SECOND
KINGS
2 Kings Chapter 18
1
¶ Now Hezekiah the son of Ahaz king of
2
He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign; and he reigned
for twenty-nine years in
3
And he did what was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all
that David his ancestor had done.
4
He removed the high places, and broke the images, and cut down the groves, and
broke in pieces the brass serpent that Moses had made: for up to that time the
children of Israel burned incense to it: and they called it Nehushtan.
5
He trusted in the LORD God of
6
For he held fast to the LORD, and did not depart from following him, but
kept his commandments, as the LORD commanded Moses.
7
And the LORD was with him; and he prospered wherever he went: and he
rebelled against the king of
8
He conquered the Philistines, even to
9
¶ Now Shalmaneser the king of
10
And after three years they took it:
11
And the king of
12
Because they did not obey 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.
13
Now in the fourteenth year of king Hezekiah
Sennacherib the king of
14
Then Hezekiah the king of
15
And Hezekiah gave him all the silver that was found in the house of the
LORD, and in the treasures of the king’s palace.
16
At that time Hezekiah cut the gold off of the doors of the temple
of the LORD, and off the pillars which Hezekiah king of
17
¶ Then the king of
18
And when they called for the king, Eliakim the son of
Hilkiah, who was over the kings
household, Shebna the scribe, and Joah
the son of Asaph the recorder came out to them.
19
And Rabshakeh said to them, Say to Hezekiah, Thus
says the great king, the king of
20
You say, (but they are empty words,) I have counsel and strength
for the war. Now in whom do you trust, that you rebel
against me?
21
Now, you can see that when you trust in
22
But if you say to me, We trust in the LORD our God: is
it not he, whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah has taken away, and has
said to
23
Come now, make a wager with my lord the king of Assyria, I will give you two
thousand horses, if you are able on your part to put riders on them.
24
How then can you turn back the attack of one of the least of my master's
officers, as long as you put your trust in Egypt for chariots and for horsemen?
25
Now did I attack this place to destroy it without the consent of the LORD? The
LORD said to me, Go up against this land, and destroy
it.
26
Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah,
and Shebna, and Joah, said
to Rabshakeh, Please speak to your servants in the
Syrian language; for we understand it: and do not talk not with us in
the Hebrew language within the hearing of the people who are on the
wall.
27
But Rabshakeh said to them, Has
my master sent me to your master, and to you, to speak these words? has he not sent me to the men who sit
on the wall, that they may eat their own dung, and drink their own piss with
you?
28
Then Rabshakeh stood and shouted with a loud voice in
the Hebrew language, saying, Hear the word of the great king, the king of
29
Thus says the king, Do not allow Hezekiah to deceive you: for he will not be
able to deliver you out of my hand:
30
Nor let Hezekiah lead you to trust in the LORD, saying, The LORD will surely
deliver us, and this city will not be given into the hand of the king of
31
Do not listen to Hezekiah: for the king of Assyria says this, Make your
peace with me, and surrender to me, and then every one of you will
eat from his own vine, and every one from his own fig tree, and every
one of you will drink water from his own cistern:
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 honey, that you
may live, and not die: and do not listen to Hezekiah, when he urges you,
saying, The LORD will deliver us.
33
Have any of the gods of the nations ever delivered his land from the hand of
the king of
34
Where are the gods of Hamath, and of Arpad? where are the gods
of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivah? have they delivered
35
Who of all the gods of the countries, have delivered
their country out of my hand, that the LORD should deliver
36
But the people held their peace, and did not say a word in reply: for the
king’s order was, Do not answer him.
37
Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah,
who was over the king’s household, and Shebna
the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph
the recorder, returned to Hezekiah with their clothes torn, and told him
what Rabshakeh had said.