2 Kings 18:1–8

Hezekiah Reigns in Judah

18^hIn the third year of Hoshea son of Elah, king of Israel, ⁱHezekiah the son of Ahaz, king of Judah, began to reign. ²He was ^jtwenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was ^kAbi the daughter of Zechariah. ^3lAnd he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, according to all that David his father had done. ^4mHe removed the high places and broke the ⁿpillars and cut down ^othe Asherah. And he broke in pieces ^pthe bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the people of Israel had made offerings to it (it was called Nehushtan).^{1 5q}He trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel, ^rso that there was none like him among all the kings of Judah after him, nor among those who were before him. ^6sFor he held fast to the Lord. He did not depart from following him, but kept the commandments that the Lord commanded Moses. ^7tAnd the Lord was with him; wherever he went out, ^uhe prospered. He rebelled against the king of Assyria and would not serve him. ^8vHe struck down the Philistines as far as Gaza and its territory, ^wfrom watchtower to fortified city.