18:1 And it came to pass in the third year
of Osee son of Ela king of Israel [that] Ezekias son of Achaz king of Judah
began to reign.
18:2 Five and twenty years old was he when he began to reign, and he reigned
twenty and nine years in Jerusalem: and his mother's name [was] Abu,
daughter of Zacharias.
18:3 And he did that which was right in the sight of Yehovah, according to
all that his father David did.
18:4 He removed the high places, and broke in pieces the pillars, and
utterly destroyed the groves, and the brazen serpent which Moses made:
because until those days the children of Israel burnt incense to it: and he
called it Neesthan.
18:5 He trusted in Yehovah Elohim of Israel; and after him there was not any
like him among the kings of Judah, nor among those that were before him.
18:6 And he clave to Yehovah, he departed not from following him; and he
kept his commandments, as many as he commanded Moses.
18:7 And Yehovah was with him; and he was wise in all that he undertook:
and he revolted from the king of the Assyrians, and served him not.
18:8 He smote the Philistines [even] to Gaza, and to the border of it, from
the tower of the watchmen even to the strong city.
18:9 And it came to pass in the fourth year of King Ezekias (this is the
seventh year of Osee son of Ela king of Israel,) [that] Salamanassar king of
the Assyrians came up against Samaria, and besieged it.
18:10 And he took it at the end of three years, in the sixth year of Ezekias,
(this [is] the ninth year of Osee king of Israel, when Samaria was taken.)
18:11 And the king of the Assyrians carried away the Samaritans to Assyria,
and put them in Alae and in Abor, [by] the river Gozan, and [in] the
mountains of the Medes;
18:12 because they hearkened not to the voice of Yehovah their Elohim, and
transgressed his covenant, [even] in all things that Moses the servant of
Yehovah commanded, and hearkened not [to them], nor did [them].
18:13 And in the fourteenth year of king Ezekias came up Sennacherim king of
the Assyrians against the strong cities of Judah, and took them.
18:14 And Ezekias king of Judah sent messengers to the king of the Assyrians
to Lachis, saying, I have offended; depart from me: whatsoever thou shalt
lay upon me, I will bear. And the king of Assyria laid upon Ezekias king of
Judah [a tribute of] three hundred talents of silver, and thirty talents of
gold.
18:15 And Ezekias gave all the silver that was found in the house of the
Lord, and in the treasures of the king's house.
18:16 At that time Ezekias cut off [the gold from] the doors of the temple,
and [from] the pillars which Ezekias king of Judah [had] overlaid with gold,
and gave it to the king of the Assyrians.
18:17 And the king of the Assyrians sent Tharthan and Raphis and Rapsakes
from Lachis to king Ezekias with a strong force against Jerusalem. And they
went up and came to Jerusalem, and stood by the aqueduct of the upper pool,
which is by the way of the fuller's field.
18:18 And they cried to Ezekias: and there came to him Heliakim the son of
Chelcias the steward, and Somnas the scribe, and Joas the son of Saphat the
recorder.
18:19 And Rapsakes said to them, Say now to Ezekias, Thus says the king, the
great king of the Assyrians, What [is] this confidence wherein thou trustest?
18:20 Thou hast said, (but [they are] mere words,) [I have] counsel and
strength for war. Now then in whom dost thou trust, that thou hast revolted
from me?
18:21 See now, art thou trusting for thyself on this broken staff of reed,
[even] upon Egypt? whosoever shall stay himself upon it, it shall even go
into his hand, and pierce it: so [is]Pharaoh king of Egypt to all that trust
on him.
18:22 And whereas thou hast said to me, We trust on Yehovah Elohim: [is] not
this he, whose high places and altars Ezekias has removed, and has said to
Judah and Jerusalem, Ye shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem?
18:23 And now, I pray you, make and agreement with my lord the king of the
Assyrians, and I will give thee two thousand horses, if thou shalt be able
on thy part to set riders upon them.
18:24 How then wilt thou turn away the face of one petty governor, from
among the least of my lord's servants? whereas thou trustest for thyself on
Egypt for chariots and horsemen.
18:25 And now have we come up without Yehovah against this place to destroy
it? Yehovah said to me, Go up against this land, and destroy it.
18:26 And Heliakim the son of Chelkias, and Somnas, and Joas, said to
Rapsakes, Speak now to thy servants in the Syrian language, for we
understand it; and speak not with us in the Jewish language: and why dost
thou speak in the ears of the people that are on the wall?
18:27 And Rapsakes said to them, Has my master sent me to thy master, and to
thee, 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 water together
with you.
18:28 And Rapsakes stood, and cried with a loud voice in the Jewish
language, and spoke, and said, Hear the words of the great king of the
Assyrians:
18:29 thus says the king, Let not Ezekias encourage you with words: for he
shall not be able to deliver you out of his hand.
18:30 And let not Ezekias cause you to trust on Yehovah, saying, Yehovah
will certainly deliver us; this city shall not be delivered into the hand of
the king of the Assyrians: hearken not to Ezekias:
18:31 for thus says the king of the Assyrians, Gain my favour, and come
forth to me, and every man shall drink [of the wine] of his own vine, and
every ma shall eat of his own fig-tree, and shall drink water out of his own
cistern;
18:32 until I come and remove you to a land like your own land, a land of
corn and wine, and bread and vineyards, a land of olive oil, and honey, and
ye shall live and not die: and do not ye hearken to Ezekias, for he deceives
you, saying, Yehovah shall deliver you.
18:33 Have the Elohims of the nations at all delivered each their own land out
of the hand of the king of the Assyrians?
18:34 Where is the god of Haemath, and of Arphad? where is the god of
Seppharvaim, Ana, and Aba? for have they delivered Samaria out of my hand?
18:35 Who [is there] among all the gods of the countries, who have delivered
their countries out of my hand, that Yehovah should deliver Jerusalem out
of my hand?
18:36 But [the men] were silent, and answered him not a word: for [there
was] a commandment of the king, saying, Ye shall not answer him.
18:37 And Heliakim the son of Chelcias, the steward, and Somnas the scribe,
and Joas the son of Saphat the recorder came in to Ezekias, having rent
their garments; and they reported to him the words of Rapsakes. |
18:1 Now it came to pass in the third year
of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, that Hezekiah the son of Ahaz king of
Judah began to reign.
18:2 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 Zachariah.
18:3 And he did that which was right in the sight of Yehovah, according to
all that David his father did.
18:4 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: for unto
those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it: and he called it
Nehushtan.
18:5 He trusted in Yehovah Elohim of Israel; so that after him was none like
him among all the kings of Judah, nor any that were before him.
18:6 For he clave to Yehovah, and departed not from following him, but kept
his commandments, which Yehovah commanded Moses.
18:7 And Yehovah was with him; and he prospered whithersoever he went
forth: and he rebelled against the king of Assyria, and served him not.
18:8 He smote the Philistines, even unto Gaza, and the borders thereof, from
the tower of the watchmen to the fenced city.
18:9 And it 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.
18:10 And at the end of three years they took it: even in the sixth year of
Hezekiah, that is in the ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel, Samaria was
taken.
18:11 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:
18:12 Because they obeyed not the voice of Yehovah their Elohim, but
transgressed his covenant, and all that Moses the servant of Yehovah
commanded, and would not hear them, nor do them.
18:13 Now in the fourteenth year of king Hezekiah did Sennacherib king of
Assyria come up against all the fenced cities of Judah, and took them.
18:14 And Hezekiah 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 Hezekiah king of Judah three
hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold.
18:15 And Hezekiah gave him all the silver that was found in the house of
Yehovah, and in the treasures of the king's house.
18:16 At that time did Hezekiah cut off the gold from the doors of the
temple of Yehovah, and from the pillars which Hezekiah king of Judah had
overlaid, and gave it to the king of Assyria.
18:17 And the king of Assyria sent Tartan and Rabsaris and Rabshakeh from
Lachish to king Hezekiah 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.
18:18 And when they had called to the king, there came out to them Eliakim
the son of Hilkiah, which was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and
Joah the son of Asaph the recorder.
18:19 And Rabshakeh said unto them, Speak ye now to Hezekiah, Thus saith the
great king, the king of Assyria, What confidence is this wherein thou
trustest?
18:20 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?
18:21 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 isPharaohh king of Egypt unto all that trust on him.
18:22 But if ye say unto me, We trust in Yehovah our Elohim: is not that he,
whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah hath taken away, and hath said
to Judah and Jerusalem, Ye shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem?
18:23 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.
18:24 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?
18:25 Am I now come up without Yehovah against this place to destroy it?
Yehovah said to me, Go up against this land, and destroy it.
18:26 Then said Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, and Shebna, and Joah, unto
Rabshakeh, 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.
18:27 But Rabshakeh 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?
18:28 Then Rabshakeh 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:
18:29 Thus saith the king, Let not Hezekiah deceive you: for he shall not be
able to deliver you out of his hand:
18:30 Neither let Hezekiah make you trust in Yehovah, saying, Yehovah will
surely deliver us, and this city shall not be delivered into the hand of the
king of Assyria.
18:31 Hearken not to Hezekiah: 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:
18:32 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 Hezekiah, when he
persuadeth you, saying, Yehovah will deliver us.
18:33 Hath any of the gods of the nations delivered at all his land out of
the hand of the king of Assyria?
18:34 Where are the gods of Hamath, and of Arpad? where are the gods of
Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivah? have they delivered Samaria out of mine hand?
18:35 Who are they among all the gods of the countries, that have delivered
their country out of mine hand, that Yehovah should deliver Jerusalem out
of mine hand?
18:36 But the people held their peace, and answered him not a word: for the
king's commandment was, saying, Answer him not.
18:37 Then came Eliakim 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 clothes rent, and told him the words of Rabshakeh. |