸ Salute Ampliatus my beloved in the Lord. ⁹ Salute Urbanus our fellow-worker in Christ, and Stachys my beloved.