Ahaz's wicked reign.

CHAP. XVI.

Hezekiah succeeds him. 29 ¶ In the days of Pekah king of Israel pileser king of Assyria, saying, I am thy came Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, and servant and thy son: come up, and save took ljon, and Abel-beth-maachah, and Ja- me out of the hand of the king of Syria, noah, and Kedesh, and Hazor, and Gilead, and out of the hand of the king of Israel, and Galilee, all the land of Naphtali, and which rise up against me.

carried them captive to Assyria.

8 And Ahaz took the silver and gold

30 ¶ And Hoshea the son of Elah made that was found in the house of the LORD, a conspiracy against Pekah the son of Re- and in the treasures of the king's house, maliah, and smote him, and slew him, and and sent it for a present to the king of reigned in his stead, in the twentieth year Assyria. of Jotham the son of Uzziah.

9 And the king of Assyria hearkened 31 And the rest of the acts of Pekah, unto him: for the king of Assyria went up and all that he did, behold, they are writ- against Damascus, and took it, and carried ten in the book of the chronicles of the the people of it captive to Kir, and slew kings of Israel. Rezin. 32 ¶ In the second year of Pekah the son 10 And king Ahaz went to Damascus of Remaliah king of Israel began Jotham to meet Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, the son of Uzziah king of Judah to reign. and saw an altar that was at Damascus: 33 Five and twenty years old was he and king Ahaz sent to Urijah the priest the when he began to reign, and he reigned fashion of the altar, and the pattern of it, sixteen years in Jerusalem. And his mo- according to all the workmanship thereof. ther's name was Jerusha, the daughter of Zadok.

34 And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD: he did according to all that his father Uzziah had done.

35 Howbeit, the high places were not removed: the people sacrificed and burned incense still in the high places. He built the higher gate of the house of the LORD.

36 Now the rest of the acts of Jotham, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

37 In those days the LORD began to send against Judah Rezin the king of Syria, and Pekah the son of Remaliah.

11 And Urijah the priest built an altar according to all that king Ahaz had sent from Damascus: so Urijah the priest made it against king Ahaz came from Damascus.

12 And when the king was come from Damascus, the king saw the altar and the king approached to the altar, and offered thereon.

13 And he burnt his burnt-offering and his meat-offering, and poured his drinkoffering, and sprinkled the blood of his peace-offerings upon the altar.

14 And he brought also the brazen altar, which was before the LORD, from the forefront of the house, from between the altar and the house of the LORD, and put it on the north side of the altar.

38 And Jotham slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city 15 And king Ahaz commanded Urijah of David his father: And Ahaz his son the priest, saying, Upon the great altar reigned in his stead. burn the morning burnt-offering, and the evening meat-offering, and the king's burntN the seventeenth year of Pekah the sacrifice, and his meat-offering, with the son of Remaliah Ahaz the son of Jotham burnt-offering of all the people of the land, king of Judah, began to reign. and their meat-offering, and their drink

IN

CHAP. XVI.

2 Twenty years old was Ahaz when he offerings; and sprinkle upon it all the blood began to reign, and reigned sixteen years of the burnt-offering, and all the blood of in Jerusalem, and did not that which was the sacrifice: and the brazen altar shall be right in the sight of the LORD his God, for me to inquire by. like David his father.

16 Thus did Urijah the priest, according

3 But he walked in the way of the kings to all that king Ahaz commanded. of Israel, yea, and made his son to pass 17 And king Ahaz cut off the borders through the fire, according to the abomina- of the bases, and removed the laver from tions of the heathen, whom the LORD cast off them; and took down the sea from off out from before the children of Israel. the brazen oxen that were under it, and put 4 And he sacrificed and burnt incense it upon a pavement of stones. in the high places, and on the hills, and 18 And the covert for the sabbath that under every green tree. they had built in the house, and the king's 5 ¶ Then Rezin king of Syria and Pe- entry without, turned he from the house of kah son of Remaliah king of Israel came the LORD for the king of Assyria. up to Jerusalem to war: and they besieged 19 Now the rest of the acts of Ahaz Ahaz, but could not overcome him. which he did, are they not written in the 6 At that time Rezin king of Syria re- book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? covered Elath to Syria, and drave the Jews 20 And Ahaz slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David and Hezekiah his son reigned in

from Elath and the Syrians came to Elath, and dwelt there unto this day.

:

7 ¶ So Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglath- his stead.

Hoshea's wicked reign.

IN

CHAP. XVII.

II. KINGS.

Israel carried away captive. fied against them; and they followed vaniN the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Ju-ty, and became vain, and went after the dah began Hoshea the son of Elah, to heathen that were round about them, conreign in Samaria over Israel nine years. cerning whom the LORD had charged them, 2 And he did that which was evil in the that they should not do like them. sight of the LORD, but not as the kings of Israel that were before him.

31 Against him came up Shalmaneser king of Assyria; and Hoshea became his servant, and gave him presents.

4 And the king of Assyria found conspiracy in Hoshea: for he had sent messengers to So king of Egypt, and brought 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 years.

16 And they left all the commandments of the LORD their God, and made them molten images, even two calves, and made a grove, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served Baal.

17 And they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, and used divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.

18 Therefore the LORD was very angry with Israel, and removed them out of his sight: there was none left but the tribe of Judah only.

19 Also Judah kept not the command6 In the ninth year of Hoshea the king ments of the LORD their God, but walked of Assyria took Samaria, and carried Israel in the statutes of Israel which they made. away into Assyria, and placed them in Ha- 20 And the LORD rejected all the seed lah and in Habor by the river of Gozan, of Israel, and afflicted them, and delivered and in the cities of the Medes. them into the hand of spoilers, until he had

7 For so it was, that the children of Is-cast them out of his sight. rael had sinned against the LORD their 21 For he rent Israel from the house of God, which had brought them up out of David; and they made Jeroboam the son the land of Egypt, from under the hand of of Nebat king: and Jeroboam drave Israel Pharaoh king of Egypt, and had feared from following the LORD, and made them other gods, sin a great sin.

8 And walked in the statutes of the heathen, whom the LORD cast out from before the children of Israel, and of the kings of Israel, which they had made.

22 For the children of Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam which he did; they departed not from them;

23 Until the LORD removed Israel out of 9 And the children of Israel did se- his sight, as he had said by all his servants cretly those things that were not right the prophets. So was Israel carried away against the LORD their God, and they out of their own land to Assyria unto this built them high places in all their cities, day.

from the tower of the watchmen to the 24 And the king of Assyria_brought fenced city. men from Babylon, and from Cuthah, and 10 And they set them up images and from Ava, and from Hamath, and from Segroves in every high hill, and under every pharvaim, and placed them in the cities of green tree : Samaria instead of the children of Israel: 11 And there they burnt incense in all and they possessed Samaria, and dwelt in the high places, as did the heathen whom the cities thereof. the LORD carried away before them; and wrought wicked things to provoke the LORD to anger:

25 And so it was at the beginning of their dwelling there, that they feared not the LORD: therefore the LORD sent lions among them, which slew some of them.

12 For they served idols, whereof the LORD had said unto them, Ye shall not do 26 Wherefore they spake to the king of this thing. Assyria, saying, The nations which thou 13 Yet the LORD testified against Is- hast removed, and placed in the cities of rael, and against Judah, by all the pro- Samaria, know not the manner of the God phets, and by all the seers, saying, Turn of the land: therefore he hath sent lions ye from your evil ways, and keep my among them, and behold, they slay them, commandments, and my statutes, accord- because they know not the manner of the ing to all the law which I commanded your God of the land. fathers, and which I sent to you by my servants the prophets.

27 Then the king of Assyria commanded, saying, Carry thither one of the priests 14 Notwithstanding, they would not hear, whom ye brought from thence; and let but hardened their necks, like to the neck them go and dwell there, and let him teach of their fathers, that did not believe in the them the manner of the God of the land. LORD their God. 28 Then one of the priests whom they

15 And they rejected his statutes, and had carried away from Samaria came and his covenant that he made with their fa- dwelt in Beth-el, and taught them how they thers, and his testimonies which he testi- should fear the LORD.

A mixture of religions.

CHAP. XVII.

Hezekiah's good reign. 29 Howbeit, every nation made gods of and brake in pieces the brazen serpent that their own, and put them in the houses of the Moses had made: for unto those days the high places which the Samaritans had made, children of Israel did burn incense to it: every nation in their cities wherein they and he called it Nehushtan. 5 He trusted in the LORD God of Israel; 30 And the men of Babylon made Suc- so that after him was none like him among coth-benoth, and the men of Cuth made all the kings of Judah, nor any that were Nergal, and the men of Hamath made before him.

dwelt.

Ashima,

6 For he clave to the LORD, and departed 31 And the Avites made Nibhaz and not from following him, but kept his com Tartak, and the Sepharvites burnt their mandments, which the LORD commanded children in fire to Adrammelech and Anam- Moses. melech, the gods of Sepharvaim.

:

7 And the LORD was with him and he 32 So they feared the LORD, and made prospered whithersoever he went forth: and unto themselves of the lowest of them he rebelled against the king of Assyria, and priests of the high places, which sacrificed served him not.

for them in the houses of the high places. 8 He smote the Philistines, even unto 33 They feared the LORD, and served Gaza, and the borders thereof, from the their own gods, after the manner of the na- tower of the watchmen to the fenced city. tions whom they carried away from thence. 9¶ And it came to pass in the fourth 34 Unto this day they do after the former year of king Hezekiah, which was the manners: they fear not the LORD, neither seventh year of Hoshea son of Elah king do they after their statutes, or after their of Israel, that Shalmaneser king of Assyordinances, or after the law and command- ria came up against Samaria, and besieged ment which the LORD commanded the chil-it. dren of Jacob, whom he named Israel;

10 And at the end of three years they 35 With whom the LORD had made a took it: even in the sixth year of Hezekiah, covenant, and charged them, saying, Ye that is, the ninth year of Hoshea king of shall not fear other gods, nor bow yourselves Israel, Samaria was taken. to them, nor serve them, nor sacrifice to them:

11 And the king of Assyria did carry away Israel unto Assyria, and put them in 26 But the LORD, who brought you up Halah and in Habor by the river of Gozan, out of the land of Egypt with great power and in the cities of the Medes: and a stretched-out arm, him shall ye fear, 12 Because they obeyed not the voice of and him shall ye worship, and to him shall the LORD their God, but transgressed his ye do sacrifice. covenant, and all that Moses the servant of 37 And the statutes, and the ordinances, the LORD commanded, and would not hear and the law, and the commandment which them, nor do them. he wrote for you, ye shall observe to do for evermore; and ye shall not fear other gods. 38 And the covenant that I have made with you ye shall not forget; neither shall ye fear other gods.

13¶ Now in the fourteenth year of king Hezekiah did Sennacherib king of Assyria come up against all the fenced cities of Judah, and took them.

14 And Hezekiah king of Judah sent 39 But the LORD your God ye shall fear; to the king of Assyria to Lachish, saying, and he shall deliver you out of the hand of I have offended; return from me: that all your enemies. which thou puttest on me I will bear. And 40 Howbeit they did not hearken, but the king of Assyria appointed unto Hezethey did after their former manner. kiah king of Judah three hundred talents 41 So these nations feared the LORD, and of silver and thirty talents of gold. served their graven images, both their chil- 15 And Hezekiah gave him all the silver dren, and their children's children: as did that was found in the house of the LORD, their fathers, so do they unto this day. and in the treasures of the king's house.

CHAP. XVIII.

NOW it came to pass in the third year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, that Hezekiah the son of Ahaz king of Judah began to reign.

16 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.

2 Twenty and five years old was he 17 And the king of Assyria sent Tarwhen he began to reign; and he reigned tan and Rabsaris and Rab-shakeh from Latwenty and nine years in Jerusalem. His chish to king Hezekiah with a great host mother's name also was Abi the daughter against Jerusalem: and they went up, and of Zachariah. came to Jerusalem: and when they were 3 And he did that which was right in the come up, they came and stood by the consight of the LORD, according to all that Da- duit of the upper pool, which is in the vid his father did. highway of the fuller's field.

4 ¶ He removed the high places, and brake the images, and cut down the groves,

18 And when they had called to the king, there came out to them Eliakim the son of

Rab-shakeh's blasphemy.

II. KINGS. Hezekiah mourning is comforted. Hilkiah, which was over the household, and (land like your own land, a land of corn and Shebna the scribe, and Joah the son of wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land Asaph the recorder. 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 deliver us.

19 And Rab-shakeh said unto them, Speak ye now to Hezekiah, Thus saith the great king, the king of Assyria, What confidence is this wherein thou trustest?

20 Thou sayest, but they are but vain words, I have counsel and strength for the war. Now on whom dost thou trust, that thou rebellest against me?

21 Now behold, thou trustest upon the staff of this bruised reed, even upon Egypt, on which if a man lean, it will go into his hand, and pierce it; so is Pharaoh king of Egypt unto all that trust on him.

33 Hath any of the gods of the nations delivered at all 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, Hena, and Ivah? have they delivered Samaria out of mine hand?

35 Who are they among all the gods of the countries, that have delivered their country out of mine hand, that the LORD should deliver Jerusalem out of mine hand?

22 But if ye say unto me, We trust in the LORD our God: is not that he whose 36 But the people held their peace, and high places and whose altars Hezekiah hath answered him not a word: for the king's taken away, and hath said to Judah and commandment was, saying, Answer him Jerusalem, Ye shall worship before this al- not. tar in Jerusalem?

37 Then came Eliakim the son of Hil23 Now therefore, I pray thee, give kiah, which was over the household, and pledges to my lord the king of Assyria, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah the son of will deliver thee two thousand horses, if Asaph the recorder, to Hezekiah with their thou be able on thy part to set riders upon clothes rent, and told him the words of Rab

them.

shakeh.

CHAP. XIX.

24 How then wilt thou turn away the face of one captain of the least of my master's servants, and put thy trust on Egypt AND it came to pass, when king Heze

chariots and for horsemen?

25 Am I now come up without the LORD against this place to destroy it? The LORD said to me, Go up against this land, and destroy it.

kiah heard it, that he rent his clothes, and covered himself with sackcloth, and went into the house of the LORD.

2 And he sent Eliakim, which was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and the elders of the priests, covered with sack26 Then said Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, cloth, to Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz. and Shebna, and Joah, unto Rab-shakeh, 3 And they said unto him, Thus saith Speak, I pray thee, to thy servants in the Hezekiah, This day is a day of trouble, and Syrian language; for we understand it: of rebuke, and blasphemy: for the chiland talk not with us in the Jews' language dren are come to the birth, and there is not in the ears of the people that are on the strength to bring forth.

4 It may be the LORD thy God will hear

wall. 27 But Rab-shakeh said unto them, Hath all the words of Rab-shakeh, whom the my master sent me to thy master, and to king of Assyria his master hath sent to rethee, to speak these words? hath he not proach the living God; and will reprove sent me to the men which sit on the wall, the words which the LORD thy God hath that they may eat their own dung, and drink heard: wherefore lift up thy prayer for the their own piss with you? remnant that are left.

5 So the servants of king Hezekiah came

28 Then Rab-shakeh stood and cried with a loud voice in the Jews' language, and to Isaiah. spake, saying, Hear the word of the great king, the king of Assyria:

29 Thus saith the king, Let not Hezekiah deceive you: for he shall not be able to deliver you out of his hand:

6 ¶ And Isaiah said unto them, Thus shall ye say to your master, Thus saith the LORD, Be not afraid of the words which thou hast heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me.

30 Neither let Hezekiah make you trust 7 Behold, I will send a blast upon him, in the LORD, saying, The LORD will surely and he shall hear a rumour, and shall redeliver us, and this city shall not be deliver- turn to his own land; and I will cause him ed into the hand of the king of Assyria. to fall by the sword in his own land. 31 Hearken not unto Hezekiah: for thus 8 So Rab-shakeh returned, and found saith the king of Assyria, Make an agree- the king of Assyria warring against Libment with me by a present, and come out nah: for he had heard that he was departto me, and then eat ye every man of his ed from Lachish. own vine, and every one of his fig-tree, and 9 And when he heard say of Tirhakah drink ye every one the waters of his cis- king of Ethiopia, Behold, he is come out to fight against thee: he sent messengers a again unto Hezekiah, saying,

tern:

32 Until I come and take you away to

Hezekiah's prayer.

CHAP. XX. An angel slays the Assyrians.

10 Thus shall ye speak to Hezekiah ters, and with the sole of my feet have I king of Judah, saying, Let not thy God in dried up all the rivers of besieged places. whom thou trustest deceive thee, saying, 25 Hast thou not heard long ago how I Jerusalem shall not be delivered into the have done it, and of ancient times that I hand of the king of Assyria. have formed it? now have I brought it to

11 Behold, thou hast heard what the pass, that thou shouldest be to lay waste kings of Assyria have done to all lands, by fenced cities into ruinous heaps. destroying them utterly and shalt thou be 26 Therefore their inhabitants were of delivered? small power, they were dismayed and

12 Have the gods of the nations deliver- confounded; they were as the grass of the ed them which my fathers have destroyed; field, and as the green herb, as the grass on as Gozan, and Haran, and Rezeph, and the house-tops, and as corn blasted before the children of Eden which were in The- it be grown up.

lasar?

27 But I know thy abode, and thy going 13 Where is the king of Hamath, and out, and thy coming in, and thy rage against the king of Arpad, and the king of the city me. of Sepharvaim, of Hena, and Ivah?

28 Because thy rage against me and 14 And Hezekiah received the letter thy tumult is come up into mine ears, of the hand of the messengers, and read therefore I will put my hook in thy nose, it and Hezekiah went up into the house and my bridle in thy lips, and I will turn of the LORD, and spread it before the LORD. thee back by the way by which thou 15 And Hezekiah prayed before the camest.

LORD and said, O LORD God of Israel, 29 And this shall be a sign unto thee, which dwellest between the cherubims, thou Ye shall eat this year such things as grow art the God, even thou alone, of all the king- of themselves, and in the second year that doms of the earth; thou hast made heaven which springeth of the same; and in the and earth. third year sow ye, and reap, and plant vineyards, and eat the fruits thereof.

16 LORD, bow down thine ear, and hear: open, LORD, thine eyes, and see: and hear the words of Sennacherib, which hath sent him to reproach the living God.

17 Of a truth, LORD, the kings of Assyria have destroyed the nations and their lands,

18 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 them.

30 And the remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah shall yet again take root downward, and bear fruit upward.

31 For out of Jerusalem shall go forth a remnant, and they that escape out of mount Zion: the zeal of the LORD of hosts shall do this.

32 Therefore thus saith the LORD concerning the king of Assyria, He shall not come into this city, nor shoot an arrow there, nor come before it with shield, nor cast a bank against it.

33 By the way that he came, by the same shall he return, and shall not come into this city, saith the LORD.

20 Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent 34 For I will defend this city, to save it, to Hezekiah, saying, Thus saith the LORD for mine own sake, and for my servant DaGod of Israel, That which thou hast pray-vid's sake.

ed to me against Sennacherib king of As- 35¶ And it came to pass that night, syria I have heard. that the angel of the LORD went out, and

21 This is the word that the LORD hath smote in the camp of the Assyrians an spoken concerning him; The virgin the hundred fourscore and five thousand: and daughter of Zion hath despised thee, and when they arose early in the morning, bclaughed thee to scorn; the daughter of Je- hold, they were all dead corpses. rusalem hath shaken her head at thee. 36 So Sennacherib king of Assyria de22 Whom hast thou reproached and parted, and went and returned, and dwelt blasphemed? and against whom hast thou at Nineveh.

exalted thy voice, and lifted up thine eyes 37 And it came to pass, as he was woron high? even against the Holy One of Is-shipping in the house of Nisroch his god, rael. that Adrammelech and Sharezer his sons

23 By the messengers thou hast re-smote him with the sword: and they proached the LORD, and hast said, With escaped into the land of Armenia. And the multitude of my chariots I am come up Esar-haddon his son reigned in his stead. to the height of the mountains, to the sides CHAP. XX.

of Lebanon, and will cut down the tall cedar- those days was Hezekiah, sick unto trees thereof, and the choice fir-trees there- death. And the prophet Isaiah the son of: and I will enter into the lodgings of his of Amoz came to him, and said unto him, borders, and into the forest of his Carmel. Thus saith the LORD, Set thine house in 24 I have digged and drunk strange wa-order; for thou shalt die, and not live.