Study Desk

When all this was completed, all Israel who had attended went out to the cities of Judah and broke up the sacred pillars, chopped down the Asherah poles, and tore down the high places and altars^(a) throughout Judah and Benjamin, as well as in Ephraim and Manasseh, to the last one.^[a] Then all the Israelites returned to their cities, each to his own possession.

Hezekiah reestablished the divisions^(b) of the priests and Levites for the burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, for ministry, for giving thanks, and for praise in the gates of the camp of the Lord ,^(c) each division corresponding to his service among the priests and Levites.

The king contributed^[b] from his own possessions^(d) for the regular morning and evening burnt offerings, the burnt offerings of the Sabbaths, of the New Moons, and of the appointed feasts, as written in the law of the Lord .^(e)

He told the people who lived in Jerusalem to give a contribution^(f) for the priests and Levites so that they could devote their energy to the law of the Lord .

When the word spread, the Israelites gave liberally of the best of the grain, new wine, oil, honey, and of all the produce of the field, and they brought in an abundance, a tenth^(g) of everything.

As for the Israelites and Judahites who lived in the cities of Judah, they also brought a tenth of the cattle and sheep, and a tenth of the dedicated things that were consecrated to the Lord their God.^(h) They gathered them into large piles.

In the third month they began building up the piles, and they finished in the seventh month.

When Hezekiah and his officials came and viewed the piles, they praised the Lord and His people Israel.

Hezekiah asked the priests and Levites about the piles.

Azariah, the chief priest of the household of Zadok,⁽ⁱ⁾ answered him, "Since they began bringing the offering to the Lord 's temple, we eat and are satisfied and there is plenty left over because the Lord has blessed His people; this abundance is what is left over."^(j)

Hezekiah told them to prepare chambers^(k) in the Lord 's temple, and they prepared them.

The offering, the tenth, and the dedicated things were brought faithfully. Conaniah the Levite was the officer in charge of them, and his brother Shimei was second.^(l)

Jehiel, Azaziah, Nahath, Asahel, Jerimoth, Jozabad, Eliel, Ismachiah, Mahath, and Benaiah were deputies under the authority of Conaniah and his brother Shimei by appointment of King Hezekiah and of Azariah the chief official of God's temple.

Kore son of Imnah the Levite, the keeper of the East Gate, was over the freewill offerings to God to distribute the contribution to the Lord and the consecrated things.^(m)

Eden,⁽ⁿ⁾ Miniamin, Jeshua, Shemaiah, Amariah, and Shecaniah in the cities of the priests^(o) were to faithfully distribute it under his authority to their brothers by divisions, whether large or small.

In addition, they distributed it to males registered by genealogy three^[c](p) years old and above; to all who would enter the Lord 's temple for their daily duty,^(q) for their service in their responsibilities according to their divisions.

They distributed also to those recorded by genealogy of the priests by their ancestral families and the Levites 20 years old and above,^(r) by their responsibilities in their divisions;

to those registered by genealogy—with all their infants, wives, sons, and daughters—of the whole assembly (for they had faithfully consecrated themselves as holy);

and to the descendants of Aaron, the priests, in the common fields of their cities,^(s) in each and every city. There were men who were registered by name^(t) to distribute a portion to every male among the priests and to every Levite recorded by genealogy.

Hezekiah did this throughout all Judah. He did what was good and upright and true before the Lord his God.^(u)

He was diligent in every deed that he began in the service of God's temple, in the instruction and the commands, in order to seek his God, and he prospered.

After these faithful deeds, Sennacherib king of Assyria came and entered Judah. He laid siege to the fortified cities and intended^[a] to break into them.^(a)

Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come and that he planned^[b] war on Jerusalem,

so he consulted with his officials and his warriors about stopping up the waters of the springs that were outside the city, and they helped him.

Many people gathered and stopped up all the springs^(b) and the stream that flowed through the land;^(c) they said, "Why should the kings of Assyria come and find plenty of water?"

Then Hezekiah strengthened his position by rebuilding the entire broken-down wall^(d) and heightening the towers and the other outside wall.^(e) He repaired the supporting terraces^(f) of the city of David, and made an abundance of weapons and shields.

He set military commanders over the people and gathered the people in the square of the city gate. Then he encouraged them,^[c](g) saying,

"Be strong and courageous!^(h) Don't be afraid or discouraged before the king of Assyria or before the large army that is with him, for there are more with us than with him.⁽ⁱ⁾

He has only human strength,^[d] but we have Yahweh our God to help us and to fight our battles."^(j) So the people relied on the words of King Hezekiah of Judah.

After this,^(k) while Sennacherib king of Assyria with all his armed forces besieged^[e] Lachish, he sent his servants to Jerusalem against King Hezekiah of Judah and against all those of Judah who were in Jerusalem, saying,

"This is what King Sennacherib of Assyria says: ‘What are you relying on that you remain in Jerusalem under siege?

Isn't Hezekiah misleading you to give you over to death by famine and thirst when he says, "Yahweh our God will deliver us from the power of the king of Assyria"?

Didn't Hezekiah himself remove His high places and His altars^(l) and say to Judah and Jerusalem, "You must worship before one altar, and you must burn incense on it"?

"‘Don't you know^(m) what I and my fathers have done to all the peoples of the lands? Have any of the national gods of the lands been able to deliver their land from my power?

Who among all the gods of these nations that my predecessors completely destroyed was able to deliver his people from my power, that your God should be able to do the same for you?⁽ⁿ⁾

So now,^(o) don't let Hezekiah deceive you, and don't let him mislead you like this. Don't believe him, for no god of any nation or kingdom has been able to deliver his people from my power or the power of my fathers. How much less will your God deliver you from my power!'"

His servants said more against the Lord God and against His servant Hezekiah.

He also wrote letters to mock Yahweh, the God of Israel, saying against Him: Just like the national gods of the lands that did not deliver their people from my power, so Hezekiah's God will not deliver His people from my power.^(p)

Then they called out loudly in Hebrew^[f] to the people of Jerusalem, who were on the wall, to frighten and discourage them in order that he might capture the city.

They spoke against the God of Jerusalem like they had spoken against the gods of the peoples of the earth, which were made by human hands.

King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz prayed about this and cried out to heaven,^(q)

and the Lord sent an angel who annihilated every brave warrior, leader, and commander in the camp of the king of Assyria. So the king of Assyria returned in disgrace to his land. He went to the temple of his god, and there some of his own children struck him down with the sword.^(r)

So the Lord saved Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the power of King Sennacherib of Assyria and from the power of all others. He gave them rest^[g](s) on every side.

Many were bringing an offering to the Lord to Jerusalem and valuable gifts to King Hezekiah of Judah, and he was exalted in the eyes of all the nations after that.^(t)

In those days Hezekiah became sick to the point of death, so he prayed to the Lord , and He spoke to him and gave him a miraculous sign.^(u)

However, because his heart was proud,^(v) Hezekiah didn't respond according to the benefit that had come to him. So there was wrath on him, Judah, and Jerusalem.^(w)

Then Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart—he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem—so the Lord 's wrath didn't come^(x) on them during Hezekiah's lifetime.^(y)

Hezekiah had abundant riches and glory, and he made himself treasuries for silver, gold, precious stones, spices, shields, and every desirable item.

He made warehouses for the harvest of grain, new wine, and oil, and stalls for all kinds of cattle, and pens for flocks.

He made cities for himself, and he acquired herds of sheep and cattle in abundance, for God gave him abundant possessions.

This same Hezekiah blocked the outlet of the water of the Upper Gihon^(z) and channeled it smoothly downward and westward to the city of David.^(aa) Hezekiah succeeded in everything he did.

When the ambassadors of Babylon's rulers^(ab) were sent^[h] to him to inquire about the miraculous sign^(ac) that happened in the land, God left him to test him and discover what was in his heart.^(ad)

As for the rest of the events^(ae) of Hezekiah's reign and his deeds of faithful love, note that they are written in the Visions of the Prophet Isaiah son of Amoz,^(af) and in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel.^(ag)

Hezekiah rested with his fathers and was buried on the ascent to the tombs of David's descendants. All Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem paid him honor at his death. His son Manasseh became king in his place.