וַיְהִי בִּשְׁנַת שָׁלֹשׁ לְהוֹשֵׁעַ בֶּן־אֵלָה מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל מָלַךְ חִזְקִיָּה בֶן־אָחָז מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה

It was during the third year of Hoshe’a son of Ela, king of Israel, that Hizkiya son of Ahaz, king of Judah, became king.

בֶּן־עֶשְׂרִים וְחָמֵשׁ שָׁנָה הָיָה בְמָלְכוֹ וְעֶשְׂרִים וָתֵשַׁע שָׁנָה מָלַךְ בִּירוּשָׁלִָם וְשֵׁם אִמּוֹ אֲבִי בַּת־זְכַרְיָה

He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned for twenty-nine years in Jerusalem; his mother’s name was Avi daughter of Zekharia.

וַיַּעַשׂ הַיָּשָׁר בְּעֵינֵי ה' כְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂה דָּוִד אָבִיו

He did that which was proper in the eyes of the Lord, in accordance with everything that David his father had done.

הוּא הֵסִיר אֶת־הַבָּמוֹת וְשִׁבַּר אֶת־הַמַּצֵּבֹת וְכָרַת אֶת־הָאֲשֵׁרָה וְכִתַּת נְחַשׁ הַנְּחֹשֶׁת אֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂה מֹשֶׁה כִּי עַד־הַיָּמִים הָהֵמָּה הָיוּ בְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל מְקַטְּרִים לוֹ וַיִּקְרָא־לוֹ נְחֻשְׁתָּן

He removed the shrines, and shattered the monuments, including those established for worshipping God. This drastic action was not appreciated by all sections of the population. And he hewed down the sacred trees that still stood in Jerusalem. And he crushed the bronze serpent that Moses had made to miraculously heal those bitten by serpents, for until those days the children of Israel had burned incense to it, turning it into a deity due to the ancient glory associated with it and the miracles that had been performed through it. He, Hizkiyahu, called it Nehushtan, a derisive expression meant to belittle it, as the suffix nun expresses belittlement. Alternatively, Hizkiyahu was emphasizing that the serpent was mere bronze [neḥoshet] and had no power.

בַּה' אֱלֹהֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל בָּטָח וְאַחֲרָיו לֹא־הָיָה כָמֹהוּ בְּכֹל מַלְכֵי יְהוּדָה ואֲשֶׁר הָיוּ לְפָנָיו

He trusted the Lord, God of Israel, and after him there was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, or any king as righteous as he among those who were before him.

וַיִּדְבַּק בַּה' לֹא־סָר מֵאַחֲרָיו וַיִּשְׁמֹר מִצְוֹתָיו אֲשֶׁר־צִוָּה ה' אֶת־מֹשֶׁה

He clung to the Lord and did not turn away from following Him, and he observed His commandments that the Lord commanded Moses.

וְהָיָה ה' עִמּוֹ בְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר־יֵצֵא יַשְׂכִּיל וַיִּמְרֹד בְּמֶלֶךְ־אַשּׁוּר וְלֹא עֲבָדוֹ

The Lord was with him: Wherever he ventured he was successful; he rebelled against the king of Assyria and did not serve him. Although the Assyrian empire extended only until the border of the Kingdom of Judah, its presence was felt within Judah as well. Ahaz, Hizkiyahu’s father, was subservient to the king of Assyria and paid him a tax, whereas Hizkiyahu refused to accept the authority of the Assyrian king.

הוּא־הִכָּה אֶת־פְּלִשְׁתִּים עַד־עַזָּה וְאֶת־גְּבוּלֶיהָ מִמִּגְדַּל נוֹצְרִים עַד־עִיר מִבְצָר

He smote the Philistines up to Gaza and all its borders, the entire region of the Philistines, from watchtower to fortified city, from the small and weak to the large and powerful. Hizkiyahu delivered a lethal blow to the Philistines and removed once and for all the constant threat they had posed.

וַיְהִי בַּשָׁנָה הָרְבִיעִת לַמֶּלֶךְ חִזְקִיָּהוּ הִיא הַשָּׁנָה הַשְּׁבִיעִית לְהוֹשֵׁעַ בֶּן־אֵלָה מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל עָלָה שַׁלְמַנְאֶסֶר מֶלֶךְ־אַשּׁוּר עַל־שֹׁמְרוֹן וַיָּצַר עָלֶיהָ

It was during the fourth year of King Hizkiyahu, which was the seventh year of Hoshe’a son of Ela, king of Israel, that Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up against Samaria and besieged it, as described above (17:1–6).

וַיִּלְכְּדֻהָ מִקְצֵה שָׁלֹשׁ שָׁנִים בִּשְׁנַת־שֵׁשׁ לְחִזְקִיָּה הִיא שְׁנַת־תֵּשַׁע לְהוֹשֵׁעַ מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל נִלְכְּדָה שֹׁמְרוֹן

He captured it at the end of three years, or at the beginning of the third year; during the sixth year of Hizkiya, which was the ninth year of Hoshe’a king of Israel, Samaria was captured.

וַיֶּגֶל מֶלֶךְ־אַשּׁוּר אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵל אַשּׁוּרָה וַיַּנְחֵם בַּחְלַח וּבְחָבוֹר נְהַר גּוֹזָן וְעָרֵי מָדָי

The king of Assyria, Sargon, successor to Shalmaneser, exiled the people of Israel to Assyria, and he placed them in Halah, and in Havor, the Gozan River, and in the cities of Media

עַל אֲשֶׁר לֹא־שָׁמְעוּ בְּקוֹל ה' אֱלֹהֵיהֶם וַיַּעַבְרוּ אֶת־בְּרִיתוֹ אֵת כָּל־אֲשֶׁר צִוָּה מֹשֶׁה עֶבֶד ה' וְלֹא שָׁמְעוּ וְלֹא עָשׂוּ

because they did not heed the voice of the Lord their God, and they violated His covenant; everything that Moses, servant of the Lord, commanded they did not heed and they did not perform.

וּבְאַרְבַּע עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה לַמֶּלֶךְ חִזְקִיָּה עָלָה סַנְחֵרִיב מֶלֶךְ־אַשּׁוּר עַל כָּל־עָרֵי יְהוּדָה הַבְּצֻרוֹת וַיִּתְפְּשֵׂם

During the fourteenth year of King Hizkiya, Sennacherib son of Sargon, king of Assyria, came up against all the fortified cities of Judah, and seized them. Sennacherib continued the Assyrian campaign southward and even planned to reach Egypt, the ultimate aspiration of the powerful empires north of the Land of Israel. He did not want to begin his war against Judah with a siege against Jerusalem, which was likely to take a long time. Therefore, he attempted to conquer the periphery before approaching Jerusalem. The struggle against Jerusalem would be easier after having conquered the other cities of Judah. This would weaken the military support and agricultural supplies available to Jerusalem.

וַיִּשְׁלַח חִזְקִיָּה מֶלֶךְ־יְהוּדָה אֶל־מֶלֶךְ־אַשּׁוּר לָכִישָׁה לֵאמֹר חָטָאתִי שׁוּב מֵעָלַי אֵת אֲשֶׁר־תִּתֵּן עָלַי אֶשָּׂא וַיָּשֶׂם מֶלֶךְ־אַשּׁוּר עַל־חִזְקִיָּה מֶלֶךְ־יְהוּדָה שְׁלֹשׁ מֵאוֹת כִּכַּר־כֶּסֶף וּשְׁלֹשִׁים כִּכַּר זָהָב

Hizkiya king of Judah sent a message to the king of Assyria to Lakhish,the fortified city in Judah where Sennacherib was located at the time, saying: I have sinned, and I surrender. Withdraw from me, cease your attack against my land, and that which you will impose upon me as a penalty I will bear. The king of Assyria imposed upon Hizkiya king of Judah a penalty of three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold.

וַיִּתֵּן חִזְקִיָּה אֶת־כָּל־הַכֶּסֶף הַנִּמְצָא בֵית־ה' וּבְאוֹצְרוֹת בֵּית הַמֶּלֶךְ

Hizkiya gave him all the silver that was found in the House of the Lord and in the treasuries of the king’s palace. He was forced to empty the national treasury in order to pay the king of Assyria.

בָּעֵת הַהִיא קִצַּץ חִזְקִיָּה אֶת דַּלְתוֹת הֵיכַל ה' וְאֶת הָאֹמְנוֹת אֲשֶׁר צִפָּה חִזְקִיָּה מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה וַיִּתְּנֵם לְמֶלֶךְ אַשּׁוּר

At that time, Hizkiya stripped the gold plating from the doors of the Sanctuary of the Lord, and the gold plating from the doorposts, or doorstep, that Hizkiya king of Judah himself had plated, and he gave it, this gold, to the king of Assyria.

וַיִּשְׁלַח מֶלֶךְ־אַשּׁוּר אֶת־תַּרְתָּן וְאֶת־רַב־סָרִיס וְאֶת־רַבְשָׁקֵה מִן־לָכִישׁ אֶל־הַמֶּלֶךְ חִזְקִיָּהוּ בְּחֵיל כָּבֵד יְרוּשָׁלִָם וַיַּעֲלוּ וַיָּבֹאוּ יְרוּשָׁלִַם וַיַּעֲלוּ וַיָּבֹאוּ וַיַּעַמְדוּ בִּתְעָלַת הַבְּרֵכָה הָעֶלְיוֹנָה אֲשֶׁר בִּמְסִלַּת שְׂדֵה כוֹבֵס

The Assyrians did not withdraw from the land, perhaps because the payment did not satisfy the Assyrian king. The king of Assyria sent three important officers, Tartan and Rav Saris and Rav Shakeh, from Lakhish to King Hizkiyahu with a great army to Jerusalem in order to begin the siege. They went up and came to Jerusalem. They went up and came and stood at the conduit of the upper pool, which is on the road of the launderer’s field. The Assyrian army and its leaders encamped very close to Jerusalem.

וַיִּקְרְאוּ אֶל־הַמֶּלֶךְ וַיֵּצֵא אֲלֵהֶם אֶלְיָקִים בֶּן־חִלְקִיָּהוּ אֲשֶׁר עַל־הַבָּיִת וְשֶׁבְנָה הַסֹּפֵר וְיוֹאָח בֶּן־אָסָף הַמַּזְכִּיר

They called out to the people of Jerusalem, indicating their desire to speak to the king. Elyakim son of Hilkiyahu, a very high ranking official who was in charge of the royal household; Shevna the scribe, who was in charge of foreign affairs; and Yo’ah son of Asaf, the chancellor of Hizkiyahu’s government, came out to them. It was contrary to royal etiquette for the king himself to emerge from his palace to speak with an officer of a foreign king.

וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵיהֶם רַבְשָׁקֵה אִמְרוּ־נָא אֶל־חִזְקִיָּהוּ כֹּה־אָמַר הַמֶּלֶךְ הַגָּדוֹל מֶלֶךְ אַשּׁוּר מָה הַבִּטָּחוֹן הַזֶּה אֲשֶׁר בָּטָחְתָּ

Rav Shakeh said to them: Say now to Hizkiyahu: So said the great king, king of Assyria: What is this surety that you relied upon when you rebelled against me? Throughout his speech, Rav Shakeh repeatedly glorifies his own king, referring to him as: The great king, king of Assyria, without mentioning his name; but he refers to Hizkiyahu by name, without mentioning any royal title.

אָמַרְתָּ אַךְ־דְּבַר שְׂפָתַיִם עֵצָה וּגְבוּרָה לַמִּלְחָמָה עַתָּה עַל־מִי בָטַחְתָּ כִּי מָרַדְתָּ בִּי

You said that it is merely a matter of the lips, counsel and courage for the war? You thought you could wage war with ideas, tactics, and speeches, but now you have to face facts. Now, on whom did you rely, that you rebelled against me?

עַתָּה הִנֵּה בָטַחְתָּ לְּךָ עַל־מִשְׁעֶנֶת הַקָּנֶה הָרָצוּץ הַזֶּה עַל־מִצְרַיִם אֲשֶׁר יִסָּמֵךְ אִישׁ עָלָיו וּבָא בְכַפּוֹ וּנְקָבָהּ כֵּן פַּרְעֹה מֶלֶךְ־מִצְרַיִם לְכָל־הַבֹּטְחִים עָלָיו

Now, behold, you relied upon this staff of broken reed, upon Egypt, which if a man were to lean on it, it would come into his hand and pierce it. Not only would the reed not support a man’s weight, if he leaned on it he would get cut. So is Pharaoh king of Egypt for all who rely on him. Egypt is not strong enough for anyone to rely on its support. Furthermore, it is not trustworthy and does not stand by its word. Therefore, whoever relies on Egypt is taking a dangerous risk and will end up being harmed.

וְכִי־תֹאמְרוּן אֵלַי אֶל־ה' אֱלֹהֵינוּ בָּטָחְנוּ הֲלוֹא־הוּא אֲשֶׁר הֵסִיר חִזְקִיָּהוּ אֶת־בָּמֹתָיו וְאֶת־מִזְבְּחֹתָיו וַיֹּאמֶר ליהוּדָה ול ירוּשָׁלִַם לִפְנֵי הַמִּזְבֵּחַ הַזֶּה תִּשְׁתַּחֲווּ בִּירוּשָׁלִָם

If you would say to me: We rely on the Lord our God; the Lord will not aid you, for isn’t it He whose shrines and whose altars Hizkiyahu has removed, and he, Hizkiyahu, said to the people of Judah and to the people of Jerusalem: Before this altar you shall prostrate yourselves in Jerusalem? You, the inhabitants of the Kingdom of Judah, cannot rely on God, for your own king has acted against Him. In the past there were altars to God in every city, but Hizkiyahu destroyed them. Rav Shakeh was seeking to provoke a rebellion by the people whose altars were destroyed at Hizkiyahu’s command. He addressed those who already harbored resentment toward Hizkiyahu and attempted to incite them to insubordination.

וְעַתָּה הִתְעָרֶב נָא אֶת אֲדֹנִי אֶת־מֶלֶךְ אַשּׁוּר וְאֶתְּנָה לְךָ אַלְפַּיִם סוּסִים אִם־תּוּכַל לָתֶת לְךָ רֹכְבִים עֲלֵיהֶם

Now, please, wager with my master, king of Assyria: I, representing him, will give you two thousand horses if you will be able to place riders for yourself on them. Rav Shakeh was insinuating that Hizkiyahu did not even have enough men to place as riders on these horses.

וְאֵיךְ תָּשִׁיב אֵת פְּנֵי פַחַת אַחַד עַבְדֵי אֲדֹנִי הַקְּטַנִּים וַתִּבְטַח לְךָ עַל־מִצְרַיִם לְרֶכֶב וּלְפָרָשִׁים

How can you reply to even one official from the minor servants of my master, such as myself? Compared to his great master, Rav Shakeh refers to himself as one of the least of the Assyrian king’s servants, even though he was an important officer. And yet you rely on Egypt for chariots and for horsemen? You think that Egypt’s chariots and horsemen will come to your aid, but they will not help you when you need them.

עַתָּה הֲמִבַּלְעֲדֵי ה'עָלִיתִי עַל־הַמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה לְהַשְׁחִתוֹ ה' אָמַר אֵלַי עֲלֵה עַל־הָאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת וְהַשְׁחִיתָהּ

Now, is it without the Lord that I went up against this place to destroy it? Do you think I have come to destroy Judah and Jerusalem against the will of the Lord? The Lord Himself said to me: Go up against this land and destroy it. Like many other kings, who employed sorcery in order to understand the gods of different lands and avoid conflict with local gods, Rav Shakeh also engaged in such practices, and he claimed that he knew he had been sent there by the will of the God of Israel.

וַיֹּאמֶר אֶלְיָקִים בֶּן־חִלְקִיָּהוּ וְשֶׁבְנָה וְיוֹאָח אֶל־רַבְשָׁקֵה דַּבֶּר־נָא אֶל־עֲבָדֶיךָ אֲרָמִית כִּי שֹׁמְעִים אֲנָחְנוּ וְאַל־תְּדַבֵּר עִמָּנוּ יְהוּדִית בְּאָזְנֵי הָעָם אֲשֶׁר עַל־הַחֹמָה

Elyakim son of Hilkiyahu, Shevna, and Yo’ah said to Rav Shakeh: Please speak to your servants in Aramaic, which was the international language of diplomacy at that time, from Asia Minor to Egypt, as we all understand it. Not only did the scribe, for whom knowledge of languages was a necessary professional skill, speak the international language, but the other two representatives spoke it as well, as they were important government officials. Do not speak Judean, Hebrew, which was the native language in Judah, within earshot of the people who are on the wall. All the soldiers standing on the wall can hear you. If you have come to negotiate with the king, address us alone, as we are his representatives.

וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵיהֶם רַבְשָׁקֵה הַעַל אֲדֹנֶיךָ וְאֵלֶיךָ שְׁלָחַנִי אֲדֹנִי לְדַבֵּר אֶת־הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה הֲלֹא עַל־הָאֲנָשִׁים הַיֹּשְׁבִים עַל־הַחֹמָה לֶאֱכֹל אֶת־צוֹאָתָם וְלִשְׁתּוֹת אֶת־מֵימֵי רַגְלֵיהֶם עִמָּכֶם

Rav Shakeh said to them: Is it to your master and to you that my master sent me to speak these matters? Isn’t it to the men who are sitting on the wall, to eat their excrement, and to drink their urine with you? I am not trying to convince you but rather the simple soldiers and regular citizens, those who will lack food and drink during the siege. Rav Shakeh employed harsh and crude propaganda to attempt to cause as much damage as possible to the morale of the people of Jerusalem.

וַיַּעֲמֹד רַבְשָׁקֵה וַיִּקְרָא בְקוֹל־גָּדוֹל יְהוּדִית וַיְדַבֵּר וַיֹּאמֶר שִׁמְעוּ דְּבַר־הַמֶּלֶךְ הַגָּדוֹל מֶלֶךְ אַשּׁוּר

Rav Shakeh stood and called in a loud voice in Judean, so that not only could the soldiers accompanying the king’s representatives hear him, even those stationed at a distance could hear him. He spoke and said: Hear the word of the great king, king of Assyria.

כֹּה אָמַר הַמֶּלֶךְ אַל־יַשִּׁא לָכֶם חִזְקִיָּהוּ כִּי־לֹא יוּכַל לְהַצִּיל אֶתְכֶם מִיָּדוֹ

So said the king: Let Hizkiyahu not mislead you, as he will not be able to deliver you from his hand. He cannot save you from the king of Assyria.

וְאַל־יַבְטַח אֶתְכֶם חִזְקִיָּהוּ אֶל־ה' לֵאמֹר הַצֵּל יַצִּילֵנוּ ה' וְלֹא תִנָּתֵן אֶת־הָעִיר הַזֹּאת בְּיַד מֶלֶךְ אַשּׁוּר

Do not let Hizkiyahu cause you to rely on the Lord, saying: The Lord will deliver us, and this city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.

אַל־תִּשְׁמְעוּ אֶל־חִזְקִיָּהוּ כִּי כֹה אָמַר מֶלֶךְ אַשּׁוּר עֲשׂוּ אִתִּי בְרָכָה וּצְאוּ אֵלַי וְאִכְלוּ אִישׁ־גַּפְנוֹ וְאִישׁ תְּאֵנָתוֹ וּשְׁתוּ אִישׁ מֵי־בֹרוֹ

Do not listen to Hizkiyahu, as so said the king of Assyria: Make peace with me, let us sign a treaty of peace and appeasement, and come out to me so that you will not have to suffer the hunger and thirst caused by a siege. For the time being, eat, each of his grapevine and each of his fig tree, and drink, each of the water of his cistern,

עַד־בֹּאִי וְלָקַחְתִּי אֶתְכֶם אֶל־אֶרֶץ כְּאַרְצְכֶם אֶרֶץ דָּגָן וְתִירוֹשׁ אֶרֶץ לֶחֶם וּכְרָמִים אֶרֶץ זֵית יִצְהָר וּדְבַשׁ וִחְיוּ וְלֹא תָמֻתוּ וְאַל־תִּשְׁמְעוּ אֶל־חִזְקִיָּהוּ כִּי־יַסִּית אֶתְכֶם לֵאמֹר ה' יַצִּילֵנוּ

until my arrival, the arrival of the king of Assyria, and I will take you. I will not allow you to remain in your land; rather, I will take you in an organized manner to a land like your land, a land of grain and wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of oil-laden olives and honey. Your new location will be no worse than your current land, and will be well suited to you. You will feel at home and you will live, and not die. Do not listen to Hizkiyahu when he entices you, saying: The Lord will deliver us.

הַהַצֵּל הִצִּילוּ אֱלֹהֵי הַגּוֹיִם אִישׁ אֶת־אַרְצוֹ מִיַּד מֶלֶךְ אַשּׁוּר

Have any of the gods of the nations delivered his land from the hand of the king of Assyria?

אַיֵּה אֱלֹהֵי חֲמָת וְאַרְפָּד אַיֵּה אֱלֹהֵי סְפַרְוַיִם הֵנַע וְעִוָּה כִי־הִצִּילוּ אֶת־שֹׁמְרוֹן מִיָּדִי

Where are the gods of other lands that we have conquered, those of Hamat and of Arpad? Where are the gods of Sefarvayim, of Hena, and of Iva? Have any of these gods saved their nations, or have you heard that they delivered Samaria, which is adjacent to Judah and whose population also worshipped the gods of the surrounding lands, from my hand?

מִי בְּכָל־אֱלֹהֵי הָאֲרָצוֹת אֲשֶׁר־הִצִּילוּ אֶת־אַרְצָם מִיָּדִי כִּי־יַצִּיל ה' אֶת־יְרוּשָׁלִַם מִיָּדִי

Who is it among all the gods of the countries that delivered their land from my hand, that the Lord should deliver Jerusalem from my hand; why do you think that your fate will be different?

וְהֶחֱרִישׁוּ הָעָם וְלֹא־עָנוּ אֹתוֹ דָּבָר כִּי־מִצְוַת הַמֶּלֶךְ הִיא לֵאמֹר לֹא תַעֲנֻהוּ

Although Rav Shakeh’s words were provocative and infuriating, and he spoke in Hebrew, the people were silent and did not answer him a word, as it was the king’s command, saying: Do not answer him. The king’s command not to respond may have stemmed from a concern that the discourse would turn into an argument or a riot that would spiral out of control, or perhaps he forbade the people to respond in order to prevent Rav Shakeh from presenting offers that were more appealing.

וַיָּבֹא אֶלְיָקִים בֶּן־חִלְקִיָּה אֲשֶׁר־עַל־הַבַּיִת וְשֶׁבְנָא הַסֹּפֵר וְיוֹאָח בֶּן־אָסָף הַמַּזְכִּיר אֶל־חִזְקִיָּהוּ קְרוּעֵי בְגָדִים וַיַּגִּדוּ לוֹ דִּבְרֵי רַבְשָׁקֵה

Elyakim son of Hilkiya, who was in charge of the household; Shevna the scribe; and Yo’ah son of Asaf, the chancellor, came to Hizkiyahu with rent garments, and they told him the words of Rav Shakeh. They rent their clothes due to the desecration of God’s name by Rav Shakeh, the insult to them and their king, and as an expression of their feelings of mourning and humiliation.