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 He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-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 broke the pillars, and cut down the Asherah, and he broke in pieces the brazen serpent that Moses had made. For to those days the sons of Israel burned incense to it, and he called it Nehushtan.

5 He trusted in Jehovah, the God of Israel, so that there was none like him among all the kings of Judah after him, nor among those who were before him.

6 For he clung to Jehovah. He did not depart from following him, but kept his commandments, which Jehovah commanded Moses.

7 And Jehovah was with him. Wherever he went forth he prospered. And he rebelled against the king of Assyria, and did not serve him.

8 He smote the Philistines to Gaza and the borders of it, 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. Samaria was taken in the sixth year of Hezekiah, which was the ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel.

11 And the king of Assyria carried Israel away to Assyria, and put them in Halah, and on the Habor, the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes,

12 because they did not obey 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, Sennacherib king of Assyria came 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 put on me I will bear. And the king of Assyria appointed to 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 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 to Jerusalem. And they went up and came to Jerusalem. And when they came up, they came and stood by the conduit of the upper pool, which is on 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 to them, Say ye now to Hezekiah, Thus says the great king, the king of Assyria, What confidence is this in which thou trust?

20 Thou say (but they are but vain words), There is counsel and strength for the war. Now on whom do thou trust that thou have rebelled against me?

21 Now, behold, thou trust upon the staff of this bruised reed, even upon Egypt, on which if a man leans it will go into his hand, and pierce it. So is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who trust on him.

22 But if ye say to me, We trust in Jehovah our God, is that not he whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah has taken away, and has 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 can 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 Have I now come up without Jehovah against this place to destroy it? Jehovah said to me, Go up against this land, and destroy it.

26 Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, and Shebnah, and Joah, said to Rabshakeh, Speak, I pray thee, to thy servants in the Syrian language, for we understand it. And do not speak with us in the Jews' language, in the ears of the people who are on the wall.

27 But Rabshakeh said to them, Has my master sent me to thy master, and to thee, to speak these words? Has he not sent me to the men who sit on the wall, to eat their own dung, and to drink their own urine with you?

28 Then Rabshakeh stood, and cried with a loud voice in the Jews' language, and spoke, saying, Hear ye the word of the great king, the king of Assyria.

29 Thus says 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 Do not hearken to Hezekiah. For thus says the king of Assyria, Make your peace with me, and come out to me. And eat ye every man of his vine, and every man of his fig tree, and drink ye every man 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 do not hearken to Hezekiah when he persuades you, saying, Jehovah will deliver us.

33 Have 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 were silent, and did not answer him a word, for the king's commandment was, saying, Do not answer him.

37 Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph the recorder, came to Hezekiah with their clothes torn, and told him the words of Rabshakeh.