¹ Now in the third yeere of Hoshea, sonne of Elah King of Israel, Hezekiah the sonne of Ahaz king of Iudah began to reigne.

² He was fiue and twentie yeere olde when he began to reigne, and reigned nine and twenty yeere in Ierusalem. His mothers name also was Abi the daughter of Zachariah,

³ And he did vprightly in the sight of the Lord, according to all that Dauid his father had done.

⁴ He tooke away the hie places, and brake the images, and cut downe the groues, and brake in pieces the brasen serpent that Moses had made: for vnto those dayes the children of Israel did burne incense to it, and hee 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 Iudah, neither were there any such before him.

⁶ For he claue to the Lord, and departed not from him, but kept his commandements, which the Lord had commanded Moses.

⁷ So the Lord was with him, and he prospered in all thinges, which he tooke in hande: also he rebelled against the King of Asshur, and serued him not.

⁸ He smote the Philistims vnto Azzah, and the coastes thereof, from the watch towre vnto the defensed citie.

⁹ And in the fourth yere of King Hezekiah, (which was the seuenth yeere of Hoshea sonne of Elah King of Israel) Shalmaneser King of Asshur came vp against Samaria, and besieged it.

¹⁰ And after three yeeres they tooke it, euen in the sixt yeere of Hezekiah: that is, the ninth yeere of Hoshea King of Israel was Samaria taken.

¹¹ Then the King of Asshur did carry away Israel vnto Asshur, and put them in Halah and in Habor, by the riuer of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes,

¹² Because they woulde not obey the voyce of the Lord their God, but transgressed his couenant: that is, all that Moses the seruant of the Lord had commanded, and would neyther obey nor doe them.

¹³ Moreouer, in the fourteenth yeere of King Hezekiah, Saneherib King of Asshur came vp against all the strong cities of Iudah, and tooke them.

¹⁴ Then Hezekiah King of Iudah sent vnto the King of Asshur to Lachish, saying, I haue offended: depart from me, and what thou layest vpon me, I wil beare it. And the King of Asshur appoynted vnto Hezekiah King of Iudah three hudreth talents of siluer, and thirty talets of golde.

¹⁵ Therefore Hezekiah gaue all the siluer that was found in the house of the Lord, and in the treasures of the Kings house.

¹⁶ At the same season did Hezekiah pul off the plates of the doores of the Temple of the Lord, and the pillars (which the sayd Hezekiah King of Iudah had couered ouer) and gaue them to the King of Asshur.

¹⁷ And the King of Asshur sent Tartan, and Rab-saris, and Rabshakeh from Lachish to King Hezekiah with a great hoste against Ierusalem. And they went vp, and came to Ierusalem, and when they were come vp, they stood by the conduite of the vpper poole, which is by the path of the fullers fielde,

¹⁸ And called to the King. Then came out to them Eliakim the sonne of Hilkiah, which was steward of the house, and Shebnah the chanceller, and Ioah the sonne of Asaph the recorder.

¹⁹ And Rabshakeh sayde vnto them, Tell ye Hezekiah, I pray you, Thus saith the great King, euen the great King of Asshur, What confidence is this wherein thou trustest?

²⁰ Thou thinkest, Surely I haue eloquence, but counsell and strength are for the warre. On whom then doest thou trust, that thou rebellest against me?

²¹ Lo, thou trustest now in this broken staffe of reede, to wit, on Egypt, on which if a man leane, it will goe into his hand, and pearce it: so is Pharaoh king of Egypt vnto all that trust on him.

²² But if ye say vnto me, We trust in the Lord our God, is not that he whose hie places, and whose altars Hezekiah hath taken away, and hath sayd to Iudah and Ierusalem, Ye shall worship before this altar in Ierusalem?

²³ Now therefore giue hostages to my lord the King of Asshur, and I will giue thee two thousand horses, if thou be able to set riders vpon them.

²⁴ For how canst thou despise any captaine of the least of my masters seruants, and put thy trust on Egypt for charets and horsemen?

²⁵ Am I now come vp without the Lord to this place, to destroy it? the Lord sayd to me, Goe vp against this land, and destroy it.

²⁶ Then Eliakim the sonne of Hilkiah, and Shebnah, and Ioah said vnto Rabshakeh, Speake I pray thee, to thy seruants in the Aramites language, for we vnderstand it, and talke not with vs in the Iewes tongue, in the audience of the people that are on the wall.

²⁷ But Rabshakeh saide vnto them, Hath my master sent me to thy master and to thee to speake these words, and not to the men which sit on the wall, that they may eate their owne doung, and drinke their owne pisse with you?

²⁸ So Rabshakeh stoode and cryed with a loude voyce in the Iewes language, and spake, saying, Heare the wordes of the great King, of the king of Asshur.

²⁹ Thus sayth the King, Let not Hezekiah deceiue you: for he shall not be able to deliuer you out of mine hand.

³⁰ Neither let Hezekiah make you to trust in the Lord, saying, The Lord will surely deliuer vs, and this citie shall not be giuen ouer into the hand of the king of Asshur.

³¹ Hearken not vnto Hezekiah: for thus saith the king of Asshur, Make appointment with me, and come out to me, that euery man may eate of his owne vine, and euery man of his owne figge tree, and drinke euery man of the water of his owne well,

³² Till I come, and bring you to a land like your owne land, euen a land of wheate and wine, a land of bread and vineyardes, a lande of oliues oyle, and hony, that ye may liue and not die: and obey not Hezekiah, for he deceiueth you, saying, The Lord will deliuer vs.

³³ Hath any of the gods of the nations deliuered his lande out of the hand of the King of Asshur?

³⁴ Where is the god of Hamah, and of Arpad? where is the god of Sepharuaim, Hena and Iuah? how haue they deliuered Samaria out of mine hand?

³⁵ Who are they among all the gods of the nations, that haue deliuered their lande out of mine hand, that the Lord should deliuer Ierusalem out of mine hand?