Senaquerib invade Judá
32:9-19 – 2R 18:17-35; Is 36:2-20
32:20-21 – 2R 19:35-37; Is 37:36-38
1Después de semejante muestra de fidelidad por parte de Ezequías, Senaquerib, rey de Asiria, marchó contra Judá y sitió las ciudades fortificadas, dispuesto a conquistarlas. 2Cuando Ezequías se enteró de que Senaquerib se dirigía también hacia Jerusalén con el propósito de atacarla, 3se reunió con sus jefes civiles y militares y les propuso cegar los manantiales que había fuera de la ciudad, y ellos lo apoyaron. 4Entonces se juntó mucha gente, y entre todos cegaron los manantiales y el arroyo que atravesaba la región, pues no querían que al llegar los reyes de Asiria encontraran agua en abundancia.
5Armándose de valor, Ezequías reconstruyó toda la muralla que había sido derribada y levantó torres sobre ella; también construyó un muro exterior, fortificó los terraplenes32:5 los terraplenes. Alt. el Milo. de la Ciudad de David y mandó fabricar muchas lanzas y escudos. 6Luego puso jefes militares al frente del ejército y, después de reunirlos en la plaza frente a la puerta de la ciudad, los arengó con estas palabras: 7«¡Cobrad ánimo y armaos de valor! No os asustéis ni os acobardéis ante el rey de Asiria y su numeroso ejército, porque nosotros contamos con alguien que es más poderoso. 8Él se apoya en la fuerza humana, mientras que nosotros contamos con el Señor nuestro Dios, quien nos brinda su ayuda y pelea nuestras batallas». Al oír las palabras de Ezequías, rey de Judá, el pueblo se tranquilizó.
9Senaquerib, que en ese momento se hallaba en Laquis con todo su ejército, envió a sus oficiales para que les dijeran a Ezequías, rey de Judá, y a todos los de Judá que estaban en Jerusalén:
10«Así dice Senaquerib, rey de Asiria: “¿En qué basáis vuestra confianza para permanecer dentro de Jerusalén, que ya es una ciudad sitiada? 11¿No os dais cuenta de que Ezequías os va a hacer morir de hambre y de sed? Él os está engañando cuando os dice que el Señor vuestro Dios os librará de mis manos. 12¿No fue acaso Ezequías mismo quien eliminó los santuarios y los altares paganos, y luego ordenó a Judá y Jerusalén adorar en un solo altar, y solo en él quemar incienso? 13¿Es que no os habéis dado cuenta de lo que yo y mis antepasados les hemos hecho a todas las naciones de la tierra? ¿Acaso los dioses de esas naciones pudieron librarlas de mi mano? 14Pues así como ninguno de los dioses de esas naciones que mis antepasados destruyeron por completo pudo librarlas de mi mano, tampoco vuestro dios podrá libraros de mí. 15¡No os dejéis engañar ni seducir por Ezequías! ¡No le creáis! Si ningún dios de esas naciones y reinos pudo librarlos de mi poder y del poder de mis antepasados, ¡mucho menos vuestro dios podrá libraros a vosotros de mi mano!”»
16Los oficiales de Senaquerib siguieron hablando contra Dios el Señor y contra su siervo Ezequías. 17Además, Senaquerib escribió una carta en la que insultaba al Señor, Dios de Israel, en estos términos: «Así como los dioses de otras naciones no han podido librarlas de mi mano, tampoco ese dios de Ezequías podrá librar de mi mano a su pueblo».
18Los oficiales de Senaquerib les gritaban en alta voz a los habitantes de Jerusalén que estaban en la muralla. Lo hacían en lengua hebrea, para infundirles miedo y así poder conquistar la ciudad. 19Y se referían al Dios de Jerusalén como si fuera igual a los dioses de las otras naciones de la tierra, fabricados por manos humanas.
20Por ese motivo, el rey Ezequías y el profeta Isaías hijo de Amoz clamaron al cielo en oración. 21Entonces el Señor envió un ángel para que exterminara a todos los soldados y a los jefes y capitanes del campamento del rey de Asiria, y este tuvo que volver avergonzado a su país. Al entrar en el templo de su dios, sus propios hijos lo asesinaron.
22Así salvó el Señor a Ezequías y a los habitantes de Jerusalén de la mano de Senaquerib, rey de Asiria, y de todos sus enemigos, y les dio paz en todas sus fronteras. 23Entonces muchos fueron a Jerusalén con ofrendas para el Señor y regalos para Ezequías, rey de Judá. De este modo aumentó el prestigio de Ezequías entre todas las naciones.
Enfermedad y curación de Ezequías
32:24-33 – 2R 20:1-21; Is 37:21-38; 38:1-8
24Por aquellos días, Ezequías enfermó gravemente y estuvo a punto de morir. Entonces oró al Señor, quien le respondió y le dio una señal extraordinaria. 25Pero Ezequías no correspondió al favor recibido, sino que se llenó de orgullo. Eso hizo que el Señor se encendiera en ira contra él, y contra Judá y Jerusalén. 26Luego Ezequías, junto con los habitantes de Jerusalén, se arrepintió de su orgullo, y mientras él vivió, el Señor no volvió a derramar su ira contra ellos.
Prosperidad y muerte de Ezequías
27Ezequías llegó a tener muchas riquezas y a gozar de gran prestigio. Acumuló grandes cantidades de plata, oro, piedras preciosas, perfumes, escudos y toda clase de objetos valiosos. 28Tenía depósitos para almacenar trigo, vino y aceite, establos para toda clase de ganado y rediles para los rebaños. 29También edificó ciudades, y era dueño de inmensos rebaños de ganado mayor y menor, pues Dios le concedió muchísimos bienes.
30Ezequías fue también quien cegó la salida superior de las aguas de Guijón y las desvió por un canal subterráneo hacia la parte occidental de la Ciudad de David. En fin, Ezequías tuvo éxito en todas las obras que emprendió. 31Sin embargo, cuando los príncipes de Babilonia enviaron una embajada para investigar acerca de la señal extraordinaria que había tenido lugar en el país, Dios se retiró de Ezequías para probarlo y descubrir todo lo que había en su corazón.
32Los demás acontecimientos del reinado de Ezequías, incluyendo sus hazañas, están escritos en la visión del profeta Isaías hijo de Amoz y en el libro de los reyes de Judá e Israel. 33Ezequías murió y fue sepultado con sus antepasados en la parte superior del panteón de los descendientes de David. Todos los habitantes de Judá y de Jerusalén le rindieron honores. Y su hijo Manasés le sucedió en el trono.
Sennacherib Warns Jerusalem
1Hezekiah had been completely faithful to the Lord. However, Sennacherib king of Assyria came and marched into Judah. Sennacherib surrounded the cities that had high walls around them. He got ready to attack them. He thought he could win the battle over them. He thought he could take them for himself. 2Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come to Jerusalem to fight against it. 3So he asked his officials and military leaders for advice. He asked them about blocking off the water from the springs outside the city. They gave him the advice he asked for. 4They gathered together a large group of people. They blocked all the springs. They also blocked the stream that flowed through the land. “Why should the kings of Assyria come and find plenty of water?” they asked. 5Then Hezekiah worked hard repairing all the broken parts of the wall. He built towers on it. He built another wall outside that one. He built up the areas that had been filled in around the City of David. He also made large numbers of weapons and shields.
6He appointed military officers over the people. He gathered the officers together in front of him in the open area at the city gate. He gave them words of hope. He said, 7“Be strong. Be brave. Don’t be afraid. Don’t lose hope. The king of Assyria has a huge army with him. But there’s a greater power with us than there is with him. 8The only thing he has is human strength. But the Lord our God is with us. He will help us. He’ll fight our battles.” The people had great faith in what Hezekiah, the king of Judah, said.
9Later Sennacherib, the king of Assyria, and all his forces surrounded Lachish. They prepared to attack it. At that time, Sennacherib sent his officers to Jerusalem. They went there with a message for Hezekiah, the king of Judah. The message was also for all the people of Judah who were there. The message said,
10“Sennacherib, the king of Assyria, says, ‘Why are you putting your faith in what your king says? Why do you remain in Jerusalem when you are surrounded? 11Hezekiah says, “The Lord our God will save us from the power of the king of Assyria.” But he isn’t telling you the truth. If you listen to him, you will die of hunger and thirst. 12Didn’t Hezekiah himself remove your god’s high places and altars? Didn’t Hezekiah say to the people of Judah and Jerusalem, “You must worship at one altar. You must burn sacrifices on it”?
13“ ‘Don’t you know what I and the kings who ruled before me have done? Don’t you know what we’ve done to all the peoples of the other lands? Were the gods of those nations ever able to save their lands from my power? 14The kings who ruled before me destroyed many nations. Which one of the gods of those nations has been able to save his people from me? So how can your god save you from my power? 15Don’t let Hezekiah trick you. He’s telling you lies. Don’t believe him. No god of any nation or kingdom has been able to save his people from my power. No god has been able to save his people from the power of the kings who ruled before me. So your god won’t save you from my power either!’ ”
16Sennacherib’s officers spoke even more things against the Lord God and his servant Hezekiah. 17The king also wrote letters against the Lord. His letters made fun of the God of Israel. They said, “The peoples of other lands have their gods. But those gods didn’t save their people from my power. So the god of Hezekiah won’t save his people from my power either.” 18Then the officers called out in the Hebrew language to the people of Jerusalem who were on the wall. They were trying to scare them and make them afraid. That’s because they wanted to capture the city. 19They were comparing the God of Jerusalem to the gods of the other nations of the world. But those gods were only statues. They had been made by human hands.
20King Hezekiah cried out in prayer to God in heaven. He prayed about the problem Jerusalem was facing. So did Isaiah the prophet. He was the son of Amoz. 21The Lord sent an angel. The angel wiped out all the enemy’s fighting men, commanders and officers. He put an end to them right there in the camp of the Assyrian king. So Sennacherib went back to his own land in shame. He went into the temple of his god. There some of his own sons, the people closest to him, killed him with their swords.
22So the Lord saved Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem. He saved them from the power of Sennacherib, the king of Assyria. He also saved them from all their other enemies. He took care of them on every side. 23Many people brought offerings to Jerusalem for the Lord. They brought expensive gifts for Hezekiah, the king of Judah. From then on, all the nations thought well of him.
Hezekiah’s Pride, Success and Death
24In those days Hezekiah became sick. He knew he was about to die. So he prayed to the Lord. And the Lord answered him. He gave him a miraculous sign. 25But Hezekiah’s heart was proud. He didn’t give thanks for the many kind things the Lord had done for him. So the Lord became angry with him. He also became angry with Judah and Jerusalem. 26Then Hezekiah had a change of heart. He was sorry he had been proud. The people of Jerusalem were also sorry they had sinned. So the Lord wasn’t angry with them as long as Hezekiah was king.
27Hezekiah was very rich. He received great honor. He made storerooms for his silver and gold. He also made them for his jewels, spices, shields and all kinds of expensive things. 28He made buildings to store the harvest of grain, fresh wine and olive oil. He made barns for all kinds of cattle. He made sheep pens for his flocks. 29He built villages. He gained large numbers of flocks and herds. God had made him very rich.
30Hezekiah blocked up the upper opening of the Gihon spring. He directed the water to flow down to the west side of the City of David. He had success in everything he did. 31The rulers of Babylon sent messengers to him. They asked him about the miraculous sign that had taken place in the land. Then God left Hezekiah to test him. God wanted to know everything in Hezekiah’s heart.
32Hezekiah did many things that showed he was faithful to the Lord. Those things and the other events of his rule are written down. They are written in the record of the vision of the prophet Isaiah, the son of Amoz. That record is part of the records of the kings of Judah and Israel. 33Hezekiah joined the members of his family who had already died. He was buried on the hill where the tombs of David’s family are. The whole nation of Judah honored him when he died. So did the people of Jerusalem. Hezekiah’s son Manasseh became the next king after him.
