[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 Rab-saris 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 be 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.