nsb - 2Kings:18:1-16

nsb@2Kings:18:1 @ Hezekiah son of Ahaz became king of Judah. It was in the third year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel.

nsb@2Kings:18:2 @ Hezekiah was twenty-five years old when he became king. He ruled in Jerusalem for twenty-nine years. His mother's name was Abi the daughter of Zechariah.

nsb@2Kings:18:3 @ He did what was right in the eyes of Jehovah as David his father had done.

nsb@2Kings:18:4 @ He removed the high places. He broke the stone pillars to bits, and cut down the Asherah poles. The brass snake that Moses had made was crushed to powder at his command, because in those days the children of Israel had offerings burned before it, and he gave it the name Nehushtan.

nsb@2Kings:18:5 @ Hezekiah had faith in Jehovah, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah who were before him.

nsb@2Kings:18:6 @ For his heart was fixed on Jehovah. He did not turn from his ways. Hezekiah obeyed Jehovahs commandments that Jehovah gave to Moses.

nsb@2Kings:18:7 @ Jehovah was with Hezekiah. He did well in everything he did. He took up arms against the king of Assyria and was his servant no longer.

nsb@2Kings:18:8 @ He defeated the Philistines as far as Gaza and its limits, from the tower of the watchman to the walled town.

nsb@2Kings:18:9 @ It was the fourth year of King Hezekiah, the seventh year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel. Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up against Samaria and laid siege to it.

nsb@2Kings:18:10 @ It was captured at the end of three years. Samaria was taken in the sixth year of Hezekiah's rule, which was the ninth year of Hoshea, king of Israel.

nsb@2Kings:18:11 @ The king of Assyria took Israel away as prisoners into Assyria. They placed them in Halah and in Habor on the river Gozan, and in towns of the Medes.

nsb@2Kings:18:12 @ They did not obey the voice of Jehovah their God. In fact they went against his agreement, even against everything ordered by Moses, the servant of Jehovah. They did not listen to or obey Jehovah.

nsb@2Kings:18:13 @ Now in the fourteenth year of king Hezekiah, Sennacherib, king of Assyria, came up against all the walled towns of Judah and took them.

nsb@2Kings:18:14 @ Hezekiah sent a message to Sennacherib at Lachish: »I have done wrong. Stop your attack and I will pay whatever you demand.« The emperor's answer was that Hezekiah should send him ten tons of silver and one ton of gold.

nsb@2Kings:18:15 @ Hezekiah sent him all the silver in the Temple and in the palace treasury.

nsb@2Kings:18:16 @ Hezekiah had the gold from the doors of Jehovahs Temple and from the doorposts plated by him. He stripped it off and gave it to the king of Assyria.