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Those who were fearing Yahweh made priests of the high places from among themselves, and they were sacrificing for them in the shrines of the high places.

He removed the high places, and he smashed the stone pillars; he cut down the poles of Asherah worship and demolished the bronze serpent which Moses had made, for up to those days the Israelites were offering incense to it and called it Nehushtan.

You think only a word of lips, ‘I have advice and power for the war.' Now, on whom do you trust that you have rebelled against me?

Now, look! You rely on the staff of this broken reed, on Egypt, which when a man leans on it, it goes into his hand and pierces it! So is Pharaoh the king of Egypt for all who are trusting on him!

How can you repulse a single captain among the least of the servants of my master? Yet you rely for yourself on Egypt for chariots and horsemen!

Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah and Shebna and Joah said to the chief commander, "Please speak to your servants in Aramaic, for we are understanding, but you must not speak Judean with us in the ears of the people who are on the wall."

The chief commander said to them, "Is it solely to your master and to you my master has sent me to speak these words? Is it not for the men who sit on the wall to eat their feces and to drink their urine with you?"

Thus says the king, ‘Do not let Hezekiah deceive you, for he will not be able to rescue you from my hand.

Do not listen to Hezekiah; for thus says the king of Assyria, ‘Make with me a treaty of peace and come out to me that each may eat from his vine and each from his fig tree, and each may drink water from his cistern!

Until I come and take you to a land like your land, a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of olive trees, olive oil, and honey, that you may live and not die! You must not listen to Hezekiah, for he has misled you by saying, "Yahweh will deliver us!"

Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah? For did they rescue Samaria from my hand?

The people were silent, and they did not answer him a word, for the command of that king was saying, "You shall not answer him."

They said to him, "Thus says Hezekiah, ‘A day of distress, rebuke, and disgrace is this day, for the children are about to be born, but there is no strength to bear them.

Perhaps Yahweh your God will hear all of the words of the chief commander whom his master the king of Assyria has sent to insult the living God, and he will rebuke the words which Yahweh your God has heard. Therefore lift up a prayer for the remainder who are left.'"

When the chief commander returned, he found the king of Assyria fighting against Libnah, for he had heard that he had departed from Lachish.

"‘This will be the sign for you: Eat the volunteer plants for the year, and in the second year, the volunteer plants that spring up from that. But in the third year, sow and reap, plant vineyards and eat their fruit.

For from Jerusalem a remnant shall go out and survivors from Mount Zion; the zeal of Yahweh will do this.

And I will defend this city to save her for my sake and for the sake of David my servant.'"

In those days Hezekiah became deathly ill, and Isaiah the son of Amoz the prophet came to him and said to him, "Thus says Yahweh, ‘Command your house, for you are about to die; you will not recover.'"

I will add to your days fifteen years, and from the hand of the king of Assyria I will deliver you and this city. I will defend this city for my sake and for the sake of David my servant."'"