1Vajntxwv Hexekiyas muaj lub siab ncaj ncees ua tus TSWV tes haujlwm txhua yam tiav. Tom qab ntawd, Xenakhelis uas yog tus vajntxwv kav lub tebchaws Axilias txawm tuaj tua lub tebchaws Yudas. Nws xub tuaj vij cov nroog uas muaj ntsa yeej thaiv thiab kom nws cov tubrog tsoo tej ntsayeej mus rau hauv nroog. 2Thaum Hexekiyas pom hais tias Xenakhelis yuav tua lub nroog Yeluxalees, 3-4ces nws thiab nws cov nomtswv txiav txim siab txhub tej qhovdej sab nraum ntug nroog, kom thaum cov Axilias tuaj txog ntawm lub nroog Yeluxalees lawv tsis txhob tau dej haus. Cov nomtswv thiaj coj ib pab neeg coob heev mus meem tej qhovdej tsis pub kom dej ntws tshwm qhov twg li. 5Vajntxwv kho tus ntsayeej uas thaiv lub nroog tej ntu uas puas lawm, thiab ua tej chaw tsomfaj rau saum tus ntsa yeej, thiab ua ib txheej ntsayeej rau sab nraum. Dua li ntawd, nws kho tus ntsayeej uas thaiv Daviv lub nroog, thiab nws ua tau ib co hmuv thiab ib co thaiv hniav ntaj ntau heev. 6Thiab vajntxwv tsa ib cov thawj tubrog ua cov saib, thiab lawv tuaj sib sau rau ntawm lub roojvag nroog lub chaw las tshav. Vajntxwv hais rau lawv tias, 7“Nej cia li ua siab tawv qhawv thiab tsis txhob ntshai tus vajntxwv uas kav lub tebchaws Axilias thiab nws cov tubrog. Tus uas tuaj peb tog muaj zog dua tus uas tuaj lawv tog. 8Nws lub zog tsuas yog zog neeg xwb, tiamsis peb muaj tus TSWV uas yog peb tus Vajtswv pab peb tua rog.” Vajntxwv tej lus txhawb cov pejxeem lub zog heev. 9Tom qab ntawd, thaum Xenakhelis thiab nws cov tubrog tseem nyob hauv lub nroog Lakhis, nws tso xov tuaj rau Hexekiyas thiab cov Yudas uas nyob hauv lub nroog Yeluxalees hais tias, 10“Kuv yog Xenakhelis uas yog tus vajntxwv kav lub tebchaws Axilias. Kuv nug hais tias dabtsi ua rau nej tso siab nyob hauv lub nroog Yeluxalees uas luag twb vij tas lawm? 11Hexekiyas hais rau nej tias tus TSWV uas yog nej tus Vajtswv yuav pab nej kom dim ntawm peb lub hwjchim, tiamsis yog Hexekiyas dag nej thiab yuav cia nej tshaib plab thiab nqhis dej tuag xwb. 12Nws yog tus uas rhuav tej chaw pehawm tus TSWV thiab tej thaj, thiab tseem hais rau cov Yudas thiab cov neeg uas nyob hauv lub nroog Yeluxalees tias, nej tsuas mus pe thiab hlawv hmoov tshuaj tsw qab rau saum tib lub thaj xwb. 13Nej puas tau paub tej uas kuv cov yawgkoob thiab kuv tau ua rau lwm haivneeg lawm? Cov neeg ntawd, tej vajtswv puas pab tau lawv dim ntawm tus vajntxwv uas kav lub tebchaws Axilias? 14Thaum twg cov tebchaws ntawd tej vajtswv pab tau lawv dim ntawm peb tes? Yog li ntawd, dabtsi ua rau nej xav hais tias nej tus Vajtswv yuav pab tau nej dim? 15Nimno nej tsis txhob cia Hexekiyas dag nej thiab coj nej yuam kev li ntawd. Nej tsis txhob ntseeg nws tej lus! Tsis muaj ib haivneeg twg tus vajtswv yuav pab cawm tau nws haivneeg dim ntawm cov Axilias tus vajntxwv txhais tes li. Yog li ntawd, nej tus Vajtswv los yeej yuav cawm tsis tau nej li thiab!” 16Cov Axilias cov nomtswv hais lus phem rau tus TSWV uas yog Vajtswv thiab rau Vajntxwv Hexekiyas uas yog tus TSWV tus tubtxib. 17Xenakhelis sau ib tsab ntawv tuaj thuam tus TSWV uas yog cov Yixalayees tus Vajtswv hais tias, “Lwm haivneeg tej vajtswv twb cawm tsis tau lawv dim ntawm kuv txhais tes, txawm yog Hexekiyas tus Vajtswv los yeej cawm tsis tau nws haivneeg dim ntawm kuv txhais tes li thiab.” 18Cov Axilias cov nomtswv cem ua lus Henplais nrov nrov kom cov neeg hauv Yeluxalees uas tuaj nyob saum tus ntsaj yeej ntshai thiab poob siab thiab kom lawv thiaj txeeb tau lub nroog yoojyim. 19Lawv hais txog lub nroog Yeluxalees tus Vajtswv ib yam li hais txog lwm haivneeg tej vajtswv uas yog neeg txhais tes puab. 20Ces Vajntxwv Hexekiyas thiab Yaxayas tus uas cev Vajtswv lus uas yog Amauxes tus tub txawm quaj thov Vajtswv pab. 21Tus TSWV thiaj tso ib tug timtswv los tua cov Axilias cov nomtswv thiab cov tubrog tuag tas. Ces cov Axilias tus vajntxwv thiaj txajmuag ntsuav rov qab mus rau pem tebchaws Axilias lawm. Muaj ib hnub thaum nws nyob hauv nws lub tsev teev nws tus vajtswv, nws ob tug tub txawm muab ntaj tua nws tuag rau hauv. 22Yog li ntawd, tus TSWV thiaj cawm Vajntxwv Hexekiyas thiab cov neeg uas nyob hauv lub nroog Yeluxalees dim ntawm Xenakhelis uas kav lub tebchaws Axilias thiab ntawm lwm pab yeebncuab txhais tes. Tus TSWV cia cov Yudas tau nyob thaj yeeb lug tsis pub lwm haivneeg tuaj tua lawv. 23Muaj neeg coob nqa khoom tuaj fij rau tus TSWV thiab pub rau Hexekiyas hauv lub nroog Yeluxalees. Yog li ntawd, txij thaum ntawd los txhua haivneeg thiaj hwm Hexekiyas heev.
Hexekiyas Mob thiab Khavtheeb
(2 Vajntxwv 20.1-3,12-19; Yaxayas 38.1-3; 39.1-8)
24Thaum ntawd, Vajntxwv Hexekiyas mob hnyav thiab yuav tuag. Nws thov thiab tus TSWV ua ib qhov cim qhia rau nws hais tias nws tus mob yuav zoo. 25Tiamsis Hexekiyas khavtheeb heev, nws tsis nco tus TSWV tej txiaj ntsig uas kho nws zoo, tus TSWV thiaj chim rau nws, rau cov Yudas thiab rau cov neeg hauv lub nroog Yeluxalees. 26Ces Hexekiyas lees txim qhov uas nws khavtheeb thiab cov neeg hauv lub nroog Yeluxalees los lees txim ib yam nkaus. Yog li ntawd, tus TSWV thiaj tsis rau txim rau lawv mus txog thaum Hexekiyas tuag.
Hexekiyas Npluanuj thiab Vammeej
27Vajntxwv Hexekiyas npluanuj thiab txhua tus hwm nws heev; nws ua tau ntau chav tsev rau nws tej nyiaj tej kub, tej qe zeb muaj nqis, tej tshuaj tsw qab, tej thaiv hniav ntaj thiab lwm yam uas muaj nqis. 28Nws ua ntau lub txhab rau nplej, rau txiv hmab thiab roj txiv ntoo; ua ntau lub nkuaj kaw nws tej nyuj thiab ua ntau lub nkuaj kaw nws cov yaj. 29Vajtswv foom koob hmoov rau Hexekiyas muaj yaj, muaj nyuj coob thiab muaj lwm yam ntau heev, nws thiaj rhawv tau ntau lub nroog. 30Vajntxwv Hexekiyas tauv tus Dej Kihoos thiab khawb kwj tso dej ntws rau sab hnubpoob ntawm Daviv lub nroog. Txhua yam uas Hexekiyas ua puavleej vammeej. 31Cov Npanpiloos tso ib cov nomtswv tuaj nug Hexekiyas txog tej txujci uas tus TSWV ua hauv nws lub tebchaws, Vajtswv cia Hexekiyas ua raws li nws lub siab nyiam, rau qhov Vajtswv xav sim Hexekiyas siab.
Hexekiyas Tuag
32Dua li lwm yam uas Vajntxwv Hexekiyas ua, thiab nws muab siab npuab tus TSWV, puavleej muab sau cia rau hauv Amauxes tus tub Yaxayas uas yog tus cev Vajtswv lus zaj yogtoog, thiab hauv Phau Ntawv keebkwm uas teev cov Yixalayees thiab cov Yudas tej vajntxwv lub neej lawm. 33Hexekiyas tuag thiab luag coj nws mus faus rau ntawm cov vajntxwv lub toj ntxas theem siab. Tagnrho cov Yudas thiab cov neeg hauv lub nroog Yeluxalees puavleej tuaj ua kevcai hwm thaum nws tuag. Thiab nws tus tub Manaxes ua vajntxwv hloov nws chaw.
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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 kings⚓ 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 terraces⚓ 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 them⚓ 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 honor, 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 channeled 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 honored him when he died. And Manasseh his son succeeded him as king.