2 Kings 18

2 Kings Chapter 18 KJV

1Hezekiah's good reign. 4He abolisheth idolatry, and prospereth. 9In his time Samaria is taken, and Israel carried away captive for their sins. 13Sennacherib invadeth Judah, and receiveth the appointed tribute from Hezekiah. 17He sendeth Rab-shakeh, who insulteth Hezekiah, 28and in a blasphemous speech soliciteth the people to revolt.
1 Now it came to pass in 1the third year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, that aHezekiah the son of Ahaz king of Judah began to reign.
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 aAbi, the daughter of Zachariah.
3 And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, 1according to all that David his father did.
4 ¶ He 1removed the high places, and brake the aimages, and cut down the 2groves, and brake in pieces the 3brasen serpent that Moses had made: for unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it: and he called it bNehushtan.
5 He 1trusted in the Lord God of Israel; 2so that after him was 3none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor any that were before him.
6 For he 1clave to the Lord, and departed not afrom following him, but kept his commandments, which the Lord commanded Moses.
7 And the Lord was 1with him; and he prospered whithersoever he went forth: and he 2rebelled against the king of Assyria, and served him not.
8 He 1smote the Philistines, even unto aGaza, and the borders thereof, 2from the tower of the watchmen to the fenced city.
9 ¶ And 1it 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.
10 And at the 1end of three years they took it: even in the sixth year of Hezekiah, that is the ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel, Samaria was taken.
11 And the king of Assyria did carry away Israel unto Assyria, and 1put them in Halah and in Habor by the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes:
12 Because 1they 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.
13 ¶ Now 1in the fourteenth year of king Hezekiah did aSennacherib king of Assyria come up against all the fenced cities of Judah, and took them.
14 And Hezekiah king of Judah sent to the king of Assyria to 1Lachish, saying, 2I 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 3three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold.
15 And Hezekiah 1gave him all the silver that was found in the house of the Lord, and in the treasures of the king's house.
16 At that time did Hezekiah cut off the gold 1from the doors of the temple of the Lord, and from the pillars which Hezekiah king of Judah had overlaid, and gave it to athe king of Assyria.
17 ¶ And 1the king of Assyria sent 2Tartan and Rab-saris and Rab-shakeh from Lachish to king Hezekiah with a agreat host against Jerusalem. And they went up and came to Jerusalem. And when they were come up, they came and stood by the 3conduit of the upper pool, which is in the highway of the fuller's field.
18 And when they had called to the king, there came out to them 1Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, which was over the household, and Shebna the ascribe, and Joah the son of Asaph 2the recorder.
19 And Rab-shakeh said unto them, Speak ye now to Hezekiah, 1Thus saith the great king, the king of Assyria, 2What confidence is this wherein thou trustest?
20 Thou asayest, (but they are but bvain words,) cI have counsel and strength for the war. Now on whom ddost thou trust, that thou rebellest against me?
21 Now, behold, thou trustest upon 1the 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.
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 1taken away, and hath said to Judah and Jerusalem, Ye shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem?
23 Now therefore, I pray thee, give apledges 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.
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?
25 Am I now come up without the Lord against this place to destroy it? The Lord 1said to me, Go up against this land, and destroy it.
26 Then said Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, and Shebna, and Joah, unto Rab-shakeh, Speak, I pray thee, to thy servants 1in 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.
27 But Rab-shakeh 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 1eat their own dung, and drink atheir own piss with you?
28 Then 1Rab-shakeh 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:
29 Thus saith the king, Let not Hezekiah deceive you: for 1he shall not be able to deliver you out of his hand:
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.
31 Hearken not to Hezekiah: for thus saith the king of Assyria, aMake an agreement with me by a present, and come out to me, and then eat ye 1every man of his own vine, and every one of his fig tree, and drink ye every one the waters of his bcistern:
32 Until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, 1a 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 apersuadeth you, saying, The Lord will deliver us.
33 Hath any of the 1gods of the nations delivered at all his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria?
34 Where are the gods of 1Hamath, and of 2Arpad? where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivah? have they delivered Samaria out of mine hand?
35 Who are they among all the gods of the countries, 1that have delivered their country out of mine hand, that the Lord should deliver Jerusalem out of mine hand?
36 But the people held their peace, and answered him not a word: for the king's commandment was, saying, 1Answer him not.
37 Then came 1Eliakim 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 2clothes rent, and told him the words of Rab-shakeh.
2 Kings 18