The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Sunday August 2, 2020 (NIV)

Sennacherib’s Invasion

32 After Hezekiah’s faithful deeds, King Sennacherib of Assyria came and entered Judah. He laid siege to the fortified cities and intended^[a] to break into them.^{(A) 2} Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come and that he planned^[b] war on Jerusalem, ³ so he consulted with his officials and his warriors about stopping up the water of the springs that were outside the city, and they helped him. ⁴ 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 abundant water?” ⁵ 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.

⁶ 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, ⁷ “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) 8} He has only human strength,^[d] but we have the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles.”^(J) So the people relied on the words of King Hezekiah of Judah.

Sennacherib’s Servant’s Speech

⁹ After this,^(K) while King Sennacherib 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, ¹⁰ “This is what King Sennacherib of Assyria says: ‘What are you relying on that you remain in Jerusalem under siege? ¹¹ Isn’t Hezekiah misleading you to give you over to death by famine and thirst when he says, “The Lord our God will keep us from the grasp of the king of Assyria”? ¹² 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”?

¹³ “‘Don’t you know^(M) what I and my predecessors have done to all the peoples of the lands? Have any of the national gods of the lands been able to rescue their land from my power? ¹⁴ Who among all the gods of these nations that my predecessors completely destroyed was able to rescue his people from my power, that your God should be able to deliver you from my power?^{(N) 15} 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 rescue his people from my power or the power of my predecessors. How much less will your God rescue you from my power!’”

¹⁶ His servants said more against the Lord God and against his servant Hezekiah. ¹⁷ He also wrote letters to mock the Lord, the God of Israel, saying against him:

Just like the national gods of the lands that did not rescue their people from my power, so Hezekiah’s God will not rescue his people from my power.^(P)

¹⁸ 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. ¹⁹ 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.

Deliverance from Sennacherib

²⁰ King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz prayed about this and cried out to heaven,^{(Q) 21} and the Lord sent an angel who annihilated every valiant 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)

²² 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. ²³ 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)

Hezekiah’s Illness and Pride

²⁴ In those days Hezekiah became sick to the point of death, so he prayed to the Lord, who spoke to him and gave him a miraculous sign.^{(U) 25} 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) 26} 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’s Wealth and Works

²⁷ Hezekiah had abundant riches and glory, and he made himself treasuries for silver, gold, precious stones, spices, shields, and every desirable item. ²⁸ He made warehouses for the harvest of grain, new wine, and fresh oil, and stalls for all kinds of cattle, and pens for flocks. ²⁹ He made cities for himself, and he acquired vast numbers of flocks and herds, for God gave him abundant possessions.

³⁰ This same Hezekiah blocked the upper outlet of the water from the Gihon Spring^(Z) and channeled it smoothly downward and westward to the city of David.^(AA) Hezekiah succeeded in everything he did. ³¹ 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)

Hezekiah’s Death

³² 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) 33} Hezekiah rested with his ancestors 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.

Judah’s King Manasseh

33 Manasseh was twelve years old^(AH) when he became king, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem. ² He did what was evil in the Lord’s sight, imitating the detestable practices of the nations that the Lord had dispossessed before the Israelites.^{(AI) 3} He rebuilt the high places that his father Hezekiah had torn down^(AJ) and reestablished the altars for the Baals. He made Asherah poles, and he bowed in worship to all the stars in the sky and served them. ⁴ He built altars^(AK) in the Lord’s temple, where the Lord had said, “Jerusalem is where my name will remain forever.”^{(AL) 5} He built altars to all the stars in the sky in both courtyards^(AM) of the Lord’s temple. ⁶ He passed his sons through the fire in Ben Hinnom Valley.^(AN) He practiced witchcraft, divination, and sorcery, and consulted mediums and spiritists.^(AO) He did a huge amount of evil in the Lord’s sight, angering him.

⁷ Manasseh^(AP) set up a carved image of the idol, which he had made, in God’s temple^(AQ) that God had spoken about to David and his son Solomon: “I will establish my name forever^[i](AR) in this temple and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel.^{(AS) 8} I will never again remove the feet of the Israelites from the land where I stationed your^[j](AT) ancestors,^(AU) if only they will be careful to do all I have commanded them through Moses—all the law, statutes, and judgments.” ⁹ So Manasseh caused Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to stray so that they did worse evil than the nations the Lord had destroyed before the Israelites.

Manasseh’s Repentance

¹⁰ The Lord spoke to Manasseh and his people, but they didn’t listen.^{(AV) 11} So he brought against them the military commanders of the king of Assyria. They captured Manasseh with hooks, bound him with bronze shackles, and took him to Babylon.^{(AW) 12} When he was in distress, he sought the favor of the Lord his God and earnestly humbled himself^(AX) before the God of his ancestors. ¹³ He prayed to him, and the Lord was receptive to his prayer. He granted his request^(AY) and brought him back to Jerusalem, to his kingdom. So Manasseh came to know that the Lord is God.^(AZ)

²³ But now I no longer have any work to do in these regions,^[a] and I have strongly desired for many years to come to you^{(A) 24} whenever I travel to Spain.^[b] For I hope to see you when I pass through and to be assisted by you for my journey there,^(B) once I have first enjoyed your company^(C) for a while. ²⁵ Right now I am traveling to Jerusalem^(D) to serve the saints,^{(E) 26} because Macedonia^(F) and Achaia^(G) were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem. ²⁷ Yes, they were pleased, and indeed are indebted to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in their spiritual benefits,^(H) then they are obligated to minister to them in material needs. ²⁸ So when I have finished this and safely delivered the funds^[c] to them,^[d](I) I will visit you on the way to Spain. ²⁹ I know that when I come to you, I will come in the fullness of the blessing^[e] of Christ.

³⁰ Now I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, through our Lord Jesus Christ and through the love of the Spirit,^(J) to strive together with me in prayers to God on my behalf.^{(K) 31} Pray that I may be rescued from the unbelievers in Judea,^(L) that my ministry to^[f] Jerusalem^(M) may be acceptable to the saints,^{(N) 32} and that, by God’s will,^(O) I may come to you with joy^(P) and be refreshed together with you.

³³ May the God of peace be with all of you.^(Q) Amen.

Paul’s Commendation of Phoebe

16 I commend to you^(R) our sister Phoebe, who is a servant^[g] of the church in Cenchreae.^{(S) 2} So you should welcome her in the Lord^(T) in a manner worthy of the saints and assist her in whatever matter she may require your help. For indeed she has been a benefactor of many—and of me also.

Greeting to Roman Christians

³ Give my greetings to Prisca^[h] and Aquila,^(U) my coworkers in^(V) Christ Jesus,^{(W) 4} who risked their own necks for my life. Not only do I thank them, but so do all the Gentile churches. ⁵ Greet also the church that meets in their home.^(X) Greet my dear friend Epaenetus, who is the first convert^[i](Y) to Christ from Asia.^{[j](Z) 6} Greet Mary,^[k] who has worked very hard for you.^{[l] 7} Greet Andronicus and Junia, my fellow Jews^[m](AA) and fellow prisoners.^(AB) They are noteworthy in the eyes of the apostles,^[n] and they were also in Christ before me. ⁸ Greet Ampliatus, my dear friend in the Lord. ⁹ Greet Urbanus, our coworker in Christ, and my dear friend Stachys.