arrow there, neither shall he come before it with shield, nor cast up a mount against it. By the way that he cometh, by the same he returneth, and unto this city he cometh not, saith Jehovah. For I will defend this city to save it, for Mine own sake, and for My servant David's sake.

And the angel of Jehovah went forth, and smote the camp of the Assyrians, and they arose early in the morning, and, behold, they were all dead corpses. And Sennacherib king of Assyria departed, and went and returned, and dwelt at Nineveh. And it came to pass, as he was worshipping in the house of Nusuku his god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer his sons smote him with the sword; and they escaped into the land of Ararat. And Esar-haddon his son reigned in his stead.

And Jehovah was with Hezekiah, and he prospered whithersoever he went forth. And he smote the Philistines, both Gaza and its district, both watch-tower and fortified city. And Hezekiah had exceeding much riches and honor; 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 costly vessels; storehouses also for the crops of corn and wine and oil; and stalls for all manner of beasts, and folds for flocks. Moreover he provided him cities, and possessions of flocks and herds in abundance; for God gave him very great wealth. This same Hezekiah also covered the upper spring of the waters of Gihon, and brought them underground unto the west side of the city of David. And the men of Hezekiah copied out also proverbs of Solomon (for the king's library). And Hezekiah prospered in all his works. And Hezekiah slept with his fathers; and Manasseh his son reigned in his stead.

CHAPTER VI.

II. KINGS, xxi. II. CHRONICLES, xxxiii. NAHUM, iii.

MANASSEH AND AMON.

Reaction-High Places Restored-Idolatry Legalized-Magic Sanctioned-Prophetic Denunciations-Captivity of Manasseh-His Restoration-Works of Defence-King Amon-AssassinatedNahum the Elkoshite-The Burden of Nineveh.

MANASSEH was twelve years old when he began to reign; and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem; and his mother's name was Hephzi-bah. And he did evil in the sight of Jehovah, after the abominations of the nations whom Jehovah cast out before the children of Israel. And he built again the high places which Hezekiah his father had destroyed; and he set up altars to Baal, and made an Ashtoreth image, as Ahab king of Israel had done, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served them. And he built altars to all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of Jehovah, whereof Jehovah said: In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, will I put my name for 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 commanded them. And he made his son to pass through the fire, and practised augury, and magic, and made familiar spirits, and wizards. He wrought much evil in the sight of Jehovah, to

provoke him to anger. Moreover Manasseh shed very much innocent, blood, till he had filled Jerusalem from end to end.

And Jehovah spake by his servants the prophets, saying Because Manasseh king of Judah hath done these abominations, and hath done wickedly above all that the Amorites did, who were before him, and hath made Judah also to sin with his idols; therefore thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel: Behold, I bring such evil upon Jerusalem and Judah, that whosover heareth of it, both 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. 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 spoil to all their enemies; because they have done evil in My sight, and have provoked Me to anger, since the day their fathers came forth out of Egypt, even unto this day.

Therefore Jehovah brought upon them the captains of the host of the king of Assyria, who took Manasseh in chains, and bound him with fetters, and carried him to Babylon. And when he was in distress, he besought Jehovah his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers. And he prayed unto Him; and He was entreated of him, and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom.

And after this Manasseh built an outer wall to the city of David, and on the west side toward Gihon, in the valley, as far as the entrance of the fish gate; and he carried it around Ophel, and made it very high. And he put valiant captains in all the fortified cities of Ju

THE FALL OF NINEVEH.

483

dah. And Manasseh slept with his fathers, and was buried in the garden of his own house, in the garden of Uzza; and Amon his son reigned in his stead.

Amon was twenty-two years old when he began to reign; and he reigned two years in Jerusalem; and his mother's name was Meshullemeth daughter of Haruz of Jotbah. And he did evil in the sight of Jehovah, as did Manasseh his father. And he walked in all the way that his father walked in, and served the idols that his father served, and worshipped them; and he forsook Jehovah, the God of his fathers, and walked not in the way of Jehovah. And the servants of Amon conspired against him, and put the king to death in his own house. But the people of the land slew all them that had conspired against King Amon; and the people of the land made Josiah his son king in his stead. And Amon was buried in his sepulchre in the garden of Uzza; and Josiah his son reigned in his stead.

(And it came to pass in those days, that Jehovah raised up the Medes against the king of Assyria, and the Assyrians began to be sore pressed.) In those days came the word of Jehovah unto Nahum the Elkoshite against Nineveh, saying: Woe to the bloody city! it is all lies, it is full of rapine; the prey departeth not. Art thou better than Thebes (No-amon), that sat by the rivers, waters round about her; whose rampart was the sea, of the sea her wall? Ethiopia and Egypt were her strength, and it was boundless; Put and Lybia were thy helpers. Yet was she carried away, she went into captivity. Yea, her babes were dashed in pieces at the head of all the streets; and for her magnates they cast lots, and all her great ones were bound in chains. Thou also art drunken, thou becomest one that vanisheth; thou also seekest

a defence against the foe. All thy fortresses are figtrees with the first-ripe figs; if they be shaken, they fall into the eater's mouth. Behold, thy people are women in the midst of thee; to thy foes are opened the gates of thy land; fire hath devoured thy bars. Draw thee water for the siege, make strong thy fortresses; go into the clay, and tread the mortar; lay hold upon the brick-mould. There fire devoureth thee; the sword doth cut thee off, it devoureth thee like the cankerworm. Make thyself many like the cankerworm, make thyself many like the locust. Thou hast multiplied thy merchants above the stars of heaven; the cankerworm hath plundered, and flieth away. Thy princes are like the locusts, and thy satraps like the grasshopper swarms that camp on the hedges in the day of frost; the sun ariseth and they are gone, and their place is not known. There is no healing for thy breach; grievous is thy wound. All that hear report of thee clap the hand against thee; for over whom hath not thine evil passed continually?