And Hezekiah king of Judah sent to the king of Assyria to Lachish, saying, I have offended; return from me: that which thou puttest on me will I bear. And the king of Assyria appointed unto Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold.
King Hezekiah of Judah sent a message to the king of Assyria at Lachish, saying, 'I have done wrong; please withdraw from my land. Whatever penalty you demand from me, I will pay.' So the king of Assyria required Hezekiah to pay three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold.
King Hezekiah admitted his mistake to the Assyrian king and agreed to pay a huge tribute of silver and gold to get the Assyrians to leave his kingdom alone.
📚 Historical Context
This occurred around 701 BC when the powerful Assyrian Empire under Sennacherib was conquering cities throughout the region. Hezekiah had initially rebelled against Assyrian rule, but when faced with the overwhelming military might of Assyria, he chose to submit and pay tribute rather than see Jerusalem destroyed. The amount demanded was enormous - roughly equivalent to emptying the temple and royal treasuries.
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