2 Kings 18
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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.
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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.
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l And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, according to all that David his father had done.
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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).
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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.
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s For he held fast to the Lord. He did not depart from following him, but kept the commandments that the Lord commanded Moses.
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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.
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v He struck down the Philistines as far as Gaza and its territory, w from watchtower to fortified city.
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In the fourth year of King Hezekiah, which was the seventh year of Hoshea son of Elah, king of Israel, x Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up against Samaria and besieged it,
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and at the end of three years he took it. In the sixth year of Hezekiah, which was the ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel, Samaria was taken.
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The king of Assyria carried the Israelites away to Assyria and put them in y Halah, and on the y Habor, y the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes,
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because they did not obey the voice of the Lord their God but transgressed his covenant, even all that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded. They neither listened nor obeyed.
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z In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the fortified cities of Judah and took them.
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And Hezekiah king of Judah sent to the king of Assyria at Lachish, saying, "I have done wrong; withdraw from me. Whatever you impose on me I will bear." a And the king of Assyria required of Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold.
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And Hezekiah b gave him all the silver that was found in the house of the Lord and in the treasuries of the king's house.
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At that time Hezekiah stripped the gold from the doors of the temple of the Lord and from the doorposts that Hezekiah king of Judah had overlaid and gave it to the king of Assyria.
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And the king of Assyria sent the c Tartan, the Rab-saris, and the Rabshakeh with a great army from Lachish to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem. And they went up and came to Jerusalem. When they arrived, they came and stood by d the conduit of the upper pool, which is on the highway to the Washer's Field.
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And when they called for the king, there came out to them e Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and f Shebnah the secretary, and Joah the son of Asaph, the recorder.
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And the Rabshakeh said to them, "Say to Hezekiah, 'Thus says the great king, the king of Assyria: On what do you rest this trust of yours?
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Do you think that mere words are strategy and power for war? In whom do you now trust, that you have rebelled against me?
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Behold, you are trusting now in Egypt, that broken reed of g a staff, which will pierce the hand of any man who leans on it. Such is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who trust in him.
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But if you say to me, "We trust in the Lord our God," is it not he h whose high places and altars Hezekiah has removed, saying to Judah and to Jerusalem, "You shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem"?
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Come now, make a wager with my master the king of Assyria: I will give you two thousand horses, if you are able on your part to set riders on them.
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How then can you repulse a single captain among the least of my master's servants, when you trust in Egypt for chariots and for horsemen?
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Moreover, is it without the Lord that I have come up against this place to destroy it? The Lord said to me, Go up against this land, and destroy it.'"
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Then e Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, and f Shebnah, and Joah, said to the Rabshakeh, "Please speak to your servants in i Aramaic, for we understand it. Do not speak to us in the language of Judah within the hearing of the people who are on the wall."
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But the Rabshakeh said to them, "Has my master sent me to speak these words to your master and to you, and not to the men sitting on the wall, who are doomed with you to eat their own dung and to drink their own urine?"
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Then the Rabshakeh stood and called out in a loud voice in the language of Judah: "Hear the word of the great king, the king of Assyria!
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Thus says the king: 'Do not let Hezekiah deceive you, for he will not be able to deliver you out of my hand.
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Do not let Hezekiah make you trust in the Lord by saying, The Lord will surely deliver us, and this city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.'
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Do not listen to Hezekiah, for thus says the king of Assyria: 'Make your peace with me and come out to me. Then j each one of you will eat of his own vine, and each one of his own fig tree, and each one of you will drink the water of his own cistern,
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until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, k a land of grain and wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of olive trees and l honey, that you may live, and not die. And do not listen to Hezekiah when he misleads you by saying, The Lord will deliver us.
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m Has any of the gods of the nations ever delivered his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria?
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n Where are the gods of o Hamath and p Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and q Ivvah? Have they delivered Samaria out of my hand?
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Who among all the gods of the lands have delivered their lands out of my hand, r that the Lord should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?'"
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But the people were silent and answered him not a word, for the king's command was, "Do not answer him."
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Then s Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebna the secretary, and Joah the son of Asaph, the recorder, came to Hezekiah t with their clothes torn and told him the words of the Rabshakeh.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Cross References
2 Kings 18:9 - 12
In the fourth year of King Hezekiah, which was the seventh year of Hoshea son of Elah, king of Israel, Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up against Samaria and besieged it.
2 Kings 17:3 - 7
Against him came up Shalmaneser king of Assyria. And Hoshea became his vassal and paid him tribute.
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Cross References
2 Kings 17:6
In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria captured Samaria, and he carried the Israelites away to Assyria and placed them in Halah, and on the Habor, the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.
1 Chronicles 5:26
So the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria, the spirit of Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, and he took them into exile, namely, the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, and brought them to Halah, Habor, Hara, and the river Gozan, to this day.
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Cross References
2 Kings 17:6
In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria captured Samaria, and he carried the Israelites away to Assyria and placed them in Halah, and on the Habor, the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.
1 Chronicles 5:26
So the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria, the spirit of Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, and he took them into exile, namely, the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, and brought them to Halah, Habor, Hara, and the river Gozan, to this day.
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Cross References
2 Kings 17:6
In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria captured Samaria, and he carried the Israelites away to Assyria and placed them in Halah, and on the Habor, the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.
1 Chronicles 5:26
So the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria, the spirit of Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, and he took them into exile, namely, the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, and brought them to Halah, Habor, Hara, and the river Gozan, to this day.
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Cross References
2 Kings 18:13 - 37
In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the fortified cities of Judah and took them.
2 Chronicles 32:1 - 20
After these things and these acts of faithfulness, Sennacherib king of Assyria came and invaded Judah and encamped against the fortified cities, thinking to win them for himself.
Isaiah 36:1 - 22
In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the fortified cities of Judah and took them.
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Cross References
2 Kings 23:33
And Pharaoh Neco put him in bonds at Riblah in the land of Hamath, that he might not reign in Jerusalem, and laid on the land a tribute of a hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold.
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Cross References
2 Kings 12:18
Jehoash king of Judah took all the sacred gifts that Jehoshaphat and Jehoram and Ahaziah his fathers, the kings of Judah, had dedicated, and his own sacred gifts, and all the gold that was found in the treasuries of the house of the Lord and of the king's house, and sent these to Hazael king of Syria. Then Hazael went away from Jerusalem.
2 Kings 16:8
Ahaz also took the silver and gold that was found in the house of the Lord and in the treasures of the king's house and sent a present to the king of Assyria.
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Cross References
Isaiah 20:1
In the year that the commander in chief, who was sent by Sargon the king of Assyria, came to Ashdod and fought against it and captured it -
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Cross References
Isaiah 7:3
And the Lord said to Isaiah, "Go out to meet Ahaz, you and Shear-jashub your son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool on the highway to the Washer's Field.
2 Kings 20:20
The rest of the deeds of Hezekiah and all his might and how he made the pool and the conduit and brought water into the city, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah?
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Cross References
Isaiah 22:20
In that day I will call my servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah.
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Cross References
Isaiah 22:15
Thus says the Lord God of hosts, "Come, go to this steward, to Shebna, who is over the household, and say to him:
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Cross References
Ezekiel 29:6 - 7
Then all the inhabitants of Egypt shall know that I am the Lord. "Because you have been a staff of reed to the house of Israel.
Isaiah 30:2 - 3
Who set out to go down to Egypt, without asking for my direction, to take refuge in the protection of Pharaoh and to seek shelter in the shadow of Egypt!
Isaiah 30:7
Egypt's help is worthless and empty; therefore I have called her "Rahab who sits still.
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Cross References
2 Kings 18:4
He removed the high places and broke the pillars and cut down the Asherah. And he broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the people of Israel had made offerings to it (it was called Nehushtan).
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.
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Cross References
2 Kings 18:18
And when they called for the king, there came out to them Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebnah the secretary, and Joah the son of Asaph, the recorder.
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Cross References
2 Kings 18:18
And when they called for the king, there came out to them Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebnah the secretary, and Joah the son of Asaph, the recorder.
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Cross References
Ezra 4:7
In the days of Artaxerxes, Bishlam and Mithredath and Tabeel and the rest of their associates wrote to Artaxerxes king of Persia. The letter was written in Aramaic and translated.
Daniel 2:4
Then the Chaldeans said to the king in Aramaic, "O king, live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation.
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Cross References
1 Kings 4:25
And Judah and Israel lived in safety, from Dan even to Beersheba, every man under his vine and under his fig tree, all the days of Solomon.
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Cross References
Deuteronomy 8:7 - 8
For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and springs, flowing out in the valleys and hills.
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Cross References
Exodus 3:8
And I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites.
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Cross References
2 Kings 19:12
Have the gods of the nations delivered them, the nations that my fathers destroyed, Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and the people of Eden who were in Telassar?
Isaiah 10:10 - 11
As my hand has reached to the kingdoms of the idols, whose carved images were greater than those of Jerusalem and Samaria.
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Cross References
2 Kings 19:13
Where is the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, the king of the city of Sepharvaim, the king of Hena, or the king of Ivvah?'
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Cross References
1 Kings 8:65
So Solomon held the feast at that time, and all Israel with him, a great assembly, from Lebo-hamath to the Brook of Egypt, before the Lord our God, seven days.
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Cross References
Isaiah 10:9
Is not Calno like Carchemish? Is not Hamath like Arpad? Is not Samaria like Damascus?
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Cross References
2 Kings 17:24
And the king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the people of Israel. And they took possession of Samaria and lived in its cities.
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Cross References
Daniel 3:15
Now if you are ready when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, to fall down and worship the image that I have made, well and good. But if you do not worship, you shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you out of my hands?
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Cross References
2 Kings 18:18
And when they called for the king, there came out to them Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebnah the secretary, and Joah the son of Asaph, the recorder.
2 Kings 18:26
Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, and Shebnah, and Joah, said to the Rabshakeh, "Please speak to your servants in Aramaic, for we understand it. Do not speak to us in the language of Judah within the hearing of the people who are on the wall.
2 Kings 19:2
And he sent Eliakim, who was over the household, and Shebna the secretary, and the senior priests, covered with sackcloth, to the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz.
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Cross References
Joshua 7:6
Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell to the earth on his face before the ark of the Lord until the evening, he and the elders of Israel. And they put dust on their heads.
English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.