A reading from the book of Second Kings.

In the third year of Hoshiah, son of Eliah, king of Israel, Hezekiah the son of Ahaz, king of Judah, began to reign.

He was 25 years old when he began to reign, and he reigned 29 years in Jerusalem.

His mother's name was Abai, the daughter of Zechariah, and he did what was right in the

eyes of the Lord, according to all that David his father had done. 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 Nahushtan. He trusted in the Lord,

the God of Israel, so that there was none like him among all the kings of Judah after him,

nor among those who were before him, for he held fast to the Lord. He did not depart from following

him, but kept the commandments that the Lord commanded Moses. And the Lord was with him. Wherever

he went out, he prospered. He rebelled against the king of Assyria and would not serve him.

He struck down the Philistines as far as Gaza and its territory, from watchtower to fortified

city. In the fourth year of King Hezekiah, which was the seventh year of Hoshaya, son of Ila,

King of Israel, Shalmaneser, King of Assyria, came up against Samaria and besieged it,

and at the end of three years he took it, in the six year of Hezekiah, which was the ninth

year of Hoshah, King of Israel, Samaria was taken. The king of Assyria carried the Israelites away to Assyria and put them

in Hala, and on the Haber, the river of Gozen, and in the cities of the Meads, 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. In the 14th year of King

Hezekiah, King of Assyria, came up against all the fortified cities of Judah and took them,

and Hezekiah King of Judah sent to the King of Assyria at Lakesh, saying, I have done wrong.

Withdraw from me. Whatever you impose on me, I will bear. And the king of Assyria required of Hezekiah,

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