2Ki 18:2[fn]Five and twenty years old was he when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty and nine years in Jerusalem: and his mother's name was Abu, daughter of Zacharias.
2Ki 18:4He [fn]removed the high places, and broke in pieces the pillars, and utterly destroyed the groves, and the brazen serpent which Moses made: because until those days the children of Israel burnt incense to it: and he called it Neesthan.
2Ki 18:5He [fn]trusted in the Lord God of Israel; and after him there was not any like him among the kings of Juda, [fn]nor among those that were before him.
2Ki 18:9And it came to pass in the fourth year of king Ezekias (this is the seventh year of Osee son of Ela king of Israel,) that Salamanassar king of the Assyrians came up against Samaria, and besieged it.
2Ki 18:10And he took it [fn]at the end of three years, in the sixth year of Ezekias, (this is the ninth year of Osee king of Israel, when Samaria was taken.)
2Ki 18:11And the king of the Assyrians carried away the [fn]Samaritans to Assyria, and put them in Alaë and in Abor, by the river Gozan, and in the mountains of the Medes;
2Ki 18:12because they hearkened not to the voice of the Lord their God, and transgressed his covenant, even in all things that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded, and hearkened not to them, nor did them.
2Ki 18:14And Ezekias king of Juda sent messengers to the king of the Assyrians to Lachis, saying, I have offended; depart from me: whatsoever thou shalt lay upon me, I will bear. And the king of Assyria laid upon Ezekias king of Juda a tribute of three hundred talents of silver, and thirty talents of gold.
2Ki 18:16At that time Ezekias cut off the gold from the doors of the temple, and from the pillars which Ezekias king of Juda had overlaid with gold, and gave [fn]it to the king of the Assyrians.
2Ki 18:17And the king of the Assyrians sent Tharthan and Raphis and Rapsakes from Lachis to king Ezekias with a [fn]strong force against Jerusalem. And they went up and came to Jerusalem, and stood by the aqueduct of the upper pool, which is by the way of the fuller's field.
2Ki 18:18And they cried to Ezekias: and there came to him Heliakim the son of Chelcias the steward, and Somnas the scribe, and Joas the son of Saphat the recorder.
2Ki 18:19And Rapsakes said to them, Say now to Ezekias, Thus says the king, the great king of the Assyrians, What is this confidence wherein thou trustest?
2Ki 18:20Thou hast said, (but they are[fn]mere words,) I have counsel and strength for war. Now then [fn]in whom dost thou trust, that thou hast revolted from me?
2Ki 18:21See now, art thou trusting for thyself on this broken staff of reed, even upon Egypt? whosoever shall stay himself upon it, it shall even go into his hand, and pierce it: so is Pharao king of Egypt to all that trust on him.
2Ki 18:22And whereas thou hast said to me, We trust on the Lord God: is not this he, [fn]whose high places and altars Ezekias has removed, and has said to Juda and Jerusalem, Ye shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem?
2Ki 18:23And now, I pray you, make an agreement with my lord the king of the Assyrians, and I will give thee two thousand horses, if thou shalt be able on thy part to [fn]set riders upon them.
2Ki 18:24How then wilt thou turn away the face of one [fn]petty governor from among the least of my lord's servants? whereas thou trustest for thyself on Egypt for chariots and horsemen.
2Ki 18:26And Heliakim the son of Chelkias, and Somnas, and Joas, said to Rapsakes, Speak now to thy servants in the Syrian language, for we understand it; and speak not with us in the Jewish language: and why dost thou speak in the ears of the people that are on the wall?
2Ki 18:27And Rapsakes said to them, Has my master sent me to thy master, and to thee, to speak these words? has he not sent me to the men who sit on the wall, that they may eat their own dung, and drink their own water together with you?
2Ki 18:28And Rapsakes stood, and cried with a loud voice in the Jewish language, and spoke, and said, Hear the words of the great king of the Assyrians:
2Ki 18:30And let not Ezekias cause you to trust on the Lord, saying, The Lord will certainly deliver us; this city shall not be delivered [fn]into the hand of the king of the Assyrians: hearken not to Ezekias:
2Ki 18:31for thus says the king of the Assyrians, [fn]Gain my favour, and come forth to me, and every man shall drink of the wine of his own vine, and every man shall eat of his own fig-tree, and shall drink water out of his own cistern;
2Ki 18:32until I come and remove you to a land like your own land, a land of corn and wine, and bread and vineyards, a land of olive oil, and honey, and ye shall live and not die: and do not ye hearken to Ezekias, for he deceives you, saying, The Lord shall deliver you.
2Ki 18:35Who is there among all the gods of the countries, who have delivered their countries out of my hand, that the Lord [fn]should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?
2Ki 18:37And Heliakim the son of Chelcias, the steward, and Somnas the scribe, and Joas the son of Saphat the recorder came in to Ezekias, having rent their garments; and they reported to him the words of Rapsakes.
