2 Kings

Continues the story of the divided kingdoms, their decline, and eventual exile.

Chapter 18

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.

In the third year of Hoshea's rule in Israel, Hezekiah, son of Ahaz and new king of Judah, started his 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.

At age 25, he started ruling for 29 years in Jerusalem. His mom was Abi, 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.

He did what was pleasing to God, just like how David, his father, had done it.

4 He removed the high places, and brake the images, and cut down the groves, and brake in pieces the brasen serpent that Moses had made: for unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it: and he called it Nehushtan.

He destroyed the tall worship places, broke the statues, chopped down the sacred trees, and smashed the copper snake that Moses made because the people of Israel were burning incense to it. He named 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.

He believed in God, the ruler of Israel; and there was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, before or after him.

6 For he clave to the LORD, and departed not from following him, but kept his commandments, which the LORD commanded Moses.

He strongly stayed with the LORD, never leaving his side, and followed his rules, which the LORD told 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.

And the LORD supported him; wherever he went, he succeeded. But he defied the king of Assyria and didn't serve him.

8 He smote the Philistines, even unto Gaza, and the borders thereof, from the tower of the watchmen to the fenced city.

He fought the Philistines all the way to Gaza and its boundaries, from the lookout tower to the walled 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.

In the 4th year of King Hezekiah and the 7th year of Hoshea's reign, the Assyrian king, Shalmaneser, attacked Samaria and surrounded the city.

10 And at the end of three years they took it: even in the sixth year of Hezekiah, that is the ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel, Samaria was taken.

After three years passed, they captured it. In the sixth year of King Hezekiah, which was also the ninth year of King Hoshea of Israel, Samaria was seized.

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:

The Assyrian king took Israel to Assyria and placed them in areas called Halah, Habor, and the Gozan River's cities, also in Median cities.

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.

Because they didn't listen to God's voice or follow His rules given by Moses, the servant of God. They disobeyed both God and Moses' commands.

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.

In the 14th year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib, the king of Assyria, attacked all the walled cities in Judah and captured 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.

Hezekiah, king of Judah, sent a message to the Assyrian king in Lachish, admitting his mistake and asking for forgiveness. He promised to bear whatever consequences came his way. In response, the Assyrian king demanded 300 talents of silver and 30 talents of gold from Hezekiah, the king of Judah.

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.

Hezekiah gave him all the silver found in God's house and the king's treasures.

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.

At that time, Hezekiah took the gold from the temple doors and covered pillars, then gave it to the Assyrian king.

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.

The Assyrian king sent leaders named Tartan, Rabsaris, and Rabshakeh to King Hezekiah with a large army. They went to Jerusalem and when they arrived, they stood near the top of a pool on a main road by a field where people stored grain.

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.

When they asked the king for help, Eliakim, who was in charge of the house, along with Shebna the writer and Joah, the one who recorded things, came to them.

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?

And Rabshakeh spoke to them, saying, "Tell Hezekiah, 'The powerful king of Assyria asks, what makes you so confident?'"

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?

You say you have advice and power for the fight, but your words are empty. Who do you believe that you're rebelling against me like this?

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.

Now, see, you rely on the weak and broken reed - that is, Egypt. If someone leans on it, it will pierce their hand. This describes how Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, is to everyone who depends 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?

But if you tell me, "We trust in the Lord our God," isn't it the same God who, through Hezekiah, removed the high places and altars? And told Judah and Jerusalem, "You should only worship at 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.

So now, please promise my master, the king of Assyria, that you will provide security for me. Then I will give you 2,000 horses, but only if you can find people to ride them too.

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?

So how can you ignore one of my master's small servants and rely on Egypt for chariots and horses instead?

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.

Am I here without God's help to destroy this place? God told me to go and destroy this land.

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.

Then Eliakim, son of Hilkiah, Shebna, and Joah told Rabshakeh, "Please speak to your servants in Syrian language because we understand it. Don't talk to us in Jewish language while the people on the wall can hear."

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?

But Rabshakeh asked them, "Did my master send me to your leader and you to say this? Was it not to those on the wall so they could eat their own waste and drink their own urine along 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:

Then Rabshakeh, a leader, loudly spoke in the Jewish language, saying, "Listen to the message from the powerful 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:

So says the king, do not let Hezekiah mislead you; for he cannot save you from his control.

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.

Don't let Hezekiah convince you that the Lord will definitely save you and that this city won't fall to 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:

Don't listen to Hezekiah. The king of Assyria says, "Make a deal with me by giving a gift, come out and meet me, then each person can eat from their own vine, each person can eat from their own fig tree, and each person can drink from their own well."

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.

I'll take you to a land with corn, wine, bread, vineyards, olive oil, and honey so you can live. Don't listen to Hezekiah when he says the Lord will save us.

33 Hath any of the gods of the nations delivered at all his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria?

Has any god of the other countries ever saved their land from being controlled by 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?

Which gods protect Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivah? Did these gods save Samaria from me?

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?

Who are these gods from other nations that have saved their lands from me? Why would the LORD save Jerusalem from my control?

36 But the people held their peace, and answered him not a word: for the king’s commandment was, saying, Answer him not.

But the people stayed quiet and didn't say anything to him. The king had ordered them not to speak to him.

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.

Then Eliakim, a son of Hilkiah in charge of the household, along with Shebna the scribe and Joah, son of Asaph the recorder, came to Hezekiah wearing torn clothes. They shared with him what Rabshakeh had said.

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