Hezekiah's mother was Abijah. His father, Ahaz was king before him. Hezekiah was twenty-five years old when he became king. He reigned in Jerusalem for twenty-nine years.
Hezekiah did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. He removed the high places, smashed the idols, and cut down the Assherah poles. He trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before or after him. The Lord was with Hezekiah, he was successful in everything he did.
Hezekiah rebelled against the king of Assyria. In the fourth year of Hezekiah's reign, the king of Assyria laid siege against Samaria. Samaria was captured in the sixth year of his reign because they had violated the covenant of the Lord; they had neither listened to nor obeyed His commands. In the fourteenth year of Hezekiah's reign, the king of Assyria attacked the fortified cities of Judah and captured them. Hezekiah said to the king of Assyria that he had sinned, to withdraw from Judah, and he would pay whatever he asked. The king of Assyria exacted from Hezekiah three hundred talents of silver, and thirty talents of gold.
Later, Hezekiah became ill. He was told by the prophet Isaiah that the Lord had said to put his affairs in order because he was going to die, he would not recover. Hezekiah wept bitterly, and prayed that the Lord would remember his faithfulness. The Lord heard his prayer and saw his tears. He added fifteen more years to Hezekiah's life. When Hezekiah died he was buried on the hill where the tombs of David’s descendants were. Manasseh his son succeeded him as king.
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