2Kgs 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
Twenty and five years old was he when he began to reign; and he reigned twenty and
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 YHWH, according to all that David his
father had done.
4
He removed the high places, and brake the pillars, and cut down the Asherah: and he
brake 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 YHWH, the God of Israel; so that after him was none like him among all
the kings of Judah, nor [among them] that were before him.
6
For he clave to YHWH; he departed not from following him, but kept his commandments,
which YHWH commanded Moses.
7
And YHWH was with him; wherever he went forth he prospered: and he rebelled against
the king of Assyria, and served him not.
8
He smote 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, 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: in the sixth year of Hezekiah, which was
the ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel, Samaria was taken.
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 obeyed not the voice of YHWH their God, but transgressed his covenant,
even all that Moses the servant of YHWH commanded, and would not hear it, nor do it.
13
Now in the fourteenth year of king Hezekiah did Sennacherib king of Assyria come 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 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 YHWH, and in
the treasures of the king`s house.
16
At that time did Hezekiah cut off [the gold from] the doors of the temple of YHWH,
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 were come up, they came and stood by the conduit of the upper pool, which
is in 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 you now to Hezekiah, Thus says the great king, the
king of Assyria, What confidence is this wherein you trust?
20
You say (but they are but vain words), [There is] counsel and strength for the war.
Now on whom do you trust, that you have rebelled against me?
21
Now, behold, you trust upon the staff of this bruised reed, even upon Egypt; whereon
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 YHWH our God; is not 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, I pray you, give pledges to my master the king of Assyria, and I will
give you two thousand horses, if you be able on your part to set riders upon them.
24
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
Am I now come up without YHWH against this place to destroy it? YHWH said to me, Go
up against this land, and destroy it.
26
Then said Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, and Shebnah, and Joah, to Rabshakeh, Speak,
I pray you, to your servants in the Syrian language; for we understand it: and speak
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 that sit on the wall, to eat their
own dung, and to drink their own water with you?
28
Then Rabshakeh stood, and cried with a loud voice in the Jews` language, and spoke,
saying, Hear you 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 YHWH, saying, YHWH will surely deliver us,
and this city shall not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.
31
Hearken not to Hezekiah: for thus says the king of Assyria, Make your peace with me,
and come out to me; and eat you every one of his vine, and every one of his fig-tree,
and drink you every one 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 you
may live, and not die: and hearken not to Hezekiah, when he persuades you, saying,
YHWH will deliver us.
33
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 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 YHWH should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?
36
But the people held their peace, and answered him not a word; for the king`s commandment
was, saying, Answer him not.
37
Then came Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who 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.