2 Kings 18
The Reign of
Hezekiah |
| 2 Chr. 29.1, 2 |
| 1 |
Now it came to pass in the third year of
Hoshe'a son of Elah king of Israel, that Hezeki'ah the son of
Ahaz king of Judah began to reign.
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| 2 |
Twenty and five years old was he when he
began to reign; and he reigned twenty and nine years in Jerusalem.
His mother's name also was Abi, the daughter of
Zachari'ah.
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| 3 |
And he did that which was right in
the sight of the LORD, according to all that
David his father did.
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| 4 |
He removed the high places, and brake the
images, and cut down the groves, and brake in pieces the brazen
serpent that Moses had made: Num. 21.9 for unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense
to it: and he called it Nehush'tan. 1
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| 5 |
He trusted in the LORD God of Israel; so that after him was none like
him among all the kings of Judah, nor any that were before
him.
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| 6 |
For he clave to the LORD, and departed not from following him, but
kept his commandments, which the LORD commanded
Moses.
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| 7 |
And the LORD was
with him; and he prospered whithersoever he went forth: and
he rebelled against the king of Assyria, and served him
not.
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| 8 |
He smote the Philistines, even unto Gaza, and the borders thereof, from the tower of the watchmen
to the fenced city.
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The Fall of
Samaria |
| 9 |
And it came to pass in the fourth year
of king Hezeki'ah, which was the seventh year of Hoshe'a son
of Elah king of Israel, that Shalmane'ser king of Assyria
came up against Samaria, and besieged it.
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| 10 |
And at the end of three years they took
it: even in the sixth year of Hezeki'ah, that is the
ninth year of Hoshe'a king of Israel, Samaria was taken.
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| 11 |
And the king of Assyria did carry away
Israel unto Assyria, and put them in Halah and in Habor by the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes:
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| 12 |
because they obeyed not the voice of the
LORD their God, but transgressed his covenant, and all that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded, and would not hear them, nor do them.
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The Invasion of
Sennacherib |
| 2 Chr. 32.1-19 · Is. 36.1-22 |
| 13 |
Now in the fourteenth year of king
Hezeki'ah did Sennach'erib king of Assyria come up against all the
fenced cities of Judah, and took them.
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| 14 |
And Hezeki'ah king of Judah sent 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 Assyria
appointed unto Hezeki'ah king of Judah three hundred talents of
silver and thirty talents of gold.
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| 15 |
And Hezeki'ah gave him all the
silver that was found in the house of the LORD,
and in the treasures of the king's house.
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| 16 |
At that time did Hezeki'ah cut off the
gold from the doors of the temple of the LORD, and from the pillars which Hezeki'ah king
of Judah had overlaid, and gave it to the king of Assyria.
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| 17 |
And the king of Assyria sent Tartan and
Rab-sa'ris and Rab-sha'keh from Lachish to king Hezeki'ah with a
great host 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 upper pool, which is in the highway of the
fuller's field.
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| 18 |
And when they had called to the king,
there came out to them Eli'akim the son of Hilki'ah, which was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Jo'ah the
son of Asaph the recorder.
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| 19 |
And Rab-sha'keh said unto them, Speak
ye now to Hezeki'ah, Thus saith the great king, the king of Assyria,
What confidence is this wherein thou trustest?
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| 20 |
Thou sayest, (but they are but vain words,) I have counsel and strength for the war. Now on
whom dost thou trust, that thou rebellest against me?
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| 21 |
Now, behold, thou trustest upon the staff
of this bruised reed, even upon Egypt, on which if a man
lean, it will go into his hand, and pierce it: so is Pharaoh
king of Egypt unto all that trust on him.
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| 22 |
But if ye say unto me, We trust in the
LORD our God: is not that he, whose high
places and whose altars Hezeki'ah hath taken away, and hath said to
Judah and Jerusalem, Ye shall worship before this altar in
Jerusalem?
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| 23 |
Now therefore, I pray thee, give pledges
to my lord the king of Assyria, and I will deliver thee two thousand
horses, if thou be able on thy part to set riders upon
them.
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| 24 |
How then wilt thou turn away the face of
one captain of the least of my master's servants, and put thy trust
on Egypt for chariots and for horsemen?
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| 25 |
Am I now come up without the LORD against this place to destroy it? The LORD said to me, Go up against this land, and destroy
it.
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| 26 |
Then said Eli'akim the son of Hilki'ah,
and Shebna, and Jo'ah, unto Rab-sha'keh, 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.
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| 27 |
But Rab-sha'keh said unto them, Hath my
master sent 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?
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| 28 |
Then Rab-sha'keh stood and cried with a
loud voice in the Jews' language, and spake, saying, Hear the word
of the great king, the king of Assyria:
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| 29 |
thus saith the king, Let not Hezeki'ah
deceive you: for he shall not be able to deliver you out of his
hand:
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| 30 |
neither let Hezeki'ah make you trust in
the LORD, saying, The LORD will surely deliver us, and this city shall not be delivered into
the hand of the king of Assyria.
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| 31 |
Hearken not to Hezeki'ah: 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:
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| 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 oil olive and of honey, that ye may live, and
not die: and hearken not unto Hezeki'ah, when he persuadeth you,
saying, The LORD will deliver us.
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| 33 |
Hath any of the gods of the nations
delivered at all his land out of the hand of the king of
Assyria?
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| 34 |
Where are the gods of Hamath, and
of Arpad? where are the gods of Sepharva'im, Hena, and Ivah?
have they delivered Samaria out of mine hand?
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| 35 |
Who are they among all the gods of
the countries, that have delivered their country out of mine hand,
that the LORD should deliver Jerusalem out of
mine hand?
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| 36 |
But the people held their peace, and
answered him not a word: for the king's commandment was, saying,
Answer him not.
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| 37 |
Then came Eli'akim the son of Hilki'ah,
which was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and
Jo'ah the son of Asaph the recorder, to Hezeki'ah with their clothes rent, and told him the words of
Rab-sha'keh.
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