II Kings Chapter 18

II Kings Chapter 18
1 Now in the third year of Hoshea, son
of Elah king of Israel, Hezekiah the son
of Ahaz king of Judah began to reign.
2 He was five and twenty year old when
he began to reign, and reigned nine and
twenty year in Jerusalem. His mother's
name also was Abi the daughter of
Zachariah,
3 And he did uprightly in the sight of the
Lord, according to all that David his
father had done.
4 He took away the high places, and
break the images, and cut down the
groves, and break in pieces the brazen
serpent that Moses had made: for unto
those days the children of Israel did burn
incense to it, and he called it Nehushtan.
5 He trusted in the Lord God of Israel:
so that after him was none like him
among all the kings of Judah, neither
were there any such before him. 6 For he
clave to the Lord, and departed not from
him, but kept his commandments, which
the Lord had commanded Moses.
7 So the Lord was with him, and he
prospered in all things, which he took in
hand: also he rebelled against the king of
Assyria, and served him not. 8 He smote
the Philistines unto Gaza, and the coasts
thereof, from the watch tower unto the
defensed city.
9 And in the fourth year of king
Hezekiah, (which was the seventh year
of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel)
Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up
against Samaria, and besieged it.
10 And after three years they took it,
even in the sixth year of Hezekiah: that
is, the ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel
was Samaria taken.
11 Then 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, 12
Because they would not obey the voice
of the Lord their God, but transgressed
his covenant: that is, all that Moses the
servant of the Lord had commanded, and
would neither obey nor do them.
13 Moreover, in the fourteenth year of
king Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of
Assyria came up against all the strong
cities of Judah, and took them. 14 Then
Hezekiah king of Judah sent unto the king
of Assyria to Lachish, saying, I have
offended: depart from me, and what thou
layest upon me, I will bear it. And the
king of Assyria appointed unto Hezekiah
king of Judah three hundred talents of
silver, and thirty talents of gold.
15 Therefore Hezekiah gave all the
silver that was found in the house of the
Lord, and in the treasures of the king's
house.
16 At the same season did Hezekiah pull
off the plates of the doors of the temple
of the Lord, and the pillars (which the
said Hezekiah king of Judah had covered
over) and gave them to the king of
Assyria.
17 And the king of Assyria sent Tartan,
and Rab-saris, 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 stood by the
conduit of the upper pool, which is by
the path of the fuller's field, 18 And
called to the king. Then came out to them
Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, which was
steward of the house, and Shebnah the
chancellor, and Joah the son of Asaph
the recorder.
19 And Rabshakeh said unto them, Tell
ye Hezekiah, I pray you, Thus saith the
great king, even the great king of
Assyria, What confidence is this
wherein thou trustest?
20 Thou thinkest, Surely I have
eloquence, but counsel and strength are
for the war. On whom then dost thou
trust, that thou rebellest against me?
21 Lo, thou trustest now in this broken
staff of reed, to wit, on 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.
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?
23 Now therefore give hostages to my
lord the king of Assyria, and I will give
thee two thousand horses, if thou be able
to set riders upon them. 24 For how
canst thou despise any captain of the
least of my master's servants, and put thy
trust on Egypt for chariots and
horsemen?
25 Am I now come up without the Lord
to this place, to destroy it? The Lord
said to me, Go up against this land, and
destroy it.
26 Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, and
Shebna, and Joah said unto Rabshakeh,
Speak I pray thee, to thy servants in the
Aramites' [Syrians']
language, for we understand it, and talk
not with us in the Jews' tongue, in the
audience of the people that are on the
wall.
27 But Rabshakeh said unto them, Hath
my master sent me to thy master and to
thee to speak these words, and not to the
men which sit on the wall, that they may
eat their own dung, and drink their own
piss with you?
28 So Rabshakeh stood and cried with a
loud voice in the Jews' language, and
spake, saying, Hear the words of the
great king, of 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 mine hand.
30 Neither let Hezekiah make you to
trust in the Lord, saying, The Lord will
surely deliver us, and this city shall not
be given over into the hand of the king of
Assyria.
31 Hearken not unto Hezekiah: for thus
saith the king of Assyria, Make
appointment with me, and come out to
me, that every man may eat of his own
vine, and every man of his own fig tree,
and drink every man of the water of his
own well,
32 Till I come, and bring you to a land
like your own land, even a land of wheat
and wine, a land of bread and vineyards,
a land of olive oil, and honey, that ye
may live and not die: and obey not
Hezekiah, for he deceiveth you, saying,
The Lord will deliver us.
33 Hath any of the gods of the nations
delivered his land out of the hand of the
king of Assyria?
34 Where is the god of Hamah, and of
Arpad? Where is the god of Sepharvaim,
Hena and Ivah? How have they
delivered Samaria out of mine hand?
35 Who are they among all the gods of
the nations, that have delivered their
land out of mine hand, that the Lord
should deliver Jerusalem out of mine
hand?
36 But the people held their peace, and
answered not him a word: for the king's
commandment was, saying, Answer ye
him not.
37 Then Eliakim, the son of Hilkiah
which was steward of the house, and
Shebna the chancellor, and Joah the son
of Asaph the recorder came to Hezekiah
with their clothes rent, and told him the
words of Rabshakeh.