Kong Sankeribs trussel imod Jerusalem
2.Kong. 18,13–19,37
1Kong Hizkija havde således vist sin trofasthed over for Herren, men ikke så længe efter invaderede kong Sankerib af Assyrien Juda og belejrede de befæstede byer i den hensigt at indtage dem. 2Da Hizkija blev klar over, at Sankerib snart ville belejre Jerusalem, 3-4besluttede han i samråd med sine embedsmænd og officerer at tildække kilderne uden for byen, så assyrerne var afskåret fra at få vand under belejringen. Lederne gik derfor i spidsen for en stor styrke ud til kilderne og dækkede dem til, så man ikke kunne få vand derfra. 5Samtidig styrkede Hizkija sit forsvar ved at reparere bymuren, udbygge forsvarstårnene og styrke den ydre mur. Desuden udbyggede han byens store fæstningsanlæg i Davidsbyen og fremstillede en stor mængde spyd og skjolde. 6Han udnævnte en række officerer og samlede dem på den åbne plads ved byporten. Her opmuntrede han dem med følgende tale:
7„Vær ved godt mod! Lad jer ikke skræmme af assyrerkongen og hans store hær! Vi har en med os, som er langt mægtigere end ham. 8Assyrerkongen har kun militær styrke, men vi har Herren på vores side, og han vil udkæmpe slaget for os.” Det opmuntrede dem at høre.
9I mellemtiden var assyrerkongen i færd med at belejre byen Lakish. Derfra sendte han følgende budskab til kong Hizkija og Jerusalems indbyggere:
10„Kong Sankerib af Assyrien siger: Hvad får jer til at tro, at I kan modstå en belejring fra min hær? 11Hizkija vildleder jer når han siger: ‚Herren, vores Gud, vil redde os fra assyrerkongen.’ Nej, det ender bare med, at I alle dør af sult og tørst! 12Husk dog på, hvordan Hizkija ødelagde jeres guds altre og offersteder rundt omkring i landet og forlangte, at man kun måtte bringe ofre på ét alter i Jerusalem. 13Ved I ikke, hvad jeg og mine forgængere på tronen gjorde ved alle de andre folkeslag? Var nogen af deres guder i stand til at redde dem? 14Skulle jeres gud virkelig være mægtigere end alle de andre folks guder? 15Lad ikke Hizkija føre jer bag lyset. Lad være at høre på ham. Ingen gud har nogensinde formået at redde et folk, der blev angrebet af en assyrisk konge. Hvordan kan I da tro, at jeres gud kan gøre det?”
16De assyriske sendebud fortsatte med at håne Herren og hans tjener Hizkija. 17Assyrerkongen havde også skrevet et smædebrev imod Herren, Israels Gud. Det lød:
„Aldrig har nogen gud formået at redde sit folk fra min magt, og det vil heller ikke lykkes for Hizkijas Gud!”
18Sendebudene læste brevets indhold op på hebraisk i den hensigt at skræmme folket, der var samlet på bymuren, 19og de fortsatte med at håne Jerusalems Gud, som om han var en gud på lige fod med de andre folks menneskeskabte guder.
20Da råbte kong Hizkija og profeten Esajas, Amotz’ søn, til Himlens Gud om hjælp. 21Og Herren sendte en engel, der slog alle de assyriske soldater og officerer ihjel! Kong Sankerib måtte skamfuldt tage tilbage til sit land, og da han gik ind i sin guds tempel, blev han hugget ned af sine egne sønner. 22Sådan frelste Herren kong Hizkija og Jerusalems indbyggere fra assyrerkongen og deres øvrige fjender, så der fra den tid var fred til alle sider. 23Kong Hizkija blev fra da af frygtet og æret blandt de omkringboende folk, der valfartede til Jerusalem med ofre til Herren og med kostbare gaver til kongen.
Kong Hizkijas sygdom, hovmod og død
2.Kong. 20,1-21
24Senere blev Hizkija alvorligt syg og lå for døden. Da bad han til Herren, og Herren besvarede hans bøn og gjorde et mirakel for ham. 25Hizkija var dog ikke taknemmelig, men blev i stedet hovmodig. Derfor ville Herren straffe både kongen, Juda og Jerusalem, 26men kongen angrede sit hovmod. Både han og byens indbyggere ydmygede sig for Herren, og derfor udskød Herren sin straf, indtil efter Hizkija døde.
27Hizkija var en vellidt konge. Han blev så rig, at han måtte bygge skatkamre til alt sit sølv og guld, til sine ædelsten, sine sjældne krydderier og skjolde og andre kostbarheder. 28-29Han byggede forrådshuse til sit korn, sin vin og olivenolie, stalde til sine store kvægflokke og folde til sine utallige får og geder. Han byggede mange byer, for Gud gjorde ham overmåde rig. 30Han dæmmede op for Gihons øvre kilde og førte en vandledning ned vest for Davidsbyen. Alt, hvad han foretog sig, lykkedes for ham.
31Men da der kom sendebud fra Babylonien for at høre mere om det mirakel, der var sket, trak Gud sig tilbage fra ham for at prøve ham og se, hvad der gemte sig i hans hjerte.
32Resten af kong Hizkijas bedrifter og hans trofasthed over for Herren er beskrevet i profeten Esajas’ bog og i Judas og Israels kongers krønikebog. 33Da Hizkija døde, blev han begravet tæt ved vejen op til det kongelige gravsted, og hele Juda og Jerusalem ærede hans minde. Hans søn Manasse overtog tronen efter ham.
Sennacherib threatens Jerusalem
1After all that Hezekiah had so faithfully done, Sennacherib king of Assyria came and invaded Judah. He laid siege to the fortified cities, thinking to conquer them for himself. 2When Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come and that he intended to wage war against Jerusalem, 3he consulted with his officials and military staff about blocking off the water from the springs outside the city, and they helped him. 4They gathered a large group of people who blocked all the springs and the stream that flowed through the land. ‘Why should the kings32:4 Hebrew; Septuagint and Syriac king of Assyria come and find plenty of water?’ they said. 5Then he worked hard repairing all the broken sections of the wall and building towers on it. He built another wall outside that one and reinforced the terraces32:5 Or the Millo of the City of David. He also made large numbers of weapons and shields.
6He appointed military officers over the people and assembled them before him in the square at the city gate and encouraged them with these words: 7‘Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria and the vast army with him, for there is a greater power with us than with him. 8With him is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles.’ And the people gained confidence from what Hezekiah the king of Judah said.
9Later, when Sennacherib king of Assyria and all his forces were laying siege to Lachish, he sent his officers to Jerusalem with this message for Hezekiah king of Judah and for all the people of Judah who were there:
10‘This is what Sennacherib king of Assyria says: on what are you basing your confidence, that you remain in Jerusalem under siege? 11When Hezekiah says, “The Lord our God will save us from the hand of the king of Assyria,” he is misleading you, to let you die of hunger and thirst. 12Did not Hezekiah himself remove this god’s high places and altars, saying to Judah and Jerusalem, “You must worship before one altar and burn sacrifices on it”?
13‘Do you not know what I and my predecessors have done to all the peoples of the other lands? Were the gods of those nations ever able to deliver their land from my hand? 14Who of all the gods of these nations that my predecessors destroyed has been able to save his people from me? How then can your god deliver you from my hand? 15Now do not let Hezekiah deceive you and mislead you like this. Do not believe him, for no god of any nation or kingdom has been able to deliver his people from my hand or the hand of my predecessors. How much less will your god deliver you from my hand!’
16Sennacherib’s officers spoke further against the Lord God and against his servant Hezekiah. 17The king also wrote letters ridiculing the Lord, the God of Israel, and saying this against him: ‘Just as the gods of the peoples of the other lands did not rescue their people from my hand, so the god of Hezekiah will not rescue his people from my hand.’ 18Then they called out in Hebrew to the people of Jerusalem who were on the wall, to terrify them and make them afraid in order to capture the city. 19They spoke about the God of Jerusalem as they did about the gods of the other peoples of the world – the work of human hands.
20King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz cried out in prayer to heaven about this. 21And the Lord sent an angel, who annihilated all the fighting men and the commanders and officers in the camp of the Assyrian king. So he withdrew to his own land in disgrace. And when he went into the temple of his god, some of his sons, his own flesh and blood, cut him down with the sword.
22So the Lord saved Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib king of Assyria and from the hand of all others. He took care of them32:22 Hebrew; Septuagint and Vulgate He gave them rest on every side. 23Many brought offerings to Jerusalem for the Lord and valuable gifts for Hezekiah king of Judah. From then on he was highly regarded by all the nations.
Hezekiah’s pride, success and death
24In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. He prayed to the Lord, who answered him and gave him a miraculous sign. 25But Hezekiah’s heart was proud and he did not respond to the kindness shown him; therefore the Lord’s wrath was on him and on Judah and Jerusalem. 26Then Hezekiah repented of the pride of his heart, as did the people of Jerusalem; therefore the Lord’s wrath did not come on them during the days of Hezekiah.
27Hezekiah had very great wealth and honour, and he made treasuries for his silver and gold and for his precious stones, spices, shields and all kinds of valuables. 28He also made buildings to store the harvest of grain, new wine and olive oil; and he made stalls for various kinds of cattle, and pens for the flocks. 29He built villages and acquired great numbers of flocks and herds, for God had given him very great riches.
30It was Hezekiah who blocked the upper outlet of the Gihon spring and channelled the water down to the west side of the City of David. He succeeded in everything he undertook. 31But when envoys were sent by the rulers of Babylon to ask him about the miraculous sign that had occurred in the land, God left him to test him and to know everything that was in his heart.
32The other events of Hezekiah’s reign and his acts of devotion are written in the vision of the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel. 33Hezekiah rested with his ancestors and was buried on the hill where the tombs of David’s descendants are. All Judah and the people of Jerusalem honoured him when he died. And Manasseh his son succeeded him as king.
