¶ Now it came to pass in the third¹ year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, that Hezekiah² the son of Ahaz king of Judah began to reign.

Twenty and five years old⁴ was he when he began to reign; and he reigned twenty and nine years in Jerusalem. His mother's name also was Abi⁵, the daughter of Zachariah.

And he did that which was right in the sight⁷ of the LORD, according⁸ to all that David his father did.

He removed⁹ the high places, and brake¹⁰ the images¹¹, and cut down the groves, and brake in pieces the brasen serpent that Moses had made: for unto those days¹² the children of Israel did burn incense to it: and he called it Nehushtan¹³.

He trusted¹⁴ in the LORD God of Israel; so that after him¹⁵ was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor any that were before him.

For he clave¹⁶ to the LORD, and departed not from following him,¹⁷ but kept his commandments, which the LORD commanded Moses.

And the LORD¹⁸ was with him; and he prospered¹⁹ whithersoever he went forth: and he rebelled²⁰ against the king of Assyria, and served him not.

He smote the Philistines²¹, even unto Gaza²², and the borders thereof, from the tower of the watchmen to the fenced city.

¶ And it came to pass in the fourth year²³ of king Hezekiah, which was the seventh year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, that Shalmaneser²⁴ king of Assyria came up against Samaria, and besieged it.

¶ And at the end of three years they took it:²⁶ even in the sixth year of Hezekiah, that is the ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel, Samaria was taken.

And the king²⁷ of Assyria did carry away Israel unto Assyria, and put them in Halah²⁸ and in Habor by the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes:

Because they obeyed not²⁹ the voice of the LORD their God, but transgressed his covenant, and all that Moses³⁰ the servant of the LORD commanded, and would not hear them, nor do them.

Now in the fourteenth³¹ year of king Hezekiah did Sennacherib³² 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 offended³³; 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.

³⁴And 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 gold³⁵ from the doors of the temple of the LORD, and from the pillars which Hezekiah king of Judah had overlaid, and gave it³⁶ to the king of Assyria.

¶ And the king³⁷ of Assyria sent Tartan³⁸ and Rabsaris and Rabshakeh from Lachish to king Hezekiah with a great³⁹ 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, there came out to them Eliakim⁴⁰ the son of Hilkiah, which was over the household, and Shebna⁴¹ the scribe⁴², and Joah the son of Asaph the recorder⁴³.

And Rabshakeh⁴⁴ said unto them, Speak ye now to Hezekiah, Thus saith⁴⁵ the great king, the king of Assyria, What confidence⁴⁶ is this wherein thou trustest?

¶ Thou sayest⁴⁷, (but they are but vain words,) I have counsel and strength for the war. Now on whom dost thou trust, that thou rebellest⁴⁸ against me?

Now, behold, thou trustest⁴⁹ upon the staff of this bruised reed, even upon Egypt⁵⁰, on which if a man lean, it will go into his hand, and pierce it: so is Pharaoh⁵¹ king of Egypt unto all that trust on him.

But if ye say unto me, We trust⁵² in the LORD our God: is not that he, whose high places⁵³ 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 pledges⁵⁴ to my lord the king of Assyria, and I will deliver⁵⁵ thee two thousand horses, if thou be able on thy part to set riders upon them.

How then⁵⁶ wilt thou turn away the face of one captain of the least of my master's servants, and put thy trust⁵⁷ on Egypt for chariots⁵⁹ and for horsemen?

Am I now⁶⁰ 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 Rabshakeh, Speak⁶¹, I pray thee, to thy servants in the Syrian language⁶²; 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 Rabshakeh 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 eat⁶³ their own dung, and drink their own piss⁶⁴ with you?

Then Rabshakeh⁶⁵ stood and cried with a loud voice in the Jews' language, and spake, saying, Hear the word of the great king, the king of Assyria⁶⁶:

Thus saith⁶⁷ the king, Let not⁶⁸ Hezekiah deceive you: for he shall not be able to deliver you out of his hand:

¶ Neither let Hezekiah make you⁶⁹ trust in the LORD, saying, The LORD will surely deliver us, and this city⁷⁰ 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 me⁷¹ by a present, and come out to me, and then eat ye⁷² every man of his own vine, and every one of his fig tree, and drink ye every one the waters of his cistern⁷³:

Until I come⁷⁴ and take you away to a land like your own⁷⁵ 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 persuadeth⁷⁶ you, saying, The LORD will deliver us.

Hath any⁷⁷ of the gods of the nations delivered at all his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria?

Where are the gods⁷⁸ of Hamath⁷⁹, and of Arpad⁸⁰? where are the gods⁸¹ of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivah? have they delivered⁸³ Samaria out of mine hand?

Who are⁸⁴ they among all the gods of the countries, that have delivered their country out of mine hand, that the LORD⁸⁵ should deliver Jerusalem out of mine hand?

But the people held their peace⁸⁶, 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 rent⁸⁷, and told him the words of Rabshakeh.