4. He removed the high places, smashed the pillars and cut down the Asherah poles. He also broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made—for up to those days Bnei-Yisrael were still burning incense to it—it was called Nehushtan .
5. He trusted in Adonai, the God of Israel. Indeed, none of all the kings of Judah after him was like him—and none before him.
6. For he clung to Adonai. He did not turn away from following Him, but kept His mitzvot, which Adonai had commanded Moses.
7. So Adonai was with him. Wherever he went he prospered. He rebelled against the king of Assyria and did not serve him.
8. He defeated the Philistines as far as Gaza and its territories, from watchtower to fortified city.
9. Now it came to pass in the fourth year of King Hezekiah, which was the seventh year of Hoshea son of King Elah of Israel, that King Shalmaneser of Assyria marched against Samaria and besieged it,
10. and at the end of three years they captured it. So Samaria was captured in the sixth year of Hezekiah, which was the ninth year of King Hoshea of Israel.
11. The king of Assyria deported Israel to Assyria and placed them in Halah and Habor on the Gozan River, and in the towns of the Medes.
12. For they had not listened to the voice of Adonai their God, but transgressed His covenant—all that Moses the servant of Adonai had commanded—they neither listened nor did it.
13. Now in the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, King Sennacherib of Assyria marched against all the fortified towns of Judah and seized them.
14. So King Hezekiah of Judah sent word to the king of Assyria at Lachish saying, “I have done wrong. Withdraw from me, whatever you impose on me, I will bear.” So the king of Assyria imposed on King Hezekiah of Judah 300 talents of silver and 30 talents of gold.
15. Then Hezekiah gave him all the silver that was found in the House of Adonai as well as in the treasuries of the royal palace.
16. At that time Hezekiah stripped off the gold from the doors of the Temple of Adonai and from the doorposts that King Hezekiah of Judah had overlaid, and gave them to the king of Assyria.