2 Kings 18:1–20

Judah’s King Hezekiah

18In the third year of Israel’s King Hoshea ^zson of Elah, Hezekiah ^ason of Ahaz became king of Judah. ²He was 25 years old when he became king and reigned 29 years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Abi ^bdaughter of Zechariah. ³He did what was right in the Lord’s sight just as his ancestor David had done. ^c4He removed the high places, shattered the sacred pillars, and cut down the Asherah poles. ^dHe broke into pieces the bronze snake that Moses made, ^efor the Israelites burned incense to it up to that time. He called it Nehushtan. ^f

⁵Hezekiah trusted in the Lord God of Israel; ^gnot one of the kings of Judah was like him, either before him or after him. ^h6He remained faithful to Yahweh ⁱand did not turn from following Him but kept the commands the Lord had commanded Moses.

⁷The Lord was with him, and wherever he went he prospered. ^jHe rebelled against the king of Assyria and did not serve him. ^k8He defeated the Philistines as far as Gaza and its borders, ^lfrom watchtower ^mto fortified city.

Review of Israel’s Fall

⁹In the fourth year of King Hezekiah, which was the seventh year of Israel’s King Hoshea son of Elah, Shalmaneser king of Assyria marched against Samaria and besieged it. ⁿ¹⁰The Assyrians captured it at the end of three years. In the sixth year of Hezekiah, which was the ninth year of Israel’s King Hoshea, Samaria was captured. ¹¹The king of Assyria deported the Israelites to Assyria and put them in Halah and by the Habor, Gozan’s river, and in the cities of the Medes, ^o12because they did not listen to the voice of the Lord their God but violated His covenant—all He had commanded Moses the servant of the Lord. They did not listen, and they did not obey. ^p

Sennacherib’s Invasion

¹³In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria attacked all the fortified cities of Judah and captured them. ^q14So Hezekiah king of Judah sent word to the king of Assyria at Lachish, ^rsaying, “I have done wrong; ^swithdraw from me. Whatever you demand from me, I will pay.” The king of Assyria demanded 11 tons ^tof silver and one ton ^uof gold from King Hezekiah of Judah. ¹⁵So Hezekiah gave him all the silver found in the Lord’s temple and in the treasuries of the king’s palace.

¹⁶At that time Hezekiah stripped the gold from the doors of the Lord’s sanctuary and from the doorposts he had overlaid and gave it to the king of Assyria. ^v

¹⁷Then the king of Assyria sent the Tartan, ^wthe Rab-saris, and the Rabshakeh, along with a massive army, from Lachish to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem. ^xThey advanced and came to Jerusalem, and ^ythey took their position by the aqueduct of the upper pool, which is by the highway to the Fuller’s Field. ^z18Then they called for the king, but Eliakim ^ason of Hilkiah, who was in charge of the palace, Shebnah ^bthe court secretary, and Joah son of Asaph, the court historian, came out to them. ^c

The Rabshakeh’s Speech

¹⁹Then ^dthe Rabshakeh said to them, “Tell Hezekiah this is what the great king, the king of Assyria, says: ‘What are you relying on? ^ef20You think mere words are strategy and strength for war. What are you now relying on so that you have rebelled against me? ^g