^{1 Ref} Now it came to pass in the third year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, that Hezekiah the son of Ahaz king of Judah began to reign.

^{2 Ref} Twenty and five years old was he when he began to reign; and he reigned twenty and nine years in Jerusalem: and his mother's name was Abi the daughter of Zechariah.

^{3 Ref} And he did that which was right in the eyes of Jehovah, according to all that David his father had done.

^{4 Ref} He removed the high places, and brake the pillars, and cut down the Asherah: and he brake in pieces the brazen serpent that Moses had made; for unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it; and he called it Nehushtan.

^{5 Ref} He trusted in Jehovah, the God of Israel; so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor `among them' that were before him.

^{6 Ref} For he clave to Jehovah; he departed not from following him, but kept his commandments, which Jehovah commanded Moses.

^{7 Ref} And Jehovah was with him; whithersoever he went forth he prospered: and he rebelled against the king of Assyria, and served him not.

^{8 Ref} He smote the Philistines unto Gaza and the borders thereof, from the tower of the watchmen to the fortified city.

^{9 Ref} And it came to pass in the fourth year of king Hezekiah, which was the seventh year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, that Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up against Samaria, and besieged it.

^{10 Ref} And at the end of three years they took it: in the sixth year of Hezekiah, which was the ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel, Samaria was taken.

^{11 Ref} And the king of Assyria carried Israel away unto Assyria, and put them in Halah, and on the Habor, the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes,

^{12 Ref} because they obeyed not the voice of Jehovah their God, but transgressed his covenant, even all that Moses the servant of Jehovah commanded, and would not hear it, nor do it.

^{13 Ref} Now in the fourteenth year of king Hezekiah did Sennacherib king of Assyria come up against all the fortified cities of Judah, and took them.

^{14 Ref} And Hezekiah king of Judah sent to the king of Assyria to Lachish, saying, I have offended; return from me: that which thou puttest on me will I bear. And the king of Assyria appointed unto Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold.

^{15 Ref} And Hezekiah gave `him' all the silver that was found in the house of Jehovah, and in the treasures of the king's house.

^{16 Ref} At that time did Hezekiah cut off `the gold from' the doors of the temple of Jehovah, and `from' the pillars which Hezekiah king of Judah had overlaid, and gave it to the king of Assyria.

^{17 Ref} And the king of Assyria sent Tartan and Rab-saris and Rabshakeh from Lachish to king Hezekiah with a great army unto Jerusalem. And they went up and came to Jerusalem. And when they were come up, they came and stood by the conduit of the upper pool, which is in the highway of the fuller's field.

^{18 Ref} And when they had called to the king, there came out to them Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebnah the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph the recorder.

^{19 Ref} And Rabshakeh said unto them, Say ye now to Hezekiah, Thus saith the great king, the king of Assyria, What confidence is this wherein thou trustest?

^{20 Ref} Thou sayest (but they are but vain words), `There is' counsel and strength for the war. Now on whom dost thou trust, that thou hast rebelled against me?