Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty- five years. His mother's name was Hephzibah. He did evil in the eyes of the LORD, following the detestable practices of the nations the LORD had driven out before the Israelites. He rebuilt the high places his father Hezekiah had destroyed; he also erected altars to Baal and made an Asherah pole, as Ahab king of ...  Read More

At that time Marduk-Baladan . . . king of Babylon sent Hezekiah letters and a gift, because he had heard of Hezekiah's illness. Hezekiah received the envoys and showed them all that was in his store houses -- the silver, the gold, the spices and the fine olive oil -- his armory and everything found among his treasures. There was nothing in his palace or in all his kingdom that Hezekiah did not sho...  Read More

In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to him and said, "This is what the LORD says: Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover."Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD, "Remember, LORD, how I have walked faithfully before you and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good ...  Read More

Then Isaiah son of Amoz sent a message to Hezekiah: "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: I have heard your prayer concerning Sennacherib king of Assyria. This is the word that the LORD has spoken against him:'Virgin Daughter of Zion despises you and mocks you.Daughter of Jerusalem tosses her head as you flee.Who is it you have ridiculed and blasphemed? Against whom have you raised your...  Read More

Now Sennacherib received a report that Tirhakah, the king of Cush, was marching out to fight against him. So he sent messengers to Hezekiah with this word: "Say to Hezekiah, king of Judah: Do not let the god you depend on deceive you when he says, ‘Jerusalem will not be given into the hands of the king of Assyria.' . . . Hezekiah received the letters from the messengers and read it. Then he went u...  Read More

"Do not listen to Hezekiah, for he is misleading you when he says, 'The LORD will deliver us.'  Has the god of any nation ever delivered his land from the hand of the king of Assyria?". . . Then Eliakim, son of Hilkiah the palace administrator, Shebna the secretary, and Joah son of Asaph the recorder went to Hezekiah, with their clothes torn, and told him what the field commander had said.When Kin...  Read More