2 Kings 18

2He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem, and his mother’s name was Abu, a daughter of Zacharias.

3He did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that David his father had done.

4He removed the high places and broke in pieces the pillars and destroyed the bowers and the brazen serpent which Moses made. Because in those days the Israelites were burning incense to it, therefore he called it Neesthan.

5He trusted in the Lord God of Israel, so that there was not after him one like him among the kings of Juda, nor among those who were before him.

6For he cleaved to the Lord and departed not from following Him, and kept all His commandments which He had given in charge to Moses.

7And the Lord was with him and assisted him in all that he did. And he revolted from the king of Assyria and would not serve him.

8He smote the Philistines even to Gaza and the border thereof, from the watch tower to the fenced city.

10and took it at the end of three years. In the sixth year of Ezekias, which was the ninth of Osea king of Israel, Samaria was taken.

11And the king of Assyria removed the Samaritans to Assyria, and placed them along the Alae and the Abor, a river of Gozan, and on the mountains of the Medes,

12because they had not hearkened to the voice of the Lord their God, but transgressed His covenant—and, with regard to all that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded, had neither hearkened to them nor done them.

13And in the fourteenth of king Ezekias, Sennacherim the king of the Assyrians came up against the fortified cities of Juda, and when he had taken some of them,

14Ezekias king of Juda sent messengers to the king of Assyria at Lachis, saying, I have done wrong. Depart from me. Whatever thou imposest on me I will bear. Thereupon the king of Assyria imposed on Ezekias king of Juda, three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold.

15And Ezekias gave him all the silver which was found in the house of the Lord and in the treasury of the king’s house.

16At that time Ezekias cut up the doors of the temple, and the braces which he, Ezekias king of Juda, had overlaid with gold, and gave them to the king of Assyria.

17Nevertheless the king of Assyria sent Tharthan and Raphis, and Rapsakes of Lachis, to king Ezekias with a great army against Jerusalem. And when they had marched up and arrived at Jerusalem they halted at the conduit of the upper pool, which is by the high way to the fuller’s field,

18and cried to Ezekias. And there went out to him Eliakim son of Chelkias, the steward, and Somnas the secretary, and Joas son of Saphat, the recorder.

19And Rapsakes said to them, Say, I pray you, to Ezekias, Thus saith the king, the great king of the Assyrians: Of what avail is that confidence on which thou hast relied?

20Thou saidst—but they were vain words—I have counsel and strength for war.

21Now therefore on whom dost thou rely that thou shouldst rebel against me?

23Though you were now in close connexion with my master the king of Assyria, and I were to give thee two thousand horses, couldst thou, I pray thee, mount for thyself riders on them?

24How then canst thou turn back the face of a petty governor—one of the lowest servants of my lord, relying on Egypt for chariots and horsemen?

25And now are we come up without the Lord against this place to destroy it? The Lord hath said to me, Go up against that land and destroy it.

27Thereupon Rapsakes said to them, Did my master send me to thy master or to thee, to deliver this message? Was it not to those men who are set on that wall that they may eat their own ordure and drink their own urine?

28Then Rapsakes stood and cried with a loud voice in the Jewish language and said, Hear the words of the great king of the Assyrians.

29Thus saith the king, Let not Ezekias deceive you; for he cannot deliver you out of his hand.

30Neither let Ezekias cause you to trust in the Lord, saying, The Lord will deliver us—this city shall not be delivered into the hands of the king of the Assyrians. Hearken not to Ezekias.

32until I come and take you to a land like your own—a land of corn and wine, and bread and vineyards—a land of olive oil and honey, that you may live and not die. Hearken not to Ezekias: for he deceiveth you, saying, The Lord will deliver us.

33Have the gods of the nations delivered their respective countries out of the hand of the king of the Assyrians?

34Where is the god of Aimath and Arphad? Where is the god of Seppharuim, Ana and Aba? Have they delivered Samaria out of my hand?

35Who is there among all the gods of these countries who have delivered their countries out of my hand, that the Lord should deliver Jerusalem out of it?