2 Kings 18:1-7 Hezekiah son of Ahaz began his rule over Judah. 2 He was twenty-five years old when he became king and he ruled for twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Abijah daughter of Zechariah. 3 In GOD's opinion he was a good king; he kept to the standards of his ancestor David. 4 He got rid of the local fertility shrines, smashed the phallic stone monuments, and cut down the sex-and-religion Asherah groves. As a final stroke he pulverized the ancient bronze serpent that Moses had made; at that time the Israelites had taken up the practice of sacrificing to it — they had even dignified it with a name, Nehushtan (The Old Serpent). 5 Hezekiah put his whole trust in the GOD of Israel. There was no king quite like him, either before or after. 6 He held fast to GOD — never loosened his grip — and obeyed to the letter everything GOD had commanded Moses. 7 And GOD, for his part, held fast to him through all his adventures.