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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. |
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2 | Twenty and five years old was he when he began to reign; and
he reigned twenty and nine years in Jerusalem. His mother's
name also was Abi, the daughter of Zachariah. |
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3 | And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD,
according to all that David his father did. |
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4 | He removed the high places, and brake the images, and cut down
the groves, and brake in pieces the brasen serpent that Moses
had made: for unto those days the children of Israel did burn
incense to it: and he called it Nehushtan. |
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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. |
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6 | For he clave to the LORD, and departed not from following him,
but kept his commandments, which the LORD commanded Moses. |
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7 | And the LORD was with him; and he prospered whithersoever he
went forth: and he rebelled against the king of Assyria, and
served him not. |
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8 | He smote the Philistines, even unto Gaza, and the borders
thereof, from the tower of the watchmen to the fenced city. |
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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. |
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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. |
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11 | And the king of Assyria did carry away Israel unto Assyria,
and put them in Halah and in Habor by the river of Gozan, and
in the cities of the Medes: |
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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. |
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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. |
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14 | And Hezekiah king of Judah sent to the king of Assyria to
Lachish, saying, I have offended; return from me: that which
thou puttest on me will I bear. And the king of Assyria
appointed unto Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents of
silver and thirty talents of gold. |
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15 | And Hezekiah gave him all the silver that was found in the
house of the LORD, and in the treasures of the king's house. |
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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. |
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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's field. |
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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. |
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19 | And Rabshakeh said unto them, Speak ye now to Hezekiah, Thus
saith the great king, the king of Assyria, What confidence is
this wherein thou trustest? |
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20 | Thou sayest, (but they are but vain words,) I have counsel and
strength for the war. Now on whom dost thou trust, that thou
rebellest against me? |
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21 | Now, behold, thou trustest upon the staff of this bruised
reed, even upon Egypt, on which if a man lean, it will go into
his hand, and pierce it: so is Pharaoh king of Egypt unto all
that trust on him. |
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22 | But if ye say unto me, We trust in the LORD our God: is not
that he, whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah hath
taken away, and hath said to Judah and Jerusalem, Ye shall
worship before this altar in Jerusalem? |
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23 | Now therefore, I pray thee, give pledges to my lord the king
of Assyria, and I will deliver thee two thousand horses, if
thou be able on thy part to set riders upon them. |
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24 | How then wilt thou turn away the face of one captain of the
least of my master's servants, and put thy trust on Egypt for
chariots and for horsemen? |
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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. |
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26 | Then said Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, and Shebna, and Joah,
unto Rabshakeh, Speak, I pray thee, to thy 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. |
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27 | But Rabshakeh said unto them, Hath my master sent me to thy
master, and to thee, to speak these words? hath he not sent me
to the men which sit on the wall, that they may eat their own
dung, and drink their own piss with you? |
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28 | Then Rabshakeh stood and cried with a loud voice in the Jews'
language, and spake, saying, Hear the word of the great king,
the king of Assyria: |
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29 | Thus saith the king, Let not Hezekiah deceive you: for he
shall not be able to deliver you out of his hand: |
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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. |
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31 | Hearken not to Hezekiah: for thus saith the king of Assyria,
Make an agreement with me by a present, and come out to me,
and then eat ye every man of his own vine, and every one of
his fig tree, and drink ye every one the waters of his
cistern: |
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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 ye may live, and not die: and
hearken not unto Hezekiah, when he persuadeth you, saying, The
LORD will deliver us. |
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33 | Hath any of the gods of the nations delivered at all his land
out of the hand of the king of Assyria? |
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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 mine hand? |
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35 | Who are they among all the gods of the countries, that have
delivered their country out of mine hand, that the LORD should
deliver Jerusalem out of mine hand? |
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36 | But the people held their peace, and answered him not a word:
for the king's commandment was, saying, Answer him not. |
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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. |
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