Chapter 18

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.¹

Twenty and five years old was he when he began to reign;² and he reigned¹ twenty and nine years in Jerusalem. His mother's name also [was] Abi, the daughter of Zachariah.

And he did⁴ [that which was] right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that David his father did.¹

He removed⁵² the high places, and brake¹⁴ the images, and cut down¹ the groves, and brake in pieces¹⁴ the brasen serpent that Moses had made:¹ for unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense¹⁸ to it: and he called⁴ it Nehushtan.

He trusted¹ 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 clave⁴ to the LORD, [and] departed¹ not from following him, but kept⁴ his commandments, which the LORD commanded¹⁴ Moses.

And the LORD was with him; [and] he prospered⁵⁵ whithersoever he went forth:⁴ and he rebelled⁴ against the king of Assyria, and served¹ him not.

He smote⁵² the Philistines, [even] unto Gaza, and the borders thereof, from the tower of the watchmen⁶ 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 up¹ against Samaria, and besieged⁴ it.

And at the end of three years they took⁴ it: [even] in the sixth year of Hezekiah, that [is] the ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel, Samaria was taken.⁸

And the king of Assyria did carry away⁵⁵ Israel unto Assyria, and put⁵⁵ them in Halah and in Habor [by] the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes:

Because they obeyed¹ not the voice of the LORD their God, but transgressed⁴ his covenant, [and] all that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded,¹⁴ and would not hear¹ [them], nor do¹ [them].

Now in the fourteenth ⁶²⁴⁰ year of king Hezekiah did Sennacherib king of Assyria come up¹ against all the fenced⁷ cities of Judah, and took⁴ them.

And Hezekiah king of Judah sent⁴ to the king of Assyria to Lachish, saying,² I have offended;¹ return³ from me: that which thou puttest⁴ on me will I bear.⁴ And the king of Assyria appointed⁴ unto Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold.

And Hezekiah gave⁴ [him] all the silver that was found¹² in the house of the LORD, and in the treasures of the king's house.

At that time did Hezekiah cut off¹⁴ [the gold from] the doors of the temple of the LORD, and [from] the pillars which Hezekiah king of Judah had overlaid,¹⁴ and gave⁴ it to the king of Assyria.

And the king of Assyria sent⁴ Tartan and Rabsaris and Rabshakeh from Lachish to king Hezekiah with a great host against Jerusalem. And they went up⁴ and came⁴ to Jerusalem. And when they were come up,⁴ they came⁴ and stood⁴ by the conduit of the upper pool, which [is] in the highway of the fuller's⁵ field.

And when they had called⁴ to the king, there came out⁴ to them Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, which [was] over the household, and Shebna the scribe,⁶ and Joah the son of Asaph the recorder.⁵⁶

And Rabshakeh said⁴ unto them, Speak³ ye now to Hezekiah, Thus saith¹ the great king, the king of Assyria, What confidence [is] this wherein thou trustest?¹

Thou sayest,¹ (but [they are but] vain words,) [I have] counsel and strength for the war. Now on whom dost thou trust,¹ that thou rebellest¹ against me?

Now, behold, thou trustest¹ upon the staff of this bruised⁷ reed, [even] upon Egypt, on which if a man lean,¹¹ it will go¹ into his hand, and pierce¹ it: so [is] Pharaoh king of Egypt unto all that trust⁶ on him.

But if ye say⁴ unto me, We trust¹ in the LORD our God: [is] not that he, whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah hath taken away,⁵² and hath said⁴ to Judah and Jerusalem, Ye shall worship¹⁰¹ before this altar in Jerusalem?

Now therefore, I pray thee, give pledges¹⁰⁰ to my lord the king of Assyria, and I will deliver⁴ thee two thousand horses, if thou be able⁴ on thy part to set² riders⁶ upon them.

How then wilt thou turn away⁵⁵ the face of one captain of the least of my master's servants, and put thy trust⁴ on Egypt for chariots and for horsemen?

Am I now come up¹ without the LORD against this place to destroy⁵³ it? The LORD said¹ to me, Go up³ against this land, and destroy⁵⁴ it.

Then said⁴ Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, and Shebna, and Joah, unto Rabshakeh, Speak,¹⁶ I pray thee, to thy servants in the Syrian language; for we understand⁶ [it]: and talk¹⁷ not with us in the Jews' language in the ears of the people that [are] on the wall.

But Rabshakeh said⁴ unto them, Hath my master sent¹ me to thy master, and to thee, to speak¹⁵ these words? [hath he] not [sent me] to the men which sit⁶ on the wall, that they may eat² their own dung, ²⁷⁵⁵ and drink² their own piss ^{7272 7890} with you?

Then Rabshakeh stood⁴ and cried⁴ with a loud voice in the Jews' language, and spake,¹⁷ saying,⁴ Hear³ the word of the great king, the king of Assyria:

Thus saith¹ the king, Let not Hezekiah deceive⁵⁵ you: for he shall not be able⁴ to deliver⁵³ you out of his hand:

Neither let Hezekiah make you trust⁵⁵ in the LORD, saying,² The LORD will surely⁵³ deliver⁵⁵ us, and this city shall not be delivered¹¹ into the hand of the king of Assyria.

Hearken⁴ not to Hezekiah: for thus saith¹ the king of Assyria, Make³ [an agreement] with me by a present, and come out³ to me, and [then] eat³ ye every man of his own vine, and every one of his fig tree, and drink³ ye every one the waters of his cistern:

Until I come² and take you away¹ 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,³ and not die:⁴ and hearken⁴ not unto Hezekiah, when he persuadeth⁵⁵ you, saying,² The LORD will deliver⁵⁵ us.

Hath any of the gods of the nations delivered⁵² at all⁵³ 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 delivered⁵² Samaria out of mine hand?

Who [are] they among all the gods of the countries, that have delivered⁵² their country out of mine hand, that the LORD should deliver⁵⁵ Jerusalem out of mine hand?

But the people held their peace,⁵² and answered¹ him not a word: for the king's commandment was, saying,² Answer⁴ him not.

Then came⁴ Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, which [was] over the household, and Shebna the scribe,⁶ and Joah the son of Asaph the recorder,⁵⁶ to Hezekiah with [their] clothes rent,⁷ and told⁵⁵ him the words of Rabshakeh.