2 Kings

18 And it came to pass, in the third year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, that Hezekiah son of Ahaz king of Judah began to reign.

2 Twenty-five years old was he when he began to reign, and twenty-nine years reigned he in Jerusalem,—and his mother’s name was Abi, daughter of Zachariah.

3 And he did that which was right in the eyes of Yahweh,—according to all that David his father did.

4 He removed the high places, and brake in pieces the pillars, and cut down the Sacred Stem,—and beat in pieces the serpent of bronze that Moses had made, because until those days had the sons of Israel been burning incense thereunto, so he called it Nehushtan.

5 In Yahweh, God of Israel, did he trust,—so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor that were before him;

6 and he did cleave unto Yahweh, he turned not away from following him,—but kept his commandments, which Yahweh commanded Moses.

7 So Yahweh was with him, whithersoever he went forth he prospered,—and he rebelled against the king of Assyria, and served him not.

8 He smote the Philistines as far as Gazah, and her boundaries,—from the watchmen’s tower even to the fortified city.

9 And it came to pass in the fourth year of King Hezekiah—the same was the seventh year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, that Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up against Samaria, and laid siege against it;

10 and he captured it at the end of three years, in the sixth year of Hezekiah,—the same is the ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel, was Samaria captured.

11 So the king of Assyria drave away Israel to Assyria,—and settled them in Halah, and in Habor, by the river of Gozan, and the mountains of Media:

12 because they hearkened not unto the voice of Yahweh their God, but transgressed his covenant, all that Moses the servant of Yahweh commanded,—they neither hearkened nor performed.

13 And in the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, came up Sennacherib king of Assyria, against all the fortified cities of Judah, and took them.

14 Then sent Hezekiah king of Judah unto the king of Assyria, to Lachish, saying—I have sinned, Return from me, What thou shalt lay upon me, I will bear. So the king of Assyria appointed unto Hezekiah king of Judah, three hundred talents of silver, and thirty talents of gold.

15 And Hezekiah delivered up all the silver that was found in the house of Yahweh, and in the treasuries of the house of the king.

16 At that time, Hezekiah cut off the doors of the temple of Yahweh, and the columns, which Hezekiah king of Judah had overlaid,—and gave them unto the king of Assyria.

17 And the king of Assyria sent Tartan and Rab-saris and Rab-shakeh, from Lachish unto King Hezekiah, with a heavy force to Jerusalem,—so they came up and drew near to Jerusalem, and took their stand by the upper channel of the pool, which is in the highway of the fuller’s field.

18 Then called they for the king, and there went out unto them Eliakim son of Hilkiah, who was over the household,—and Shebnah the scribe, and Joah son of Asaph the recorder.

19 And Rab-shakeh said unto them—Pray you, say unto Hezekiah,—Thus saith the great king, the king of Assyria, What trust is this wherewith thou dost trust?

20 Thou hast said—they are only words of the lips!—Counsel and might [have I] for the war. Now in whom dost thou trust, that thou hast rebelled against me?

21 Now lo! thou dost trust thyself on the support of this bruised cane, on Egypt, whereon if a man lean it will enter his hand and lay it open,—so is Pharaoh king of Egypt, to all who trust upon him.

22 But if ye should say unto me, In Yahweh our God do we trust, Then is that not he whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah hath removed, and said unto Judah, and unto Jerusalem—Before this altar shall ye bow down in Jerusalem?

23 Now therefore pledge thyself, I pray thee, with my lord the king of Assyria,—That I supply thee with two thousand horses, If thou on thy part be able to set riders upon them.

24 How then wilt thou turn back the face of one pasha of the least of my lord’s servants? Or hast thou on thy part trusted to Egypt for chariots and for horsemen?

25 Now is it without Yahweh that I have come up against this place to destroy it? Yahweh himself said unto me, Go thou up against this land and destroy it.

26 Then said Eliakim son of Hilkiah, and Shebnah, and Joah, unto Rab-shakeh: Speak, we pray thee, unto thy servants in the Syrian language, for we can understand it,—And do not speak with us in the Jews’ language, in the ears of the people who are upon the wall.

27 But Rab-shakeh said unto them—Is it concerning thy lord, and concerning thee, that my lord hath sent me to speak these things? Is it not concerning the men who are tarrying upon the wall, that they may eat their own dung and drink their own water with you?

28 So then Rab-shakeh took his stand, and cried out with a loud voice in the Jews’ language,—and spake, and said, Hear ye the message of the great king, the king of Assyria:—

29 Thus saith the king: Let not Hezekiah deceive you, for he shall not be able to deliver you out of his hand;

30 Neither let Hezekiah cause you to trust in Yahweh, saying, Yahweh will certainly deliver us,—this city, therefore, shall not be given over into the hand of the king of Assyria.

31 Do not hearken unto Hezekiah,—for thus saith the king of Assyria, Deal with me thankfully, and come out unto me, Then shall ye eat—Every one of his own vine, And every one of his own fig-tree, And drink every one the waters of his own cistern;

32 Until I come and take you into a land like your own land—A land of corn and new wine, A land of bread and vineyards, A land of oil olive and honey, So shall ye live, and not die,—But do not hearken unto Hezekiah For he would persuade you, saying, Yahweh will deliver us!

33 Have the gods of the nations at all delivered any one of them his country out of the hand of the king of Assyria?

34 Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena and Ivvah? Yea, did they deliver 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 command of the king it was, saying—Ye must not answer him.

37 Then came in Eliakim son of Hilkiah who was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah son of Asaph the recorder, unto Hezekiah with rent clothes,—and they told him the words of Rab-shakeh.