2 Kings 18 in plain modern English. New Ground English Translation.
In the third year of son of Elah, king of Israel, son of Ahaz became king of
He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he ruled in for twenty-nine years. His mother's name was Abi daughter of Zechariah.
He did what was in Yahweh's eyes, just like his ancestor had done.
He removed the smashed the and cut down the He also broke into pieces the that Moses had made, because up to that time the Israelites had been burning incense to it. It was called
Hezekiah in Yahweh, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah — not before him or after him.
He on to Yahweh and never stopped following him. He kept the that Yahweh had given Moses.
And was with He succeeded in everything he set out to do. He rebelled against the of and refused to serve
He struck down the all the way to Gaza and its territory, from the to the most
In the fourth year of King Hezekiah — which was the seventh year of Hoshea son of Elah, king of Israel — king of Assyria marched against and laid siege to it.
They captured it after three years. In the sixth year of Hezekiah—the ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel—Samaria fell.
The king of Assyria the Israelites to Assyria and resettled them in Halah, along the Habor River in Gozan, and in the cities of the
This happened because they did not listen to the voice of Yahweh their God. They his — everything that Moses, Yahweh's servant, had commanded. They would not listen and they would not obey.
In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, king of Assyria attacked all the fortified cities of Judah and captured them.
Hezekiah king of Judah sent word to the king of Assyria at "I was wrong to rebel. Withdraw from me, and I will pay whatever you demand." The king of Assyria demanded three hundred of silver and thirty of gold from Hezekiah.
Hezekiah handed over all the silver found in and in the royal palace treasuries.
It was at that time that Hezekiah the from the doors of Yahweh's temple and from the doorposts he himself had overlaid, and gave it to the king of Assyria.
But the king of Assyria sent his his and his from Lachish with a massive army to King Hezekiah in Jerusalem. They marched up and arrived at Jerusalem, and they took up a position by the aqueduct of the on the road to the Washerman's
They called for the king, and Eliakim son of Hilkiah, who was in of the came out to them, along with Shebna the court secretary and Joah son of Asaph, the official recorder.
The field commander said to them, "Tell Hezekiah: This is what the the of Assyria, says: 'What are you basing this of yours on?
You say you have strategy and military strength — but those are just Who exactly are you relying on, that you would rebel against me?
Look, you're leaning on Egypt — that of a walking stick. If anyone leans on it, it drives right into their hand and pierces it. That's what king of Egypt is to everyone who relies on him.
And if you tell me, 'We're relying on Yahweh our God' — isn't he the one whose hilltop shrines and altars Hezekiah removed, telling Judah and Jerusalem, 'You must only at this altar in Jerusalem'?
So come now, make a deal with my master the king of Assyria: I'll give you — if you can find enough riders to put on them!
How could you possibly turn back even the of my master's servants? And yet you're banking on Egypt for chariots and horsemen!
Besides, do you think I marched against this place to destroy it without Yahweh's backing? me, 'March against this land and destroy it.'"
Then Eliakim son of Hilkiah, along with Shebna and Joah, said to the field commander, "Please speak to us in — we understand it. Don't speak to us in where the people on the wall can hear you."
But the field commander said to them, "Do you think my master sent me to say these things only to you and your master? No — my message is also for the men sitting on the wall, who will end up their own and their own along with you."
Then the field commander stood and shouted in Hebrew at the top of his voice: "Listen to the message from the great king, the king of Assyria!
This is what the king says: 'Don't let Hezekiah deceive you. He cannot you from my power.
And don't let Hezekiah talk you into trusting Yahweh by saying, "Yahweh will definitely rescue us—this city will not be handed over to the king of Assyria."
Don't listen to Hezekiah! This is what the king of Assyria says: with me and come out to me. Then every one of you will eat from own and own and drink water from own cistern,
until I come and take you to a just own — a of grain and new wine, a of bread and vineyards, a of olive trees and honey. and listen to Hezekiah — he's misleading you when he says, 'Yahweh will rescue us.'
Has any god of any nation ever rescued its land from the grip of the king of Assyria?
Where are the gods of and Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah? Did they rescue from my power?
Among all the gods of these lands, which has their country from me? So why would Yahweh rescue Jerusalem from me?"
But the people and didn't say a word in response, because the king had ordered them, "Don't answer him."
Then Eliakim son of Hilkiah, who was in charge of the palace, along with Shebna the court secretary and Joah son of Asaph the recorder, went to Hezekiah with their and reported to him everything the field commander had said.