2 Kings 18 :: Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)

Hezekiah Reigns over Judah

(2Ch 29:1, 2; 31:1 )

Now it happened^H1961 in the third^H7969 year^H8141 of Hoshea^H1954, the son^H1121 of Elah^H425 king^H4428 of Israel^H3478, that Hezekiah^H2396 the son^H1121 of Ahaz^H271 king^H4428 of Judah^H3063 became^H4427 king^H4427.

2Ki 18:2

2Ki 18:2He was twenty-five years old when he became king; and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Abi, the daughter of Zechariah.

2Ki 18:3

2Ki 18:3And he did what was right in the sight of Yahweh, according to all that David his father had done.

2Ki 18:4

2Ki 18:4He took away the high places and shattered the sacred pillars and cut down the [fn]Asherah. And he broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the sons of Israel were burning incense to it; and it was called [fn]Nehushtan.

2Ki 18:5

2Ki 18:5He trusted in Yahweh, the God of Israel; so that after him there was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor among those who were before him.

2Ki 18:6

2Ki 18:6So he clung to Yahweh; he did not turn away from following Him, but kept His commandments, which Yahweh had commanded Moses.

Hezekiah Prospers

2Ki 18:7

2Ki 18:7And Yahweh was with him; wherever he went he prospered. And he rebelled against the king of Assyria and did not serve him.

2Ki 18:8

2Ki 18:8He struck the Philistines as far as Gaza and its territory, from watchtower to fortified city.

2Ki 18:9

Now in the fourth^H7243 year^H8141 of King^H4428 Hezekiah^H2396, which^H1931 was the seventh^H7637 year^H8141 of Hoshea^H1954 son^H1121 of Elah^H425 king^H4428 of Israel^H3478, Shalmaneser^H8022 king^H4428 of Assyria^H804 came^H5927 up^H5927 against^H5921 Samaria^H8111 and besieged^H6696^H5921 it.

2Ki 18:10

2Ki 18:10And at the end of three years they captured it; in the sixth year of Hezekiah, which was the ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel, Samaria was captured.

2Ki 18:11

2Ki 18:11Then the king of Assyria took Israel away into exile to Assyria, and put them in Halah and on the Habor, the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes,

2Ki 18:12

2Ki 18:12because they did not listen to the voice of Yahweh their God, but trespassed against His covenant, even all that Moses the servant of Yahweh commanded; they would neither listen nor do it.

Sennacherib Comes Up Against Judah

2Ki 18:13

Now in the fourteenth^H702^H6240 year^H8141 of King^H4428 Hezekiah^H2396, Sennacherib^H5576 king^H4428 of Assyria^H804 came^H5927 up^H5927 against^H5921 all^H3605 the fortified^H1219 cities^H5892 of Judah^H3063 and seized^H8610 them.

2Ki 18:14

2Ki 18:14Then Hezekiah king of Judah sent to the king of Assyria at Lachish, saying, “I have done wrong. Turn away from me; whatever penalty you give to me I will bear.” So the king of Assyria set a penalty on Hezekiah king of Judah [fn]three hundred talents of silver and [fn]thirty talents of gold.

2Ki 18:15

2Ki 18:15Thus Hezekiah gave him all the silver which was found in the house of Yahweh and in the treasuries of the king’s house.

2Ki 18:16

2Ki 18:16At that time Hezekiah cut off the gold from the doors of the temple of Yahweh and from the doorposts, which Hezekiah king of Judah had overlaid, and gave it to the king of Assyria.

(Isa 36:2–22; 2Ch 32:9–15 )

2Ki 18:17

Then the king^H4428 of Assyria^H804 sent^H7971 Tartan^H8661 and Rab-saris^H7249 and Rabshakeh^H7262 from Lachish^H3923 to King^H4428 Hezekiah^H2396 with a heavy^H3515 military^H2428 force^H2428 to Jerusalem^H3389. So they went^H5927 up^H5927 and came^H935 to Jerusalem^H3389. And when they went^H5927 up^H5927, they came^H935 and stood^H5975 by the conduit^H8585 of the upper^H5945 pool^H1295, which^H834 is on the highway^H4546 of the [fn]fuller’s^H3526 field^H7704.

2Ki 18:18

2Ki 18:18Then they called to the king, and Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebnah the scribe and Joah the son of Asaph the recorder, came out to them.

2Ki 18:19

Then Rabshakeh^H7262 said^H559 to them, “Say^H559 now^H4994 to Hezekiah^H2396, ‘Thus^H3541 says^H559 the great^H1419 king^H4428, the king^H4428 of Assyria^H804, “What^H4100 is this^H2088 trust^H986 that you have^H982?

2Ki 18:20

2Ki 18:20“You say (but they are [fn]only empty words), ‘I have counsel and might for the war.’ Now on whom do you trust, that you have rebelled against me?

2Ki 18:21

2Ki 18:21“Now behold, you [fn]trust in the staff of this crushed reed, even on Egypt; on which if a man leans, it will go into his [fn]hand and pierce it. So is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who trust in him.

2Ki 18:22

2Ki 18:22“But if you say to me, ‘We trust in Yahweh our God,’ is it not 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’?

2Ki 18:23

2Ki 18:23“So now, [fn]come, make a bargain with my master the king of Assyria, and I will give you two thousand horses, if you are able on your part to give riders for them.

2Ki 18:24

2Ki 18:24“How then can you [fn]turn away one [fn]official of the least of my master’s servants, and trust in Egypt for chariots and for horsemen?

2Ki 18:25

2Ki 18:25“So now, have I come up [fn]without the approval of Yahweh against this place to make it a ruin? Yahweh said to me, ‘Go up against this land and make it a ruin.’”’”

2Ki 18:26

Then Eliakim^H471 the son^H1121 of Hilkiah^H2518, and Shebnah^H7644 and Joah^H3098, said^H559 to Rabshakeh^H7262, “Speak^H1696 now^H4994 to your servants^H5650 in Aramaic^H762, for we [fn]understand^H8085 it; and do not speak^H1696 with us in [fn]Judean^H3066 in the hearing^H241 of the people^H5971 who^H834 are on the wall^H2346.”

2Ki 18:27

2Ki 18:27But Rabshakeh said to them, “Has my master sent me only to your master and to you to speak these words, and not to the men who sit on the wall, doomed to eat their own dung and drink their own urine with you?”

2Ki 18:28

Then Rabshakeh^H7262 stood^H5975 and cried^H7121 with a loud^H1419 voice^H6963 in Judean^H3066, [fn]saying^H1696^H559, “Hear^H8085 the word^H1697 of the great^H1419 king^H4428, the king^H4428 of Assyria^H804.

2Ki 18:29

2Ki 18:29“Thus says the king, ‘Do not let Hezekiah deceive you, for he will not be able to deliver you from [fn]his hand;

2Ki 18:30

2Ki 18:30and do not let Hezekiah make you trust in Yahweh, saying, “Yahweh will surely deliver us, and this city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.”

2Ki 18:31

2Ki 18:31‘Do not listen to Hezekiah, for thus says the king of Assyria, “[fn]Make your peace with me and come out to me, and eat each of his vine and each of his fig tree and drink each of the waters of his own cistern,

2Ki 18:32

2Ki 18:32until 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 oil and honey, that you may live and not die.” But do not listen to Hezekiah when he misleads you, saying, “Yahweh will deliver us.”

2Ki 18:33

2Ki 18:33‘Has any one of the gods of the nations delivered his land from the hand of the king of Assyria?

2Ki 18:34

2Ki 18:34‘Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and [fn]Ivvah? When have they delivered Samaria from my hand?

2Ki 18:35

2Ki 18:35‘Who among all the gods of the lands [fn]have delivered their land from my hand, that Yahweh would deliver Jerusalem from my hand?’”

2Ki 18:36

But the people^H5971 were^H2790 silent^H2790 and answered^H6030 him not a word^H1697, for the king’s^H4428 commandment^H4687 was, “Do not answer^H6030 him.”

2Ki 18:37

2Ki 18:37Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebna the scribe and Joah the son of Asaph, the recorder, came to Hezekiah with their clothes torn and told him the words of Rabshakeh.