1. In the third year of Hoshea, son of Elah, king of Israel, Hezekiah, son of Ahaz, king of Judah, became king.
2. He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Abi, daughter of Zechariah.
3. He did what was right in the Lord’s sight, just as David his father had done.
4. It was he who removed the high places, shattered the pillars, cut down the asherah, and smashed the bronze serpent Moses had made, because up to that time the Israelites were burning incense to it. (It was called Nehushtan.)
5. He put his trust in the Lord, the God of Israel; and neither before nor after him was there anyone like him among all the kings of Judah.
6. Hezekiah held fast to the Lord and never turned away from following him, but observed the commandments the Lord had given Moses.
7. The Lord was with him, and he succeeded in all he set out to do. He rebelled against the king of Assyria and did not serve him.