1Hezekiah's good reign. 4He abolisheth idolatry, and prospereth. 9In his time Samaria is taken, and Israel carried away captive for their sins. 13Sennacherib invadeth Judah, and receiveth the appointed tribute from Hezekiah. 17He sendeth Rab-shakeh, who insulteth Hezekiah, 28and in a blasphemous speech soliciteth the people to revolt.
1NOW it came to pass in athe third year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, that 1Hezekiah the son of Ahaz king of Judah began to reign.
1He is called Ezekias, 2Ch. 28.27; 29.1. 1Ch. 3.13. Mat. 1.9,10.
a ch. 16.2; 17.1.
2Twenty 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 2Abi, the daughter of Zachariah.
2Abijah, 2Ch. 29.1.
3And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, baccording to all that David his father did.
b 1Ki. 15.5,11; 22.43. ch. 20.3. 2Ch. 17; 19.
4¶He cremoved the high places, and brake the 3images, and cut down the dgroves, and brake in pieces the ebrasen serpent that Moses had made: for unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it: and he called it 4Nehushtan.
3Heb. statues. ch. 3.2; 10.26.
4That is, A piece of brass.
c De. 7.5. 1Ki. 15.12,14. ch. 23.4-20. 2Ch. 31.1. d Mi. 5.14. e Nu. 21.8,9. Je. 10.5.
5He ftrusted in the LORD God of Israel; gso that after him was hnone like him among all the kings of Judah, nor any that were before him.
f ch. 19.10. Job 13.15. Ps. 13.5; 2.12; 84.12. Is. 26.4. g ch. 23.25. h ch. 19.15; 20.3.
6For he i*clave to the LORD, and departed not 5from following him, but kept his commandments, which the LORD commanded Moses.
*clave-clung.
5Heb. from after him.
i De. 6.4; 10.12,20. Jos. 23.8. Ac. 11.23; 24.16. Lu. 1.6. 2Co. 1.12. 1Th. 2.10.
7And the LORD was jwith him; and he prospered whithersoever he went forth: and he krebelled against the king of Assyria, and served him not.
j Ge. 21.22. Nu. 24.18. 1Sa. 18.14. Ps. 60.12. Is. 41.10,14-16. Ro. 8.31. He. 13.6. k ch. 16.7.
8He lsmote the Philistines, even unto 6Gaza, and the borders thereof, mfrom the tower of the watchmen to the fenced city.
6Heb. Azzah. Jos. 15.47.
l Is. 14.29. 2Ch. 28.18. m ch. 17.9. Eze. 9.9.
9¶And nit came to pass in the fourth year of king Hezekiah, which was the seventh year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, that Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up against Samaria, and besieged it.
n ch. 17.3-7. 2Pe. 2.9.
10And at the oend of three years they took it: even in the sixth year of Hezekiah, that is the ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel, Samaria was taken.
o ch. 17.6. Ho. 13.16. Am. 3.12; 4.1,2,4; 6.7. Mi. 1.6-9.
11And the king of Assyria did carry away Israel unto Assyria, and pput them in Halah and in Habor by the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes:
p 1Ch. 5.26. ch. 17.6. Ho. 8.8,9; 9.3. Am. 5.27. 1Ki. 9.7; 14.15,16.
12Because qthey 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.
q ch. 17.7-23. Is. 1-3; 5; 9; 24; 28; 24.5,6. Am. 2-9. Mi. 1-3. Ho. 1-13; 4.1,2. De. 29.24-28. 1Ki. 9.6-9; 14.15,16. Je. 22.7-9.
13¶Now rin the fourteenth year of king Hezekiah did 7Sennacherib king of Assyria come up against all the fenced cities of Judah, and took them.
7Heb. Sanherib.
r 2Ch. 32.1. Is. 36.1.
14And Hezekiah king of Judah sent to the king of Assyria to sLachish, saying, tI have offended; return from me: that which thou puttest on me will I bear. And the king of Assyria appointed unto Hezekiah king of Judah uthree hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold.
s Jos. 10.3. 2Ch. 32.9. t v.7. Pr. 29.25. u ch. 23.33.
15And Hezekiah vgave him all the silver that was found in the house of the LORD, and in the treasures of the king's house.
v 1Ki. 15.18. ch. 12.18; 16.8. v.17.
16At that time did Hezekiah cut off the gold wfrom the doors of the temple of the LORD, and from the pillars which Hezekiah king of Judah had overlaid, and gave it to 8the king of Assyria.
8Heb. them.
w 1Ki. 6.35. 2Ch. 29.3.
17¶And xthe king of Assyria sent yTartan and Rab-saris and Rab-shakeh from Lachish to king Hezekiah with a 9great host against Jerusalem. And they went up and came to Jerusalem. And when they were come up, they came and stood by the z*conduit of the upper pool, which is in the highway of the *fuller's field.
9Heb. heavy.
*conduit-pipe or channel for carrying fluid.
*fuller-bleacher or cleaner of cloth.
x Mar. 6.26. Pr. 6.35. 2Ch. 32.9-22. Is. 36.2-37.38. y Is. 20.1. z Is. 7.3; 22.9. Ne. 3.15,16. 2Ch. 32.4,30. ch. 20.20.
18And when they had called to the king, there came out to them aEliakim the son of Hilkiah, which was over the household, and Shebna the 10scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph bthe recorder.
10Or, secretary. ch. 12.10; 19.2.
a Is. 22.15,19,20-24; 36.3. b 2Sa. 8.16.
19And Rab-shakeh said unto them, Speak ye now to Hezekiah, cThus saith the great king, the king of Assyria, dWhat confidence is this wherein thou trustest?
c Jude 16. ch. 19.23-26. Is. 17.10-14; 37.10-13,23-27. 2Ch. 32.10-16. d Is. 36.4,5. v.5. Ps. 42.3; 17.11; 78.19.
20Thou 11sayest, (but they are but 12vain words,) 13I have counsel and strength for the war. Now on whom 14dost thou trust, that thou rebellest against me?
11Or, talkest.
12Heb. word of the lips.
13Or, but counsel and strength are for the war. Pr. 21.30. Job 20.5.
14Heb. trustest thee.
21Now, behold, thou trustest upon ethe 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.
e Is. 36.6; 30.1-7; 31.1-3. Eze. 29.6,7.
22But if ye say unto me, We trust in the LORD our God: is not that he, whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah hath ftaken away, and hath said to Judah and Jerusalem, Ye shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem?
f v.4. 2Ch. 31.1; 32.12. Is. 36.7-10.
23Now therefore, I pray thee, give 15pledges 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.
15Or, hostages. ch. 14.14.
24How 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?
25Am I now come up without the LORD against this place to destroy it? The LORD gsaid to me, Go up against this land, and destroy it.
g 1Ki. 13.18. ch. 19.6,7,32-37. Is. 10.5,6; 7.17,18; 8.6-8.
26Then said Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, and Shebna, and Joah, unto Rab-shakeh, Speak, I pray thee, to thy servants hin 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.
h Ezr. 4.7. Da. 2.4.
27But Rab-shakeh 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 ieat their own dung, and drink 16their own piss with you?
16Heb. the water of their feet.
i ch. 6.25. De. 28.53-57. Ex. 15.9. 1Ki. 20.10. Ps. 73.8. Is. 36.10-13.
28Then jRab-shakeh 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:
j v.19. Is. 36.13-20. 2Ch. 32.16,18,19.
29Thus saith the king, Let not Hezekiah deceive you: for khe shall not be able to deliver you out of his hand:
k Da. 3.15,17; 6.27. Jn. 19.10,11. Re. 13.6.
30Neither let Hezekiah 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.
31Hearken not to Hezekiah: for thus saith the king of Assyria, 17Make an agreement with me by a present, and come out to me, and then eat ye levery man of his own vine, and every one of his fig tree, and drink ye every one the waters of his 18cistern:
17Or, Seek my favour. Heb. Make with me a blessing, Ge. 33.11. v.14-16.
18Or, pit.
l 1Ki. 4.25. Is. 36.16. Mi. 4.4. Zec. 3.10.
32Until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, ma 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 Hezekiah, when he 19persuadeth you, saying, The LORD will deliver us.
19Or, deceiveth.
m Ex. 3.8. De. 8.7,8; 32.13,14. Job 20.17.
33Hath any of the ngods of the nations delivered at all his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria?
n Is. 36.18-20; 37.10-12,18-20; 10.7-11; 44.9-19. De. 32.31. v.34,35. Ps. 115.3-8. Je. 10.2-16. ch. 19.10-13; 17.6,7,24,30,31.
34Where are the gods of oHamath, and of pArpad? where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivah? have they delivered Samaria out of mine hand?
o 1Ki. 8.65. p Is. 10.9. Je. 49.23.
35Who are they among all the gods of the countries, qthat have delivered their country out of mine hand, that the LORD should deliver Jerusalem out of mine hand?
q Je. 49.23. ch. 17.24,30,31; 19.12,13. Is. 10.7-11.
36But the people held their peace, and answered him not a word: for the king's commandment was, saying, rAnswer him not.
r Mat. 7.6. Pr. 26.4. Am. 5.13. Ps. 38.13,14; 39.1,2.
37Then came sEliakim 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 tclothes rent, and told him the words of Rab-shakeh.
s v.18,26. ch. 19.2. t Ge. 37.29,34. Mat. 26.65. 1Sa. 4.12. 2Sa. 1.11. ch. 19.1.