CHAPTERS 13-18
2KINGS#13
1 ¶ In the three and twentieth year of Joash the son of
Ahaziah king of Judah Jehoahaz the son of Jehu began to reign over Israel in
Samaria, and reigned seventeen years.
2 And he did that
which was evil in the sight of the LORD, and followed the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which made Israel to sin; he
departed not therefrom.
3 And the anger
of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he delivered them into the hand of
Hazael king of Syria, and into the hand of Benhadad the son of Hazael, all
their days.
4 And Jehoahaz
besought the LORD, and the LORD hearkened unto him: for he saw
the oppression of Israel, because the king of Syria oppressed them.
5 (And the LORD
gave Israel a saviour, so that they went out from under the hand of the
Syrians: and the children of Israel dwelt in their tents, as beforetime.
6 Nevertheless
they departed not from the sins of the house of Jeroboam, who made Israel sin,
but walked therein: and there remained the grove also in Samaria.)
7
Neither did he leave of the people to Jehoahaz but fifty horsemen, and
ten chariots, and ten thousand footmen; for the king of Syria had destroyed
them, and had made them like the dust by threshing.
8 Now the rest of
the acts of Jehoahaz, and all that he did, and his might, are they not written
in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
9
And Jehoahaz slept with his fathers; and they buried him in Samaria: and
Joash his son reigned in his stead.
10 ¶ In the thirty and seventh year of Joash king of
Judah began Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz to reign over Israel in Samaria, and
reigned sixteen years.
11 And he did
that which was evil in the sight of the LORD; he departed not from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel
sin: but he walked therein.
12 And the rest
of the acts of Joash, and all that he did, and his might wherewith he fought
against Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the book of the
chronicles of the kings of Israel?
13
And Joash slept with his fathers; and Jeroboam sat upon his throne: and
Joash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel.
14 Now Elisha was
fallen sick of his sickness whereof he died. And Joash the king of Israel came
down unto him, and wept over his face, and said, O my father, my father, the
chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof.
15
And Elisha said unto him, Take bow and arrows. And he took unto him bow
and arrows.
16 And he said to
the king of Israel, Put thine hand upon the bow. And he put his hand upon it:
and Elisha put his hands upon the king's hands.
17 And he said,
Open the window eastward. And he opened it. Then Elisha said, Shoot.
And he shot. And he said, The arrow of the LORD'S deliverance, and the arrow of
deliverance from Syria: for thou shalt smite the Syrians in Aphek, till thou
have consumed them.
18 And he said,
Take the arrows. And he took them. And he said unto the king of Israel, Smite
upon the ground. And he smote thrice, and stayed.
19
And the man of God was wroth with him, and said, Thou shouldest have
smitten five or six times; then hadst thou smitten Syria till thou hadst
consumed it: whereas now thou shalt smite Syria but thrice.
20 ¶ And Elisha died, and they buried him. And the bands
of the Moabites invaded the land at the coming in of the year.
21
And it came to pass, as they were burying a man, that, behold, they
spied a band of men; and they cast the man into the sepulchre of Elisha: and
when the man was let down, and touched the bones of Elisha, he revived, and
stood up on his feet.
22 But Hazael
king of Syria oppressed Israel all the days of Jehoahaz.
23 And the LORD
was gracious unto them, and had compassion on them, and had respect
unto them, because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and would
not destroy them, neither cast he them from his presence as yet.
24 So Hazael king
of Syria died; and Benhadad his son reigned in his stead.
25 And Jehoash
the son of Jehoahaz took again out of the hand of Benhadad the son of Hazael
the cities, which he had taken out of the hand of Jehoahaz his father by war. Three times did Joash beat him, and recovered the
cities of Israel.
1 ¶ In the second year of Joash son of Jehoahaz king of
Israel reigned Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah.
2 He was twenty
and five years old when he began to reign, and reigned twenty and nine years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Jehoaddan
of Jerusalem.
3 And he did that
which was right in the sight of the LORD, yet not like David his father: he did
according to all things as Joash his father did.
4 Howbeit the
high places were not taken away: as yet the people did sacrifice and burnt
incense on the high places.
5
And it came to pass, as soon as the kingdom was confirmed in his hand,
that he slew his servants which had slain the king his father.
6 But the
children of the murderers he slew not: according unto that which is written in
the book of the law of Moses, wherein the LORD commanded, saying, The fathers
shall not be put to death for the children, nor the children be put to death for the fathers; but every man shall be put to death
for his own sin.
7 He slew of Edom
in the valley of salt ten thousand, and took Selah by war, and called the name
of it Joktheel unto this day.
8 ¶ Then Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash, the son of
Jehoahaz son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, Come, let us look one another in
the face.
9
And Jehoash the king of Israel sent to Amaziah king of Judah, saying,
The thistle that was in Lebanon sent to the cedar that was in Lebanon, saying,
Give thy daughter to my son to wife: and there passed by a wild beast that was
in Lebanon, and trode down the thistle.
10 Thou hast
indeed smitten Edom, and thine heart hath lifted thee up: glory of this, and tarry at home: for why shouldest thou meddle to thy
hurt, that thou shouldest fall, even thou, and Judah with thee?
11 But Amaziah
would not hear. Therefore Jehoash king of Israel went up; and he and Amaziah
king of Judah looked one another in the face at Bethshemesh, which belongeth to
Judah.
12
And Judah was put to the worse before Israel; and they fled every man to
their tents.
13 And Jehoash
king of Israel took Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Jehoash the son of
Ahaziah, at Bethshemesh, and came to Jerusalem, and brake down the wall of
Jerusalem from the gate of Ephraim unto the corner gate, four hundred cubits.
14
And he took all the gold and silver, and all the vessels that were found
in the house of the LORD, and in the treasures of the king's house, and
hostages, and returned to Samaria.
15 ¶ Now the rest of the acts of Jehoash which he did,
and his might, and how he fought with Amaziah king of Judah, are they not
written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of
Israel?
16 And Jehoash
slept with his fathers, and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel; and
Jeroboam his son reigned in his stead.
17 And Amaziah
the son of Joash king of Judah lived after the death of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz
king of Israel fifteen years.
18
And the rest of the acts of Amaziah, are they not written in the book of
the chronicles of the kings of Judah?
19 Now they made
a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem: and he fled to Lachish; but they sent
after him to Lachish, and slew him there.
20 And they
brought him on horses: and he was buried at Jerusalem with his fathers in the city of David.
21 And all the
people of Judah took Azariah, which was sixteen years old, and made him king
instead of his father Amaziah.
22 He built
Elath, and restored it to Judah, after that the king slept with his fathers.
23 ¶ In the fifteenth year of Amaziah the son of Joash
king of Judah Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israel
began to reign in Samaria, and reigned forty and one years.
24 And he did
that which was evil in the sight of the LORD: he departed not from all the sins
of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin.
25 He restored
the coast of Israel from the entering of Hamath unto the sea of the plain, according to the word of the LORD God of Israel, which
he spake by the hand of his servant Jonah, the son of Amittai, the prophet,
which was of Gathhepher.
26 For the LORD
saw the affliction of Israel, that it was very bitter: for there was not any
shut up, nor any left, nor any helper for Israel.
27
And the LORD said not that he would blot out the name of Israel from
under heaven: but he saved them by the hand of Jeroboam the son of Joash.
28 Now the rest
of the acts of Jeroboam, and all that he did, and his might, how he warred, and
how he recovered Damascus, and Hamath, which belonged to Judah, for Israel, are
they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
29
And Jeroboam slept with his fathers, even with the kings of Israel; and
Zachariah his son reigned in his stead.
1 ¶ In the twenty and seventh year of Jeroboam king of
Israel began Azariah son of Amaziah king of Judah to reign.
2
Sixteen years old was he when he began to reign, and he reigned two and
fifty years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Jecholiah of Jerusalem.
3 And he did that
which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father
Amaziah had done;
4 Save that the
high places were not removed: the people sacrificed and burnt incense
still on the high places.
5 And the LORD
smote the king, so that he was a leper unto the day of his death, and dwelt in
a several house. And Jotham the king's son was over the house, judging the
people of the land.
6 And the rest of
the acts of Azariah, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?
7 So Azariah
slept with his fathers; and they buried him with his fathers in the city of
David: and Jotham his son reigned in his stead.
8 ¶ In the thirty and eighth year of Azariah king of
Judah did Zachariah the son of Jeroboam reign over Israel in Samaria six
months.
9
And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, as his fathers
had done: he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made
Israel to sin.
10 And Shallum
the son of Jabesh conspired against him, and smote him before the people, and
slew him, and reigned in his stead.
11 And the rest
of the acts of Zachariah, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.
12 This was the
word of the LORD which he spake unto Jehu, saying, Thy sons shall sit on the
throne of Israel unto the fourth generation. And so it came to pass.
13 Shallum the
son of Jabesh began to reign in the nine and thirtieth year of Uzziah king of
Judah; and he reigned a full month in Samaria.
14
For Menahem the son of Gadi went up from Tirzah, and came to Samaria,
and smote Shallum the son of Jabesh in Samaria, and slew him, and reigned in
his stead.
15 And the rest
of the acts of Shallum, and his conspiracy which he made, behold, they are
written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.
16 Then Menahem
smote Tiphsah, and all that were therein, and the coasts thereof from Tirzah: because they opened not to him, therefore he
smote it; and all the women therein that were with child he ripped up.
17 In the nine
and thirtieth year of Azariah king of Judah began Menahem the son of Gadi to
reign over Israel, and reigned ten years in Samaria.
18 And he did
that which was evil in the sight of the LORD: he departed not all his days from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made
Israel to sin.
19 And Pul the
king of Assyria came against the land: and Menahem gave Pul a thousand talents
of silver, that his hand might be with him to confirm the kingdom in his hand.
20 And Menahem
exacted the money of Israel, even of all the mighty men of wealth, of each man fifty shekels of silver, to give to the king of
Assyria. So the king of Assyria turned back, and stayed not there in the land.
21 And the rest
of the acts of Menahem, and all that he did, are they not written in the book
of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
22 And Menahem
slept with his fathers; and Pekahiah his son reigned in his stead.
23
In the fiftieth year of Azariah king of Judah Pekahiah the son of
Menahem began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and reigned two years.
24 And he did
that which was evil in the sight of the LORD: he departed not from the sins of
Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin.
25 But Pekah the
son of Remaliah, a captain of his, conspired against him, and smote
him in Samaria, in the palace of the king's house, with Argob and Arieh, and
with him fifty men of the Gileadites: and he killed him, and reigned in his
room.
26 And the rest
of the acts of Pekahiah, and all that he did, behold, they are written in the
book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.
27 In the two and
fiftieth year of Azariah king of Judah Pekah the son of Remaliah began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and reigned twenty years.
28 And he did
that which was evil in the sight of the LORD: he departed not from the sins of
Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin.
29 In the days of
Pekah king of Israel came Tiglathpileser king of Assyria, and took Ijon, and
Abelbethmaachah, and Janoah, and Kedesh, and Hazor, and Gilead, and Galilee, all the land of Naphtali, and carried them captive
to Assyria.
30 And Hoshea the
son of Elah made a conspiracy against Pekah the son of Remaliah, and smote him,
and slew him, and reigned in his stead, in the twentieth year of Jotham the son
of Uzziah.
31 And the rest
of the acts of Pekah, and all that he did, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.
32 ¶ In the second year of Pekah the son of Remaliah king
of Israel began Jotham the son of Uzziah king of Judah to reign.
33 Five and
twenty years old was he when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in
Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Jerusha, the daughter of Zadok.
34
And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD: he did
according to all that his father Uzziah had done.
35 Howbeit the
high places were not removed: the people sacrificed and burned incense still in
the high places. He built the higher gate of the house of the LORD.
36 Now the rest
of the acts of Jotham, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?
37 In those days
the LORD began to send against Judah Rezin the king of Syria, and Pekah the son
of Remaliah.
38 And Jotham
slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David
his father: and Ahaz his son reigned in his stead.
1 ¶ In the seventeenth year of Pekah the son of Remaliah
Ahaz the son of Jotham king of Judah began to reign.
2 Twenty years
old was Ahaz when he began to reign, and reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem,
and did not that which was right in the sight of the LORD his God, like David his father.
3 But he walked
in the way of the kings of Israel, yea, and made his son to pass through the
fire, according to the abominations of the heathen, whom the LORD cast out from
before the children of Israel.
4 And he
sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places, and on the hills, and under every green tree.
5 ¶ Then Rezin king of Syria and Pekah son of Remaliah
king of Israel came up to Jerusalem to war: and they besieged Ahaz, but could
not overcome him.
6 At that time
Rezin king of Syria recovered Elath to Syria, and drave the Jews from Elath:
and the Syrians came to Elath, and dwelt there unto this day.
7
So Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglathpileser king of Assyria, saying, I am
thy servant and thy son: come up, and save me out of the hand of the king of
Syria, and out of the hand of the king of Israel, which rise up against me.
8 And Ahaz took
the silver and gold that was found in the house of the LORD, and in the
treasures of the king's house, and sent it for a present to the king of Assyria.
9
And the king of Assyria hearkened unto him: for the king of Assyria went
up against Damascus, and took it, and carried the people of it captive to Kir,
and slew Rezin.
10 ¶ And king Ahaz went to Damascus to meet
Tiglathpileser king of Assyria, and saw an altar that was at Damascus: and king
Ahaz sent to Urijah the priest the fashion of the altar,
and the pattern of it, according to all the workmanship thereof.
11 And Urijah the
priest built an altar according to all that king Ahaz had sent from Damascus:
so Urijah the priest made it against king Ahaz came from Damascus.
12 And when the
king was come from Damascus, the king saw the altar: and the king
approached to the altar, and offered thereon.
13 And he burnt
his burnt offering and his meat offering, and poured his drink offering, and
sprinkled the blood of his peace offerings, upon the altar.
14 And he brought
also the brasen altar, which was before the LORD, from the forefront of the
house, from between the altar and the house of the LORD, and put it on the north side of the altar.
15 And king Ahaz
commanded Urijah the priest, saying, Upon the great altar burn the morning
burnt offering, and the evening meat offering, and the king's burnt sacrifice,
and his meat offering, with the burnt offering of all the people of the land,
and their meat offering, and their drink offerings; and sprinkle upon it all
the blood of the burnt offering, and all the blood of the
sacrifice: and the brasen altar shall be for me to enquire by.
16 Thus did
Urijah the priest, according to all that king Ahaz commanded.
17 ¶ And king Ahaz cut off the borders of the bases, and
removed the laver from off them; and took down the sea from off the brasen oxen
that were under it, and put it upon a pavement of stones.
18 And the covert
for the sabbath that they had built in the house, and the king's entry without,
turned he from the house of the LORD for the king of Assyria.
19 Now the rest
of the acts of Ahaz which he did, are they not written in the book of the
chronicles of the kings of Judah?
20
And Ahaz slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the
city of David: and Hezekiah his son reigned in his stead.
1 ¶ In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah began
Hoshea the son of Elah to reign in Samaria over Israel nine years.
2
And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, but not as the
kings of Israel that were before him.
3 Against him
came up Shalmaneser king of Assyria; and Hoshea became his servant, and gave
him presents.
4 And the king of
Assyria found conspiracy in Hoshea: for he had sent messengers to So king of Egypt, and brought no present to the king of
Assyria, as he had done year by year: therefore the king of Assyria shut him
up, and bound him in prison.
5 Then the king
of Assyria came up throughout all the land, and went up to Samaria, and
besieged it three years.
6 In the ninth
year of Hoshea the king of Assyria took Samaria, and carried Israel away into Assyria, and placed them in Halah and in Habor by
the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.
7 ¶ For so it was, that the children of Israel had sinned
against the LORD their God, which had brought them up out of the land of Egypt,
from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and had feared other gods,
8
And walked in the statutes of the heathen, whom the LORD cast out from
before the children of Israel, and of the kings of Israel, which they had made.
9 And the
children of Israel did secretly those things that were not right against the
LORD their God, and they built them high places in all their cities, from the
tower of the watchmen to the fenced city.
10
And they set them up images and groves in every high hill, and under
every green tree:
11 And there they
burnt incense in all the high places, as did the heathen whom the LORD carried
away before them; and wrought wicked things to provoke the LORD to anger:
12
For they served idols, whereof the LORD had said unto them, Ye shall not
do this thing.
13 Yet the LORD
testified against Israel, and against Judah, by all the prophets, and by all
the seers, saying, Turn ye from your evil ways, and keep my commandments and my
statutes, according to all the law which I commanded your fathers,
and which I sent to you by my servants the prophets.
14
Notwithstanding they would not hear, but hardened their necks, like to
the neck of their fathers, that did not believe in the LORD their God.
15 And they
rejected his statutes, and his covenant that he made with their fathers, and
his testimonies which he testified against them; and they followed vanity, and became vain, and went after the heathen that were round about
them, concerning whom the LORD had charged them, that they should not do like
them.
16 And they left
all the commandments of the LORD their God, and made them molten images, even
two calves, and made a grove, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served
Baal.
17
And they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire,
and used divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do evil in the
sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.
18 Therefore the
LORD was very angry with Israel, and removed them out of his sight: there was
none left but the tribe of Judah only.
19
Also Judah kept not the commandments of the LORD their God, but walked
in the statutes of Israel which they made.
20 And the LORD
rejected all the seed of Israel, and afflicted them, and delivered them into the
hand of spoilers, until he had cast them out of his sight.
21 For he rent
Israel from the house of David; and they made Jeroboam the son of Nebat king: and Jeroboam drave Israel from following the
LORD, and made them sin a great sin.
22 For the children
of Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam which he did; they departed not
from them;
23 Until the LORD
removed Israel out of his sight, as he had said by all his servants the prophets. So was Israel carried away out of their own
land to Assyria unto this day.
24 ¶ And the king of Assyria brought men from Babylon,
and from Cuthah, and from Ava, and from Hamath, and from Sepharvaim, and placed
them in the cities of Samaria instead of the children of Israel: and they
possessed Samaria, and dwelt in the cities thereof.
25 And so it was
at the beginning of their dwelling there, that they feared not the LORD:
therefore the LORD sent lions among them, which slew some of them.
26 Wherefore they
spake to the king of Assyria, saying, The nations which thou hast removed, and
placed in the cities of Samaria, know not the manner of the God of the land: therefore he hath sent lions among them, and,
behold, they slay them, because they know not the manner of the God of the
land.
27 Then the king
of Assyria commanded, saying, Carry thither one of the priests whom ye brought
from thence; and let them go and dwell there, and let him teach them the manner
of the God of the land.
28
Then one of the priests whom they had carried away from Samaria came and
dwelt in Bethel, and taught them how they should fear the LORD.
29 Howbeit every
nation made gods of their own, and put them in the houses of the high places
which the Samaritans had made, every nation in their cities wherein they dwelt.
30
And the men of Babylon made Succothbenoth, and the men of Cuth made
Nergal, and the men of Hamath made Ashima,
31 And the Avites
made Nibhaz and Tartak, and the Sepharvites burnt their children in fire to
Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of Sepharvaim.
32 So they feared
the LORD, and made unto themselves of the lowest of them priests
of the high places, which sacrificed for them in the houses of the high places.
33 They feared
the LORD, and served their own gods, after the manner of the nations whom they
carried away from thence.
34 Unto this day
they do after the former manners: they fear not the LORD, neither do they after
their statutes, or after their ordinances, or after the law and commandment which the LORD commanded the children of Jacob,
whom he named Israel;
35 With whom the
LORD had made a covenant, and charged them, saying, Ye shall not fear other
gods, nor bow yourselves to them, nor serve them, nor sacrifice to them:
36
But the LORD, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt with great
power and a stretched out arm, him shall ye fear, and him shall ye worship, and
to him shall ye do sacrifice.
37 And the
statutes, and the ordinances, and the law, and the commandment, which he wrote
for you, ye shall observe to do for evermore; and ye shall not fear other gods.
38 And the
covenant that I have made with you ye shall not forget; neither shall ye fear
other gods.
39 But the LORD
your God ye shall fear; and he shall deliver you out of the hand of all your
enemies.
40
Howbeit they did not hearken, but they did after their former manner.
41 So these
nations feared the LORD, and served their graven images, both their children,
and their children's children: as did their fathers, so do they unto this day.
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.
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.
3 And he did that
which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that David his father did.
4 He removed the
high places, and brake the images, and cut down the groves, and brake in pieces
the brasen serpent that Moses had made: for unto those days the children of
Israel did burn incense to it: and he called it Nehushtan.
5 He trusted in
the LORD God of Israel; so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor any that were before him.
6 For he clave to
the LORD, and departed not from following him, but kept his commandments, which
the LORD commanded Moses.
7 And the LORD
was with him; and he prospered whithersoever he went forth: and he rebelled against
the king of Assyria, and served him not.
8
He smote the Philistines, even unto Gaza, and the borders thereof, from
the tower of the watchmen to the fenced city.
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.
10
And at the end 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.
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:
12 Because they
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.
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.
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.
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 house.
16
At that time did Hezekiah cut off the gold from the doors of the temple
of the LORD, and from the pillars which Hezekiah king of Judah had overlaid,
and gave it to the king of Assyria.
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 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.
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?
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?
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 is Pharaoh king of Egypt unto all that trust on him.
22 But if ye say
unto me, We trust in the LORD our God: 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?
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.
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?
25 Am I now come
up without the LORD against this place to destroy it? The LORD
said to me, Go up against this land, and destroy it.
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.
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?
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:
29 Thus saith the
king, Let not Hezekiah deceive you: for he shall not be able to deliver you out of his hand:
30 Neither 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.
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:
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, The
LORD will deliver us.
33
Hath any of the gods of the nations delivered at all his land out of the
hand of the king of Assyria?
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?
35 Who are they
among all the gods of the countries, that have delivered their country out of mine hand, that the LORD should deliver
Jerusalem out of mine hand?
36 But the people
held their peace, and answered him not a word: for the king's commandment was,
saying, Answer him not.
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.