1 Now it happened 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 He
was twenty-five years old when he began to reign; and he reigned twenty-nine
years in Jerusalem: and his mother’s name was Abi the daughter of Zechariah.
3 He did that which was right in the eyes of Yahweh, according to all that
David his father had done. 4 He removed the high places, and broke the
pillars, and cut down the Asherah: and he 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 Yahweh, 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 joined with Yahweh;
he didn’t depart from following him, but kept his commandments, which Yahweh
commanded Moses. 7 Yahweh was with him; wherever he went forth he
prospered: and he rebelled against the king of Assyria, and didn’t serve him.
8 He struck the Philistines to Gaza and the borders of it, from the tower
of the watchmen to the fortified city. 9 It happened 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 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 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 didn’t obey the voice of Yahweh their God, but
transgressed his covenant, even all that Moses the servant of Yahweh
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 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. The king of Assyria appointed to
Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of
gold. 15 Hezekiah gave him all the silver that was found in the
house of Yahweh, 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 Yahweh,
and from the pillars which Hezekiah king of Judah had overlaid, and
gave it to the king of Assyria. 17 The king of Assyria sent Tartan and
Rabsaris and Rabshakeh from Lachish to king Hezekiah with a great army to
Jerusalem. They went up and came to Jerusalem. 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 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 Rabshakeh said to them,
Say you now to Hezekiah, Thus says the great king, the king of Assyria,
What confidence is this in which 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
on the staff of this bruised reed, even on Egypt; whereon if a man lean, it
will go into his hand, and pierce it: so is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who
trust on him. 22 But if you tell me, We trust in Yahweh 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, 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 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 Yahweh against this
place to destroy it? Yahweh 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, Please speak to your servants in the Syrian language; for we
understand it: and don’t speak with us in the Jews’ language, in the ears of
the people who 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? Hasn’t he
sent me to the men who 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, Don’t let Hezekiah
deceive you; for he will not be able to deliver you out of his hand:
30 neither let Hezekiah make you trust in Yahweh, saying, Yahweh will
surely deliver us, and this city shall not be given into the hand of the king
of Assyria. 31 Don’t listen to Hezekiah: for thus says the king of
Assyria, Make your peace with me, and come out to me; and eat you
everyone of his vine, and everyone of his fig tree, and everyone 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 trees and of honey, that you may live, and
not die: and don’t listen to Hezekiah, when he persuades you, saying, Yahweh
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
Yahweh 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, Don’t answer him. 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 torn, and told him the words of
Rabshakeh.
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