The Daily Audio Bible

32 After these things, and this truth, Sennacherib king of the Assyrians came and entered into Juda, and besieged the fenced cities, desiring to take them.

² And when Ezechias saw that Sennacherib was come, and that the whole force of the war was turning against Jerusalem,

³ He took counsel with the princes, and the most valiant men, to stop up the heads of the springs, that were without the city: and as they were all of this mind,

⁴ He gathered together a very great multitude, and they stopped up all the springs, and the brook, that ran through the midst of the land, saying: Lest the kings of the Assyrians should come, and And abundance of water.

⁵ He built up also with great diligence all the wall that had been broken down, and built towers upon it, and another wall without: and he repaired Mello in the city of David, and made all sorts of arms and shields:

⁶ And he appointed captains of the soldiers of the army: and he called them all together in the street of the gate of the city, and spoke to their heart, saying:

⁷ Behave like men, and take courage: be not afraid nor dismayed for the king of the Assyrians, nor for all the multitude that is with him: for there are many more with us than with him.

⁸ For with him is an arm of flesh: with us the Lord our God, who is our helper, and fighteth for us. And the people were encouraged with these words of Ezechias king of Juda.

⁹ After this, Sennacherib king of the Assyrians sent his servants to Jerusalem, (for he with all his army was besieging Lachis,) to Ezechias king of Juda, and to all the people that were in the city, saying:

¹⁰ Thus saith Sennacherib king of the Assyrians: In whom do you trust, that you sit still besieged in Jerusalem?

¹¹ Doth not Ezechias deceive you, to give you up to die by hunger and thirst, affirming that the Lord your God shall deliver you from the hand of the king of the Assyrians?

¹² Is it not this same Ezechias, that hath destroyed his high places, and his altars, and commanded Juda and Jerusalem, saying: You shall worship before one altar, and upon it you shall burn incense?

¹³ Know you not what I and my fathers have done to all the people of the lands? have the gods of any nations and lands been able to deliver their country out of my hand?

¹⁴ Who is there among all the gods of the nations, which my fathers have destroyed, that could deliver his people out of my hand, that your God should be able to deliver you out of this hand?

¹⁵ Therefore let not Ezechias deceive you, nor delude you with a vain persuasion, and do not believe him. For if no god of all the nations and kingdoms, could deliver his people out of my hand, and out of the hand of my fathers, consequently neither shall your God be able to deliver you out of my hand.

¹⁶ And many other things did his servants speak against the Lord God, and against Ezechias his servant.

¹⁷ He wrote also letters full of blasphemy against the Lord the God of Israel, and he spoke against him: As the gods of other nations could not deliver their people out of my hand, so neither can the God of Ezechias deliver his people out of this hand.

¹⁸ Moreover he cried out with a loud voice, in the Jews' tongue, to the people that sat on the walls of Jerusalem, that he might frighten them, and take the city.

¹⁹ And he spoke against the God of Jerusalem, as against the gods of the people of the earth, the works of the hands of men.

²⁰ And Ezechias the king, and Isaias the prophet the son of Amos, prayed against this blasphemy, and cried out to heaven.

²¹ And the Lord sent an angel who cut off all the stout men and the warriors, and the captains of the army of the king of the Assyrians: and he returned with disgrace into his own country. And when he was come into the house of his god, his sons that came out of his bowels, slew him with the sword.

²² And the Lord saved Ezechias and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, out of the hand of Sennacherib king of the Assyrians, and out of the hand of all, and gave them treasures on every side.

²³ Many also brought victims, and sacrifices to the Lord to Jerusalem, and presents to Ezechias king of Juda: and he was magnified thenceforth in the sight of all nations.

²⁴ In those days Ezechias was sick even to death, and he prayed to the Lord: and he heard him, and gave him a sign.

²⁵ But he did not render again according to the benefits which he had received, for his heart was lifted up: and wrath was enkindled against him, and against Juda and Jerusalem.

²⁶ And he humbled himself afterwards, because his heart had been lifted up, both he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem: and therefore the wrath of the Lord came not upon them in the days of Ezechias.

²⁷ And Ezechias was rich, and very glorious, and he gathered himself great treasures of silver and of gold, and of precious stones, of spices, and of arms, of all kinds, and of vessels of great price.

²⁸ Storehouses also of corn, of wine, and of oil, and stalls for all beasts, and folds for cattle.

²⁹ And he built himself cities: for he had flocks of sheep, and herds without number, for the Lord had given him very much substance.

³⁰ This same Ezechias was, he that stopped the upper source of the waters of Gihon, and turned them away underneath toward the west of the city of David: in ail his works he did prosperously what he would.

³¹ But yet in the embassy of the princes of Babylon, that were sent to him, to inquire of the wonder that had happened upon the earth, God left him that he might be tempted, and all things might be made known that were in his heart.

³² Now the rest of the acts of Ezechias, and of his mercies are written in the book of the kings of Juda and Israel.

³³ And Ezechias slept with his fathers, and they buried him above the sepulchres of the sons of David: and all Juda, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem celebrated his funeral: and Manasses his son reigned in his stead.

33 Manasses was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem.

² And he did evil before the Lord, according to all the abominations of the nations, which the Lord cast out before the children of Israel:

³ And he turned, and built again the high places which Ezechias his father had destroyed: and he built altars to Baalim, and made groves, and he adored all the host of heaven, and worshipped them.

⁴ He built also altars in the house of the Lord, whereof the Lord had said: In Jerusalem shall my name be for ever.

⁵ And he built them for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the Lord.

⁶ And he made his sons to pass through the fire in the valley of Benennom: he observed dreams, followed divinations, gave himself up to magic arts, had with him magicians, and enchanters: and he wrought many evils before the Lord, to provoke him to anger.

⁷ He set also a graven, and a molten statue in the house of God, of which God had 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 And I will not make the foot of Israel to be removed out of the land which I have delivered to their fathers: yet so if they will take heed to do what I hare commanded them, and all the law, and the ceremonies, and judgments by the hand of Moses.

⁹ So Manasses seduced Juda, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to do evil beyond all the nations, which the Lord had destroyed before the face of the children of Israel.

¹⁰ And the Lord spoke to him, and to his people, and they would not hearken.

¹¹ Therefore he brought upon them the captains of the army of the king of the Assyrians: and they took Manasses, and carried him bound with chains and fetters to Babylon.

¹² And after that he was in distress he prayed to the Lord his God: and did penance exceedingly before the God of his fathers.

¹³ And he entreated him, and besought him earnestly: and he heard his prayer, and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom, and Manasses knew that the Lord was God.

²³ But now having no more place in these countries, and having a great desire these many years past to come unto you,

²⁴ When I shall begin to take my journey into Spain, I hope that as I pass, I shall see you, and be brought on my way thither by you, if first, in part, I shall have enjoyed you:

²⁵ But now I shall go to Jerusalem, to minister unto the saints.

²⁶ For it hath pleased them of Macedonia and Achaia to make a contribution for the poor of the saints that are in Jerusalem.

²⁷ For it hath pleased them; and they are their debtors. For if the Gentiles have been made partakers of their spiritual things, they ought also in carnal things to minister to them.

²⁸ When therefore I shall have accomplished this, and consigned to them this fruit, I will come by you into Spain.

²⁹ And I know, that when I come to you, I shall come in the abundance of the blessing of the gospel of Christ.

³⁰ I beseech you therefore, brethren, through our Lord Jesus Christ, and by the charity of the Holy Ghost, that you help me in your prayers for me to God,

³¹ That I may be delivered from the unbelievers that are in Judea, and that the oblation of my service may be acceptable in Jerusalem to the saints.

³² That I may come to you with joy, by the will of God, and may be refreshed with you.

³³ Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen.

16 And I commend to you Phebe, our sister, who is in the ministry of the church, that is in Cenchrae:

² That you receive her in the Lord as becometh saints; and that you assist her in whatsoever business she shall have need of you. For she also hath assisted many, and myself also.

³ Salute Prisca and Aquila, my helpers in Christ Jesus,

⁴ (Who have for my life laid down their own necks: to whom not I only give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles,)

⁵ And the church which is in their house. Salute Epenetus, my beloved: who is the firstfruits of Asia in Christ.

⁶ Salute Mary, who hath laboured much among you.

⁷ Salute Andronicus and Junias, my kinsmen and fellow prisoners: who are of note among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me.

⁸ Salute Ampliatus, most beloved to me in the Lord.

⁹ Salute Urbanus, our helper in Christ Jesus, and Stachys, my beloved.

¹⁶ Take away the garment of him that is surety for a stranger, and take a pledge from him for strangers.

¹⁷ The bread of lying is sweet to a man: but afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel.

¹⁸ Designs are strengthened by counsels: and wars are to be managed by governments.