2 Kings 18

1 And it came to pass, in the third year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, that Hezekiah son of Ahaz king of Judah began to reign.

Now in the third year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, Hezekiah the son of Ahaz king of Judah began to reign.

2 Twenty-five years old, was he when he began to reign, and, twenty-nine years, reigned he in Jerusalem, —and, his mother’s name, was Abi, daughter of Zachariah.

He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Abi the daughter of Zechariah.

3 And he did that which was right in the eyes of Yahweh, —according to all that, David his father, did.

He did that which was right in the LORD’s eyes, according to all that David his father had done.

4 He, removed the high places, and brake in pieces the pillars, and cut down the Sacred Stem, —and beat in pieces the serpent of bronze that, Moses, had made, because, until those days, had the sons of Israel been burning incense thereunto, so he called it Nehushtan.

He removed the high places, broke the pillars, and cut down the Asherah. He also broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, because in those days the children of Israel burnt incense to it; and he called it Nehushtan.

5 In Yahweh, God of Israel, did he trust, —so that, after him, was none like him, among all the kings of Judah, nor that were before him;

He trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel, so that after him was no one like him amongst all the kings of Judah, nor amongst them that were before him.

6 and he did cleave unto Yahweh, he turned not away from following him, —but kept his commandments, which, Yahweh, commanded, Moses.

For he joined with the LORD. He didn’t depart from following him, but kept his commandments, which the LORD commanded Moses.

7 So Yahweh was with him, whithersoever he went forth, he prospered, —and he rebelled against the king of Assyria, and served him not.

The LORD was with him. Wherever he went, he prospered. He rebelled against the king of Assyria, and didn’t serve him.

8 He, smote the Philistines, as far as Gazah, and her boundaries, —from the watchmen’s tower even to the fortified city.

He struck the Philistines to Gaza and its borders, from the tower of the watchmen to the fortified city.

9 And it came to pass, in the fourth year of King Hezekiah—the same, was the seventh year of Hosea son of Elah king of Israel, that Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up against Samaria, and laid siege against it;

In the fourth year of King Hezekiah, which was the seventh year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up against Samaria and besieged it.

10 and he captured it at the end of three years, in the sixth year of Hezekiah, —the same, is the ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel, was Samaria captured.

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 So the king of Assyria drave away Israel to Assyria, —and settled them in Halah, and in Habor, by the river of Gozan, and the mountains of Media:

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 hearkened not unto the voice of Yahweh their God, but transgressed his covenant, all that Moses the servant of Yahweh commanded, —they neither hearkened nor performed.

because they didn’t obey the LORD their God’s voice, but transgressed his covenant, even all that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded, and would not hear it or do it.

13 And, in the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, came up Sennacherib king of Assyria, against all the fortified cities of Judah, and took them.

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 Then sent Hezekiah king of Judah unto the king of Assyria, to Lachish, saying—I have sinned, Return from me, What thou shalt lay upon me, I will bear. So the king of Assyria appointed unto Hezekiah king of Judah, three hundred talents of silver, and thirty talents of gold.

Hezekiah king of Judah sent to the king of Assyria at Lachish, saying, “I have offended you. Withdraw from me. That which you put on me, I will bear.” The king of Assyria appointed to Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold.

15 And Hezekiah delivered up all the silver that was found in the house of Yahweh, and in the treasuries of the house of the king.

Hezekiah gave him all the silver that was found in the LORD’s house and in the treasures of the king’s house.

16 At that time, Hezekiah cut off the doors of the temple of Yahweh, and the columns, which Hezekiah king of Judah had overlaid, —and gave them unto the king of Assyria.

At that time, Hezekiah cut off the gold from the doors of the LORD’s temple, 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 Rab-shakeh, from Lachish unto King Hezekiah, with a heavy force to Jerusalem, —so they came up and drew near to Jerusalem, and took their stand by the upper channel of the pool, which is in the highway of the fuller’s field.

The king of Assyria sent Tartan, Rabsaris, and Rabshakeh from Lachish to King Hezekiah with a great army to Jerusalem. They went up and came to Jerusalem. When they had come up, they came and stood by the conduit of the upper pool, which is in the highway of the fuller’s field.

18 Then called they for the king, and there went out unto them Eliakim son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, —and Shebnah, the scribe, and Joah son of Asaph, the recorder.

When they had called to the king, Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebnah the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph the recorder came out to them.

19 And Rab-shakeh said unto them—Pray you, say unto Hezekiah, —Thus, saith the great king, the king of Assyria, What trust is this wherewith thou dost trust?

Rabshakeh said to them, “Say now to Hezekiah, ‘The great king, the king of Assyria, says, “What confidence is this in which you trust?

20 Thou hast said—they are only words of the lips!—Counsel and might [have I] for the war. Now, in whom dost thou trust, that thou hast rebelled against me?

You say (but they are but vain words), ‘There is counsel and strength for war.’ Now on whom do you trust, that you have rebelled against me?

21 Now, lo! thou dost trust thyself on the support of this bruised cane, on Egypt, whereon, if a man lean, it will enter his hand and lay it open, —so, is Pharaoh king of Egypt, to all who trust upon him.

Now, behold, you trust in the staff of this bruised reed, even in Egypt. If a man leans on it, 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 should say unto me, In Yahweh our God, do we trust, Then is that not he whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah hath removed, and said unto Judah, and unto Jerusalem—Before this altar, shall ye bow down, in Jerusalem?

But if you tell me, ‘We trust in the LORD our God,’ isn’t that he whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah has taken away, and has said to Judah and to Jerusalem, ‘You shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem’?

23 Now, therefore, pledge thyself, I pray thee, with my lord, the king of Assyria, —that I supply thee with two thousand horses, if thou, on thy part, be able to set riders upon them.

Now therefore, please give pledges to 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.

24 How then wilt thou turn back the face of one pasha of the least of my lord’s servants? Or hast thou, on thy part, trusted to Egypt for chariots and for horsemen?

How then can you turn away the face of one captain of the least of my master’s servants, and put your trust on Egypt for chariots and for horsemen?

25 Now, is it, without Yahweh, that I have come up against this place, to destroy it? Yahweh himself, said unto me, Go thou up against this land, and destroy it.

Have 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.’”’”

26 Then said Eliakim son of Hilkiah, and Shebnah, and Joah, unto Rab-shakeh: Speak, we pray thee, unto thy servants in the, Syrian, language, for, we, can, understand, it, —and do not speak with us in, the Jews’, language, in the ears of the people who are upon the wall.

Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, Shebnah, and Joah, said to Rabshakeh, “Please speak to your servants in the Syrian language, for we understand it. Don’t speak with us in the Jews’ language, in the hearing of the people who are on the wall.”

27 But Rab-shakeh said unto them—Is it, concerning thy lord, and concerning thee, that my lord hath sent me to speak these things? Is it not concerning the men who are tarrying upon the wall, that they may eat their own dung and drink their own water with you?

But Rabshakeh said to them, “Has my master sent me to your master and to you, to speak these words? Hasn’t he sent me to the men who sit on the wall, to eat their own dung, and to drink their own urine with you?”

28 So then Rab-shakeh took his stand, and cried out with a loud voice, in, the Jews’, language, —and spake, and said, Hear ye the message of the great king, the king of Assyria: —

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

29 Thus, saith the king: Let not Hezekiah deceive you, for he shall not he able to deliver you out of his hand;

The king says, ‘Don’t let Hezekiah deceive you, for he will not be able to deliver you out of his hand.

30 Neither let Hezekiah cause you to trust in Yahweh, saying, Yahweh, will, certainly deliver, us, —this city, therefore, shall not be given over into the hand of the king of Assyria.

Don’t let Hezekiah make you trust in the LORD, saying, “The LORD will surely deliver us, and this city shall not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.”

31 Do not hearken unto Hezekiah, —for, thus, saith the king of Assyria, Deal with me thankfully, and come out unto me, then shall ye eat—every one of his own vine, and every one of his own fig-tree, and drink every one the waters of his own cistern;

Don’t listen to Hezekiah.’ For the king of Assyria says, ‘Make your peace with me, and come out to me; and everyone of you eat from his own vine, and everyone from his own fig tree, and everyone drink water from his own cistern;

32 Until I come and take you, into a land like your own land—A land of corn and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of oil olive and honey, so shall ye live, and not die, —But do not hearken unto Hezekiah, for he would persuade you, saying, Yahweh, will deliver us!

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 you may live and not die. Don’t listen to Hezekiah when he persuades you, saying, “The LORD will deliver us.”

33 Have, the gods of the nations, at all delivered, any one of them, his country, out of the hand of the king of Assyria?

Has 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 Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena and Ivvah? Yea, did they deliver Samaria out of my hand?

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, Yahweh, should deliver, Jerusalem, out of my hand?

Who are they amongst all the gods of the countries, that have delivered their country out of my hand, that the LORD should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?’”

36 But the people held their peace, and answered him not a word, —for, the command of the king, it was, saying—Ye must not answer him.

But the people stayed quiet, and answered him not a word; for the king’s commandment was, “Don’t answer him.”

37 Then came in Eliakim son of Hilkiah who was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah son of Asaph the recorder, unto Hezekiah, with rent clothes, —and they told him the words of Rab-shakeh.

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