2 Kings 18

1 Now it came to pass in the third year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, that Hezekiah the son of Ahaz king of Judah began to reign.2 Twenty and five years old was he when he began to reign; and he reigned twenty and nine years in Jerusalem: and his mother’s name was Abi the daughter of Zechariah.3 And he did that which was right in the eyes of Jehovah, according to all that David his father had done.4 He removed the high places, and brake the pillars, and cut down the Asherah: and he brake in pieces the brazen serpent that Moses had made; for unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it; and he called it Nehushtan.5 He trusted in Jehovah, the God of Israel; so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor among them that were before him.6 For he clave to Jehovah; he departed not from following him, but kept his commandments, which Jehovah commanded Moses.7 And Jehovah was with him; whithersoever he went forth he prospered: and he rebelled against the king of Assyria, and served him not.8 He smote the Philistines unto Gaza and the borders thereof, from the tower of the watchmen to the fortified city.

9 And it came to pass in the fourth year of king Hezekiah, which was the seventh year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, that Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up against Samaria, and besieged it.10 And at the end of three years they took it: in the sixth year of Hezekiah, which was the ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel, Samaria was taken.11 And the king of Assyria carried Israel away unto Assyria, and put them in Halah, and on the Habor, the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes,12 because they obeyed not the voice of Jehovah their God, but transgressed his covenant, even all that Moses the servant of Jehovah commanded, and would not hear it, nor do it.

13 Now in the fourteenth year of king Hezekiah did Sennacherib king of Assyria come up against all the fortified cities of Judah, and took them.14 And Hezekiah king of Judah sent to the king of Assyria to Lachish, saying, I have offended; return from me: that which thou puttest on me will I bear. And the king of Assyria appointed unto Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold.15 And Hezekiah gave him all the silver that was found in the house of Jehovah, and in the treasures of the king’s house.16 At that time did Hezekiah cut off the gold from the doors of the temple of Jehovah, and from the pillars which Hezekiah king of Judah had overlaid, and gave it to the king of Assyria.17 And the king of Assyria sent Tartan and Rab-saris and Rabshakeh from Lachish to king Hezekiah with a great army unto Jerusalem. And they went up and came to Jerusalem. And when they were come up, they came and stood by the conduit of the upper pool, which is in the highway of the fuller’s field.18 And when they had called to the king, there came out to them Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebnah the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph the recorder.

19 And Rabshakeh said unto them, Say ye now to Hezekiah, Thus saith the great king, the king of Assyria, What confidence is this wherein thou trustest?20 Thou sayest (but they are but vain words), There is counsel and strength for the war. Now on whom dost thou trust, that thou hast rebelled against me?21 Now, behold, thou trustest upon the staff of this bruised reed, even upon Egypt; whereon if a man lean, it will go into his hand, and pierce it: so is Pharaoh king of Egypt unto all that trust on him.22 But if ye say unto me, We trust in Jehovah our God; is not that he, whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah hath taken away, and hath said to Judah and to Jerusalem, Ye shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem?23 Now therefore, I pray thee, give pledges to my master the king of Assyria, and I will give thee two thousand horses, if thou be able on thy part to set riders upon them.24 How then canst thou turn away the face of one captain of the least of my master’s servants, and put thy trust on Egypt for chariots and for horsemen?25 Am I now come up without Jehovah against this place to destroy it? Jehovah said unto me, Go up against this land, and destroy it.

26 Then said Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, and Shebnah, and Joah, unto Rabshakeh, Speak, I pray thee, to thy servants in the Syrian language; for we understand it: and speak not with us in the Jews’ language, in the ears of the people that are on the wall.27 But Rabshakeh said unto them, Hath my master sent me to thy master, and to thee, to speak these words? hath he not sent me to the men that sit on the wall, to eat their own dung, and to drink their own water with you?28 Then Rabshakeh stood, and cried with a loud voice in the Jews’ language, and spake, saying, Hear ye the word of the great king, the king of Assyria.29 Thus saith the king, Let not Hezekiah deceive you; for he will not be able to deliver you out of his hand:30 neither let Hezekiah make you trust in Jehovah, saying, Jehovah will surely deliver us, and this city shall not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.31 Hearken not to Hezekiah: for thus saith the king of Assyria, Make your peace with me, and come out to me; and eat ye every one of his vine, and every one of his fig-tree, and drink ye every one the waters of his own cistern;32 Until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of olive-trees and of honey, that ye may live, and not die: and hearken not unto Hezekiah, when he persuadeth you, saying, Jehovah will deliver us.33 Hath any of the gods of the nations ever delivered his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria?34 Where are the gods of Hamath, and of Arpad? where are the gods of Sepharvaim, of Hena, and Ivvah? have they delivered Samaria out of my hand?35 Who are they among all the gods of the countries, that have delivered their country out of my hand, that Jehovah should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?

36 But the people held their peace, and answered him not a word; for the king’s commandment was, saying, Answer him not.37 Then came Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph the recorder, to Hezekiah with their clothes rent, and told him the words of Rabshakeh.

2 Kings 18

Hezekiah Becomes King of Judah

1 In the third year of the reign of Israel’s King Hoshea son of Elah, Ahaz’s son Hezekiah became king over Judah.2 He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem.s His mothert was Abi,t the daughter of Zechariah.3 He did what the Lord approved, just as his ancestor David had done.t4 He eliminated the high places, smashed the sacred pillars to bits, and cut down the Asherah pole.ts He also demolished the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for up to that timet the Israelites had been offering incense to it; it was called Nehushtan.t5 He trusted in the Lord God of Israel; in this regard there was none like him among the kings of Judah either before or after.t6 He was loyal tot the Lord and did not abandon him.t He obeyed the commandments which the Lord had given tot Moses.7 The Lord was with him; he succeeded in all his endeavors.t He rebelled against the king of Assyria and refused to submit to him.t

8 He defeated the Philistines as far as Gaza and its territory, from the watchtower to the city fortress.s
9 In the fourth year of King Hezekiah’s reign (it was the seventh year of the reign of Israel’s King Hoshea, son of Elah), King Shalmaneser of Assyria marchedt up against Samarias and besieged it.10 After three years he captured it (in the sixth year of Hezekiah’s reign); in the ninth year of King Hoshea’s reign over Israel Samaria was captured.11 The king of Assyria deported the people of Israelt to Assyria. He settled them in Halah, along the Habor (the river of Gozan), and in the cities of the Medes.

12 This happened because they did not obeyt the Lord their God and broke his agreement with them.t They did not pay attention to and obey all that Moses, the Lord’s servant, had commanded.t

Sennacherib Invades Judah

13 In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah’s reign, King Sennacherib of Assyria marched up against all the fortified cities of Judah and captured them.14 King Hezekiah of Judah sent this message to the king of Assyria, who was at Lachish, “I have violated our treaty.t If you leave, I will do whatever you demand.”t So the king of Assyria demanded that King Hezekiah of Judah pay three hundred talentst of silver and thirty talents of gold.15 Hezekiah gave him all the silver int the Lord’s temple and in the treasuries of the royal palace.

16 At that time King Hezekiah of Judah stripped the metal overlays from the doors of the Lord’s temple and from the posts which he had platedt and gave them to the king of Assyria.
17 The king of Assyria sent his commanding general, the chief eunuch, and the chief advisers from Lachish to King Hezekiah in Jerusalem,s along with a large army. They went up and arrived at Jerusalem. They wentt and stood at the conduit of the upper pool which is located on the road to the field where they wash and dry cloth.t

18 They summoned the king, so Eliakim son of Hilkiah, the palace supervisor, accompanied by Shebna the scribe and Joah son of Asaph, the secretary, went out to meet them.
19 The chief adviser said to them, “Tell Hezekiah: ‘This is what the great king, the king of Assyria, says: “What is your source of confidence?t20 Your claim to have a strategy and military strength is just empty talk.t In whom are you trusting that you would dare to rebel against me?21 Now look, you must be trusting in Egypt, that splintered reed staff. If a man leans for support on it, it punctures his hand and wounds him. That is what Pharaoh king of Egypt does to all who trust in him.22 Perhaps you will tell me, ‘We are trusting in the Lord our God.’ But Hezekiah is the one who eliminated his high places and altars and then told the people of Judah and Jerusalem, ‘You must worship at this altar in Jerusalem.’23 Now make a dealt with my master the king of Assyria, and I will give you two thousand horses, provided you can find enough riders for them.24 Certainly you will not refuse one of my master’s minor officials and trust in Egypt for chariots and horsemen.t

25 Furthermore it was by the command of the Lord that I marched up against this place to destroy it. The Lord told me, ‘Marcht up against this land and destroy it.’”’”s
26 Eliakim son of Hilkiah, Shebna, and Joah said to the chief adviser, “Speak to your servants in Aramaic,s for we understand it. Don’t speak with us in the Judahite dialectt in the hearing of the people who are on the wall.”

27 But the chief adviser said to them, “My master did not send me to speak these words only to your master and to you.t His message is also for the men who sit on the wall, for they will eat their own excrement and drink their own urine along with you.”ts
28 The chief adviser then stood there and called out loudly in the Judahite dialect,t “Listen to the message of the great king, the king of Assyria.29 This is what the king says: ‘Don’t let Hezekiah mislead you, for he is not able to rescue you from my hand!s30 Don’t let Hezekiah talk you into trusting in the Lord when he says, “The Lord will certainly rescue us; this city will not be handed over to the king of Assyria.”31 Don’t listen to Hezekiah!’ For this is what the king of Assyria says, ‘Send me a token of your submission and surrender to me.t Then each of you may eat from his own vine and fig tree and drink water from his own cistern,32 until I come and take you to a land just like your own – a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of olive trees and honey. Then you will live and not die. Don’t listen to Hezekiah, for he is misleading you when he says, “The Lord will rescue us.”33 Have any of the gods of the nations actually rescued his land from the power of the king of Assyria?t34 Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah?t Indeed, did any gods rescue Samarias from my power?t35 Who among all the gods of the lands has rescued their lands from my power? So how can the Lord rescue Jerusalem from my power?’”t

36 The people were silent and did not respond, for the king had ordered, “Don’t respond to him.”
37 Eliakim son of Hilkiah, the palace supervisor, accompanied by Shebna the scribe and Joah son of Asaph, the secretary, went to Hezekiah with their clothes torns and reported to him what the chief adviser had said.