2 Kings 18:4-7

18:4 He eliminated the high places, smashed the sacred pillars to bits, and cut down the Asherah pole. ¹  He also demolished the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for up to that time ²  the Israelites had been offering incense to it; it was called Nehushtan. ³  18:5 He trusted in the Lord God of Israel; in this regard there was none like him among the kings of Judah either before or after. ⁴  18:6 He was loyal to ⁵  the Lord and did not abandon him. ⁶  He obeyed the commandments which the Lord had given to ⁷  Moses. 18:7 The Lord was with him; he succeeded in all his endeavors. ⁸  He rebelled against the king of Assyria and refused to submit to him. ⁹ 

¹ tn The term is singular in the MT but plural in the LXX and other ancient versions. It is also possible to regard the singular as a collective singular, especially in the context of other plural items.

² tn Heb “until those days.”

³ tn In Hebrew the name sounds like the phrase נְחַשׁ הַנְּחֹשֶׁת (nÿkhash hannÿkhoshet), “bronze serpent.”

⁴ tn Heb “and after him there was none like him among all the kings of Judah, and those who were before him.”

⁷ tn Heb “he hugged.”

⁸ tn Heb “and did not turn aside from after him.”

⁹ tn Heb “had commanded.”

¹⁰ tn Heb “in all which he went out [to do], he was successful.”

¹¹ tn Heb “and did not serve him.”