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 Twenty and five years old was he when he began to reign; and he reigned twenty and nine years in Jerusalem. His mother' name also was Abi, the daughter of Zachariah.
3 And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that David his father did.
4 He removed the high places, and broke the images, and cut down the groves, and broke in pieces the brazen serpent that Moses had made: for to those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it: and he called it Nehushtan.
5 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.
6 For he held to the LORD, and departed not from following him, but kept his commandments, which the LORD commanded Moses.
7 And the LORD was with him; and he prospered wherever he went forth: and he rebelled against the king of Assyria, and served him not.
8 He smote the Philistines, even to Gaza, and the borders thereof, from the tower of the watchmen to the fenced 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: even in the sixth year of Hezekiah, that is in the ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel, Samaria was taken.
11 And the king of Assyria did carry away Israel to Assyria, and put them in Halah and in Habor by the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes:
12 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.
13 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.
14 And Hezekiah king of Judah sent to the king of Assyria to Lachish, saying, I have offended; return from me: that which you put on me will I 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 the LORD, and in the treasures of the king' house.
16 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.
17 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' field.
18 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.
19 And Rabshakeh said to them, Speak you now to Hezekiah, Thus said the great king, the king of Assyria, What confidence is this wherein you trust?
20 You say, (but they are but vain words,) I have counsel and strength for the war. Now on whom do you trust, that you rebel against me?
21 Now, behold, you trust on the staff of this bruised reed, even on Egypt, on which if a man lean, it will go into his hand, and pierce it: so is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all that trust on him.
22 But if you say to me, We trust in the LORD our God: is not that he, whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah has taken away, and has said to Judah and Jerusalem, You shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem?
23 Now therefore, I pray you, give pledges to my lord the king of Assyria, and I will deliver you two thousand horses, if you be able on your part to set riders on them.
24 How then will you turn away the face of one captain of the least of my master' servants, and put your trust on Egypt for chariots and for horsemen?
25 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.
26 Then said Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, and Shebna, and Joah, to Rabshakeh, Speak, I pray you, to your 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.
27 But Rabshakeh said to them, Has my master sent me to your master, and to you, to speak these words? has he not sent me to the men which sit on the wall, that they may eat their own dung, and drink their own urine with you?
28 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 said the king, Let not Hezekiah deceive you: for he shall not be able to deliver you out of his hand:
30 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.
31 Listen not to Hezekiah: for thus said the king of Assyria, Make an agreement with me by a present, and come out to me, and then eat you every man of his own vine, and every one of his fig tree, and drink you every one the waters of his cistern:
32 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 you may live, and not die: and listen not to Hezekiah, when he persuades you, saying, The LORD will deliver us.
33 Has any of the gods of the nations delivered at all 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, Hena, and Ivah? 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 the LORD should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?
36 But the people held their peace, and answered him not a word: for the king' commandment was, saying, Answer him not.
37 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.
1 Now it came to pass in the third year of Hoshea the 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 became king, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mothers name was Abi the daughter of Zechariah.
3 And he did what was right in the eyes of Jehovah, according to all that his father David had done.
4 He removed the high places and broke the sacred pillars, chopped down the groves and broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made; for until those days the children of Israel burned incense to it, and called it Nehushtan.
5 He trusted in Jehovah the God of Israel, so that after him was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, nor who were before him.
6 For he clung to Jehovah; he did not turn aside from following after Him, but kept His commandments, which Jehovah had commanded Moses.
7 Jehovah was with him; he prospered wherever he went. And he rebelled against the king of Assyria and did not serve him.
8 He struck the Philistines, as far as Gaza and its territory, from watchtower to fortified city.
9 And it came to pass in the fourth year of King Hezekiah, which was the seventh year of Hoshea the 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. In the sixth year of Hezekiah, that is, the ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel, Samaria was captured.
11 And the king of Assyria carried Israel away captive to Assyria, and led them to Halah and the Habor, the River of Gozan, and to the cities of the Medes,
12 because they had not obeyed the voice of Jehovah their God, but transgressed His covenant and all that Moses the servant of Jehovah had commanded; they had neither heeded nor done them.
13 And 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 at Lachish, saying, I have done wrong; turn away from me; whatever you impose upon me I will endure. And the king of Assyria assessed 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 treasuries of the kings house.
16 At that time Hezekiah stripped 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, Rabsaris, and Rabshakeh from Lachish, with great forces against Jerusalem, to King Hezekiah. And they went up and came to Jerusalem. And when they had come up, they went and stood by the aqueduct of the upper pool, which was on the highway to the Fullers Field.
18 And when they had called out to the king, Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, Shebna the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph the recorder, came out to them.
19 And Rabshakeh said to them, Say now to Hezekiah, Thus says the great king, the king of Assyria: What confidence is this in which you have trusted?
20 You have spoken of having counsel and power for war; but they are mere words of the lips. And in whom have you trusted, that you have rebelled against me?
21 Now behold, you have trusted in the staff of this broken reed, Egypt, on which if a man leans, it will go into his hand and pierce it. So is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all those trusting in him.
22 But if you say to me, We have trusted in Jehovah our God, is it not He whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah has removed, and has said to Judah and Jerusalem, You shall bow down before this altar in Jerusalem?
23 Now therefore, I urge you, give a pledge to my master the king of Assyria, and I will give you two thousand horses; if you are able on your part to put riders on them!
24 How then will you turn away the face of one governor of the least of my masters servants, and put your trust in Egypt for chariots and horsemen?
25 Have I now come up without Jehovah against this place to destroy it? Jehovah has said to me, Go up against this land, and destroy it.
26 Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, Shebna, and Joah said to Rabshakeh, Please speak to your servants in Aramaic, for we understand it; and do not speak to us in the Jewish language in the hearing of the people on the wall.
27 But Rabshakeh said to them, Has my master sent me to your master and to you to speak these words, and not also to the men who sit on the wall, who will eat their own dung and drink their own urine with you?
28 Then Rabshakeh stood and called out with a loud voice in the Jewish language, and spoke, saying, Hear the word of the great king, the king of Assyria!
29 Thus says the king: Do not let Hezekiah deceive you, for he shall not be able to deliver you out of his hand;
30 nor let Hezekiah make you trust in Jehovah, saying, Jehovah will rescue to deliver us; this city shall not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.
31 Do not listen to Hezekiah; for thus says the king of Assyria: Make a peace treaty and come out to me; and every one of you shall eat from his own vine and every one from his own fig tree, and every one of you shall drink 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 groves and honey, that you may live and not die. But do not listen to Hezekiah, lest he persuade you, saying, Jehovah will deliver us.
33 Have any of the gods of the nations at all delivered its land from the hand of the king of Assyria?
34 Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim and Hena and Ivah? Have they delivered Samaria out of my hand?
35 Who among all the gods of the lands have delivered their lands out of my hand, that Jehovah should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?
36 But the people kept quiet and answered him not a word; for the kings commandment was, Do not answer him.
37 Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, Shebna the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph, the recorder, came to Hezekiah with their clothes torn, and reported to him the words of Rabshakeh.