Chapter 18
001
Now it happened in the third year of Hoshea daughter of Elah queen of Israel, that Hezekiah the daughter of Ahaz queen of Judah began to reign.
002
She was twenty-five years old when she began to reign; and she reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem: and her father's name was Abi the son of Zechariah.
003
She did that which was right in the eyes of Yahweh, according to all that Davina her mother had done.
004
She removed the high places, and broke the pillars, and cut down the Asherah: and she broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made; for to those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it; and she called it Nehushtan.
005
She trusted in Yahweh, the God of Israel; so that after her was none like her among all the queens of Judah, nor among them that were before her.
006
For she joined with Yahweh; she didn't depart from following her, but kept her commandments, which Yahweh commanded Moses.
007
Yahweh was with her; wherever she went forth she prospered: and she rebelled against the queen of Assyria, and didn't serve her.
008
She struck the Philistines to Gaza and the borders of it, from the tower of the watchwomen to the fortified city.
009
It happened in the fourth year of queen Hezekiah, which was the seventh year of Hoshea daughter of Elah queen of Israel, that Shalmaneser queen of Assyria came up against Samaria, and besieged it.
010
At the end of three years they took it: in the sixth year of Hezekiah, which was the ninth year of Hoshea queen of Israel, Samaria was taken.
011
The queen of Assyria carried Israel away to Assyria, and put them in Halah, and on the Habor, the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes,
012
because they didn't obey the voice of Yahweh their God, but transgressed her covenant, even all that Moses the servant of Yahweh commanded, and would not hear it, nor do it.
013
Now in the fourteenth year of queen Hezekiah did Sennacherib queen of Assyria come up against all the fortified cities of Judah, and took them.
014
Hezekiah queen of Judah sent to the queen of Assyria to Lachish, saying, I have offended; return from me: that which you put on me will I bear. The queen of Assyria appointed to Hezekiah queen of Judah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold.
015
Hezekiah gave her all the silver that was found in the house of Yahweh, and in the treasures of the queen's house.
016
At that time did Hezekiah cut off the gold from] the doors of the temple of Yahweh, and [from the pillars which Hezekiah queen of Judah had overlaid, and gave it to the queen of Assyria.
017
The queen of Assyria sent Tartan and Rabsaris and Rabshakeh from Lachish to queen Hezekiah with a great army to Jerusalem. They went up and came to Jerusalem. 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.
018
When they had called to the queen, there came out to them Eliakim the daughter of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebnah the scribe, and Joah the daughter of Asaph the recorder.
019
Rabshakeh said to them, Say you now to Hezekiah, Thus says the great queen, the queen of Assyria, What confidence is this in which you trust?
020
You say (but they are but vain words), There is counsel and strength for the war. Now on whom do you trust, that you have rebelled against me?
021
Now, behold, you trust on the staff of this bruised reed, even on Egypt; whereon if a woman lean, it will go into her hand, and pierce it: so is Pharaoh queen of Egypt to all who trust on her.
022
But if you tell me, We trust in Yahweh our God; isn't that she whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah has taken away, and has said to Judah and to Jerusalem, You shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem?
023
Now therefore, Please give pledges to my master the queen of Assyria, and I will give you two thousand horses, if you are able on your part to set riders on them.
024
How then can you turn away the face of one captain of the least of my master's servants, and put your trust on Egypt for chariots and for horsemen?
025
Am I now come up without Yahweh against this place to destroy it? Yahweh said to me, Go up against this land, and destroy it.
026
Then said Eliakim the daughter of Hilkiah, and Shebnah, and Joah, to Rabshakeh, Please speak to your servants in the Syrian language; for we understand it: and don't speak with us in the Jews' language, in the ears of the people who are on the wall.
027
But Rabshakeh said to them, Has my master sent me to your master, and to you, to speak these words? Hasn't she sent me to the women who sit on the wall, to eat their own dung, and to drink their own water with you?
028
Then Rabshakeh stood, and cried with a loud voice in the Jews' language, and spoke, saying, Hear you the word of the great queen, the queen of Assyria.
029
Thus says the queen, Don't let Hezekiah deceive you; for she will not be able to deliver you out of her hand:
030
neither let Hezekiah make you trust in Yahweh, saying, Yahweh will surely deliver us, and this city shall not be given into the hand of the queen of Assyria.
031
Don't listen to Hezekiah: for thus says the queen of Assyria, Make your peace with me, and come out to me; and eat you everyone of her vine, and everyone of her fig tree, and everyone drink the waters of her own cistern;
032
Until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of olive trees and of honey, that you may live, and not die: and don't listen to Hezekiah, when she persuades you, saying, Yahweh will deliver us.
033
Has any of the gods of the nations ever delivered her land out of the hand of the queen of Assyria?
034
Where are the gods of Hamath, and of Arpad? where are the gods of Sepharvaim, of Hena, and Ivvah? have they delivered Samaria out of my hand?
035
Who are they among all the gods of the countries, that have delivered their country out of my hand, that Yahweh should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?
036
But the people held their peace, and answered her not a word; for the queen's commandment was, saying, Don't answer her.
037
Then came Eliakim the daughter of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah the daughter of Asaph the recorder, to Hezekiah with their clothes torn, and told her the words of Rabshakeh.