2 Kings 18:1-16

Holman Christian Standard Bible

Judah’s King Hezekiah

18 In the third year of Israel’s King Hoshea^(A) son of Elah, Hezekiah^(B) son of Ahaz became king of Judah. ² He was 25 years old when he became king and reigned 29 years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Abi^[a] daughter of Zechariah. ³ He did what was right in the Lord’s sight just as his ancestor David had done.^{(C) 4} He removed the high places, shattered the sacred pillars, and cut down the Asherah poles.^(D) He broke into pieces the bronze snake that Moses made,^(E) for the Israelites burned incense to it up to that time. He called it Nehushtan.^[b]

⁵ Hezekiah trusted in the Lord God of Israel;^(F) not one of the kings of Judah was like him, either before him or after him.^{(G) 6} He remained faithful to Yahweh^(H) and did not turn from following Him but kept the commands the Lord had commanded Moses.

⁷ The Lord was with him, and wherever he went he prospered.^(I) He rebelled against the king of Assyria and did not serve him.^{(J) 8} He defeated the Philistines as far as Gaza and its borders,^(K) from watchtower^(L) to fortified city.

Review of Israel’s Fall

⁹ In the fourth year of King Hezekiah, which was the seventh year of Israel’s King Hoshea son of Elah, Shalmaneser king of Assyria marched against Samaria and besieged it.^{(M) 10} The Assyrians captured it at the end of three years. In the sixth year of Hezekiah, which was the ninth year of Israel’s King Hoshea, Samaria was captured. ¹¹ The king of Assyria deported the Israelites to Assyria and put them in Halah and by the Habor, Gozan’s river, and in the cities of the Medes,^{(N) 12} because they did not listen to the voice of the Lord their God but violated His covenant—all He had commanded Moses the servant of the Lord. They did not listen, and they did not obey.^(O)

Sennacherib’s Invasion

¹³ In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria attacked all the fortified cities of Judah and captured them.^{(P) 14} So Hezekiah king of Judah sent word to the king of Assyria at Lachish,^(Q) saying, “I have done wrong;^(R) withdraw from me. Whatever you demand from me, I will pay.” The king of Assyria demanded 11 tons^[c] of silver and one ton^[d] of gold from King Hezekiah of Judah. ¹⁵ So Hezekiah gave him all the silver found in the Lord’s temple and in the treasuries of the king’s palace.

¹⁶ At that time Hezekiah stripped the gold from the doors of the Lord’s sanctuary and from the doorposts he had overlaid and gave it to the king of Assyria.^(S)