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Sennacherib's Army is smitten and retreats.

And it came to pass that night, that the angel of the LORD went forth, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred fourscore and five thousand: and when men arose early in the morning, behold, they 36 were all dead corpses. So Sen

nacherib king of Assyria departed, and went and returned, and 37 dwelt at Nineveh. And it came to pass, as he was worshipping in the house of Nisroch his god, that 1Adrammelech and Sharezer smote him with the sword: and they escaped into the land of Ararat. And Esar-haddon his son reigned in his stead.

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21 And the LORD sent an angel,
which cut off all the mighty men
of valour, and the leaders and
captains, in the camp of the king
of Assyria. So he returned with
shame of face to his own land.
And when he was come into the
house of his god, they that came
forth of his own bowels 1slew
22 him there with the sword. Thus
the LORD saved Hezekiah and
the inhabitants of Jerusalem
from the hand of Sennacherib
the king of Assyria, and from
the hand of all other, and guided
23 them on every side.
And many

brought gifts unto the LORD to
Jerusalem, and precious things
to Hezekiah king of Judah :
so that he was exalted in the
sight of all nations from thence-
forth.

Hezekiah's Sickness.

In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came to him, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Set thine house in order; for thou shalt 2 die, and not live. Then he turned his face to the wall, and prayed unto the LORD, saying, 3 Remember now, O LORD, I beseech thee, how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. 4 And Hezekiah wept sore. And it came to pass, afore Isaiah was gone out into the middle

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1 Heb. caused him to fall.
2 Or, wonder

5 part of the city, that the word of the LORD came to him, saying, Turn again, and say to Hezekiah the 'prince of my people, Thus saith the LORD, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears behold, I will heal thee: on the third day thou shalt go 6 up unto the house of the LORD. And I will add unto thy days fifteen years; and I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for mine own sake, and for my 7 servant David's sake. And Isaiah said, Take a cake of figs. And they 8 took and laid it on the boil, and he recovered. And Hezekiah said unto Isaiah, What shall be the sign that the LORD will heal me, and 9 that I shall go up unto the house of the LORD the third day? And Isaiah said, This shall be the sign unto thee from the LORD, that the LORD will do the thing that he hath spoken: shall the shadow go Io forward ten steps, or go back ten steps? And Hezekiah answered, It

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is a light thing for the shadow to decline ten steps: nay, but let the II shadow return backward ten steps. And Isaiah the prophet cried unto the LORD: and he brought the shadow ten steps backward, by which it had gone down on the dial of Ahaz.

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Hezekiah receives an Embassy from the King of Babylon.

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2 Chronicles 32. 25.

But Hezekiah rendered not again according to the benefit done unto him; for his heart was lifted up: therefore there was wrath upon him, and upon 26 Judah and Jerusalem. Notwithstanding Hezekiah humbled himself for 'the pride of his heart, both he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the wrath of the LORD came not upon them in the days of 27 Hezekiah. And Hezekiah had

exceeding much riches and honour: and he provided him treasuries for silver, and for gold, and for precious stones, and for spices, and for shields, and for all manner of goodly ves28 sels; storehouses also for the increase of corn and wine and oil; and stalls for all manner of 29 beasts, and flocks in folds. Moreover he provided him cities, and

1 Heb. the lifting up.

these men? and from whence came they unto thee? And Hezekiah said, They are come from a far country, even from 15 Babylon. And he said, What have they seen in thine house? And Hezekiah answered, All that is in mine house have they seen: there is nothing among my treasures that I have not 16 shewed them. And Isaiah said

unto Hezekiah, Hear the word 17 of the LORD, Behold, the days come, that all that is in thine house, and that which thy fathers have laid up in store unto this day, shall be carried to Babylon: nothing shall be left, saith the 18 LORD.

And of thy sons that shall issue from thee, which thou shalt beget, shall they take away; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon. 19 Then said Hezekiah unto Is

aiah, Good is the word of the LORD which thou hast spoken. He said moreover, Is it not so, if peace and truth shall be in my 20 days? Now the rest of the acts of Hezekiah, and all his might,

and how he made the pool, and the conduit, and brought water into the city, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of 21 the kings of Judah? And Hezekiah slept with his fathers: and Manasseh his son reigned in his stead.

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possessions of flocks and herds in abundance for God had given him very much substance. This 30 same Hezekiah also stopped the upper spring of the waters of Gihon, and brought them straight down on the west side of the city of David. And Hezekiah pros31 pered in all his works. Howbeit in the business of the 1ambassadors of the princes of Babylon, who sent unto him to inquire of the wonder that was done in the land, God left him, to try him,

that he might know all that was 32 in his heart. Now the rest of

the acts of Hezekiah, and his good deeds, behold, they are written in the vision of Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz, in the book of the kings of Judah 33 and Israel. And Hezekiah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the ascent of the sepulchres of the sons of David: and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem did him honour at his death. And Manasseh his son reigned in his stead.

Restoration of Idolatry by Manasseh.

Manasseh was twelve years 33 old when he began to reign; and he reigned five and fifty years in Jerusalem: and his mother's name was Hephzi-bah. 2 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, after

Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign; and he reigned fifty and five 2 years in Jerusalem. And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, after the abominations of the heathen, whom the

1 Heb. interpreters.

the abominations of the heathen, whom the LORD cast out before 3 the children of Israel. For he built again the high places which Hezekiah his father had destroyed; and he reared up altars for Baal, and made an Asherah, as did Ahab king of Israel, and worshipped all the host of heaven, 4 and served them. And he built altars in the house of the LORD, whereof the LORD said, In Jeru5 salem will I put my name. And

he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the 6 house of the LORD. And he made his son to pass through the fire, and practised augury, and used enchantments, and 'dealt with them that had familiar ✓ spirits, and with wizards: he wrought much evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to 7 anger. And he set the graven image of Asherah, that he had made, in the house of which the LORD said to David and to Solomon his son, In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, will I put my name for 8 ever neither will I cause the feet of Israel to wander any more out of the land which I gave their fathers; if only they will observe to do according to all that I have commanded them, and according to all the law that my servant Moses command9 ed them. But they hearkened not and Manasseh seduced them to do that which is evil more than did the nations, whom the LORD destroyed before the IO children of Israel. And the LORD spake by his servants the II prophets, saying, Because Manasseh king of Judah hath done

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LORD cast out before the children of Israel.

For he built again the high places which Hezekiah his father had broken down; and he reared up altars for the Baalim, and made Asheroth, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served them.

4 And he built altars in the house

of the LORD, whereof the LORD said, In Jerusalem shall my name 5 be for ever. And he built altars

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for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the LORD.

He also made his children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom: and he practised augury, and used enchantments, and practised sorcery, and dealt with them that had familiar spirits, and with wizards: he wrought much evil in the sight of the LORD, to 7 provoke him to anger. And he set the graven image of the idol, which he had made, in the house of God, of which God said to David and to Solomon his son, In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, will I put 8 my name for ever: neither will I any more remove the foot of Israel from off the land which I have appointed for your fathers; if only they will observe to do all that I have commanded them, even all the law and the statutes and the ordinances by the hand 9 of Moses. And Manasseh made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to err, so that they did evil more than did the nations, whom the LORD destroyed before Io the children of Israel. And the LORD spake to Manasseh, and to his people: but they gave no heed.

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these abominations, and hath done wickedly above all that the Amorites did, which were before him, and hath made Judah also to sin with his 12 idols: therefore thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, Behold, I bring such evil upon Jerusalem and Judah, that whosoever heareth of it, both 13 his ears shall tingle. And I will stretch over Jerusalem the line of Samaria, and the plummet of the house of Ahab: and I will wipe Jerusalem as a man wipeth a dish, wiping it and turning it upside down. 14 And I will cast off the remnant of mine inheritance, and deliver them into the hand of their enemies; and they shall become a prey and a 15 spoil to all their enemies; because they have done that which is evil in my sight, and have provoked me to anger, since the day their fathers 16 came forth out of Egypt, even unto this day. Moreover Manasseh shed innocent blood very much, till he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another; beside his sin wherewith he made Judah to sin, in doing that which was evil in the sight of the LORD.

II

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2 Chronicles 33. II.

Manasseh's Captivity and Restoration.

Wherefore the LORD brought upon them the captains of the host of the king of Assyria, which took Manasseh 'in chains, and bound him 12 with fetters, and carried him to Babylon. And when he was in distress, he besought the LORD his God, and humbled himself greatly before the 13 God of his fathers. And he prayed unto him; and he was intreated of him, and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD he was God. Now after this he built an outer wall to the city of David, on the west side of Gihon, in the valley, even to the entering in at the fish gate; and he compassed about Ophel, and raised it up a very great height: and he 15 put 2valiant captains in all the fenced cities of Judah. And he took away the strange gods, and the idol out of the house of the LORD, and all the altars that he had built in the mount of the house of the LORD, 16 and in Jerusalem, and cast them out of the city. And he built up the altar of the LORD, and offered thereon sacrifices of peace offerings and of thanksgiving, and commanded Judah to serve the LORD, the God 17 of Israel. Nevertheless the people did sacrifice still in the high places, but only unto the LORD their God.

1 Or, with hooks

2 Or, captains of the army

3 According to another reading, prepared.

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