2 Kings 18:1-4

New International Version

Hezekiah King of Judah^(A)^(B)^(C)

18 In the third year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, Hezekiah^(D) son of Ahaz king of Judah began to reign. ²He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years.^(E) His mother’s name was Abijah^[a] daughter of Zechariah. ³He did what was right^(F) in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father David^(G) had done. ⁴He removed^(H) the high places,^(I) smashed the sacred stones^(J) and cut down the Asherah poles. He broke into pieces the bronze snake^(K) Moses had made, for up to that time the Israelites had been burning incense to it. (It was called Nehushtan.^[b])

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Footnotes

2 Kings 18:2 Hebrew Abi, a variant of Abijah
2 Kings 18:4 Nehushtan sounds like the Hebrew for both bronze and snake.

2 Kings 18:7

New International Version

⁷And the Lord was with him; he was successful^(A) in whatever he undertook. He rebelled^(B) against the king of Assyria and did not serve him.

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2 Kings 18:7 in all English translations

2 Kings 18:17-25

New International Version

Sennacherib Threatens Jerusalem^(A)^(B)

¹⁷The king of Assyria sent his supreme commander,^(C) his chief officer and his field commander with a large army, from Lachish to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem. They came up to Jerusalem and stopped at the aqueduct of the Upper Pool,^(D) on the road to the Washerman’s Field. ¹⁸They called for the king; and Eliakim^(E) son of Hilkiah the palace administrator, Shebna^(F) the secretary, and Joah son of Asaph the recorder went out to them.

¹⁹The field commander said to them, “Tell Hezekiah:

“‘This is what the great king, the king of Assyria, says: On what are you basing this confidence^(G) of yours? ²⁰You say you have the counsel and the might for war—but you speak only empty words. On whom are you depending, that you rebel against me? ²¹Look, I know you are depending on Egypt,^(H) that splintered reed of a staff,^(I) which pierces the hand of anyone who leans on it! Such is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who depend on him. ²²But if you say to me, “We are depending on the Lord our God”—isn’t he the one whose high places and altars Hezekiah removed, saying to Judah and Jerusalem, “You must worship before this altar in Jerusalem”?

²³“‘Come now, make a bargain with my master, the king of Assyria: I will give you two thousand horses—if you can put riders on them! ²⁴How can you repulse one officer^(J) of the least of my master’s officials, even though you are depending on Egypt for chariots and horsemen^[a]? ²⁵Furthermore, have I come to attack and destroy this place without word from the Lord?^(K) The Lord himself told me to march against this country and destroy it.’”

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Footnotes

2 Kings 18:24 Or charioteers

2 Kings 18:28-33

New International Version

²⁸Then the commander stood and called out in Hebrew, “Hear the word of the great king, the king of Assyria! ²⁹This is what the king says: Do not let Hezekiah deceive^(A) you. He cannot deliver you from my hand. ³⁰Do not let Hezekiah persuade you to trust in the Lord when he says, ‘The Lord will surely deliver us; this city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.’

³¹“Do not listen to Hezekiah. This is what the king of Assyria says: Make peace with me and come out to me. Then each of you will eat fruit from your own vine and fig tree^(B) and drink water from your own cistern,^(C) ³²until I come and take you to a land like your own—a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of olive trees and honey. Choose life^(D) and not death!

“Do not listen to Hezekiah, for he is misleading you when he says, ‘The Lord will deliver us.’ ³³Has the god^(E) of any nation ever delivered his land from the hand of the king of Assyria?

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