built an altar according to all that king Ahaz had sent from Damascus, so did Urijah the priest 'make it against king Ahaz came from Damas12 cus.

"And when the king was come from Damascus, the king saw the altar and the king drew near unto! 13 the altar, and 1offered thereon. And he burnt his burnt offering and his 'meal offering, and poured his drink offering, and sprinkled the blood of 2his peace offerings, upon the altar. (14) And the brasen altar, which was before the LORD, he brought from the forefront of the house, from between This altar and the house of the LORD, and put it on the north side of 'his' 15 altar. And king Ahaz commanded

Urijah the priest, saying, Upon the great altar burn the morning burnt offering, and the evening meal' offering, and the king's burnt offering', and his 'meal' offering, with the burnt offering of all the people of the land, and their meal offering, and their drink offerings; and sprinkle upon it all the blood of the burnt offering, and all the blood of the sacrifice: but the brasen altar shall be for me 16 to inquire by. Thus did Urijah the

priest, according to all that king Ahaz 17 commanded. And king Ahaz cut off the borders of the bases, and removed the laver from off them; and took down the sea from off the brasen oxen that were under it, and put it 18 upon a pavement of stone'. And

the covered way for the sabbath that they had built in the house, and the king's entry without, turned he 5lunto the house of the LORD, 'be19 cause of the king of Assyria. Now the rest of the acts of Ahaz which he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of 20 Judah? And Ahaz slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David: and Hezekiah his son reigned in his stead. 171

In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah began Hoshea the son of Elah to reign in Samaria over Israel, and 2 reigned nine years. And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, yet not as the kings of 3 Israel that were before him. Against

him came up Shalmaneser king of

Assyria; and Hoshea became his servant, and brought him presents. 4 And the king of Assyria found conspiracy in Hoshea; for he had sent messengers to So king of Egypt, and offered no present to the king of Assyria, as he had done year by year: therefore the king of Assyria shut him up, and bound him in prison. 5 Then the king of Assyria came up throughout all the land, and went up to Samaria, and besieged it three * 6 years. In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria took Samaria, and carried Israel away unto Assyria, and placed them in Halah, and in Habor, on the river of Gozan, and (7) in the cities of the Medes. And it was so, because the children of Israel had sinned against the LORD their God, which brought them up out of the land of Egypt from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, (8 and had feared other gods, and walked in the statutes of the 'nations', whom the LORD cast out from before the children of Israel, and of the kings (9 of Israel, which they made. And the children of Israel did secretly things that were not right against the LORD their God, and they built them high places in all their cities, from the tower of the watchmen to the

10 fenced city. And they set them up

pillars and Asherim upon every high hill, and under every green tree: 11 and there they burnt incense in all the high places, as did the 'nations whom the LORD carried away before them; and wrought wicked things to 12 provoke the LORD to anger: land' they served idols, whereof the LORD had said unto them, Ye shall not do 13 this thing. Yet the LORD testified Junto Israel, and 'unto' Judah, by the hand of every prophet', and 'of every seer, saying, Turn ye from your evil ways, and keep my commandments and my statutes, according to all the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you by the hand 14 of my servants the prophets.

Not

withstanding they would not hear, but hardened their neck, like to the neck of their fathers, who believed' not in 15 the LORD their God. And they rejected his statutes, and his covenant

3 Or, panels! 4 Or, covered place 5 Or, round\

• Or, practised 7 Or, lobelisks

the

that he made with their fathers, and his testimonies which he testified unto them; and they followed vanity, and became vain, and went after the Inations that were round about them, concerning whom the LORD had charged them that they should not 16 do like them. And they 'forsook' all the commandments of the LORD their God, and made them molten images, even two calves, and made an Asherah', and worshipped all the host of 17 heaven, and served Baal. And they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, and used divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, 18 to provoke him to anger. Therefore the LORD was very angry with Israel, and removed them out of his sight: there was none left but the tribe of 19 Judah only. Also Judah kept not the commandments of the LORD their God, but walked in the statutes 20 of Israel which they made. ° And the LORD rejected all the seed of Israel, and afflicted them, and delivered them into the hand of spoilers, until he had cast them out of 21 his sight. For he rent Israel from the house of David; and they made Jeroboam the son of Nebat king: and Jeroboam 2drave Israel from following the LORD, and made them sin a great 22 sin. And the children of Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam which he did; they departed not 3) from them; until the LORD removed Israel out of his sight, as he 'spakel by the hand of all his servants the prophets. So Israel was carried away out of their own land to Assyria, unto this day.

о

And the king of Assyria brought men from Babylon, and from Cuthah, and from 'Avval, and from Hamath and Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the children of Israel: and they possessed Samaria, and dwelt in the 25 cities thereof. And so it was, at the beginning of their dwelling there, that they feared not the LORD: therefore the LORD sent lions among them, 26 which 'killed' some of them. Wherefore they spake to the king of Assyria, saying, The nations which thou hast carried away, and placed in the cities of Samaria, know not the man

1 Or, practised

ner of the God of the land: therefore he hath sent lions among them, and, behold, they slay them, because they know not the manner of the God of 27 the land. Then the king of Assyria commanded, saying, Carry thither one of the priests whom ye brought from thence; and let them go and dwell there, and let him teach them the 28 manner of the God of the land. "So' one of the priests whom they had carried away from Samaria came and dwelt in Beth-el, and taught them how they should fear the LORD. 29 Howbeit every nation made gods of their own, and put them in the houses of the high places which the Samaritans had made, every nation in their cities wherein they dwelt. 30 And the men of Babylon made Succoth-benoth, and the men of Cuth made Nergal, and the men of Hamath 31 made Ashima, and the 'Avvites! made Nibhaz and Tartak, and the Sepharvites burnt their children in 'the' fire to Adrammelech and Anamme32) lech, the gods of Sepharvaim. So they feared the LORD, and made unto them from among themselves priests of the high places, which sacrificed for them in the houses of the high 33) places. "They feared the LORD, and

served their own gods, after the manner of the nations from 'among whom *34 they had been carried away. Unto

this day they do after the former manners: they fear not the LORD, neither do they after their statutes, or after their ordinances, or after the law for after the commandment which the LORD commanded the children of 35 Jacob, whom he named Israel; with whom the LORD had made a covenant, and charged them, saying, Ye shall not fear other gods, nor bow yourselves to them, nor serve them, (36 nor sacrifice to them: but the LORD, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt with great power and 'with a stretched out arm, him shall ye fear, and unto him shall ye bow yourselves, and to him shall ye sacrifice: 37 and the statutes and the ordinances, and the law and the commandment, which he wrote for you, ye shall observe to do for evermore; and ye 38 shall not fear other gods: and the covenant that I have made with you ye shall not forget; neither shall ye 39) fear other gods: but the LORD your 3 Or, Igod

God shall ye fear; and he shall deliver you out of the hand of all your enemies. 40 Howbeit they did not hearken, but they did after their former manner. 41 °So these nations feared the LORD, and served their graven images; their children likewise, and their children's children, as did their fathers, so do they unto this day.

181

Now it came to pass in the third year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, that Hezekiah the son of Ahaz 2 king of Judah began to reign. °1Twenty and five years old was he when he began to reign; and he reigned twenty and nine years in Jerusalem: 'and his mother's name was Abi the daugh3 ter of Zechariah!. And he did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD, according to all that David his 4 father had done. He removed the high places, and brake the 'pillars', and cut down the 'Asherah: and he' brake in pieces the brasen serpent that Moses had made; for unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it; and he called it "Ne5 hushtan. He trusted in the LORD,

the God of Israel; so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor among them' that were 6 before him. °For he clave to the LORD, 'he departed not from following him, but kept his commandments, which the LORD commanded Moses.

(7)°And the LORD was with him; whithersoever he went forth he prospered: and he rebelled against the king of Assyria, and served him (8 not. He smote the Philistines unto Gaza and the borders thereof, from the tower of the watchmen to the fenced city.

9

And it came to pass in the fourth year of king Hezekiah, which was the seventh year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, that Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up against Samaria, 10 and besieged it. And at the end of three years they took it: even in the sixth year of Hezekiah, 'which was! the ninth year of Hoshea king of Is* 11) rael, Samaria was taken. And the king of Assyria 'carried' Israel away unto Assyria, and put them in Halah, and in Habor, on the river of Gozan, 12 and in the cities of the Medes: °because they obeyed not the voice of the

1 See 2 Chr. xxix. 1, 2. Or, it was called

3 That is, A piece of brass.

VERSION OF 1611. -41 both.

13

LORD their God, but transgressed his covenant, leven' all that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded, and would not hear 'it', nor do 'it'.

"Now in the fourteenth year of king Hezekiah did 5Sennacherib king of Assyria come up against all the fenced 14 cities of Judah, and took them. 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 15 thirty talents of gold. °And Hezekiah gave him all the silver that was found in the house of the LORD, and in the 16 treasures of the king's house. °At that time did Hezekiah cut off the gold from the doors of the temple of the LORD, and from the pillars which Hezekiah king of Judah had overlaid, and gave it to the king of Assyria. 17 And the king of Assyria sent 'Tartan and Rab-saris and Rabshakeh from Lachish to king Hezekiah with a great army unto Jerusalem. And they went up and came to Jerusalem. And when they were come up, they came and stood by the conduit of the upper pool, which is in the high way of the 18 fuller's field. And when they had

called to the king, there came out to them Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, which was over the household, and Shebnah the scribe, and Joah the 19 son of Asaph the recorder. And Rabshakeh said unto them, 'Say ye now to Hezekiah, Thus saith the great king, the king of Assyria, What confiIdence is this wherein thou trustest? 20 Thou sayest, but they are but 10vain words, There is counsel and strength for the war. Now on whom dost thou trust, that thou hast rebelled' against 21 me? "Now, behold, thou trustest upon the staff of this bruised reed, even upon Egypt; whereon1 if a man lean, it will go into his hand, and pierce it so is Pharaoh king of Egypt 22 unto all that trust on him. But if ye say unto me, We trust in the LORD our God is not that he, whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah hath taken away, and hath said to Judah and to Jerusalem, Ye shall worship 23 before this altar in Jerusalem? Now

therefore, I pray thee, 1give pledges to my master the king of Assyria, and I will give thee two thousand horses, if thou be able on thy part to 24 set riders upon them. °How then Icanst thou turn away the face of one captain of the least of my master's servants, and put thy trust on Egypt 25 for chariots and for horsemen ?

Am

I now come up without the LORD against this place to destroy it? The LORD said unto me, Go up against 26 this land, and destroy it. Then said Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, and Shebnah, and Joah, unto Rabshakeh, Speak, I pray thee, to thy servants in the Syrian language; for we understand it: and 'speak' not with us in the Jews' language, in the ears of the 21 people that are on the wall. But Rabshakeh said unto them, Hath my master sent me to thy master, and to thee, to speak these words? hath he not sent me to the men which sit on the wall, 'to eat their own dung, and 'to' drink their own water' with you? 23 Then Rabshakeh stood, and cried with a loud voice in the Jews' language, and spake, saying, Hear 'ye! the word of the great king, the king 29 of Assyria. Thus saith the king, Let not Hezekiah deceive you; for he shall not be able to deliver you out of 30 his hand neither let Hezekiah make you trust in the LORD, saying, The LORD will surely deliver us, and this city shall not be given' into the hand (31) of the king of Assyria. Hearken not to Hezekiah: for thus saith the king of Assyria, "Make your peace' with me, and come out to me; and eat ye every one of his vine, and every one of his fig tree, and drink ye every one 32 the waters of his own cistern; until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of corn and wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of oil olive and of honey, that ye may live, and not die : and hearken not unto Hezekiah, when he persuadeth you, saying, The LORD will de33 liver us. Hath any of the gods of the nations lever delivered his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria? 34°Where are the gods of Hamath, and of Arpad? where are the gods of Sepharvaim, of Hena, and Ivvah1? have they delivered Samaria out of 35 'my' hand? Who are they among all

1 Or, Imake a wager with Heb. Aramean.

the gods of the countries, that have delivered their country out of my hand, that the LORD should deliver 36 Jerusalem out of my hand? But the people held their peace, and answered him not a word: for the king's commandment was, saying, Answer 37 him not. Then came Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, which was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph the recorder, to Hezekiah with their clothes rent, and told him the words of Rabshakeh.

191

And it came to pass, when king Hezekiah heard it, that he rent his clothes, and covered himself with sackcloth, and went into the house of 2 the LORD. And he sent Eliakim, which was over the household and Shebna the scribe, and the elders of the priests, covered with sackcloth, Junto Isaiah the prophet the son of 3 Amoz. And they said unto him, Thus saith Hezekiah, This day is a day of trouble, and of rebuke, and 'of contumely for the children are come to the birth, and there is not strength *4 to bring forth. It may be the LORD thy God will hear all the words of Rabshakeh, whom the king of Assyria his master hath sent to reproach the living God, and will rebuke the words which the LORD thy God hath heard: wherefore lift up thy prayer 5 for the remnant that is left. So the servants of king Hezekiah came to 6 Isaiah. And Isaiah said unto them, Thus shall ye say to your master, Thus saith the LORD, Be not afraid of the words that thou hast heard, Iwherewith the servants of the king 7 of Assyria have blasphemed me. Behold, I will 'put' a 'spirit in' him, and he shall hear a rumour, and shall return to his own land; and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land.

11 the hand of the king of Assyria. Behold, thou hast heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands, by 'destroying them utterly: and (12 shalt thou be delivered? Have the gods of the nations delivered them, which my fathers have destroyed, Gozan, and Haran, and Rezeph, and the children of Eden which were in 13 Telassar1? "Where is the king of

Hamath, and the king of Arpad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, of 14 Hena, and Ivvah? And Hezekiah received the letter 'from the hand of the messengers, and read it: and Hezekiah went up unto the house of the LORD, and spread it before the 15 LORD. And Hezekiah prayed before the LORD, and said, O LORD, 'the' God of Israel, 'that 'sittest upon the Icherubim', thou art the God, even thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; thou hast made heaven and 16) earth. Incline! thine ear, O LORD, and hear; open thine eyes, 'O' LORD, and see and hear the words of Sennacherib, wherewith he hath sent 17 him to reproach the living God. Of a truth, LORD, the kings of Assyria have laid waste the nations and their 18 lands, and have cast their gods into the fire for they were no gods, but the work of men's hands, wood and stone; therefore they have destroyed 19) them. Now therefore, O LORD our God, save thou us, I beseech thee, out of his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that thou art the LORD God, even thou only.

20

Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah, saying, Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, 'Whereas thou hast prayed to me against Sennacherib king of Assyria, I have heard (21 theel. "This is the word that the LORD hath spoken concerning him: The virgin daughter of Zion hath despised thee and laughed thee to scorn; the daughter of Jerusalem hath shaken * 22 her head at thee. Whom hast thou reproached and blasphemed? and against whom hast thou exalted thy voice and lifted up thine eyes on high? even against the Holy One of *23) Israel. °By thy messengers thou hast reproached the Lord, and hast said,

With the multitude of my chariots am I come up to the height of the mountains, to the innermost parts of Lebanon; and I will cut down the tall 'cedars' thereof, and the choice "fir trees thereof: and I will enter into his 'farthest lodging place', the 24 forest of his fruitful field. I have digged and drunk strange waters, and with the sole of my feet 'will' I 'dry' (25) up all the rivers of "Egypt'. Hast thou not heard how I have done it long ago, and formed it of ancient times? now have I brought it to pass, that thou shouldest be to lay waste fenced cities into ruinous heaps. 26 Therefore their inhabitants were of small power, they were dismayed and confounded; they were as the grass of the field, and as the green herb, as the grass on the housetops, and as corn blasted before it be grown up. 27 °But I know thy sitting 'down', and thy going out, and thy coming in, and 28) thy raging against me. Because

of thy raging against me, and 'for that thine arrogancy is come up into mine ears, therefore will I put my hook in thy nose, and my bridle in thy lips, and I will turn thee back by 29 the way by which thou camest. And this shall be the sign unto thee: ye shall eat this year 'that which groweth of itself, and in the second year that which springeth of the same; and in the third year sow ye, and reap, and plant vineyards, and eat the fruit' (30 thereof. And the remnant that is

escaped of the house of Judah shall again take root downward, and bear (31) fruit upward. For out of Jerusalem

shall go forth a remnant, and out of mount Zion they that shall escape: the zeal of 10the LORD shall 'perform' 32 this. Therefore thus saith the LORD concerning the king of Assyria, He shall not come unto this city, nor shoot an arrow there, 'neither shall he come before it with shield, nor 33 cast a mount against it. By the way that he came, by the same shall he return, and he shall not come 34 unto this city, saith the LORD. °For I will defend this city to save it, for mine own sake, and for my servant David's sake.

10

Heb. the escaped of the house of Judah that remain.

According to another reading, the LORD of hosts and so in Is. xxxvii. 32.