2 Kings 18

1 And it came to pass, in the third year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, that Hezekiah son of Ahaz king of Judah began to reign.

And it came to pass in the third year of Osee son of Ela king of Israel [that] Ezekias son of Achaz king of Juda began to reign.

2 Twenty-five years old, was he when he began to reign, and, twenty-nine years, reigned he in Jerusalem, —and, his mother’s name, was Abi, daughter of Zachariah.

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.

3 And he did that which was right in the eyes of Yahweh, —according to all that, David his father, did.

And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his father David did.

4 He, removed the high places, and brake in pieces the pillars, and cut down the Sacred Stem, —and beat in pieces the serpent of bronze that, Moses, had made, because, until those days, had the sons of Israel been burning incense thereunto, so he called it Nehushtan.

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.

5 In Yahweh, God of Israel, did he trust, —so that, after him, was none like him, among all the kings of Judah, nor that were before him;

He trusted in the Lord God of Israel; and after him there was not any like him among the kings of Juda, nor among those that were before him.

6 and he did cleave unto Yahweh, he turned not away from following him, —but kept his commandments, which, Yahweh, commanded, Moses.

And he clave to the Lord, he departed not from following him; and he kept his commandments, as many as he commanded Moses.

7 So Yahweh was with him, whithersoever he went forth, he prospered, —and he rebelled against the king of Assyria, and served him not.

And the Lord 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.

8 He, smote the Philistines, as far as Gazah, and her boundaries, —from the watchmen’s tower even to the fortified city.

He struck the Philistines [even] to Gaza, and to the border of it, from the tower of the watchmen even to the strong city.

9 And it came to pass, in the fourth year of King Hezekiah—the same, was the seventh year of Hosea son of Elah king of Israel, that Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up against Samaria, and laid siege against it;

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.

10 and he captured it at the end of three years, in the sixth year of Hezekiah, —the same, is the ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel, was Samaria captured.

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.)

11 So the king of Assyria drave away Israel to Assyria, —and settled them in Halah, and in Habor, by the river of Gozan, and the mountains of Media:

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;

12 because they hearkened not unto the voice of Yahweh their God, but transgressed his covenant, all that Moses the servant of Yahweh commanded, —they neither hearkened nor performed.

because they listened not to the voice of the Lord their God, and transgressed his covenant, [even] in all things that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded, and listened not [to them], nor did [them].

13 And, in the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, came up Sennacherib king of Assyria, against all the fortified cities of Judah, and took them.

And in the fourteenth year of king Ezekias came up Sennacherim king of the Assyrians against the strong cities of Juda, and took them.

14 Then sent Hezekiah king of Judah unto the king of Assyria, to Lachish, saying—I have sinned, Return from me, What thou shalt lay upon me, I will bear. So the king of Assyria appointed unto Hezekiah king of Judah, three hundred talents of silver, and thirty talents of gold.

And Ezekias king of Juda sent messengers to the king of the Assyrians to Lachis, saying, I have offended; depart from me: whatever you shall lay upon me, I will bear. And the king of Assyria laid upon Ezekias king of Juda [a tribute of] three hundred talents of silver, and thirty talents of gold.

15 And Hezekiah delivered up all the silver that was found in the house of Yahweh, and in the treasuries of the house of the king.

And Ezekias gave 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, Hezekiah cut off the doors of the temple of Yahweh, and the columns, which Hezekiah king of Judah had overlaid, —and gave them unto the king of Assyria.

At that time Ezekias cut off [the gold from] the doors of the temple, and [from] the pillars which Ezekias king of Juda [had] overlaid with gold, and gave it to the king of the Assyrians.

17 And the king of Assyria sent Tartan and Rab-saris and Rab-shakeh, from Lachish unto King Hezekiah, with a heavy force to Jerusalem, —so they came up and drew near to Jerusalem, and took their stand by the upper channel of the pool, which is in the highway of the fuller’s field.

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 Then called they for the king, and there went out unto them Eliakim son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, —and Shebnah, the scribe, and Joah son of Asaph, the recorder.

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.

19 And Rab-shakeh said unto them—Pray you, say unto Hezekiah, —Thus, saith the great king, the king of Assyria, What trust is this wherewith thou dost trust?

And Rapsakes said to them, Say now to Ezekias, Thus says the king, the great king of the Assyrians, What [is] this confidence wherein you trust?

20 Thou hast said—they are only words of the lips!—Counsel and might [have I] for the war. Now, in whom dost thou trust, that thou hast rebelled against me?

You have said, (but [they are] mere words, ) [I have] counsel and strength for war. Now then in whom do you trust, that you have revolted from me?

21 Now, lo! thou dost trust thyself on the support of this bruised cane, on Egypt, whereon, if a man lean, it will enter his hand and lay it open, —so, is Pharaoh king of Egypt, to all who trust upon him.

See now, are you trusting for yourself on this broken staff of reed, [even] upon Egypt? whoever shall stay himself upon it, it shall even go into his hand, and pierce it: so [is] Pharao king of Egypt to all that trust on him.

22 But, if ye should say unto me, In Yahweh our God, do we trust, Then is that not he whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah hath removed, and said unto Judah, and unto Jerusalem—Before this altar, shall ye bow down, in Jerusalem?

And whereas you have said to me, We trust on the Lord God: [is] not this he, whose high places and altars Ezekias has removed, and has said to Juda and Jerusalem, You shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem?

23 Now, therefore, pledge thyself, I pray thee, with my lord, the king of Assyria, —that I supply thee with two thousand horses, if thou, on thy part, be able to set riders upon them.

And now, I pray you, make and agreement with my lord the king of the Assyrians, and I will give you two thousand horses, if you shall be able on your part to set riders upon them.

24 How then wilt thou turn back the face of one pasha of the least of my lord’s servants? Or hast thou, on thy part, trusted to Egypt for chariots and for horsemen?

How then will you turn away the face of one petty governor, from among the least of my lord's servants? whereas you trust for yourself on Egypt for chariots and horsemen.

25 Now, is it, without Yahweh, that I have come up against this place, to destroy it? Yahweh himself, said unto me, Go thou up against this land, and destroy it.

And now have we 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 son of Hilkiah, and Shebnah, and Joah, unto Rab-shakeh: Speak, we pray thee, unto thy servants in the, Syrian, language, for, we, can, understand, it, —and do not speak with us in, the Jews’, language, in the ears of the people who are upon the wall.

And Heliakim the son of Chelkias, and Somnas, and Joas, said to Rapsakes, Speak now to your servants in the Syrian language, for we understand it; and speak not with us in the Jewish language: and why do you speak in the ears of the people that are on the wall?

27 But Rab-shakeh said unto them—Is it, concerning thy lord, and concerning thee, that my lord hath sent me to speak these things? Is it not concerning the men who are tarrying upon the wall, that they may eat their own dung and drink their own water with you?

And Rapsakes 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 water together with you.

28 So then Rab-shakeh took his stand, and cried out with a loud voice, in, the Jews’, language, —and spake, and said, Hear ye the message of the great king, the king of Assyria: —

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:

29 Thus, saith the king: Let not Hezekiah deceive you, for he shall not he able to deliver you out of his hand;

thus says the king, Let not Ezekias encourage you with words: for he shall not be able to deliver you out of his hand.

30 Neither let Hezekiah cause you to trust in Yahweh, saying, Yahweh, will, certainly deliver, us, —this city, therefore, shall not be given over into the hand of the king of Assyria.

And let not Ezekias cause you to trust on the Lord, saying, The Lord will certainly deliver us; this city shall not be delivered into the hand of the king of the Assyrians: listen not to Ezekias:

31 Do not hearken unto Hezekiah, —for, thus, saith the king of Assyria, Deal with me thankfully, and come out unto me, then shall ye eat—every one of his own vine, and every one of his own fig-tree, and drink every one the waters of his own cistern;

for thus says the king of the Assyrians, Gain my favor, and come forth to me, and every man shall drink [of the wine] of his own vine, and every man shall eat of his own fig tree, and shall drink water out of his own cistern;

32 Until I come and take you, into a land like your own land—A land of corn and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of oil olive and honey, so shall ye live, and not die, —But do not hearken unto Hezekiah, for he would persuade you, saying, Yahweh, will deliver us!

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 you shall live and not die: and do not you listen to Ezekias, for he deceives you, saying, The Lord shall deliver you.

33 Have, the gods of the nations, at all delivered, any one of them, his country, out of the hand of the king of Assyria?

Have the Gods of the nations at all delivered each their own land out of the hand of the king of the Assyrians?

34 Where are the gods of Hamath, and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena and Ivvah? Yea, did they deliver Samaria out of my hand?

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?

35 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?

Who [is there] among all the gods of the countries, who have delivered their countries out of my hand, that the Lord should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?

36 But the people held their peace, and answered him not a word, —for, the command of the king, it was, saying—Ye must not answer him.

But [the men] were silent, and answered him not a word: for [there was] a commandment of the king, saying, You shall not answer him.

37 Then came in Eliakim son of Hilkiah who was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah son of Asaph the recorder, unto Hezekiah, with rent clothes, —and they told him the words of Rab-shakeh.

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 tore their garments; and they reported to him the words of Rapsakes.