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
.
Twenty and five
years
old
was he when he began to reign
; and he reigned
twenty
and nine
years
in Jerusalem
. His mother's
name
also was Abi
, the daughter
of Zachariah
.
And he did that which was right
in the sight
of the LORD
, according to all that David
his father
did
.
He removed the high places
, and brake
the images
, and cut down
the groves
, and brake in pieces
the brasen
serpent
that Moses
had made
: for unto those days
the children
of Israel
did burn incense
to it: and he called
it Nehushtan
.
He trusted in the LORD
God
of Israel
; so that after
him was none like him among all the kings
of Judah
, nor any that were before
him.
For he clave to the LORD
, and departed
not from following
him, but kept
his commandments
, which the LORD
commanded
Moses
.
And the LORD was with him; and he prospered
whithersoever he went forth
: and he rebelled
against the king
of Assyria
, and served
him not.
He smote the Philistines
, even unto Gaza
, and the borders
thereof, from the tower
of the watchmen
to the fenced
city
.
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.
And at the end of three
years
they took
it: even in the sixth
year
of Hezekiah
, that is the ninth
year
of Hoshea
king
of Israel
, Samaria
was taken
.
And the king of Assyria
did carry away
Israel
unto Assyria
, and put
them in Halah
and in Habor
by the river
of Gozan
, and in the cities
of the Medes
:
Because they obeyed not the voice
of the LORD
their God
, but transgressed
his covenant
, and all that Moses
the servant
of the LORD
commanded
, and would not hear
them , nor do
them .
Now in the fourteenth year
of king
Hezekiah
did Sennacherib
king
of Assyria
come up
against all the fenced
cities
of Judah
, and took
them.
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
.
And Hezekiah gave
him all the silver
that was found
in the house
of the LORD
, and in the treasures
of the king's
house
.
At that time did Hezekiah
cut off
the gold from the doors
of the temple
of the LORD
, and from the pillars
which Hezekiah
king
of Judah
had overlaid
, and gave
it to the king
of Assyria
.
And the king of Assyria
sent
Tartan
and Rabsaris
and Rabshakeh
from Lachish
to king
Hezekiah
with a great
host
against 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
.
And when they had called to the king
, there came out
to them Eliakim
the son
of Hilkiah
, which was over the household
, and Shebna
the scribe
, and Joah
the son
of Asaph
the recorder
.
And Rabshakeh said
unto them, Speak
ye now to Hezekiah
, Thus saith
the great
king
, the king
of Assyria
, What confidence
is this wherein thou trustest
?
Thou sayest, (but they are but vain
words
,) I have counsel
and strength
for the war
. Now on whom dost thou trust
, that thou rebellest
against me?
Now, behold, thou trustest upon the staff
of this bruised
reed
, even upon Egypt
, on which 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.
But if ye say unto me, We trust
in the LORD
our God
: is not that he, whose high places
and whose altars
Hezekiah
hath taken away
, and hath said
to Judah
and Jerusalem
, Ye shall worship
before
this altar
in Jerusalem
?
Now therefore, I pray thee, give pledges to my lord
the king
of Assyria
, and I will deliver
thee two thousand
horses
, if thou be able
on thy part to set
riders
upon them.
How then wilt 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
?
Am I now come up without
the LORD
against this place
to destroy
it? The LORD
said
to me, Go up
against this land
, and destroy
it.
Then said Eliakim
the son
of Hilkiah
, and Shebna
, and Joah
, unto Rabshakeh
, Speak
, I pray thee, to thy servants
in the Syrian language
; for we understand
it : and talk
not with us in the Jews' language
in the ears
of the people
that are on the wall
.
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
which sit
on the wall
, that they may eat
their own dung
, and drink
their own piss
with you?
Then Rabshakeh stood
and cried
with a loud
voice
in the Jews' language
, and spake
, saying
, Hear
the word
of the great
king
, the king
of Assyria
:
Thus saith the king
, Let not Hezekiah
deceive
you: for he shall not be able
to deliver
you out of his hand
:
Neither let Hezekiah make you trust
in the LORD
, saying
, The LORD
will surely
deliver
us, and this city
shall not be delivered
into the hand
of the king
of Assyria
.
Hearken not to Hezekiah
: for thus saith
the king
of Assyria
, Make
an agreement with me by a present
, and come out
to me, and then eat
ye every man
of his own vine
, and every one
of his fig tree
, and drink
ye every one
the waters
of his cistern
:
Until I come and take you away
to a land
like your own land
, a land
of corn
and wine
, a land
of bread
and vineyards
, a land
of oil
olive
and of honey
, that ye may live
, and not die
: and hearken
not unto Hezekiah
, when he persuadeth
you, saying
, The LORD
will deliver
us.
Hath any of the gods
of the nations
delivered
at all
his land
out of the hand
of the king
of Assyria
?
Where are the gods of Hamath
, and of Arpad
? where are the gods
of Sepharvaim
, Hena
, and Ivah
? have they delivered
Samaria
out of mine hand
?
Who are they among all the gods of the countries
, that have delivered
their country
out of mine hand
, that the LORD
should deliver
Jerusalem
out of mine hand
?
But the people held their peace
, and answered
him not a word
: for the king's
commandment
was, saying
, Answer
him not.
Then came Eliakim
the son
of Hilkiah
, which 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
.