Beginning

18 Now it came to pass in the third year of Hoshea Ben Elah Melech Yisroel, that Chizkiyah Ben Achaz Melech Yehudah began to reign.

² Twenty and five years old was he when he began to reign; and he reigned twenty and nine shanah in Yerushalayim. Shem immo also was Avi Bat Zecharyah.

³ And he did that which was yashar in the sight of Hashem, according to all that Dovid Aviv did.

⁴ He removed the [idolatrous] high places and smashed the matzevot, and cut down the Asherah, and broke in pieces the nachash nechoshet that Moshe had made; for up to those yamim the Bnei Yisroel did burn ketoret to it; and it was called Nechushtan.

⁵ He trusted in Hashem Elohei Yisroel; so that after him was none like him among all the Melachim of Yehudah, nor any that were before him.

⁶ For his deveykus was to Hashem, he departed not from following Him, but was shomer over His mitzvot Hashem commanded Moshe.

⁷ And Hashem was with him; he prospered whithersoever he went forth; he rebelled against Melech Ashur, and served him not.

⁸ He struck down the Pelishtim, even unto Azah (Gaza), and the territories thereof, from the migdal notzrim to the fortified city.

⁹ And it came to pass in the fourth year of Melech Chizkiyah, which was the seventh year of Hoshea Ben Elah Melech Yisroel, that Shalmaneser Melech Ashur came up against Shomron, and besieged it.

¹⁰ And at the end of three years they captured it; even in the sixth year of Chizkiyah, that is, in the ninth year of Hoshea Melech Yisroel, Shomron was captured.

¹¹ And Melech Ashur did carry away Yisroel into Golus in Assyria, and put them in Chalach and in Chavor by the of Gozan River, and in the cities of the Medes;

¹² Because they obeyed not the voice of Hashem Eloheihem, but transgressed His Brit, and all that Moshe Eved Hashem commanded, and would not hear them, nor do them.

¹³ Now in the fourteenth year of Melech Chizkiyah did Sanecheriv Melech Ashur come up against all the fortified cities of Yehudah, and captured them.

¹⁴ And Chizkiyah Melech Yehudah sent to Melech Ashur at Lachish, saying, I have offended; withdraw from me; that which thou demandest me will I bear. And Melech Ashur exacted from Chizkiyah Melech Yehudah three hundred talents of kesef and thirty talents of zahav.

¹⁵ And Chizkiyah gave him all the kesef that was found in the Beis Hashem, and in the otzarot of the Bais HaMelech.

¹⁶ At that time did Chizkiyah strip off the zahav from the daletot Heikhal Hashem, and from the omenot (doorposts) which Chizkiyah Melech Yehudah had overlaid, and gave it to Melech Ashur.

¹⁷ And Melech Ashur sent Tartan and Rav Saris and Rav Shakeh from Lachish to Melech Chizkiyah with a large army against Yerushalayim. And they went up and came to Yerushalayim. And when they were come up, they came and stood by the te’alat haberekhah haelyonah (aqueduct of the Upper Pool), on the highway of the Sadeh of the Launderer.

¹⁸ And when they had called to HaMelech, there came out to them Elyakim Ben Chilkiyah, which was over the Bais (palace), and Shevna the Sofer, and Yoach Ben Asaph the Mazkir (secretary).

¹⁹ And Rav Shakeh said unto them, Speak ye now to Chizkiyah, Thus saith HaMelech Hagadol, Melech Ashur; What bitachon (confidence) is this wherein thou trustest?

²⁰ Thou sayest—but they are mere davar sfatayim (words of lips, vain words)—I have etzah (counsel) and gevurah (strength) for the milchamah. Now on whom dost thou trust, that thou rebellest against me?

²¹ Now, hinei, thou trustest upon the mishenet (staff) of this bruised reed, even upon Mitzrayim, on which if a man lean, it will go into his yad, and pierce it; so is Pharaoh Melech Mitzrayim unto all that depend on him.

²² But if ye say unto me, We trust in Hashem Eloheinu; is not that He, whose high places and whose mizbechot Chizkiyah hath taken away, and hath said to Yehudah and Yerushalayim, Ye shall worship before this Mizbe’ach in Yerushalayim?

²³ Therefore, now, give pledges to adoni Melech Ashur, and I will deliver thee two thousand susim, if thou be able on thy part to set riders upon them.

²⁴ How then wilt thou turn away the face of one officer of the least of the avadim of adoni, and put thy trust in Mitzrayim for chariots and for parashim?

²⁵ Am I now come up without Hashem against this makom to destroy it? Hashem said to me, Go up against this land, and destroy it.

²⁶ Then said Elyakim Ben Chilkiyah, and Shevna, and Yoach, unto Rav Shakeh, Speak, now, to thy avadim in Aramit (Aramaic); for we understand it; and speak not to us in Yehudit (Hebrew) in the ears of the people that are on the chomah.

²⁷ But Rav Shakeh said unto them, Hath adoni sent me to adoneicha, and to thee, to speak these words? Hath he not sent me to the anashim which sit on the chomah, that may eat their own dung, and drink their own urine with you?

²⁸ Then Rav Shakeh stood and cried with a kol gadol in Yehudit, and spoke, saying, Hear the word of HaMelech Hagadol, Melech Ashur.

²⁹ Thus saith HaMelech, Let not Chizkiyah deceive you; for he shall not be able to save you out of his yad;

³⁰ Neither let Chizkiyah make you trust in Hashem, saying, Hashem will surely save us, and this city shall not be given into the yad Melech Ashur.

³¹ Pay heed not to Chizkiyah; for thus saith HaMelech Ashur, Make a brocha with me, and come out to me, and then eat ye every man of his own gefen, every one of his te’enah, and drink ye every one the waters of his bor;

³² Until I come and take you away to an eretz like your own eretz, an eretz dagan and tirosh, an eretz lechem and kramim, a land of zayit yitzhar and of devash, that ye may live, and not die; and pay heed not unto Chizkiyah, when he persuadeth you, saying, Hashem will save us.

³³ Hath any of the elohei HaGoyim delivered at all his land out of the yad Melech Ashur?

³⁴ Where are elohei Chamat, and of Arpad? Where are elohei Sapharvayim, Hena, and Ivah? Have they saved Shomron out of mine yad?

³⁵ Who are they among all the elohim of the lands, that have saved their land out of mine yad, that Hashem should save Yerushalayim out of mine yad?

³⁶ But the people held their peace, and answered him not a davar; for the mitzvat HaMelech was, saying, Answer him not.

³⁷ Then came Elyakim Ben Chilkiyah, which was over the Bais (palace), and Shevna the Sofer, and Yoach Ben Asaph the Mazkir (secretary), to Chizkiyah with their begadim torn, and told him the words of Rav Shakeh.

19 And it came to pass, when HaMelech Chizkiyahu (Hezekiah) heard it, that he tore his begadim, and covered himself with sackcloth, and went into the Beis Hashem.

² And he sent Elyakim, who was over the Bais (palace), and Shevna the Sofer, and the Zekenim of the Kohanim, clothed with sackcloth, to HaNavi Yeshayah Ben Amotz.

³ And they said unto him, Thus saith Chizkiyahu, This day is a Yom Tzarah, and of tokhechah (rebuke), and ne’atzah (blasphemy, sacrilege); for the banim are come to the mashber (crisis of birth), and there is not ko’ach to bring forth.

⁴ It may be Hashem Eloheicha will hear all the words of Rav Shakeh, whom Melech Ashur adonav hath sent to reproach the Elohim Chai; and will rebuke the devarim which Hashem Eloheicha hath heard; therefore lift up thy tefillah for the she’erit that are left surviving.

⁵ So the avadim of HaMelech Chizkiyah came to Yeshayah.

⁶ And Yeshayah said unto them, Thus shall ye say unto adoneichem, Thus saith Hashem, Be not afraid of the words which thou hast heard, wherewith the na’arei Melech Ashur have made gidduf against Me.

⁷ Hineni, I will put a ruach in him, and he shall hear a shemuah (report), and shall return to his own land; and I will cause him to fall by the cherev in his own land.

⁸ So Rav Shakeh left [Yerushalayim], and found Melech Ashur warring against Livnah; for he had heard that he [Melech Ashur] was departed from Lachish.

⁹ And he heard concerning Tirhakah Melech Cush, Hinei, he is come forth to make war with thee; and when he heard it, he sent malachim again unto Chizkiyah, saying,

¹⁰ Thus shall ye speak to Chizkiyah Melech Yehudah, saying, Let not Eloheicha, in Whom thou trustest, deceive thee, saying, Yerushalayim shall not be delivered into the yad Melech Ashur.

¹¹ Hinei, thou hast heard what the melachim of Ashur have done to all lands, by destroying them utterly; and shalt thou be saved?

¹² Have the elohei HaGoyim delivered them which my avot have destroyed; as Gozan, and Charan, and Retzeph, and the Bnei Eden which were in Telassar?

¹³ Where is Melech Chamat, and Melech Arphad, and the Melech of the Ir of Sepharvayim, Hena, and Ivah?

¹⁴ And Chizkiyah received the sefarim (letters) from the yad hamalachim, and read it; and Chizkiyah went up into the Beis Hashem, and spread it before Hashem.

¹⁵ And Chizkiyah davened before Hashem, saying, Hashem Elohei Yisroel, that dwellest between the keruvim, Thou art HaElohim, even Thou alone, of kol mamlechot ha’aretz; Thou hast made Shomayim and HaAretz.

¹⁶ Incline Thine ear, Hashem, and hear; open, Hashem, Thine eyes, and see; and hear the words of Sancheriv, which he sent to insult the Elohim Chai (Living G-d).

¹⁷ Truly, Hashem, the melachim of Ashur have laid waste the Goyim and their lands,

¹⁸ And have cast eloheihem into the eish; for they were no elohim, but the ma’aseh yedei adam, etz and even (stone); therefore they have destroyed them.

¹⁹ Now therefore, Hashem Eloheinu, save us from his yad, that kol mamlechot ha’aretz may know that Thou art Hashem, even Thou only.

²⁰ Then Yeshayah Ben Amotz sent unto Chizkiyah, saying, Thus saith Hashem Elohei Yisroel, Whereas thou hast davened to Me against Sancheriv Melech Ashur, I have heard.

²¹ This is the davar that Hashem hath spoken concerning him: The Betulat Bat Tziyon hath despised thee, and laughed thee to scorn; the Bat Yerushalayim hath shaken her head at thee.

²² Whom hast thou insulted and made gidduf against? And against whom hast thou raised thy voice, and lifted up thine eyes marom? Even against Kadosh Yisroel.

²³ By thy avadim hast thou insulted Adonoi, and hast said, With the multitude of my chariots am I come up to marom harim, to the heights of Levanon, and I will cut down the tall cedars thereof, and the choice pine trees thereof; and I will enter into its most remote height, and the ya’ar (forest) of its fruitful land.

²⁴ I have dug and drunk mayim, and with the sole of my feet have I dried up all the streams of the besieged places.

²⁵ Hast thou not heard long ago, how I have done it, and of yemei kedem (days of old), that I have formed it? Now have I brought it to pass, that thou shouldest be to lay waste fortified cities into ruinous heaps.

²⁶ Therefore their inhabitants were of small power, they were dismayed and put to shame; they were as the esev of the sadeh, and as the green herb, as the khasir (grass) on the gagot (rooftops) is sun-scorched before it is grown up.

²⁷ But I know thy sitting, and thy going out, and thy coming in, and thy rage against Me.

²⁸ Because thy rage against Me and thy insolence is come up into Mine ears, therefore I will put My hook in thy nose, and My Bit in thy sfatayim (lips), and I will turn thee back by the derech by which thou camest.

²⁹ And this shall be HaOt (the Sign) unto thee, Ye shall eat this year such that growth of itself, and the second year that which springeth from the same; and in the third year sow ye, and reap, and plant kramim (vineyards) and eat the fruit thereof.

³⁰ And the remnant that is escaped of the Bais Yehudah shall yet again take shoresh (root) downward, and bear pri upward.

³¹ For out of Yerushalayim shall go forth She’erit (Remnant) and they that escape out of Mt Tziyon; the zeal of Hashem Tzva’os shall accomplish this.

³² Therefore thus saith Hashem concerning Melech Ashur, He shall not come into this city, nor shoot khetz (an arrow) there, nor come before it with mogen, nor cast a siege ramp against it.

³³ By the derech that he came, by the same shall he return, and shall not come into this city, saith Hashem.

³⁴ For I will defend this city, to save it, for Mine Own sake, and for the sake of Dovid Avdi.

³⁵ And it came to pass that night, that the Malach Hashem went forth, and struck down in the Machaneh Ashur a hundred and fourscore and five elef; and when they arose early in the boker, hinei, they were all pegarim mesim (dead corpses).

³⁶ So Sancheriv Melech Ashur departed, and went and returned, and dwelt in Nineveh.

³⁷ And it came to pass, as he was worshiping in the Bais Nisroch elohav, that Adramelech and Saretzer his banim cut him down with the cherev; and they escaped into Eretz Ararat. And Esar-Chaddon bno reigned in his place.