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2 Kings 18 CEV
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "//www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="//www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1"><title>2 Kings 18 CEV</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="/chapnew2.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="../spec.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /></head><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="../cmenus/2_kings/18.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="../topmenuchap/2_kings/18-1.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="//biblehub.com">Bible</a> > <a href="../">CEV</a> > 2 Kings 18</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="../2_kings/17.htm" title="2 Kings 17">◄</a> 2 Kings 18 <a href="../2_kings/19.htm" title="2 Kings 19">►</a></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheading">Contemporary English Version</div><div class="chap"><h3 class="s1">King Hezekiah of Judah</h3><h5 class="r">(<ref loc="2CH 29:1">2 Chronicles 29.1</ref>,<ref loc="2CH 29:2">2</ref>; <ref loc="2CH 31:1">31.1</ref>)</h5><p class="par"><span class="v12_18_1"><span class="reftext" id="2Kgs.18.1" class="v12_18_1">1</span>Hezekiah son of Ahaz became king of Judah in the third year of Hoshea's rule in Israel. </span><span class="v12_18_2"><span class="reftext" id="2Kgs.18.2" class="v12_18_2">2</span>Hezekiah was 25 years old when he became king, and he ruled 29 years from Jerusalem. His mother Abi was the daughter of Zechariah.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v12_18_3"><span class="reftext" id="2Kgs.18.3" class="v12_18_3">3</span>Hezekiah obeyed the <span class="nd">Lord</span>, just as his ancestor David had done. </span><span class="v12_18_4"><span class="reftext" id="2Kgs.18.4" class="v12_18_4">4</span><a href="#fn" id="link_2Kgs.18.4!x.1" class="notelink x-link"><span></span></a> He destroyed the local shrines, then tore down the images of foreign gods and cut down the sacred pole for worshiping the goddess Asherah. He also smashed the bronze snake Moses had made. The people had named it Nehushtan<a href="#fn" id="link_2Kgs.18.4!f.2" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> and had been offering sacrifices to it.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v12_18_5"><span class="reftext" id="2Kgs.18.5" class="v12_18_5">5</span>Hezekiah trusted the <span class="nd">Lord</span> God of Israel. No other king of Judah was like Hezekiah, either before or after him. </span><span class="v12_18_6"><span class="reftext" id="2Kgs.18.6" class="v12_18_6">6</span>He was completely faithful to the <span class="nd">Lord</span> and obeyed the laws the <span class="nd">Lord</span> had given to Moses for the people. </span><span class="v12_18_7"><span class="reftext" id="2Kgs.18.7" class="v12_18_7">7</span>The <span class="nd">Lord</span> helped Hezekiah, so he was successful in everything he did. He even rebelled against the king of Assyria, refusing to be his servant. </span><span class="v12_18_8"><span class="reftext" id="2Kgs.18.8" class="v12_18_8">8</span>Hezekiah defeated the Philistine towns as far away as Gaza—from the smallest towns to the large, walled cities.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v12_18_9"><span class="reftext" id="2Kgs.18.9" class="v12_18_9">9</span>During the fourth year of Hezekiah's rule, which was the seventh year of Hoshea's rule in Israel, King Shalmaneser of Assyria led his troops to Samaria, the capital city of Israel. They attacked </span><span class="v12_18_10"><span class="reftext" id="2Kgs.18.10" class="v12_18_10">10</span>and captured it three years later,<a href="#fn" id="link_2Kgs.18.10!f.1" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> in the sixth year of Hezekiah's rule and the ninth year of Hoshea's rule. </span><span class="v12_18_11"><span class="reftext" id="2Kgs.18.11" class="v12_18_11">11</span>The king of Assyria<a href="#fn" id="link_2Kgs.18.11!f.1" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> took the Israelites away as prisoners; he forced some of them to live in the town of Halah, others to live near the Habor River in the territory of Gozan, and still others to live in towns where the Median people lived. </span><span class="v12_18_12"><span class="reftext" id="2Kgs.18.12" class="v12_18_12">12</span>All of that happened because the people of Israel had not obeyed the <span class="nd">Lord</span> their God. They rejected the solemn agreement he had made with them, and they ignored everything that the <span class="nd">Lord</span>'s servant Moses had told them.</span></p><h3 class="s1">King Sennacherib of Assyria Invades Judah</h3><h5 class="r">(<ref loc="2CH 32:1-19">2 Chronicles 32.1-19</ref>; <ref loc="ISA 36:1-22">Isaiah 36.1-22</ref>)</h5><p class="par"><span class="v12_18_13"><span class="reftext" id="2Kgs.18.13" class="v12_18_13">13</span><a href="#fn" id="link_2Kgs.18.13!x.1" class="notelink x-link"><span></span></a> In the fourteenth year of Hezekiah's rule in Judah, King Sennacherib of Assyria invaded the country and captured every walled city,<a href="#fn" id="link_2Kgs.18.13!f.2" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> except Jerusalem. </span><span class="v12_18_14"><span class="reftext" id="2Kgs.18.14" class="v12_18_14">14</span>Hezekiah sent this message to Sennacherib, who was in the town of Lachish: “I know I am guilty of rebellion. But I will pay you whatever you want, if you stop your attack.”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v12_18_14">Sennacherib told Hezekiah to pay ten tons of silver and one ton of gold. </span><span class="v12_18_15"><span class="reftext" id="2Kgs.18.15" class="v12_18_15">15</span>So Hezekiah collected all the silver from the <span class="nd">Lord</span>'s temple and the royal treasury. </span><span class="v12_18_16"><span class="reftext" id="2Kgs.18.16" class="v12_18_16">16</span>He even stripped the gold that he had used to cover the doors and doorposts<a href="#fn" id="link_2Kgs.18.16!f.1" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> in the temple. He gave it all to Sennacherib.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v12_18_17"><span class="reftext" id="2Kgs.18.17" class="v12_18_17">17</span>The king of Assyria ordered his three highest military officers to leave Lachish and take a large army to Jerusalem. When they arrived, the officers stood on the road near the cloth makers' shops along the canal from the upper pool. </span><span class="v12_18_18"><span class="reftext" id="2Kgs.18.18" class="v12_18_18">18</span>They called out to Hezekiah, and three of his highest officials came out to meet them. One of them was Hilkiah's son Eliakim, who was the prime minister. The other two were Shebna, assistant to the prime minister, and Joah son of Asaph, keeper of the government records.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v12_18_19"><span class="reftext" id="2Kgs.18.19" class="v12_18_19">19</span>One of the Assyrian commanders told them:</span></p><p class="pi"><span class="v12_18_19">I have a message for Hezekiah from the great king of Assyria. Ask Hezekiah why he feels so sure of himself. </span><span class="v12_18_20"><span class="reftext" id="2Kgs.18.20" class="v12_18_20">20</span>Does he think he can plan and win a war with nothing but words? Who is going to help him, now that he has turned against the king of Assyria? </span><span class="v12_18_21"><span class="reftext" id="2Kgs.18.21" class="v12_18_21">21</span>Is he depending on Egypt and its king? That's the same as leaning on a broken stick, and it will go right through his hand.</span></p><p class="pi"><span class="v12_18_22"><span class="reftext" id="2Kgs.18.22" class="v12_18_22">22</span>Is Hezekiah now depending on the <span class="nd">Lord</span> your God? Didn't Hezekiah tear down all except one of the <span class="nd">Lord</span>'s altars and places of worship?<a href="#fn" id="link_2Kgs.18.22!f.1" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> Didn't he tell the people of Jerusalem and Judah to worship at that one place?</span></p><p class="pi"><span class="v12_18_23"><span class="reftext" id="2Kgs.18.23" class="v12_18_23">23</span>The king of Assyria wants to make a bet with you people. He will give you 2,000 horses, if you have enough troops to ride them. </span><span class="v12_18_24"><span class="reftext" id="2Kgs.18.24" class="v12_18_24">24</span>How could you even defeat our lowest ranking officer, when you have to depend on Egypt for chariots and cavalry? </span><span class="v12_18_25"><span class="reftext" id="2Kgs.18.25" class="v12_18_25">25</span>Don't forget that it was the <span class="nd">Lord</span> who sent me here with orders to destroy your nation!</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v12_18_26"><span class="reftext" id="2Kgs.18.26" class="v12_18_26">26</span>Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah said, “Sir, we don't want the people listening from the city wall to understand what you are saying. So please speak to us in Aramaic instead of Hebrew.”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v12_18_27"><span class="reftext" id="2Kgs.18.27" class="v12_18_27">27</span>The Assyrian army commander answered, “My king sent me to speak to everyone, not just to you leaders. These people will soon have to eat their own body waste and drink their own urine! And so will the three of you.”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v12_18_28"><span class="reftext" id="2Kgs.18.28" class="v12_18_28">28</span>Then, in a voice loud enough for everyone to hear, he shouted in Hebrew:</span></p><p class="pi"><span class="v12_18_28">Listen to what the great king of Assyria says! </span><span class="v12_18_29"><span class="reftext" id="2Kgs.18.29" class="v12_18_29">29</span>Don't be fooled by Hezekiah. He can't save you. </span><span class="v12_18_30"><span class="reftext" id="2Kgs.18.30" class="v12_18_30">30</span>Don't trust him when he tells you that the <span class="nd">Lord</span> will protect you from the king of Assyria. </span><span class="v12_18_31"><span class="reftext" id="2Kgs.18.31" class="v12_18_31">31</span>Stop listening to Hezekiah! Pay attention to my king. Surrender to him. He will let you keep your own vineyards, fig trees, and cisterns </span><span class="v12_18_32"><span class="reftext" id="2Kgs.18.32" class="v12_18_32">32</span>for a while. Then he will come and take you away to a country just like yours, where you can plant vineyards, raise your own grain, and have plenty of olive oil and honey. Believe me, you won't starve there.</span></p><p class="pi"><span class="v12_18_32">Hezekiah claims the <span class="nd">Lord</span> will save you. But don't be fooled by him. </span><span class="v12_18_33"><span class="reftext" id="2Kgs.18.33" class="v12_18_33">33</span>Were any other gods able to defend their land against the king of Assyria? </span><span class="v12_18_34"><span class="reftext" id="2Kgs.18.34" class="v12_18_34">34</span>What happened to the gods of Hamath and Arpad? What about the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah? Were the gods of Samaria able to protect their land against the Assyrian forces? </span><span class="v12_18_35"><span class="reftext" id="2Kgs.18.35" class="v12_18_35">35</span>None of these gods kept their people safe from the king of Assyria. Do you think the <span class="nd">Lord</span> your God can do any better?</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v12_18_36"><span class="reftext" id="2Kgs.18.36-2Kgs.18.37" class="v12_18_36">36-37</span>Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah had been warned by King Hezekiah not to answer the Assyrian commander. So they tore their clothes in sorrow and reported to Hezekiah everything the commander had said.</span></p></div> </div> <a name="fn"></a><br /><br /><br /><b>Footnotes:<br /><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">18.4 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">the bronze snake … Nehushtan: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">See Numbers 21.8,9. “Nehushtan” is a nickname that sounds like the Hebrew words for “snake” and “bronze.”</char></note><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">18.10 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">three years later: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">When the Israelites measured time, part of a year could be counted as a whole year.</char></note><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">18.11 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">The king of Assyria: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">Probably Sargon, Shalmaneser's successor (see the note at 17.6).</char></note><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">18.13 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">King Sennacherib … walled city: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">Sennacherib ruled Assyria 705–681 <char style="sc">b.c.</char>, and this event probably took place in 701 <char style="sc">b.c.</char></char></note><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">18.16 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">doorposts: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.</char></note><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">18.22 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">worship: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">Hezekiah actually had torn down the places where idols were worshiped, and he had told the people to worship the <char style="nd">Lord</char> at the one place of worship in Jerusalem. But the Assyrian leader was confused and thought these were also places where the <char style="nd">Lord</char> was supposed to be worshiped.</char></note></div></div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><div align="center"><p><span style="font-size:11pt;">Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt;">© 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt;">Bible text from the Contemporary English Version 2nd Edition (CEV®) is not to be reproduced in copies or otherwise by any means except as permitted in writing by American Bible Society, 101 North Independence Mall East, Floor 8, Philadelphia, PA 19106-2155 (<a href="http://www.americanbible.org">www.americanbible.org</a>). Learn more at <a href="http://www.cev.bible">www.cev.bible</a>. 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