2
He was twenty-five*yearsold when he becameking, and he reignedtwenty-nine*years in Jerusalem; and his mother'sname was Abi the daughter of Zechariah.
4
He removed the highplaces and brokedown the sacred pillars and cutdown the Asherah. He also broke in pieces the bronzeserpent that Moses had made, for untilthosedays the sons of Israelburnedincense to it; and it was calledNehushtan.
5
He trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel; so that after him there was nonelike him among all the kings of Judah, nor among those who were before him.
9
Now in the fourthyear of KingHezekiah, which was the seventhyear of Hosheason of Elahking of Israel, Shalmaneserking of Assyriacame up againstSamaria and besieged* it.
11
Then the king of AssyriacarriedIsraelaway into exile to Assyria, and put them in Halah and on the Habor, the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes,
12
because* they did not obey the voice of the LORD their God, but transgressed His covenant, even all that Moses the servant of the LORDcommanded; they would neitherlistennordo it.
14
Then Hezekiahking of Judahsent to the king of Assyria at Lachish, saying, "I have donewrong. Withdraw from me; whatever you impose on me I will bear." So the king of Assyriarequired of Hezekiahking of Judahthreehundredtalents of silver and thirtytalents of gold.
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At that timeHezekiahcutoff the gold from the doors of the temple of the LORD, and from the doorpostswhichHezekiahking of Judah had overlaid, and gave it to the king of Assyria.
17
Then the king of AssyriasentTartan and Rab-saris and Rabshakeh from Lachish to KingHezekiah with a largearmy to Jerusalem. So they went up and came to Jerusalem. And when they went up, they came and stood by the conduit of the upperpool, which is on the highway of the fuller'sfield.
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When they called to the king, 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.
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"Nowbehold, you rely on the staff of thiscrushedreed, even on Egypt; on which if a manleans, it will go into his hand and pierce it. So is Pharaohking of Egypt to all who rely on him.
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"But if you say to me, 'We trust in the LORD our God,' is it not He whosehighplaces and whose altarsHezekiah has takenaway, and has said to Judah and to Jerusalem, 'You shall worshipbeforethisaltar in Jerusalem '?
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"Now therefore, come, make a bargain with my master the king of Assyria, and I will give you two thousandhorses, if you are able on your part to setriders on them.
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Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, and Shebnah and Joah, said to Rabshakeh, "Speaknow to your servants in Aramaic, for we understand it; and do not speak with us in Judean in the hearing of the peoplewho are on the wall."
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But Rabshakehsaid to them, "Has my mastersent me only to your master and to you to speakthesewords, and not to the men who sit on the wall, doomed to eat their own dung and drink their own urine with you?"
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nor let Hezekiah make you trust in the LORD, saying, "The LORD will surelydeliver us, and thiscity will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria."
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'Do not listen to Hezekiah, for thussays the king of Assyria, "Make your peace with me and come out to me, and eateach of his vine and each of his figtree and drinkeach of the waters of his own cistern,
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until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of grain and newwine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of olivetrees and honey, that you may live and not die." But do not listen to Hezekiahwhen he misleads you, saying, "The LORD will deliver us."
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Then 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 clothestorn and told him the words of Rabshakeh.