2 Kings 18 summary meaning ai explained commentary

2 Kings 18 meaning explained in AI Summary

This chapter details the reign of Hezekiah, king of Judah, focusing on both his righteous rule and the Assyrian threat he faced.

Hezekiah's Reforms (vv. 1-8):

Hezekiah, a righteous king who followed God, takes the throne in Judah.
He removes the high places, smashes pagan idols, cuts down the Asherah poles, and destroys the bronze serpent Moses made (which had become an object of idolatry).
Hezekiah trusts in the Lord, unlike any other king of Judah before him.
He rebels against the Assyrian king, refusing to pay tribute.
He enjoys military success against the Philistines.

The Assyrian Threat (vv. 9-16):

During Hezekiah's reign, the Assyrian king Shalmaneser conquers Samaria, the capital of Israel (the northern kingdom).
He deports the Israelites to Assyria, fulfilling a prophecy foretold by the Lord.
Later, Shalmaneser's successor, Sennacherib, sets his sights on Judah.
Sennacherib conquers many fortified cities in Judah.
Hezekiah, seeking to avoid war, sends a large tribute to Sennacherib.

Sennacherib's Deception (vv. 17-35):

Despite receiving the tribute, Sennacherib sends officials to Jerusalem to demand its surrender.
The Assyrian officials, led by the Rabshakeh (a high military official), try to demoralize the people of Jerusalem with threats and lies.
They claim the Lord cannot save Jerusalem and encourage the people to surrender to Assyria.
Hezekiah's officials, Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah, tear their clothes in distress and report the Rabshakeh's words to Hezekiah.

Chapter 18 sets the stage for the dramatic confrontation between Hezekiah and Sennacherib, which unfolds in the following chapters. It highlights the tension between trusting in God and succumbing to fear in the face of overwhelming odds.

2 Kings 18 bible study ai commentary

2 Kings 18 presents the pinnacle of faith and the depth of trial in the history of Judah. It juxtaposes King Hezekiah's radical religious reforms, aimed at centralizing pure worship of Yahweh, against the existential threat of the Assyrian empire, a superpower that mocks both Judah's military strength and the power of its God. The chapter is a masterclass in psychological and theological warfare, setting the stage for a dramatic confrontation between the claims of an all-powerful human king and the sovereignty of the God of Israel.

2 Kings 18 Context

The late 8th century BC was dominated by the Neo-Assyrian Empire. Under kings like Tiglath-Pileser III, Sargon II, and Sennacherib, Assyria expanded relentlessly, subjugating nations and deporting populations to prevent rebellion. Their military prowess was matched by sophisticated psychological warfare, exemplified by their art depicting brutal sieges and public taunts. The Northern Kingdom of Israel had already fallen to Assyria in 722 BC, an event that serves as the immediate backdrop and a stark warning to the Southern Kingdom of Judah. Hezekiah’s reforms were a bold religious and political move, rejecting the syncretism of his father Ahaz and reasserting Judah’s identity as a nation exclusively loyal to its covenant God, Yahweh, in defiance of Assyrian vassalage.

2 Kings 18:1-4

In the third year of Hoshea son of Elah, king of Israel, Hezekiah the son of Ahaz, king of Judah, began to reign. He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Abi the daughter of Zechariah. And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, according to all that David his father had done. He removed the high places and broke the pillars and cut down the Asherah. And he broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the people of Israel had made offerings to it (it was called Nehushtan).

In-depth-analysis

Hezekiah is immediately contrasted with his wicked father, Ahaz (2 Kgs 16), and positively compared to King David, the ultimate standard for a righteous king.
His reforms are described as the most thorough of any king of Judah so far.
Removed the high places (bamot): These were local shrines, many dedicated to Yahweh but outside Jerusalem. By removing them, Hezekiah centralized worship at the Jerusalem Temple, in accordance with Deuteronomy 12.
Broke the pillars (matzevot) and cut down the Asherah: These were explicitly pagan objects associated with Baal and Asherah worship, which had been syncretistically mixed with Yahweh worship.
Broke... the bronze serpent: This is the most radical reform. This object, made by Moses at God's command to save the Israelites (Num 21:8-9), had become an idol.
Nehushtan: The name given to the serpent is a play on the Hebrew words for "bronze" (nehoshet) and "serpent" (nahash). Hezekiah destroys a legitimate historical and religious artifact because the people's use of it had turned into idolatry. This demonstrates his commitment to pure worship over religious tradition.

Bible references

2 Chronicles 29:1-31:21: Provides a much more detailed account of Hezekiah's sweeping religious reforms and the restoration of the Passover.
Numbers 21:8-9: 'And the LORD said to Moses, "Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live."' (Origin of Nehushtan).
Deuteronomy 12:2-3: 'You shall surely destroy all the places where the nations whom you shall dispossess served their gods... You shall tear down their altars and dash in pieces their pillars...' (The command Hezekiah obeyed).
John 3:14-15: 'And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up...' (Jesus uses Nehushtan as a type for His crucifixion, representing looking to Him in faith for salvation).

Cross references

1 Kgs 15:14 (Asa did not remove high places); 2 Kgs 12:3 (Jehoash did not remove high places); 2 Kgs 16:3-4 (Ahaz’s idolatry); 2 Chr 34:3-7 (Josiah's later, similar reforms).

Polemics

Hezekiah’s actions were a polemic against the religious syncretism of his time. Destroying Nehushtan was a powerful statement that any object, no matter how holy its origin, can become an idol if it detracts from direct worship of the one true God. This counters the belief that physical objects can contain or mediate divine power in themselves.

2 Kings 18:5-8

He trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel, so that there was none like him among all the kings of Judah after him, nor among those who were before him. For he held fast to the LORD. He did not depart from following him, but kept the commandments that the LORD commanded Moses. And the LORD was with him; wherever he went out, he prospered. He rebelled against the king of Assyria and would not serve him. He struck down the Philistines as far as Gaza and its territory, from watchtower to fortified city.

In-depth-analysis

The author explicitly states the reason for Hezekiah's success: He trusted in the LORD. This is the core theme. His trust led to obedience ("held fast," "kept the commandments").
The phrase "none like him among all the kings of Judah" is high praise, later also given to Josiah (2 Kgs 23:25), but for different reasons (Hezekiah for trust, Josiah for turning to the Law).
Rebelled against the king of Assyria: This was a direct political and military consequence of his spiritual renewal. He stopped paying the tribute his father Ahaz had instituted (2 Kgs 16:8), a move of faith that invited Assyrian retaliation.
His military successes against the Philistines were evidence of God's favor ("the LORD was with him"). This demonstrated restored strength and control over Judah's traditional territories.

Bible references

Joshua 1:7-8: 'Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law... This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth... you shall have good success.' (Parallels the success-from-obedience theme).
1 Samuel 18:14: 'And David had success in all his undertakings, for the LORD was with him.' (Directly echoes the language used for Hezekiah).
2 Chronicles 32:7-8: 'Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or dismayed before the king of Assyria... for there are more with us than with him. With him is an arm of flesh, but with us is the LORD our God, to help us and to fight our battles.' (Hezekiah’s encouragement to his people).

Cross references

Gen 39:2 (The LORD was with Joseph); Deut 20:4 (God fights for Israel); Ps 20:7 (Some trust in chariots, but we trust in the LORD).

2 Kings 18:9-12

In the fourth year of King Hezekiah, which was the seventh year of Hoshea son of Elah, king of Israel, Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up against Samaria and besieged it. And at the end of three years he took it... because they did not obey the voice of the LORD their God but transgressed his covenant, all that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded. They neither listened nor obeyed.

In-depth-analysis

This section is a parenthetical flashback, but it is deliberately placed here to create a stark contrast. It reminds the reader of the consequences of disobedience right before Judah faces the same enemy.
The fall of the Northern Kingdom (Samaria) is explicitly interpreted through a theological lens. It was not merely a military defeat but a divine judgment for covenant violation.
The reasons are listed plainly: did not obey, transgressed his covenant, neither listened nor obeyed. This is the core message of Deuteronomistic history.
This event serves as a dire warning and raises the stakes for Hezekiah and Judah. Will they suffer the same fate?

Bible references

2 Kings 17:7-23: The definitive, detailed indictment against the Northern Kingdom, explaining exactly why God allowed their destruction and exile.
Deuteronomy 28:15, 36: 'But if you will not obey the voice of the LORD your God... all these curses shall come upon you... The LORD will bring you and your king whom you set over you to a nation that you have not known...' (The prophecy fulfilled).
Jeremiah 3:8: '...I had sent her away with a decree of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah did not fear, but she too went and played the whore.' (Judah's failure to learn from Israel's mistake).

Cross references

Lev 26:33 (I will scatter you); Hos 8:8-9 (Israel is swallowed up); Amos 5:2 (Fallen, no more to rise, is the virgin Israel).

2 Kings 18:13-16

In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the fortified cities of Judah and took them. And Hezekiah king of Judah sent to the king of Assyria at Lachish, saying, “I have done wrong; withdraw from me. Whatever you impose on me I will bear.” And the king of Assyria imposed on Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold. And Hezekiah gave him all the silver that was found in the house of the LORD and in the treasuries of the king's house. At that time Hezekiah stripped the gold from the doors of the temple of the LORD... and gave it to the king of Assyria.

In-depth-analysis

Hezekiah's faith appears to waver. Faced with the overwhelming force of the Assyrian army, he attempts a pragmatic solution rather than trusting God for deliverance.
Lachish: A major fortified city in Judah; archaeological excavations there have unearthed the "Lachish Reliefs," Assyrian carvings depicting the siege and conquest of the city in brutal detail.
"I have done wrong" (khatati): Hezekiah confesses his rebellion as a fault, seeking appeasement.
He strips the Temple of the very gold and silver he had dedicated to God, a painful reversal of his earlier reforms. This act of desperation shows the immense pressure he was under.
This episode highlights a moment of human weakness in an otherwise faithful king, making his subsequent stand in chapter 19 even more remarkable.

Bible references

Isaiah 36:1: The parallel account in Isaiah.
2 Chronicles 32:1-8: Notably omits this story of appeasement, presenting Hezekiah in a more consistently heroic light. This shows a different editorial emphasis.
1 Kings 14:26: King Rehoboam gives the Temple treasures to Shishak of Egypt, setting a precedent of raiding the temple to pay off foreign aggressors.

Cross references

Isa 22:9-11 (Critique of Judah's man-made preparations for siege); Isa 30:15-16 (For in returning and rest you shall be saved).

Polemics

The archaeological evidence of Sennacherib's Prism (found in Nineveh) corroborates this account from the Assyrian perspective. Sennacherib boasts, "As for Hezekiah the Judahite, who did not submit to my yoke... I shut him up in Jerusalem, his royal city, like a caged bird." He lists the tribute Hezekiah paid, closely matching the biblical account. However, he strategically omits the story of his army's subsequent destruction (2 Kings 19), a common feature of ancient propaganda.

2 Kings 18:17-25

And the king of Assyria sent the Tartan, the Rabsaris, and the Rabshakeh with a great army from Lachish to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem... And the Rabshakeh said to them, “Say to Hezekiah, ‘...On what do you rest this trust of yours? Do you think that mere words are strategy and power for war? In whom do you now trust, that you have rebelled against me? Behold, you are trusting now in Egypt, that broken reed of a staff, which will pierce the hand of any man who leans on it...’... But if you say to me, ‘We trust in the LORD our God,’ is it not he whose high places and altars Hezekiah has removed...? ...Moreover, is it without the LORD that I have come up against this place to destroy it? The LORD said to me, ‘Go up against this land and destroy it.’”

In-depth-analysis

Sennacherib sends his top officials (Tartan, Rabsaris, Rabshakeh are titles, not names, likely commander-in-chief, chief eunuch, and chief of staff/butler).
The Rabshakeh begins a brilliant, demoralizing speech of psychological warfare, delivered within earshot of the soldiers on Jerusalem's wall.
Attack 1: Political Mockery (v. 21): He correctly identifies Egypt as an unreliable ally, calling it a "broken reed," a powerful and accurate metaphor for its weakness at the time.
Attack 2: Theological Deception (v. 22): He twists Hezekiah's righteous reforms into an act of apostasy. He argues that by removing the high places, Hezekiah has actually angered Yahweh, not pleased Him. This was designed to sow doubt and discord among the people.
Attack 3: Blasphemous Claim (v. 25): The ultimate psychological blow. He claims that Yahweh Himself commissioned Assyria to destroy Jerusalem. This transforms the conflict from Assyria vs. Judah into Assyria and Yahweh vs. Judah. While God did use Assyria as an instrument (Isa 10:5-6), the Rabshakeh's claim of direct divine command is a lie meant to shatter their faith completely.

Bible references

Isaiah 36:2-10: A nearly identical parallel account.
Isaiah 30:1-3: 'Woe to the rebellious children," declares the LORD... who set out to go down to Egypt... Therefore shall the protection of Pharaoh turn to your shame, and the shelter in the shadow of Egypt to your humiliation.' (Prophetic condemnation of the Egyptian alliance).
Isaiah 10:5-6: 'Woe to Assyria, the rod of my anger; the staff in their hands is my fury! Against a godless nation I send him...' (Reveals the truth: God is sovereignly using Assyria, but Assyria is arrogant and unaware of its role as a mere tool).

Cross references

Isa 7:3 (Ahaz met Isaiah at the aqueduct of the upper pool, same location, contrasting a faithless and a faithful response); Ps 44:6 (I do not trust in my bow); Hab 1:5-11 (God raising up the Chaldeans as a punishing force).

2 Kings 18:26-35

Then Eliakim... and Shebna and Joah said to the Rabshakeh, “Please speak to your servants in Aramaic, for we understand it. Do not speak to us in the language of Judah within the hearing of the people who are on the wall.” But the Rabshakeh said... “Has my master sent me to speak these words to your master and to you, and not to the men who sit on the wall, who are doomed with you to eat their own dung and drink their own urine?”... “Do not let Hezekiah deceive you... Do not let Hezekiah make you trust in the LORD... Has any of the gods of the nations delivered his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria? Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad?... Who among all the gods of the lands has delivered their land out of my hand, that the LORD should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?”

In-depth-analysis

Judah’s officials request the negotiation happen in Aramaic, the diplomatic language of the day, to keep the terrifying message from the common soldiers.
The Rabshakeh refuses, confirming his goal is not diplomacy but to incite terror and rebellion among the populace by speaking in Hebrew (Yehudit).
He uses crude, graphic language ("eat their own dung") to describe the horrors of the impending siege.
He makes a direct appeal to the people, urging them to surrender and accept a supposedly pleasant deportation to "a land like your own land"—an Assyrian tactic to make exile seem palatable.
His final, culminating argument is an empirical one based on a long list of conquered peoples whose gods were powerless. He places Yahweh in the same category as the defeated idols of Hamath, Arpad, and Samaria. The challenge is direct: "that the LORD should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?"

Bible references

Isaiah 46:1-2: 'Bel bows down, Nebo stoops; their idols are on beasts and livestock... they cannot save the burden, but themselves go into captivity.' (God’s own mockery of idols who cannot save their people).
Psalm 115:4-8: 'Their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands... They have mouths, but do not speak... Those who make them become like them; so do all who trust in them.' (The biblical critique of what Rabshakeh claims is universally true).
Daniel 3:15: Nebuchadnezzar asks a similar taunt: "...and what god is there who can deliver you out of my hands?" (Sets up God's dramatic deliverance of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego).

Cross references

2 Kgs 19:12-13 (Sennacherib repeats this list of defeated gods in a letter); Jer 10:1-16 (A lengthy polemic contrasting the living God with worthless idols); Exod 12:12 (Against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments).

2 Kings 18:36-37

But the people were silent and answered him not a word, for the king's command was, “Do not answer him.” Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph, the recorder, came to Hezekiah with their clothes torn, and told him the words of the Rabshakeh.

In-depth-analysis

The people's silence is an act of remarkable discipline and unity. Despite the terror and the persuasive arguments, they obey their king, demonstrating their trust in his leadership.
This silence fulfills the wisdom of Proverbs 26:4: "Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest you be like him yourself."
The officials returning with torn clothes is a traditional sign of profound grief, horror, and distress, primarily at the public blasphemy against Yahweh's name.
The chapter ends on a cliffhanger, with the threat delivered and the people of Jerusalem in mourning and shock, turning back to their king. The stage is set for the divine response in the next chapter.

Bible references

Matthew 27:12-14: 'But when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he gave no answer... so that the governor was greatly amazed.' (Jesus' silence before His accusers).
Matthew 26:65: 'Then the high priest tore his robes and said, "He has uttered blasphemy. What further witnesses do we need?"' (Torn clothes as a reaction to perceived blasphemy).
1 Peter 2:23: 'When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.' (Christ's example of entrusting oneself to God rather than answering back).

Cross references

Job 1:20 (Job tore his robe); Lam 2:10 (The elders of the daughter of Zion sit on the ground in silence).

2 Kings 18 analysis

The Power of Words: This chapter is driven by speech. Hezekiah's command to be silent is just as powerful as the Rabshakeh's torrent of blasphemous taunts. The narrative frames the battle as a war of faith, confidence, and words before it becomes a physical one.
Archaeological Harmony: The account aligns remarkably with Assyrian records (Sennacherib's Prism) and reliefs (the Lachish Reliefs). The Bible provides the theological interpretation and the outcome that Assyrian propaganda omits, but the historical event itself is well-attested, lending credibility to the narrative.
A Tale of Two Kings (and Two Cities): The fall of Samaria in vv. 9-12 serves as a literary foil to the siege of Jerusalem. Samaria fell because of faithlessness. Jerusalem's fate now hangs in the balance, and the question is whether Hezekiah's faith will lead to a different outcome. It contrasts the consequence of disobedience with the test of obedience.
From Trust to Tribute and back to Trust: Hezekiah is not portrayed as a flawless hero. His attempt to buy off Sennacherib (vv. 14-16) is a moment of deep compromise born of fear. This humanizes him and makes his eventual stand on faith alone (in Ch. 19) all the more powerful as an act of renewed trust and repentance.

2 Kings 18 summary

Hezekiah, king of Judah, enacts radical religious reforms, purging the nation of idolatry and even destroying the venerated bronze serpent (Nehushtan) to restore pure worship of God. After rebelling against his overlord, King Sennacherib of Assyria, Judah is invaded. Hezekiah first tries to appease the Assyrians with a massive tribute, stripping the Temple, but this fails. Sennacherib's envoy, the Rabshakeh, then stands before Jerusalem's walls and delivers a powerful, demoralizing speech in Hebrew. He mocks their trust in Egypt and, in a cunning twist, claims Hezekiah angered God by his reforms. Culminating in blatant blasphemy, he argues that Yahweh, like the gods of all other conquered nations, is powerless to stop Assyria, leaving the people of Jerusalem in silent, horrified distress.

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2 Kings chapter 18 kjv

¹ 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 Twenty and five years old was he when he began to reign; and he reigned twenty and nine years in Jerusalem. His mother's name also was Abi, the daughter of Zachariah.
³ And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that David his father did.
⁴ He removed the high places, and brake the images, and cut down the groves, and 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 He trusted in the LORD God of Israel; so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor any that were before him.
⁶ For he clave to the LORD, and departed not from following him, but kept his commandments, which the LORD commanded Moses.
⁷ And the LORD was with him; and he prospered whithersoever he went forth: and he rebelled against the king of Assyria, and served him not.
⁸ He smote the Philistines, even unto Gaza, and the borders thereof, from the tower of the watchmen to the fenced city.
⁹ 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 And at the end of three years they took it: even in the sixth year of Hezekiah, that is in the ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel, Samaria was taken.
¹¹ And the king of Assyria did carry away Israel unto Assyria, and put them in Halah and in Habor by the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes:
¹² Because they obeyed not the voice of the LORD their God, but transgressed his covenant, and all that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded, and would not hear them, nor do them.
¹³ Now in the fourteenth year of king Hezekiah did Sennacherib king of Assyria come up against all the fenced cities of Judah, and took them.
¹⁴ 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 And Hezekiah gave him all the silver that was found in the house of the LORD, and in the treasures of the king's house.
¹⁶ At that time did Hezekiah cut off the gold from the doors of the temple of the LORD, and from the pillars which Hezekiah king of Judah had overlaid, and gave it to the king of Assyria.
¹⁷ And the king of Assyria sent Tartan and Rabsaris and Rabshakeh from Lachish to king Hezekiah with a great host against 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 And when they had called to the king, there came out to them Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, which was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph the recorder.
¹⁹ And Rabshakeh said unto them, Speak ye now to Hezekiah, Thus saith the great king, the king of Assyria, What confidence is this wherein thou trustest?
²⁰ Thou sayest, (but they are but vain words,) I have counsel and strength for the war. Now on whom dost thou trust, that thou rebellest against me?
²¹ Now, behold, thou trustest upon the staff of this bruised reed, even upon Egypt, on which if a man lean, it will go into his hand, and pierce it: so is Pharaoh king of Egypt unto all that trust on him.
²² But if ye say unto me, We trust in the LORD our God: is not that he, whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah hath taken away, and hath said to Judah and Jerusalem, Ye shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem?
²³ Now therefore, I pray thee, give pledges to my lord the king of Assyria, and I will deliver thee two thousand horses, if thou be able on thy part to set riders upon them.
²⁴ How then wilt thou turn away the face of one captain of the least of my master's servants, and put thy trust on Egypt for chariots and for horsemen?
²⁵ Am I now come up without the LORD against this place to destroy it? The LORD said to me, Go up against this land, and destroy it.
²⁶ Then said Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, and Shebna, and Joah, unto Rabshakeh, Speak, I pray thee, to thy servants in the Syrian language; for we understand it: and talk not with us in the Jews' language in the ears of the people that are on the wall.
²⁷ But Rabshakeh said unto them, Hath my master sent me to thy master, and to thee, to speak these words? hath he not sent me to the men which sit on the wall, that they may eat their own dung, and drink their own piss with you?
²⁸ Then Rabshakeh stood and cried with a loud voice in the Jews' language, and spake, saying, Hear the word of the great king, the king of Assyria:
²⁹ Thus saith the king, Let not Hezekiah deceive you: for he shall not be able to deliver you out of his hand:
³⁰ Neither let Hezekiah make you trust in the LORD, saying, The LORD will surely deliver us, and this city shall not be delivered into the hand of the king of Assyria.
³¹ Hearken not to Hezekiah: for thus saith the king of Assyria, Make an agreement with me by a present, and come out to me, and then eat ye every man of his own vine, and every one of his fig tree, and drink ye every one the waters of his cistern:
³² Until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of corn and wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of oil olive and of honey, that ye may live, and not die: and hearken not unto Hezekiah, when he persuadeth you, saying, The LORD will deliver us.
³³ Hath any of the gods of the nations delivered at all his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria?
³⁴ Where are the gods of Hamath, and of Arpad? where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivah? have they delivered Samaria out of mine hand?
³⁵ Who are they among all the gods of the countries, that have delivered their country out of mine hand, that the LORD should deliver Jerusalem out of mine hand?
³⁶ But the people held their peace, and answered him not a word: for the king's commandment was, saying, Answer him not.
³⁷ Then came Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, which was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph the recorder, to Hezekiah with their clothes rent, and told him the words of Rabshakeh.

2 Kings chapter 18 nkjv

¹ Now it came to pass in the third year of Hoshea the son of Elah, king of Israel, that Hezekiah the son of Ahaz, king of Judah, began to reign.
² He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Abi the daughter of Zechariah.
³ And he did what was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father David had done.
⁴ He removed the high places and broke the sacred pillars, cut down the wooden image and broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made; for until those days the children of Israel burned incense to it, and called it Nehushtan.
⁵ He trusted in the LORD God of Israel, so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor who were before him.
⁶ For he held fast to the LORD; he did not depart from following Him, but kept His commandments, which the LORD had commanded Moses.
⁷ The LORD was with him; he prospered wherever he went. And he rebelled against the king of Assyria and did not serve him.
⁸ He subdued the Philistines, as far as Gaza and its territory, from watchtower to fortified city.
⁹ Now it came to pass in the fourth year of King Hezekiah, which was the seventh year of Hoshea the son of Elah, king of Israel, that Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up against Samaria and besieged it.
¹⁰ And at the end of three years they took it. In the sixth year of Hezekiah, that is, the ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel, Samaria was taken.
¹¹ Then the king of Assyria carried Israel away captive to Assyria, and put them in Halah and by the Habor, the River of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes,
¹² because they did not obey the voice of the LORD their God, but transgressed His covenant and all that Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded; and they would neither hear nor do them.
¹³ And in the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the fortified cities of Judah and took them.
¹⁴ Then Hezekiah king of Judah sent to the king of Assyria at Lachish, saying, "I have done wrong; turn away from me; whatever you impose on me I will pay." And the king of Assyria assessed Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold.
¹⁵ So Hezekiah gave him all the silver that was found in the house of the LORD and in the treasuries of the king's house.
¹⁶ At that time Hezekiah stripped the gold from the doors of the temple of the LORD, and from the pillars which Hezekiah king of Judah had overlaid, and gave it to the king of Assyria.
¹⁷ Then the king of Assyria sent the Tartan, the Rabsaris, and the Rabshakeh from Lachish, with a great army against Jerusalem, to King Hezekiah. And they went up and came to Jerusalem. When they had come up, they went and stood by the aqueduct from the upper pool, which was on the highway to the Fuller's Field.
¹⁸ And when they had called to the king, Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, Shebna the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph, the recorder, came out to them.
¹⁹ Then the Rabshakeh said to them, "Say now to Hezekiah, 'Thus says the great king, the king of Assyria: "What confidence is this in which you trust?
²⁰ You speak of having plans and power for war; but they are mere words. And in whom do you trust, that you rebel against me?
²¹ Now look! You are trusting in the staff of this broken reed, Egypt, on which if a man leans, it will go into his hand and pierce it. So is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who trust in him.
²² But if you say to me, 'We trust in the LORD our God,' is it not He whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah has taken away, and said to Judah and Jerusalem, 'You shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem'?" '
²³ Now therefore, I urge you, give a pledge to my master the king of Assyria, and I will give you two thousand horses?if you are able on your part to put riders on them!
²⁴ How then will you repel one captain of the least of my master's servants, and put your trust in Egypt for chariots and horsemen?
²⁵ Have I now come up without the LORD against this place to destroy it? The LORD said to me, 'Go up against this land, and destroy it.' "
²⁶ Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, Shebna, and Joah said to the Rabshakeh, "Please speak to your servants in Aramaic, for we understand it; and do not speak to us in Hebrew in the hearing of the people who are on the wall."
²⁷ But the Rabshakeh said to them, "Has my master sent me to your master and to you to speak these words, and not to the men who sit on the wall, who will eat and drink their own waste with you?"
²⁸ Then the Rabshakeh stood and called out with a loud voice in Hebrew, and spoke, saying, "Hear the word of the great king, the king of Assyria!
²⁹ Thus says the king: 'Do not let Hezekiah deceive you, for he shall not be able to deliver you from his hand;
³⁰ nor let Hezekiah make you trust in the LORD, saying, "The LORD will surely deliver us; this city shall not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria." '
³¹ Do not listen to Hezekiah; for thus says the king of Assyria: 'Make peace with me by a present and come out to me; and every one of you eat from his own vine and every one from his own fig tree, and every one of you drink the waters of his own cistern;
³² until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of olive groves and honey, that you may live and not die. But do not listen to Hezekiah, lest he persuade you, saying, "The LORD will deliver us."
³³ Has any of the gods of the nations at all delivered its land from the hand of the king of Assyria?
³⁴ Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim and Hena and Ivah? Indeed, have they delivered Samaria from my hand?
³⁵ Who among all the gods of the lands have delivered their countries from my hand, that the LORD should deliver Jerusalem from my hand?' "
³⁶ But the people held their peace and answered him not a word; for the king's commandment was, "Do not answer him."
³⁷ Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, Shebna the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph, the recorder, came to Hezekiah with their clothes torn, and told him the words of the Rabshakeh.

2 Kings chapter 18 niv

¹ In the third year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, Hezekiah son of Ahaz king of Judah began to reign.
² He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother's name was Abijah daughter of Zechariah.
³ He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father David had done.
⁴ He removed the high places, smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles. He broke into pieces the bronze snake Moses had made, for up to that time the Israelites had been burning incense to it. (It was called Nehushtan.)
⁵ Hezekiah trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him.
⁶ He held fast to the LORD and did not stop following him; he kept the commands the LORD had given Moses.
⁷ And the LORD was with him; he was successful in whatever he undertook. He rebelled against the king of Assyria and did not serve him.
⁸ From watchtower to fortified city, he defeated the Philistines, as far as Gaza and its territory.
⁹ In King Hezekiah's fourth year, which was the seventh year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, Shalmaneser king of Assyria marched against Samaria and laid siege to it.
¹⁰ At the end of three years the Assyrians took it. So Samaria was captured in Hezekiah's sixth year, which was the ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel.
¹¹ The king of Assyria deported Israel to Assyria and settled them in Halah, in Gozan on the Habor River and in towns of the Medes.
¹² This happened because they had not obeyed the LORD their God, but had violated his covenant?all that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded. They neither listened to the commands nor carried them out.
¹³ In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah's reign, Sennacherib king of Assyria attacked all the fortified cities of Judah and captured them.
¹⁴ So Hezekiah king of Judah sent this message to the king of Assyria at Lachish: "I have done wrong. Withdraw from me, and I will pay whatever you demand of me." The king of Assyria exacted from Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold.
¹⁵ So Hezekiah gave him all the silver that was found in the temple of the LORD and in the treasuries of the royal palace.
¹⁶ At this time Hezekiah king of Judah stripped off the gold with which he had covered the doors and doorposts of the temple of the LORD, and gave it to the king of Assyria.
¹⁷ The king of Assyria sent his supreme commander, his chief officer and his field commander with a large army, from Lachish to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem. They came up to Jerusalem and stopped at the aqueduct of the Upper Pool, on the road to the Washerman's Field.
¹⁸ They called for the king; and Eliakim son of Hilkiah the palace administrator, Shebna the secretary, and Joah son of Asaph the recorder went out to them.
¹⁹ The field commander said to them, "Tell Hezekiah: "?'This is what the great king, the king of Assyria, says: On what are you basing this confidence of yours?
²⁰ You say you have the counsel and the might for war?but you speak only empty words. On whom are you depending, that you rebel against me?
²¹ Look, I know you are depending on Egypt, that splintered reed of a staff, which pierces the hand of anyone who leans on it! Such is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who depend on him.
²² But if you say to me, "We are depending on the LORD our God"?isn't he the one whose high places and altars Hezekiah removed, saying to Judah and Jerusalem, "You must worship before this altar in Jerusalem"?
²³ "?'Come now, make a bargain with my master, the king of Assyria: I will give you two thousand horses?if you can put riders on them!
²⁴ How can you repulse one officer of the least of my master's officials, even though you are depending on Egypt for chariots and horsemen?
²⁵ Furthermore, have I come to attack and destroy this place without word from the LORD? The LORD himself told me to march against this country and destroy it.'?"
²⁶ Then Eliakim son of Hilkiah, and Shebna and Joah said to the field commander, "Please speak to your servants in Aramaic, since we understand it. Don't speak to us in Hebrew in the hearing of the people on the wall."
²⁷ But the commander replied, "Was it only to your master and you that my master sent me to say these things, and not to the people sitting on the wall?who, like you, will have to eat their own excrement and drink their own urine?"
²⁸ Then the commander stood and called out in Hebrew, "Hear the word of the great king, the king of Assyria!
²⁹ This is what the king says: Do not let Hezekiah deceive you. He cannot deliver you from my hand.
³⁰ Do not let Hezekiah persuade you to trust in the LORD when he says, 'The LORD will surely deliver us; this city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.'
³¹ "Do not listen to Hezekiah. This is what the king of Assyria says: Make peace with me and come out to me. Then each of you will eat fruit from your own vine and fig tree and drink water from your own cistern,
³² until I come and take you to a land like your own?a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of olive trees and honey. Choose life and not death! "Do not listen to Hezekiah, for he is misleading you when he says, 'The LORD will deliver us.'
³³ Has the god of any nation ever delivered his land from the hand of the king of Assyria?
³⁴ Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena and Ivvah? Have they rescued Samaria from my hand?
³⁵ Who of all the gods of these countries has been able to save his land from me? How then can the LORD deliver Jerusalem from my hand?"
³⁶ But the people remained silent and said nothing in reply, because the king had commanded, "Do not answer him."
³⁷ Then Eliakim son of Hilkiah the palace administrator, Shebna the secretary, and Joah son of Asaph the recorder went to Hezekiah, with their clothes torn, and told him what the field commander had said.

2 Kings chapter 18 esv

¹ In the third year of Hoshea son of Elah, king of Israel, Hezekiah the son of Ahaz, king of Judah, began to reign.
² He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Abi the daughter of Zechariah.
³ And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, according to all that David his father had done.
⁴ He removed the high places and broke the pillars and cut down the Asherah. And he broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the people of Israel had made offerings to it (it was called Nehushtan).
⁵ He trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel, so that there was none like him among all the kings of Judah after him, nor among those who were before him.
⁶ For he held fast to the LORD. He did not depart from following him, but kept the commandments that the LORD commanded Moses.
⁷ And the LORD was with him; wherever he went out, he prospered. He rebelled against the king of Assyria and would not serve him.
⁸ He struck down the Philistines as far as Gaza and its territory, from watchtower to fortified city.
⁹ In the fourth year of King Hezekiah, which was the seventh year of Hoshea son of Elah, king of Israel, Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up against Samaria and besieged it,
¹⁰ and at the end of three years he took it. In the sixth year of Hezekiah, which was the ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel, Samaria was taken.
¹¹ The king of Assyria carried the Israelites away to Assyria and put them in Halah, and on the Habor, the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes,
¹² because they did not obey the voice of the LORD their God but transgressed his covenant, even all that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded. They neither listened nor obeyed.
¹³ In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the fortified cities of Judah and took them.
¹⁴ And Hezekiah king of Judah sent to the king of Assyria at Lachish, saying, "I have done wrong; withdraw from me. Whatever you impose on me I will bear." And the king of Assyria required of Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold.
¹⁵ And Hezekiah gave him all the silver that was found in the house of the LORD and in the treasuries of the king's house.
¹⁶ At that time Hezekiah stripped the gold from the doors of the temple of the LORD and from the doorposts that Hezekiah king of Judah had overlaid and gave it to the king of Assyria.
¹⁷ And the king of Assyria sent the Tartan, the Rab-saris, and the Rabshakeh with a great army from Lachish to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem. And they went up and came to Jerusalem. When they arrived, they came and stood by the conduit of the upper pool, which is on the highway to the Washer's Field.
¹⁸ And when they called for the king, there came out to them Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebnah the secretary, and Joah the son of Asaph, the recorder.
¹⁹ And the Rabshakeh said to them, "Say to Hezekiah, 'Thus says the great king, the king of Assyria: On what do you rest this trust of yours?
²⁰ Do you think that mere words are strategy and power for war? In whom do you now trust, that you have rebelled against me?
²¹ Behold, you are trusting now in Egypt, that broken reed of a staff, which will pierce the hand of any man who leans on it. Such is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who trust in him.
²² But if you say to me, "We trust in the LORD our God," is it not he whose high places and altars Hezekiah has removed, saying to Judah and to Jerusalem, "You shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem"?
²³ Come now, make a wager with my master the king of Assyria: I will give you two thousand horses, if you are able on your part to set riders on them.
²⁴ How then can you repulse a single captain among the least of my master's servants, when you trust in Egypt for chariots and for horsemen?
²⁵ Moreover, is it without the LORD that I have come up against this place to destroy it? The LORD said to me, "Go up against this land and destroy it."'"
²⁶ Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, and Shebnah, and Joah, said to the Rabshakeh, "Please speak to your servants in Aramaic, for we understand it. Do not speak to us in the language of Judah within the hearing of the people who are on the wall."
²⁷ But the Rabshakeh said to them, "Has my master sent me to speak these words to your master and to you, and not to the men sitting on the wall, who are doomed with you to eat their own dung and to drink their own urine?"
²⁸ Then the Rabshakeh stood and called out in a loud voice in the language of Judah: "Hear the word of the great king, the king of Assyria!
²⁹ Thus says the king: 'Do not let Hezekiah deceive you, for he will not be able to deliver you out of my hand.
³⁰ Do not let Hezekiah make you trust in the LORD by saying, The LORD will surely deliver us, and this city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.'
³¹ Do not listen to Hezekiah, for thus says the king of Assyria: 'Make your peace with me and come out to me. Then each one of you will eat of his own vine, and each one of his own fig tree, and each one of you will drink the water of his own cistern,
³² until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of grain and wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of olive trees and honey, that you may live, and not die. And do not listen to Hezekiah when he misleads you by saying, "The LORD will deliver us."
³³ Has any of the gods of the nations ever delivered his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria?
³⁴ Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah? Have they delivered Samaria out of my hand?
³⁵ Who among all the gods of the lands have delivered their lands out of my hand, that the LORD should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?'"
³⁶ But the people were silent and answered him not a word, for the king's command was, "Do not answer him."
³⁷ Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebna the secretary, and Joah the son of Asaph, the recorder, came to Hezekiah with their clothes torn and told him the words of the Rabshakeh.

2 Kings chapter 18 nlt

¹ Hezekiah son of Ahaz began to rule over Judah in the third year of King Hoshea's reign in Israel.
² He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother was Abijah, the daughter of Zechariah.
³ He did what was pleasing in the LORD's sight, just as his ancestor David had done.
⁴ He removed the pagan shrines, smashed the sacred pillars, and cut down the Asherah poles. He broke up the bronze serpent that Moses had made, because the people of Israel had been offering sacrifices to it. The bronze serpent was called Nehushtan.
⁵ Hezekiah trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before or after his time.
⁶ He remained faithful to the LORD in everything, and he carefully obeyed all the commands the LORD had given Moses.
⁷ So the LORD was with him, and Hezekiah 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 Hezekiah's reign, which was the seventh year of King Hoshea's reign in Israel, King Shalmaneser of Assyria attacked the city of Samaria and began a siege against it.
¹⁰ Three years later, during the sixth year of King Hezekiah's reign and the ninth year of King Hoshea's reign in Israel, Samaria fell.
¹¹ At that time the king of Assyria exiled the Israelites to Assyria and placed them in colonies in Halah, along the banks of the Habor River in Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.
¹² For they refused to listen to the LORD their God and obey him. Instead, they violated his covenant ? all the laws that Moses the LORD's servant had commanded them to obey.
¹³ In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah's reign, King Sennacherib of Assyria came to attack the fortified towns of Judah and conquered them.
¹⁴ King Hezekiah 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 Hezekiah used all the silver stored in the Temple of the LORD and in the palace treasury.
¹⁶ Hezekiah even stripped the gold from the doors of the LORD'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 Hezekiah in Jerusalem. 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 Hezekiah, but the king sent these officials to meet with them: Eliakim son of Hilkiah, the palace administrator; Shebna the court secretary; and Joah son of Asaph, the royal historian.
¹⁹ Then the Assyrian king's chief of staff told them to give this message to Hezekiah: "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 Egypt? If you lean on Egypt, it will be like a reed that splinters beneath your weight and pierces your hand. Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, is completely unreliable!
²² "But perhaps you will say to me, 'We are trusting in the LORD our God!' But isn't he the one who was insulted by Hezekiah? Didn't Hezekiah tear down his shrines and altars and make everyone in Judah and Jerusalem worship only at the altar here in Jerusalem?
²³ "I'll 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 Egypt's chariots and charioteers?
²⁵ What's more, do you think we have invaded your land without the LORD's direction? The LORD himself told us, 'Attack this land and destroy it!'"
²⁶ Then Eliakim son of Hilkiah, Shebna, and Joah said to the Assyrian chief of staff, "Please speak to us in Aramaic, for we understand it well. Don't speak in Hebrew, for the people on the wall will hear."
²⁷ But Sennacherib'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: Don't let Hezekiah deceive you. He will never be able to rescue you from my power.
³⁰ Don't let him fool you into trusting in the LORD by saying, 'The LORD will surely rescue us. This city will never fall into the hands of the Assyrian king!'
³¹ "Don't listen to Hezekiah! These are the terms the king of Assyria is offering: Make peace 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! "Don't listen to Hezekiah when he tries to mislead you by saying, 'The LORD will rescue us!'
³³ Have the gods of any other nations ever saved their people from the king of Assyria?
³⁴ What happened to the gods of Hamath and Arpad? And what about the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah? Did any god rescue Samaria from my power?
³⁵ What god of any nation has ever been able to save its people from my power? So what makes you think that the LORD can rescue Jerusalem from me?"
³⁶ But the people were silent and did not utter a word because Hezekiah had commanded them, "Do not answer him."
³⁷ Then Eliakim son of Hilkiah, the palace administrator; Shebna the court secretary; and Joah son of Asaph, the royal historian, went back to Hezekiah. 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.