New International Reader s Version - NIrV - 1996

2 Kings 18

1 Hezekiah began to rule as king over Judah. It was in the third year that Hoshea was king of Israel. He was the son of Elah. Hezekiah was the son of Ahaz. Reference

Parallel theme

1 Chronicles 3:13

2 Hezekiah was 25 years old when he became king. He ruled in Jerusalem for 29 years. His mother's name was Abijah. She was the daughter of Zechariah. People

Zechariah

3 Hezekiah did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, just as King David had done. Reference

References Lord

2 Kings 20:3

4 Hezekiah removed the high places. He smashed the sacred stones. He cut down the poles that were used to worship the goddess Asherah. He broke into pieces the bronze snake Moses had made. Up to that time the people of Israel had been burning incense to it. They called it Nehushtan. Reference

Parallel theme

Exodus 23:24 Deuteronomy 7:5 1 Kings 22:43 Leviticus 26:30 2 Kings 12:3 2 Kings 18:22 Judges 6:28 Judges 6:25

References Israel

2 Chronicles 31:1

5 Hezekiah trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all of the kings of Judah. There was no king like him either before him or after him. Reference

Faith

2 Kings 19:10 Matthew 27:43 Ephesians 1:12 Psalm 13:5 Psalm 84:12 Job 13:15 2 Chronicles 20:20

Kingdom

2 Kings 23:25 2 Chronicles 20:35

References God

2 Chronicles 14:11

6 Hezekiah remained true to the Lord. He didn't stop following him. He obeyed the commands the Lord had given Moses. Reference

Parallel theme

John 15:14 Jeremiah 11:4

References Lord

Deuteronomy 10:20 Joshua 23:8 Acts 11:23

Word

John 14:15 1 John 5:3 2 Kings 17:13 John 14:21 2 Kings 17:16

7 The Lord was with Hezekiah. He was successful in everything he did. He refused to remain under the control of the king of Assyria. He didn't serve him. Reference

Kingdom

2 Kings 16:7

Parallel theme

Psalm 60:12 Psalm 1:3 Romans 8:31 Matthew 28:20 2 Chronicles 32:30 2 Chronicles 31:21 Matthew 1:23

References Lord

1 Samuel 18:14 Psalm 46:11

8 He won the war against the Philistines. He won battles at their lookout towers. He won battles at their cities that had high walls around them. He won battles against the Philistines all the way to Gaza and its territory. Reference

Parallel theme

Isaiah 14:29 2 Kings 17:9 2 Chronicles 28:18

9 Shalmaneser marched to Samaria and surrounded it. It was in the fourth year of King Hezekiah. That was the seventh year of Hoshea, the king of Israel. He was the son of Elah. Shalmaneser was king of Assyria. Reference

Parallel theme

Hosea 10:14

10 At the end of three years the army of Assyria took Samaria. So it was captured in the sixth year of Hezekiah. That was the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Israel.

11 The king of Assyria took the people of Israel away from their own land. He sent them off to Assyria. He settled some of them in Halah. He settled others in Gozan on the Habor River. And he settled still others in the towns of the Medes. Reference

Kingdom

1 Chronicles 5:26 2 Kings 17:6

Parallel theme

Isaiah 37:12

12 Those things happened because the Israelites hadn't obeyed the Lord their God. They had broken the covenant he had made with them. They had refused to do everything Moses, the servant of the Lord, had commanded. They hadn't paid any attention to those commands. They hadn't obeyed them.

13 Sennacherib attacked and captured all of the cities of Judah that had high walls around them. It was in the 14th year of the rule of Hezekiah. Sennacherib was king of Assyria. People

Sennacherib

14 Hezekiah, the king of Judah, sent a message to the king of Assyria at Lachish. It said, "I have done what is wrong. Pull your troops back from me. Then I'll pay you anything you ask me to." The king of Assyria forced Hezekiah, the king of Judah, to give him 11 tons of silver. Hezekiah also had to give him a ton of gold. Reference

Kingdom

2 Kings 18:7

15 So Hezekiah gave him all of the silver that was in the Lord's temple. He also gave him all of the silver that was among the treasures in the royal palace. Reference

Kingdom

2 Kings 16:8 2 Kings 12:18 2 Chronicles 16:2

16 Hezekiah, the king of Judah, had covered the doors and doorposts of the Lord's temple with gold. But now he had to strip it off. He had to give it to the king of Assyria.

17 The king of Assyria sent his highest commander from Lachish to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem. He also sent his chief officer and his field commander along with a large army. All of them came up to Jerusalem. They stopped at the channel that brings water from the Upper Pool. It was on the road to the Washerman's Field. Reference

Kingdom

Isaiah 20:1 2 Kings 20:20 Isaiah 36:2

Parallel theme

Isaiah 7:3

📍 Washer s Field

18 They called for King Hezekiah. Eliakim, Shebna and Joah went out to them. Eliakim, the son of Hilkiah, was in charge of the palace. Shebna was the secretary. Joah, the son of Asaph, kept the records. Reference

Parallel theme

2 Kings 19:2

People

Eliakim Hilkiah Joah Asaph

19 The field commander said to them, "Give Hezekiah this message. Tell him, " 'Sennacherib is the great king of Assyria. He says, "Why are you putting your faith in what your king says? Reference

Faith

Isaiah 36:4 2 Kings 19:10

20 You say you have a military plan. You say you have a strong army. But your words don't mean anything. Who are you depending on? Why don't you want to stay under my control?

21 " ' "You are depending on Egypt. Why are you doing that? Egypt is nothing but a broken papyrus stem. Try leaning on it. It will only cut your hand. Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, is just like that to everyone who depends on him. Reference

References Egypt

Isaiah 30:7

22 " ' "Suppose you say to me, 'We are depending on the Lord our God.' Didn't Hezekiah remove your god's high places and altars? Didn't Hezekiah say to the people of Judah and Jerusalem, 'You must worship at the altar in Jerusalem'? Reference

Sacrifice

2 Chronicles 31:1

23 " ' "Come on. Make a deal with my master, the king of Assyria. I'll give you 2,000 horses. But only if you can put riders on them!

24 You are depending on Egypt for chariots and horsemen. You can't drive away even the least important officer among my master's officials. Reference

Parallel theme

Isaiah 10:8

25 " ' "Besides, do you think I've come without receiving a message from the Lord? Have I come to attack and destroy this place without a message from him? The Lord himself told me to march out against your country. He told me to destroy it." ' " Reference

References Lord

2 Kings 19:6

26 Then Shebna, Joah and Eliakim, the son of Hilkiah, spoke to the field commander. They said, "Please speak to us in the Aramaic language. We understand it. Don't speak to us in Hebrew. If you do, the people who are on the wall will be able to understand you." Reference

Parallel theme

Ezra 4:7 Daniel 2:4

27 But the commander replied, "My master sent me to say these things. Are these words only for your master and you to hear? Aren't they also for the men who are sitting on the wall? They are going to suffer just like you. They'll have to eat their own waste. They'll have to drink their own urine."

28 Then the commander stood up and spoke in the Hebrew language. He called out, "Pay attention to what the great king of Assyria is telling you.

29 He says, 'Don't let Hezekiah trick you. He can't save you from my powerful hand. Reference

Kingdom

2 Chronicles 32:15

30 Don't let Hezekiah talk you into trusting in the Lord. Don't believe him when he says, "You can be sure that the Lord will save us. This city will not be handed over to the king of Assyria." '

31 "Don't listen to Hezekiah. The king of Assyria says, 'Make a peace treaty with me. Come over to my side. Then every one of you will eat fruit from your own vine and fig tree. Every one of you will drink water from your own well. Reference

Kingdom

1 Kings 4:20

Parallel theme

1 Kings 4:25 Zechariah 3:10 Proverbs 18:16

32 You will do that until I come back. Then I'll take you to a land that is just like yours. It's a land that has a lot of grain and fresh wine. It has plenty of bread and vineyards. It has olive trees and honey. So choose life! Don't choose death!' "Don't pay any attention to Hezekiah. He's telling you a lie when he says, 'The Lord will save us.' Reference

Parallel theme

Exodus 3:8

References Lord

Deuteronomy 11:12

33 "Has the god of any nation ever saved his land from the powerful 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 saved Samaria from my power? Reference

Parallel theme

Isaiah 10:9

📍 Locations

📍 Arpad 📍 Hena 📍 Ivvah

35 "Which one of all of the gods of those countries has been able to save his land from me? So how can the Lord save Jerusalem from my power?" Reference

References God

Daniel 3:15

36 But the people remained silent. They didn't say anything. That's because King Hezekiah had commanded, "Don't answer him."

37 Then Eliakim, the son of Hilkiah, went to Hezekiah. Eliakim was in charge of the palace. The secretary Shebna went with him. So did Joah, the son of Asaph. Joah kept the records. All of them went to Hezekiah with their clothes torn. They told him what the field commander had said.

Summary of 2 Kings 18

This chapter marks a major turning point in the history of Judah. The chapter introduces Hezekiah as a faithful king who brings significant religious reforms, but it also places Judah directly in the path of the powerful Assyrian Empire.

Hezekiah becomes king of Judah and immediately distinguishes himself from his father Ahaz. He removes the high places, destroys sacred objects connected with pagan worship, and even breaks the bronze serpent that Moses had made because the people had turned it into an object of worship. Hezekiah trusts the Lord and seeks to restore Judah's covenant faithfulness.

Politically, Hezekiah also challenges Assyrian authority and successfully campaigns against the Philistines. However, Assyria remains the dominant military power. During Hezekiah's reign, Samaria falls and the northern kingdom of Israel is destroyed. Later, in approximately 701 BC, Sennacherib launches a major campaign against Judah and captures many fortified cities.

Hezekiah initially attempts to prevent Jerusalem's destruction by paying a large tribute to Assyria. He gives silver from the temple and royal treasury and even removes gold from the temple doors. Nevertheless, Sennacherib continues his campaign and sends a large army toward Jerusalem.

The Assyrian field commander then delivers a powerful speech intended to destroy Judah's confidence. He mocks Hezekiah, ridicules Egypt, questions Judah's military strength, and most importantly challenges the people's trust in the Lord. He points to the destruction of other nations and argues that Judah's God will be unable to save Jerusalem.

The people remain silent because Hezekiah instructed them not to respond. The chapter ends with Judah's officials returning to Hezekiah in grief, their clothes torn because of the seriousness of the threat.

The chapter creates a dramatic contrast: Hezekiah trusts God, while Assyria trusts military power. The following chapter will reveal how God responds to Assyria's challenge.