Chapter 18 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.
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 Abai, the daughter of Zechariah, and he did that
which was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that David his father
did.
He removed the high places, and break the images, and cut down the groves,
and break in pieces the brass and serpent that Moses had made.
For unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it, and he called it
Nehushtan, 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.
For he claimed to the Lord, and departed not from following him, but kept his
commandments, which the Lord commanded Moses, 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.
He smote the Philistines, even unto Gaza and the borders thereof, from the tower of
the watchman to the fenced city.
And it came to pass in the fourth year of king Hezekiah, which was the seventh year
of Hosea son of Elah king of Israel, that Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up
against Samaria and besieged it.
And at the end of three years they took it.
Even in the sixth year of Hezekiah, that is the ninth year of Hosea king of
Israel, Samaria was taken.
And the king of Assyria did carry away Israel unto Assyria, and put them in Hela
and in Hebor, by the river of Gozan and in the cities of the Medes.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
And the king of Assyria sent Tartan and Rabsiris and Rabshaka 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.
And when they had called to the king, they 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.
And Rabshaka said unto them, Speak ye now to Hezekiah.
Thus saith the great king, the king of Assyria, What confidence is this wherein
thou trustest?
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?
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.
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?
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.
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?
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.
Then said Eliakim, the son of Hilkiah, and Shebna, and Joah, unto Rapshachah,
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.
But Rapshachah 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?
Then Rapshachah 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.
Thus saith the king, Let not Hezekiah deceive you, for he shall not be able to
deliver you out of his hand.
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.
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, 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.
Hath any of the gods of the nations delivered at all his land out of the hand
of the king of Assyria?
Where are the gods of Hamath, and of Arpad?
Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hannah, and Iva?
Have they delivered Samaria out of mine hand?
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?
But the people held their peace, and answered him not a word.
For the king's commandment was, saying, Answer him not.
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.