Bible, King James Version
2_Kings
2Kgs.18
[1] Now it came to pass in the third year of Hoshea son of
Elah king of Israel, that Hezekiah 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 Abi, the daughter of Zachariah.
[3] And he did that which was right in the sight of the
LORD, according to all that David his father did.
[4] He removed the high places, and brake the images, and
cut down the groves, and brake in pieces the brasen 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, nor any that
were before him.
[6] For he clave to the LORD, and departed not from
following him, but kept his commandments, which the LORD
commanded Moses.
[7] And the LORD was with him; and he prospered
whithersoever he went forth: and he rebelled against the king of
Assyria, and served him not.
[8] He smote the Philistines, even unto Gaza, and the
borders thereof, from the tower of the watchmen to the fenced
city.
[9] And it 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 end 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 put them in Halah and in Habor by the river of
Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes:
[12] Because they 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 in the fourteenth year of king Hezekiah did
Sennacherib 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 Lachish, saying, I 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 three hundred talents of
silver and thirty talents of gold.
[15] And Hezekiah gave 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 from the
doors of the temple of the LORD, and from the pillars which
Hezekiah king of Judah had overlaid, and gave it to the king of
Assyria.
[17] And the king of Assyria sent Tartan and Rabsaris and
Rab-shakeh 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 came and stood by the conduit 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 Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, which was over the household,
and Shebna the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph the
recorder.
[19] And Rab-shakeh said unto them, Speak ye now to
Hezekiah, Thus saith the great king, the king of Assyria, What
confidence is this wherein thou trustest?
[20] Thou sayest, (but they are but vain words,) I have
counsel and strength for the war. Now on whom dost thou trust,
that thou rebellest against me?
[21] Now, behold, thou trustest upon the 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 Pharoah 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, I pray thee, give pledges 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 said 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 in 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 eat their
own dung, and drink their own piss with you.
[28] Then Rab-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 he 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, Make an agreement with me by a present, and come out to
me, and then eat ye every man of his own vine, and every one of
his fig tree, and drink ye every one the waters of his
cistern:
[32] Until I come and take you away to a land like your
own 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 persuadeth you, saying,
The LORD will deliver us.
[33] Hath any of the gods of the nations delivered at all
his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria?
[34] Where are the gods of Hamath, and of Arpad? 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,
that 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, Answer him
not.
[37] 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 rent, and told him
the words of Rab-shakeh.
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