2nd Kings — 18

Hazakyahu Rules in Yahudah

1 Hazakyahu son of Ahaz began to rule over Yahudah in the third year of King Husha’s reign in Yashar'AL. 

2 He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Yahushalam twenty-nine years, his mother was Abiyahu, the daughter of Zacharyahu. 

3 He did what was pleasing in the sight of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH, just as his ancestor Daud had done. 

4 He removed the pagan shrines, smashed the sacred pillars, and cut down the Asharah poles, he broke up the bronze serpent that Musha had made, because the people of Yashar'AL had been offering sacrifices to it. The bronze serpent was called Nahushtan.

5 Hazakyahu trusted in 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH, the 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH of Yashar'AL. There was no one like him among all the kings of Yahudah, either before or after his time. 

6 He remained faithful to 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH in everything, and he carefully obeyed all the commandments 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH had given Musha. 

7 So 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH was with him, and Hazakyahu was successful in everything he did, he revolted against the king of Assyria and refused to pay him tribute. 

8 He also conquered the Philistines as far distant as Gaza and its territory, from their smallest outpost to their largest walled city.

9 During the fourth year of Hazakyahu’s reign, which was the seventh year of King Husha’s reign in Yashar'AL, King Shalmanasar of Assyria attacked the city of Samaria and began a siege against it. 

10 Three years later, during the sixth year of King Hazakiahu’s reign and the ninth year of King Husha’s reign in Yashar'AL, Samaria fell. 

11 At that time the king of Assyria exiled the Yasharalym to Assyria and placed them in colonies in Halah, along the banks of the Habur River in Guzan, and in the cities of the Madas. 

12 For they refused to listen to  𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH their 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH and obey Him. Instead, they violated His covenant, all the laws that Musha 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH’s servant had commanded them to obey.

Assyria Invades Yahudah

13 In the fourteenth year of King Hazakyahu’s reign, King Sannacharib of Assyria came to attack the fortified towns of Yahudah and conquered them. 

14 King Hazakyahu sent this message to the king of Assyria at Lachish: “I have done wrong. I will pay whatever tribute money you demand if you will only withdraw.” The king of Assyria then demanded a settlement of more than eleven tons of silver and one ton of gold. 

15 To gather this amount, King Hazakyahu used all the silver stored in the Temple of  𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH and in the palace treasury. 

16 Hazakiah even stripped the gold from the doors of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH’s Temple and from the doorposts he had overlaid with gold, and he gave it all to the Assyrian king.

17 Nevertheless, the king of Assyria sent his commander in chief, his field commander, and his chief of staff from Lachish with a huge army to confront King Hazakyahu in Yahushalam. The Assyrians took up a position beside the aqueduct that feeds water into the upper pool, near the road leading to the field where cloth is washed. 

18 They summoned King Hazakyahu, but the king sent these officials to meet with them: Aliakim son of Hilkyahu, the palace administrator; Shabna the court secretary; and Yuah son of Asaph, the royal historian.

Sannacharib Threatens Yahushalam 

19 Then the Assyrian king’s chief of staff told them to give this message to Hazakyahu: “This is what the great king of Assyria says: What are you trusting in that makes you so confident? 

20 Do you think that mere words can substitute for military skill and strength? Who are you counting on, that you have rebelled against me? 

21 On Mitzraym? If you lean on Mitzraym, it will be like a reed that splinters beneath your weight and pierces your hand. Phar'uh the king of Mitzraym is completely unreliable!

22 “But perhaps you will say to me, We are trusting in 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH our  𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH! But is 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH not the one who was insulted by Hazakyahu? Did Hazakyahu not tear down His altars and make everyone in Yahudah and Yahushalam worship only at the altar here in Yahushalam?

23 “I will tell you what! Strike a bargain with my master, the king of Assyria. I will give you 2,000 horses if you can find that many men to ride on them! 

24 With your tiny army, how can you think of challenging even the weakest contingent of my master’s troops, even with the help of Mitzraym’s chariots and charioteers? 

25 What’s more, do you think we have invaded your land without 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH’s direction? 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH himself told us, ‘Attack this land and destroy it!’”

26 Then Aliakim son of Hilkyahu, Shabna, and Yuah said to the Assyrian chief of staff, “Please speak to us in Aramaic, for we understand it well. Do not speak in Abarym (Hebrew), for the people on the wall will hear.”

27 But Sannacharib’s chief of staff replied, “Do you think my master sent this message only to you and your master? He wants all the people to hear it, for when we put this city under siege, they will suffer along with you. They will be so hungry and thirsty that they will eat their own dung and drink their own urine.”

28 Then the chief of staff stood and shouted in Hebrew to the people on the wall, “Listen to this message from the great king of Assyria! 

29 This is what the king says: Do not let Hazakyahu deceive you, he will never be able to rescue you from my power. 

30 Do not let him fool you into trusting in 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH by saying, 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH will surely rescue us. This city will never fall into the hands of the Assyrian king!’

31 “Do not listen to Hazakyahu! These are the terms the king of Assyria is offering: Make Shalum with me, open the gates and come out. Then each of you can continue eating from your own grapevine and fig tree and drinking from your own well. 

32 Then I will arrange to take you to another land like this one, a land of grain and new wine, bread and vineyards, olive groves and honey. Choose life instead of death! “Do not listen to Hazakyahu when he tries to mislead you by saying, ‘𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH will rescue us!’ 

33 Have the idols of any other nations ever saved their people from the king of Assyria? 

34 What happened to the idols of Hamath and Arpad? And what about the idols of Sapharbaim, Hana, and Ibbah? Did any deities rescue Samaria from my power? 

35 What idols of any nation has ever been able to save its people from my power? So what makes you think that 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH can rescue Yahushalam from me?”

36 But the people were silent and did not utter a word because Hazakyahu had commanded them, “Do not answer him.”

37 Then Aliakim son of Hilkyahu, the palace administrator; Shabna the court secretary; and Yuah son of Asaph, the royal historian, went back to Hazakyahu. They tore their clothes in despair, and they went in to see the king and told him what the Assyrian chief of staff had said.