2 Kings 18:1–8

Hezekiah Reigns over Judah

¹Now it happened ^ain the third year of Hoshea, the son of Elah king of Israel, that ^bHezekiah the son of Ahaz king of Judah became king.

²He was ^atwenty-five years old when he became king; and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Abi, the daughter of Zechariah.

^3aAnd he did what was right in the sight of Yahweh, according to all that David his father had done.

^4aHe took away the high places and shattered the sacred pillars and cut down the ¹Asherah. And he broke in pieces ^bthe bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the sons of Israel were burning incense to it; and it was called ²Nehushtan.

^5aHe trusted in Yahweh, the God of Israel; ^bso that after him there was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor among those who were before him.

⁶So he ^aclung to Yahweh; he did not turn away from following Him, but kept His commandments, which Yahweh had commanded Moses.

Hezekiah Prospers

^7aAnd Yahweh was with him; wherever he went he prospered. And ^bhe rebelled against the king of Assyria and did not serve him.

^8aHe struck the Philistines as far as Gaza and its territory, from ^bwatchtower to fortified city.