The Daily Audio Bible

32 After these things and this truth, come hath Sennacherib king of Asshur, yea, he cometh in to Judah, and encampeth against the cities of the bulwarks, and saith to rend them unto himself.

² And Hezekiah seeth that Sennacherib hath come, and his face [is] to the battle against Jerusalem,

³ and he taketh counsel with his heads and his mighty ones, to stop the waters of the fountains that [are] at the outside of the city -- and they help him,

⁴ and much people are gathered, and they stop all the fountains and the brook that is rushing into the midst of the land, saying, `Why do the kings of Asshur come, and have found much water?'

⁵ And he strengtheneth himself, and buildeth the whole of the wall that is broken, and causeth [it] to ascend unto the towers, and at the outside of the wall another, and strengtheneth Millo, [in] the city of David, and maketh darts in abundance, and shields.

⁶ And he putteth heads of war over the people, and gathereth them unto him, unto the broad place of a gate of the city, and speaketh unto their heart, saying,

⁷ `Be strong and courageous, be not afraid, nor be cast down from the face of the king of Asshur, and from the face of all the multitude that [is] with him, for with us [are] more than with him.

⁸ With him [is] an arm of flesh, and with us [is] Jehovah our God, to help us, and to fight our battles;' and the people are supported by the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.

⁹ After this hath Sennacherib king of Asshur sent his servants to Jerusalem -- and he [is] by Lachish, and all his power with him -- against Hezekiah king of Judah, and against all Judah, who [are] in Jerusalem, saying,

¹⁰ `Thus said Sennacherib king of Asshur, On what are ye trusting and abiding in the bulwark, in Jerusalem?

¹¹ `Is not Hezekiah persuading you, to give you up to die by famine, and by thirst, saying, Jehovah our God doth deliver us from the hand of the king of Asshur?

¹² Hath not Hezekiah himself turned aside His high places, and His altars, and speaketh to Judah and to Jerusalem, saying, Before one altar ye bow yourselves, and on it ye make perfume?

¹³ `Do ye not know what I have done -- I and my fathers -- to all peoples of the lands? Were the gods of the nations of the lands at all able to deliver their land out of my hand?

¹⁴ Who among all the gods of these nations whom my fathers have devoted to destruction [is] he who hath been able to deliver his people out of my hand, that your God is able to deliver you out of my hand?

¹⁵ `And, now, let not Hezekiah lift you up, nor persuade you thus, nor give credence to him, for no god of any nation and kingdom is able to deliver his people from my hand, and from the hand of my fathers: also, surely your God doth not deliver you from my hand!'

¹⁶ And again have his servants spoken against Jehovah God, and against Hezekiah His servant,

¹⁷ and letters he hath written to give reproach to Jehovah, God of Israel, and to speak against Him, saying, `As the gods of the nations of the lands that have not delivered their people from my hand, so the God of Hezekiah doth not deliver His people from my hand.'

¹⁸ And they call with a great voice [in] Jewish, against the people of Jerusalem who [are] on the wall, to frighten them, and to trouble them, that they may capture the city,

¹⁹ and they speak against the God of Jerusalem as against the gods of the peoples of the land -- work of the hands of man.

²⁰ And Hezekiah the king prayeth, and Isaiah son of Amoz the prophet, concerning this, and they cry to the heavens,

²¹ and Jehovah sendeth a messenger, and cutteth off every mighty one of valour -- both leader and head -- in the camp of the king of Asshur, and he turneth back with shame of face to his land, and entereth the house of his god, and those coming out of his bowels have caused him to fall there by the sword.

²² And Jehovah saveth Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib king of Asshur, and from the hand of all, and He leadeth them round about;

²³ and many are bringing in an offering to Jehovah, to Jerusalem, and precious things to Hezekiah king of Judah, and he is lifted up before the eyes of all the nations after this.

²⁴ In those days hath Hezekiah been sick even unto death, and he prayeth unto Jehovah, and He speaketh to him, and a wonder hath appointed for him;

²⁵ and Hezekiah hath not returned according to the deed [done] unto him, for his heart hath been lofty, and there is wrath upon him, and upon Judah and Jerusalem;

²⁶ and Hezekiah is humbled for the loftiness of his heart, he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the wrath of Jehovah hath not come upon them in the days of Hezekiah.

²⁷ And Hezekiah hath riches and honour very much, and treasures he hath made to himself of silver, and of gold, and of precious stone, and of spices, and of shields, and of all [kinds] of desirable vessels,

²⁸ and storehouses for the increase of corn, and new wine, and oil, and stalls for all kinds of cattle, and herds for stalls;

²⁹ and cities he hath made for himself, and possessions of flocks and herds in abundance, for God hath given to him very much substance.

³⁰ And Hezekiah himself hath stopped the upper source of the waters of Gihon, and directeth them beneath to the west of the city of David, and Hezekiah prospereth in all his work;

³¹ and so with the ambassadors of the heads of Babylon, those sending unto him to inquire of the wonder that hath been in the land, God hath left him to try him, to know all in his heart,

³² And the rest of the matters of Hezekiah, and his kind acts, lo, they are written in the vision of Isaiah son of Amoz the prophet, on the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.

³³ And Hezekiah lieth with his fathers, and they bury him in the uppermost of the graves of the sons of David, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem have done honour to him at his death, and reign doth Manasseh his son in his stead.

33 A son of twelve years is Manasseh in his reigning, and fifty and five years he hath reigned in Jerusalem;

² and he doth the evil thing in the eyes of Jehovah, like the abominations of the nations that Jehovah dispossessed from the presence of the sons of Israel,

³ and he turneth and buildeth the high places that Hezekiah his father hath broken down, and raiseth altars for Baalim, and maketh shrines, and boweth himself to all the host of the heavens, and serveth them.

⁴ And he hath built altars in the house of Jehovah of which Jehovah had said, `In Jerusalem is My name to the age.'

⁵ And he buildeth altars to all the host of the heavens in the two courts of the house of Jehovah.

⁶ And he hath caused his sons to pass over through fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom, and observed clouds and used enchantments and witchcraft, and dealt with a familiar spirit, and a wizard; he hath multiplied to do the evil thing in the eyes of Jehovah, to provoke him to anger.

⁷ And he placeth the graven image of the idol that he made in the house of God, of which God said unto David, and unto Solomon his son, `In this house, and in Jerusalem that I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I put My name to the age,

⁸ and I add not to turn aside the foot of Israel from off the ground that I appointed to your fathers, only, if they watch to do all that I have commanded them -- to all the law, and the statutes, and the ordinances by the hand of Moses.'

⁹ And Manasseh maketh Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to err, to do evil above the nations that Jehovah destroyed from the presence of the sons of Israel.

¹⁰ And Jehovah speaketh unto Manasseh and unto his people, and they have not attended,

¹¹ and Jehovah bringeth in against them the heads of the host that the king of Asshur hath, and they capture Manasseh among the thickets, and bind him with brazen fetters, and cause him to go to Babylon.

¹² And when he is in distress he hath appeased the face of Jehovah his God, and is humbled exceedingly before the God of his fathers,

¹³ and prayeth unto Him, and He is entreated of him, and heareth his supplication, and bringeth him back to Jerusalem, to his kingdom, and Manasseh knoweth that Jehovah -- He [is] God.

²³ and now, no longer having place in these parts, and having a longing to come unto you for many years,

²⁴ when I may go on to Spain I will come unto you, for I hope in going through, to see you, and by you to be set forward thither, if of you first, in part, I shall be filled.

²⁵ And, now, I go on to Jerusalem, ministering to the saints;

²⁶ for it pleased Macedonia and Achaia well to make a certain contribution for the poor of the saints who [are] in Jerusalem;

²⁷ for it pleased well, and their debtors they are, for if in their spiritual things the nations did participate, they ought also, in the fleshly things, to minister to them.

²⁸ This, then, having finished, and having sealed to them this fruit, I will return through you, to Spain;

²⁹ and I have known that coming unto you -- in the fulness of the blessing of the good news of Christ I shall come.

³⁰ And I call upon you, brethren, through our Lord Jesus Christ, and through the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in the prayers for me unto God,

³¹ that I may be delivered from those not believing in Judea, and that my ministration, that [is] for Jerusalem, may become acceptable to the saints;

³² that in joy I may come unto you, through the will of God, and may be refreshed with you,

³³ and the God of the peace [be] with you all. Amen.

16 And I commend you to Phebe our sister -- being a ministrant of the assembly that [is] in Cenchrea --

² that ye may receive her in the Lord, as doth become saints, and may assist her in whatever matter she may have need of you -- for she also became a leader of many, and of myself.

³ Salute Priscilla and Aquilas, my fellow-workmen in Christ Jesus --

⁴ who for my life their own neck did lay down, to whom not only I give thanks, but also all the assemblies of the nations --

⁵ and the assembly at their house; salute Epaenetus, my beloved, who is first-fruit of Achaia to Christ.

⁶ Salute Mary, who did labour much for us;

⁷ salute Andronicus and Junias, my kindred, and my fellow-captives, who are of note among the apostles, who also have been in Christ before me.

⁸ Salute Amplias, my beloved in the Lord;

⁹ salute Arbanus, our fellow-workman in Christ, and Stachys, my beloved;

¹⁶ Turn Thou unto me, and favour me, For lonely and afflicted [am] I.

¹⁷ The distresses of my heart have enlarged themselves, From my distresses bring me out.

¹⁸ See mine affliction and my misery, And bear with all my sins.

¹⁹ See my enemies, for they have been many, And with violent hatred they have hated me.

²⁰ Keep my soul, and deliver me, Let me not be ashamed, for I trusted in Thee.

²¹ Integrity and uprightness do keep me, For I have waited [on] Thee.

²² Redeem Israel, O God, from all his distresses!

¹⁶ Take his garment when a stranger hath been surety, And for strangers pledge it.

¹⁷ Sweet to a man [is] the bread of falsehood, And afterwards is his mouth filled [with] gravel.

¹⁸ Purposes by counsel thou dost establish, And with plans make thou war.