1
Now it came to pass in the third[H7969]year[H8141] of Hoshea[H1954]son[H1121] of Elah[H425]king[H4428] of Israel[H3478], that Hezekiah[H2396] the son[H1121] of Ahaz[H271]king[H4428] of Judah[H3063] began to reign[H4427].
2Twenty[H6242] and five[H2568]years[H8141]old[H1121] was he when he began to reign[H4427]; and he reigned[H4427]twenty[H6242] and nine[H8672]years[H8141] in Jerusalem[H3389]. His mother's name[H8034] also was Abi[H21], the daughter[H1323] of Zachariah[H2148].
3
And he did[H6213] that which was right[H3477] in the sight[H5869] of the LORD[H3068], according to all that David[H1732] his father[H1]did[H6213].
4
He removed[H5493] the high places[H1116], and brake[H7665] the images[H4676], and cut down[H3772] the groves[H842], and brake[H7665] in pieces[H3807] the brasen[H5178]serpent[H5175] that Moses[H4872] had made[H6213]: for unto those days[H3117] the children[H1121] of Israel[H3478] did burn incense[H6999] to it: and he called[H7121] it Nehushtan[H5180].
5
He trusted[H982] in the LORD[H3068]God[H430] of Israel[H3478]; so that after[H310] him was none like him among all the kings[H4428] of Judah[H3063], nor any that were before[H6440] him.
6
For he clave[H1692] to the LORD[H3068], and departed[H5493] not from following[H310] him, but kept[H8104] his commandments[H4687], which the LORD[H3068]commanded[H6680]Moses[H4872].
7
And the LORD[H3068] was with him; and he prospered[H7919] whithersoever he went forth[H3318]: and he rebelled[H4775] against the king[H4428] of Assyria[H804], and served[H5647] him not.
8
He smote[H5221] the Philistines[H6430], even unto Gaza[H5804], and the borders[H1366] thereof, from the tower[H4026] of the watchmen[H5341] to the fenced[H4013]city[H5892].
9
And it came to pass in the fourth[H7243]year[H8141] of king[H4428]Hezekiah[H2396], which was the seventh[H7637]year[H8141] of Hoshea[H1954]son[H1121] of Elah[H425]king[H4428] of Israel[H3478], that Shalmaneser[H8022]king[H4428] of Assyria[H804] came up[H5927] against Samaria[H8111], and besieged[H6696] it.
10
And at the end[H7097] of three[H7969]years[H8141] they took[H3920] it: even in the sixth[H8337]year[H8141] of Hezekiah[H2396], that is the ninth[H8672]year[H8141] of Hoshea[H1954]king[H4428] of Israel[H3478], Samaria[H8111] was taken[H3920].
11
And the king[H4428] of Assyria[H804] did carry away[H1540]Israel[H3478] unto Assyria[H804], and put[H5148] them in Halah[H2477] and in Habor[H2249] by the river[H5104] of Gozan[H1470], and in the cities[H5892] of the Medes[H4074]:
12
Because they obeyed[H8085] not the voice[H6963] of the LORD[H3068] their God[H430], but transgressed[H5674] his covenant[H1285], and all that Moses[H4872] the servant[H5650] of the LORD[H3068]commanded[H6680], and would not hear[H8085] them, nor do[H6213] them.
13
Now in the fourteenth[H702]year[H8141] of king[H4428]Hezekiah[H2396] did Sennacherib[H5576]king[H4428] of Assyria[H804] come up[H5927] against all the fenced[H1219]cities[H5892] of Judah[H3063], and took[H8610] them.
14
And Hezekiah[H2396]king[H4428] of Judah[H3063]sent[H7971] to the king[H4428] of Assyria[H804] to Lachish[H3923], saying[H559], I have offended[H2398]; return[H7725] from me: that which thou puttest[H5414] on me will I bear[H5375]. And the king[H4428] of Assyria[H804]appointed[H7760] unto Hezekiah[H2396]king[H4428] of Judah[H3063]three[H7969]hundred[H3967]talents[H3603] of silver[H3701] and thirty[H7970]talents[H3603] of gold[H2091].
15
And Hezekiah[H2396]gave[H5414] him all the silver[H3701] that was found[H4672] in the house[H1004] of the LORD[H3068], and in the treasures[H214] of the king's house[H1004].
16
At that time[H6256] did Hezekiah[H2396] cut off[H7112] the gold from the doors[H1817] of the temple[H1964] of the LORD[H3068], and from the pillars[H547] which Hezekiah[H2396]king[H4428] of Judah[H3063] had overlaid[H6823], and gave[H5414] it to the king[H4428] of Assyria[H804].
17
And the king[H4428] of Assyria[H804]sent[H7971]Tartan[H8661] and Rabsaris[H7249] and Rabshakeh[H7262] from Lachish[H3923] to king[H4428]Hezekiah[H2396] with a great[H3515]host[H2426] against Jerusalem[H3389]. And they went up[H5927] and came[H935] to Jerusalem[H3389]. And when they were come up[H5927], they came[H935] and stood[H5975] by the conduit[H8585] of the upper[H5945]pool[H1295], which is in the highway[H4546] of the fuller's field[H7704].
18
And when they had called[H7121] to the king[H4428], there came out[H3318] to them Eliakim[H471] the son[H1121] of Hilkiah[H2518], which was over the household[H1004], and Shebna[H7644] the scribe[H5608], and Joah[H3098] the son[H1121] of Asaph[H623] the recorder[H2142].
19
And Rabshakeh[H7262]said[H559] unto them, Speak[H559] ye now to Hezekiah[H2396], Thus saith[H559] the great[H1419]king[H4428], the king[H4428] of Assyria[H804], What confidence[H986] is this wherein thou trustest?[H982]
20
Thou sayest,(but they are but vain[H8193]words[H1697],) I have counsel[H6098] and strength[H1369] for the war[H4421]. Now on whom dost thou trust[H982], that thou rebellest[H4775] against me?
21
Now, behold, thou trustest[H982] upon the staff[H4938] of this bruised[H7533]reed[H7070], even upon Egypt[H4714], on which if a man[H376]lean[H5564], it will go[H935] into his hand[H3709], and pierce[H5344] it: so is Pharaoh[H6547]king[H4428] of Egypt[H4714] unto all that trust[H982] on him.
22
But if ye say[H559] unto me, We trust[H982] in the LORD[H3068] our God[H430]: is not that he, whose high places[H1116] and whose altars[H4196]Hezekiah[H2396] hath taken away[H5493], and hath said[H559] to Judah[H3063] and Jerusalem[H3389], Ye shall worship[H7812]before[H6440] this altar[H4196] in Jerusalem?[H3389]
23
Now therefore, I pray thee, give pledges[H6148] to my lord[H113] the king[H4428] of Assyria[H804], and I will deliver[H5414] thee two thousand[H505]horses[H5483], if thou be able[H3201] on thy part to set[H5414]riders[H7392] upon them.
24
How then wilt thou turn away[H7725] the face[H6440] of one[H259]captain[H6346] of the least[H6996] of my master's servants[H5650], and put thy trust[H982] on Egypt[H4714] for chariots[H7393] and for horsemen?[H6571]
25
Am I now come up[H5927]without[H1107] the LORD[H3068] against this place[H4725] to destroy[H7843] it? The LORD[H3068]said[H559] to me, Go up[H5927] against this land[H776], and destroy[H7843] it.
26
Then said[H559]Eliakim[H471] the son[H1121] of Hilkiah[H2518], and Shebna[H7644], and Joah[H3098], unto Rabshakeh[H7262], Speak[H1696], I pray thee, to thy servants[H5650] in the Syrian language[H762]; for we understand[H8085] it: and talk[H1696] not with us in the Jews' language[H3066] in the ears[H241] of the people[H5971] that are on the wall[H2346].
27
But Rabshakeh[H7262]said[H559] unto them, Hath my master[H113]sent[H7971] me to thy master[H113], and to thee, to speak[H1696] these words?[H1697] hath he not sent[H7971] me to the men[H582] which sit[H3427] on the wall[H2346], that they may eat[H398] their own dung[H6675], and drink[H8354] their own piss[H4325] with you?
28
Then Rabshakeh[H7262]stood[H5975] and cried[H7121] with a loud[H1419]voice[H6963] in the Jews' language[H3066], and spake[H1696], saying[H559], Hear[H8085] the word[H1697] of the great[H1419]king[H4428], the king[H4428] of Assyria[H804]:
29
Thus saith[H559] the king[H4428], Let not Hezekiah[H2396]deceive[H5377] you: for he shall not be able[H3201] to deliver[H5337] you out of his hand[H3027]:
30
Neither let Hezekiah[H2396] make you trust[H982] in the LORD[H3068], saying[H559], The LORD[H3068] will surely[H5337]deliver[H5337] us, and this city[H5892] shall not be delivered[H5414] into the hand[H3027] of the king[H4428] of Assyria[H804].
31Hearken[H8085] not to Hezekiah[H2396]: for thus saith[H559] the king[H4428] of Assyria[H804], Make[H6213] an agreement with me by a present[H1293], and come out[H3318] to me, and then eat[H398] ye every man[H376] of his own vine[H1612], and every one[H376] of his fig tree[H8384], and drink[H8354] ye every one[H376] the waters[H4325] of his cistern[H953]:
32
Until I come[H935] and take you away[H3947] to a land[H776] like your own land[H776], a land[H776] of corn[H1715] and wine[H8492], a land[H776] of bread[H3899] and vineyards[H3754], a land[H776] of oil[H3323]olive[H2132] and of honey[H1706], that ye may live[H2421], and not die[H4191]: and hearken[H8085] not unto Hezekiah[H2396], when he persuadeth[H5496] you, saying[H559], The LORD[H3068] will deliver[H5337] us.
33
Hath any[H376] of the gods[H430] of the nations[H1471]delivered[H5337] at all[H5337] his land[H776] out of the hand[H3027] of the king[H4428] of Assyria?[H804]
34
Where are the gods[H430] of Hamath[H2574], and of Arpad?[H774] where are the gods[H430] of Sepharvaim[H5617], Hena[H2012], and Ivah?[H5755] have they delivered[H5337]Samaria[H8111] out of mine hand?[H3027]
35
Who are they among all the gods[H430] of the countries[H776], that have delivered[H5337] their country[H776] out of mine hand[H3027], that the LORD[H3068] should deliver[H5337]Jerusalem[H3389] out of mine hand?[H3027]
36
But the people[H5971] held their peace[H2790], and answered[H6030] him not a word[H1697]: for the king's commandment[H4687] was, saying[H559], Answer[H6030] him not.
37
Then came[H935]Eliakim[H471] the son[H1121] of Hilkiah[H2518], which was over the household[H1004], and Shebna[H7644] the scribe[H5608], and Joah[H3098] the son[H1121] of Asaph[H623] the recorder[H2142], to Hezekiah[H2396] with their clothes[H899]rent[H7167], and told[H5046] him the words[H1697] of Rabshakeh[H7262].