Gen Z: 2 Kings 18
1So, in the third year of Hoshea, son of Elah, king of Israel, Hezekiah, son of Ahaz, started his reign. Major vibes.
2Dude was only 25 when he took the throne and ruled for 29 years in Jerusalem. His mom's name was Abi, daughter of Zachariah, no cap.
3He was straight-up righteous in the eyes of the Lord, just like his dad David, periodt.
4He smashed the high places, destroyed the idols, and cut down the groves. He even wrecked the bronze serpent Moses made 'cause people were burning incense to it. He named it Nehushtan, savage.
5He put his trust in the Lord God of Israel; no king of Judah was ever like him before or after, facts.
6He was all about sticking with the Lord, never dipped from following Him, and kept the commandments Moses got from the Lord, fr.
7The Lord had his back; he was thriving wherever he went, and he didn't vibe with the king of Assyria, just said no.
8He took down the Philistines all the way to Gaza and the borders, from the watchtower to the fortified city. Goated move.
9In the fourth year of King Hezekiah, which was Hoshea's seventh year, Shalmaneser, king of Assyria, rolled up on Samaria and laid siege to it.
10After three years, they finally took it. By the sixth year of Hezekiah, which was the ninth year of Hoshea, Samaria was officially taken, no cap.
11The king of Assyria straight up took Israel to Assyria, dropping them in Halah and Habor by the Gozan river, plus the Medes' cities. Savage move.
12They didn’t vibe with what the Lord said, broke the covenant, and ignored Moses’ commands. Total sus behavior.
13In Hezekiah’s fourteenth year, Sennacherib from Assyria rolled up on all the fortified cities of Judah and snatched them.
14Hezekiah hit up the Assyrian king in Lachish, saying, "My bad; please chill. I’ll take whatever you throw at me." The Assyrian king was like, "Bet, that's 300 talents of silver and 30 of gold."
15Hezekiah gave him all the silver he found in the Lord's house and the king's stash. No cap.
16Hezekiah dipped into the gold from the temple doors and pillars he decked out, sending it to the Assyrian king.
17The Assyrian king sent Tartan, Rabsaris, and Rab-shakeh from Lachish to Hezekiah with a huge squad against Jerusalem. They pulled up and stood by the upper pool’s conduit on the fuller’s field highway.
18When they called for the king, Eliakim, Hilkiah’s son, the household boss, Shebna the scribe, and Joah, Asaph’s son, came out.
19Rab-shakeh said to them, "Yo, talk to Hezekiah. The great king of Assyria wants to know, what’s this confidence you’re flexing?"
20You’re saying, but it’s just empty words, "I got plans and strength for war." But who you really trust, that you’re rebelling against me?
21Yo, you’re putting your vibes on this weak reed, Egypt. If you lean on it, it’ll stab you, just like Pharaoh does to anyone who trusts him.
22But if you’re like, “We trust in the Lord our God,” remember, He’s the one Hezekiah took down the high places and altars for, telling Judah and Jerusalem to worship at that altar in Jerusalem.
23So, I’m asking you, give some rizz to my dude, the king of Assyria, and I’ll hook you up with two thousand horses if you can find riders for them.
24How are you gonna turn away even one of my master’s least servants and trust Egypt for chariots and horsemen? That’s sus.
25Did I come here without the Lord to wreck this place? The Lord told me to roll up against this land and destroy it.
26Then Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah were like, “Yo, Rab-shakeh, can you speak to us in Syrian? We get that. Don’t chat with us in Hebrew where everyone on the wall can hear.”
27But Rab-shakeh was like, “Did my master send me to talk to you or just to the ones on the wall? He wants them to eat their own dung and drink their own pee with you.”
28Then Rab-shakeh stood up and yelled in Hebrew, saying, “Listen to the word of the big king, the king of Assyria!”
29The king says, “Don’t let Hezekiah fool you; he can’t save you from my grip.”
30And don’t let Hezekiah make you trust in the Lord, saying, “The Lord will totally save us, and this city won’t fall to the king of Assyria.”
31Don’t listen to Hezekiah, fam. The king of Assyria is like, “Slide me a gift, and come chill with me. Then you can munch on your own grapes and figs, and sip on your own well water.”
32Until I roll up and take you to a land just like yours, with mad corn and wine, bread and vineyards, plus olive oil and honey, so you can live it up and not kick the bucket. Don’t listen to Hezekiah when he’s like, “The Lord’s got us.”
33Has any of the other gods saved their peeps from the king of Assyria?
34Where the gods at from Hamath and Arpad? What about the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivah? Did they save Samaria from me?
35Which of all the gods from these lands has saved their crew from my grip, so the Lord can save Jerusalem from my hands?
36But the people just stayed quiet and didn’t say a word, ‘cause the king told them, “Don’t answer him.”
37Then Eliakim, Hilkiah's son, who was in charge of the house, and Shebna the scribe, plus Joah, Asaph’s son, came to Hezekiah, all ripped clothes and told him what Rab-shakeh said.