2
Twenty and fiveyearsold was he when he began to reign; and he reignedtwenty and nineyears in Jerusalem. His mother'sname also was Abi, the daughter of Zachariah.
4
He removed the high places, and brake the images, and cut down the groves, and brake in pieces the brasenserpent that Moses had made: for unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it: and he called it Nehushtan.
9
And it came to pass in the fourthyear of kingHezekiah, which was the seventhyear of Hosheason of Elahking of Israel, that Shalmaneserking of Assyria came up against Samaria, and besieged it.
11
And the king of Assyria did carry awayIsrael 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 LORDcommanded, and would not hear them, nor do them.
14
And Hezekiahking of Judahsent 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 Assyriaappointed unto Hezekiahking of Judahthreehundredtalents of silver and thirtytalents of gold.
16
At that time did Hezekiah cut off the gold from the doors of the temple of the LORD, and from the pillars which Hezekiahking of Judah had overlaid, and gave it to the king of Assyria.
17
And the king of AssyriasentTartan and Rabsaris and Rabshakeh from Lachish to kingHezekiah with a greathost 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 upperpool, which is in the highway of the fuller'sfield.
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 Rabshakehsaid unto them, Speak ye now to Hezekiah, Thus saith the greatking, the king of Assyria, What confidence is this wherein thou trustest?
21
Now, behold, thou trustest upon the staff of this bruisedreed, even upon Egypt, on which if a manlean, it will go into his hand, and pierce it: so is Pharaohking 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 altarsHezekiah hath taken away, and hath said to Judah and Jerusalem, Ye shall worshipbefore 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 thousandhorses, if thou be able on thy part to setriders upon them.
26
Then saidEliakim the son of Hilkiah, and Shebna, and Joah, unto Rabshakeh,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 Rabshakehsaid unto them, Hath my mastersent 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?
30
Neither let Hezekiah make you trust in the LORD,saying, The LORD will surelydeliver 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 oilolive 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.
35
Who are they among all the gods of the countries, that have delivered their country out of mine hand, that the LORD should deliverJerusalem out of mine hand?
37
Then cameEliakim 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 clothesrent, and told him the words of Rabshakeh.