1. Now it came to pass in the third year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, that Hezekiah the son of Ahaz king of Judah began to reign.
2. Twenty and five years old was he when he began to reign; and he reigned twenty and nine years in Jerusalem. His mother's name also was Abi, the daughter of Zachariah.
3. And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that David his father did.
4. He removed the high places, and broke the images, and cut down the idol poles, and broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made: for until those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it: and he called it Nehushtan.
5. He trusted in the LORD God of Israel; so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor any that were before him.
6. For he clung to the LORD, and departed not from following him, but kept his commandments, which the LORD commanded Moses.
7. And the LORD was with him; and he prospered wherever he went forth: and he rebelled against the king of Assyria, and served him not.
8. He struck the Philistines, even unto Gaza, and the borders thereof, from the tower of the watchmen to the fortified city.
9. And it came to pass in the fourth year of king Hezekiah, which was the seventh year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, that Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up against Samaria, and besieged it.
10. And at the end of three years they took it: even in the sixth year of Hezekiah, that is the ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel, Samaria was taken.
11. And the king of Assyria did carry away Israel unto Assyria, and put them in Halah and in Habor by the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes:
12. Because they obeyed not the voice of the LORD their God, but transgressed his covenant, and all that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded, and would not hear them, nor do them.
13. Now in the fourteenth year of king Hezekiah did Sennacherib king of Assyria come up against all the fortified cities of Judah, and took them.
14. And Hezekiah king of Judah sent to the king of Assyria to Lachish, saying, I have offended; turn away from me: that which you put on me will I bear. And the king of Assyria appointed unto Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold.