Now it came about ain the third
year
of Hoshea
, the son
of Elah
king
of Israel
, that bHezekiah
the son
of Ahaz
king
of Judah
became
king
.
He was atwenty-five years
old
when he became
king
, and he reigned
twenty-nine
years
in Jerusalem
; and his mother's
name
was Abi
the daughter
of Zechariah
.
aHe did right
in the sight
of the LORD
, according to all
that his father
David
had done
.
aHe removed the high
places
and broke
down
the sacred pillars
and cut
down
the 1Asherah
. He also broke
in pieces
bthe bronze
serpent
that Moses
had made
, for until
those
days
the sons
of Israel
burned
incense
to it; and it was called
2Nehushtan
.
aHe trusted in the LORD
, the God
of Israel
; bso that after
him there was none
like
him among all
the kings
of Judah
, nor
among those who
were before
him.
For he aclung to the LORD
; he did not depart
from following
Him, but kept
His commandments
, which
the LORD
had commanded
Moses
.
aAnd the LORD was with him; wherever
he went
he prospered
. And bhe rebelled
against the king
of Assyria
and did not serve
him.
aHe 1defeated the Philistines
as far
as Gaza
and its territory
, from bwatchtower
to fortified
city
.
Now in the fourth year
of King
Hezekiah
, which
was the seventh
year
of Hoshea
son
of Elah
king
of Israel
, aShalmaneser
king
of Assyria
came
up against
Samaria
and besieged
it.
At the end of three
years
they captured
it; in the sixth
year
of Hezekiah
, which
was athe ninth
year
of Hoshea
king
of Israel
, Samaria
was captured
.
Then the king of Assyria
carried
Israel
away
into exile
to Assyria
, and put
them in aHalah
and on the Habor
, the river
of Gozan
, and in the cities
of the Medes
,
because they adid not obey
the voice
of the LORD
their God
, but transgressed
His covenant
, even all
that Moses
the servant
of the LORD
commanded
; they would neither
listen
nor
do
it.
aNow in the fourteenth year
of King
Hezekiah
, Sennacherib
king
of Assyria
came
up against
all
the fortified
cities
of Judah
and seized
them.
Then Hezekiah king
of Judah
sent
to the king
of Assyria
at Lachish
, saying
, " aI have done
wrong
. 1Withdraw
from me; whatever
you 2impose
on me I will bear
." So the king
of Assyria
3required
of Hezekiah
king
of Judah
three
hundred
talents
of silver
and thirty
talents
of gold
.
aHezekiah gave
him all
the silver
which was found
in the house
of the LORD
, and in the treasuries
of the king's
house
.
At that time Hezekiah
cut
off
the gold from the doors
of the temple
of the LORD
, and from the doorposts
which
Hezekiah
king
of Judah
had overlaid
, and gave
it to the king
of Assyria
.
Then the king of Assyria
sent
aTartan
and Rab-saris
and Rabshakeh
from Lachish
to King
Hezekiah
with a large
army
to Jerusalem
. So they went
up and came
to Jerusalem
. And when they went
up, they came
and stood
by the bconduit
of the upper
pool
, which
is on the highway
of the 1fuller's
field
.
When they called to the king
, aEliakim
the son
of Hilkiah
, who
was over
the household
, and bShebnah
the scribe
and Joah
the son
of Asaph
the recorder
, came
out to them.
Then Rabshakeh said
to them, "Say
now
to Hezekiah
, `Thus
says
the great
king
, the king
of Assyria
, " aWhat
is this
confidence
that you 1have
?
"You say (but they are 1only
empty
words
), `I have counsel
and strength
for the war
.' Now
on whom
do you rely
, athat you have rebelled
against me?
"Now behold
, you 1 arely
on the staff
of this
crushed
reed
, even on Egypt
; on which
if a man
leans
, it will go
into his 2hand
and pierce
it. So
is Pharaoh
king
of Egypt
to all
who rely
on him.
"But if you say
to me, `We trust
in the LORD
our God
,' is it not He whose
high
places
and awhose altars
Hezekiah
has taken
away
, and has said
to Judah
and to Jerusalem
, `You shall worship
before
this
altar
in Jerusalem
'?
"Now therefore, 1come
, make
a bargain
with my master
the king
of Assyria
, and I will give
you two thousand
horses
, if
you are able
on your part to set
riders
on them.
"How then can you 1repulse
one
2official
of the least
of my master's
servants
, and 3rely
on Egypt
for chariots
and for horsemen
?
"Have I now come
up 1without
the LORD'S
approval against
this
place
to destroy
it? The LORD
said
to me, `Go
up against
this
land
and destroy
it.' ""'
Then Eliakim the son
of Hilkiah
, and Shebnah
and Joah
, said
to Rabshakeh
, "Speak
now
to your servants
in Aramaic
, for we 1understand
it; and do not speak
with us in 2 aJudean
in the hearing
of the people
who
are on the wall
."
But Rabshakeh said
to them, "Has my master
sent
me only to your master
and to you to speak
these
words
, and not to the men
who sit
on the wall
, doomed to eat
their own dung
and drink
their own urine
with you?"
Then Rabshakeh stood
and cried
with a loud
voice
in Judean
, 1saying
, "Hear
the word
of the great
king
, the king
of Assyria
.
"Thus says
the king
, ` aDo not let Hezekiah
deceive
you, for he will not be able
to deliver
you from 1my hand
;
nor let Hezekiah
make you trust
in the LORD
, saying
, "The LORD
will surely
deliver
us, and this
city
will not be given
into the hand
of the king
of Assyria
."
`Do not listen to Hezekiah
, for thus
says
the king
of Assyria
, " 1Make
your peace
with me and come
out to me, and eat
aeach
of his vine
and each
of his fig
tree
and drink
each
of the waters
of his own cistern
,
until I come
and take
you away ato 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 honey
, that you may live
and not die
." But do not listen
to Hezekiah
when
he misleads
you, saying
, "The LORD
will deliver
us."
` aHas any one
of the gods
of the nations
delivered
his land
from the hand
of the king
of Assyria
?
` aWhere are the gods
of Hamath
and bArpad
? Where
are the gods
of Sepharvaim
, Hena
and 1 cIvvah
? Have they delivered
Samaria
from my hand
?
`Who among all
the gods
of the lands
1have delivered
their land
from my hand
, athat the LORD
should deliver
Jerusalem
from my hand
?' "
But the people were silent
and answered
him not a word
, for the king's
commandment
was, "Do not answer
him."
Then aEliakim the son
of Hilkiah
, who
was over
the household
, and Shebna
the scribe
and Joah
the son
of Asaph
, the recorder
, came
to Hezekiah
bwith their clothes
torn
and told
him the words
of Rabshakeh
.