2 Kings 18:1-8

Hezekiah Reigns in Judah

¹ _h In the third year of Hoshea son of Elah, king of Israel, _i Hezekiah the son of Ahaz, king of Judah, began to reign. ² He was _j twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was _k Abi the daughter of Zechariah. ³ _l And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, according to all that David his father had done. ⁴ _m He removed the high places and broke the _n pillars and cut down _o the Asherah. And he broke in pieces _p the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the people of Israel had made offerings to it (it was called Nehushtan). ₁ ⁵ _q He trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel, _r so that there was none like him among all the kings of Judah after him, nor among those who were before him. ⁶ _s For he held fast to the Lord. He did not depart from following him, but kept the commandments that the Lord commanded Moses. ⁷ _t And the Lord was with him; wherever he went out, _u he prospered. He rebelled against the king of Assyria and would not serve him. ⁸ _v He struck down the Philistines as far as Gaza and its territory, _w from watchtower to fortified city.

1. Cross References
   2 Kings 16:2
   Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. And he did not do what was right in the eyes of the Lord his God, as his father David had done.
   2 Kings 17:1
   In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah, Hoshea the son of Elah began to reign in Samaria over Israel, and he reigned nine years.
   
2. Cross References
   2 Chronicles 28:27
   And Ahaz slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city, in Jerusalem, for they did not bring him into the tombs of the kings of Israel. And Hezekiah his son reigned in his place.
   Matthew 1:9
   And Uzziah the father of Jotham, and Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah.
   
3. Cross References
   2 Kings 18:2 - 3
   He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Abi the daughter of Zechariah.
   2 Chronicles 29:1 - 2
   Hezekiah began to reign when he was twenty-five years old, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Abijah the daughter of Zechariah.
   
4. Cross References
   2 Chronicles 29:1
   Hezekiah began to reign when he was twenty-five years old, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Abijah the daughter of Zechariah.
   
5. Cross References
   2 Kings 20:3
   Now, O Lord, please remember how I have walked before you in faithfulness and with a whole heart, and have done what is good in your sight." And Hezekiah wept bitterly.
   2 Chronicles 31:20
   Thus Hezekiah did throughout all Judah, and he did what was good and right and faithful before the Lord his God.
   
6. Cross References
   2 Kings 18:22
   But if you say to me, "We trust in the Lord our God," is it not he whose high places and altars Hezekiah has removed, saying to Judah and to Jerusalem, "You shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem"?
   2 Chronicles 31:1
   Now when all this was finished, all Israel who were present went out to the cities of Judah and broke in pieces the pillars and cut down the Asherim and broke down the high places and the altars throughout all Judah and Benjamin, and in Ephraim and Manasseh, until they had destroyed them all. Then all the people of Israel returned to their cities, every man to his possession.
   
7. Cross References
   2 Kings 17:10
   They set up for themselves pillars and Asherim on every high hill and under every green tree.
   Exodus 23:24
   You shall not bow down to their gods nor serve them, nor do as they do, but you shall utterly overthrow them and break their pillars in pieces.
   
8. Cross References
   2 Kings 17:16
   And they abandoned all the commandments of the Lord their God, and made for themselves metal images of two calves; and they made an Asherah and worshiped all the host of heaven and served Baal.
   Deuteronomy 16:21
   You shall not plant any tree as an Asherah beside the altar of the Lord your God that you shall make.
   
9. Cross References
   Numbers 21:8 - 9
   And the Lord said to Moses, "Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.
   
10. Cross References
    2 Kings 19:10
    Thus shall you speak to Hezekiah king of Judah: 'Do not let your God in whom you trust deceive you by promising that Jerusalem will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.
    
11. Cross References
    2 Kings 23:25
    Before him there was no king like him, who turned to the Lord with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his might, according to all the Law of Moses, nor did any like him arise after him.
    
12. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 10:20
    You shall fear the Lord your God. You shall serve him and hold fast to him, and by his name you shall swear.
    Joshua 23:8
    But you shall cling to the Lord your God just as you have done to this day.
    
13. Cross References
    2 Chronicles 15:2
    And he went out to meet Asa and said to him, "Hear me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin: The Lord is with you while you are with him. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will forsake you.
    
14. Cross References
    2 Kings 16:7
    So Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, saying, "I am your servant and your son. Come up and rescue me from the hand of the king of Syria and from the hand of the king of Israel, who are attacking me.
    
15. Cross References
    Isaiah 14:29
    Rejoice not, O Philistia, all of you, that the rod that struck you is broken, for from the serpent's root will come forth an adder, and its fruit will be a flying fiery serpent.
    
16. Cross References
    2 Kings 17:9
    And the people of Israel did secretly against the Lord their God things that were not right. They built for themselves high places in all their towns, from watchtower to fortified city.