the justice of his punishment, and humbled himself by prayer and penance. He was restored to his kingdom and showed himself henceforth a wise and virtuous ruler. The reign of his son Amon was short and disastrous; but under his grandson Josias, Juda enjoyed a long period of peace and prosperity. Josias was guided in all things by the prophet Jeremias, and his piety won him such favor with God that none of the judgments pronounced against Jerusalem were executed until after his death.

Joachaz, Joakin, Joachim, and Sedecias reigned successively in Jerusalem. In the time of Sedecias, Nabuchodonosor, the king of Assyria, marched against Jerusalem, and took it after a siege of two years. The city was given up to pillage. The gold and silver vessels and all the precious furniture of the Temple were taken as a spoil, after which the sacred edifice was destroyed by fire. The flames spread with such rapidity that the entire city was laid in ashes. When there was nothing left to pillage or destroy, the Assyrian general Nabuzaradan returned to Babylon, leading in his train a wretched multitude of captives of every age and rank.

That the rich fields and vineyards of Judea might still yield something to the conqueror, the Assyrian left a sufficient number of husbandmen of the poorer sort to till the ground and dress the vines.

Nabuchodonosor held the prophet Jeremias in

What led to Manasses' conversion? What is said of Josias? Name the last kings of Judea. What occurred under Sedecias?

great respect and left him free, either to accompany the captives to Babylon, or to remain in his own country. Jeremias pitied the scattered remnant who were left in Juda without help or counsel, and chose the latter alternative. The unhappy Jews who remained, completed their own misfortunes by murdering Godolias the Assyrian governor. Then, terrified at the probable consequences, they fled into Egypt. The prophet Jeremias was forced to accompany them, and was shortly after murdered by his ungrateful countrymen.

Jeremias is counted as one of the four greater prophets. The Lamentations, in which he mourns the destruction of Jerusalem and the desolation of the holy place, are taken also in a mystical sense, and are familiar to us in the office of Holy Week.

Isaias, whose name has been mentioned in connection with this history, is considered the greatest among the Hebrew prophets. He is equally distinguished for the grandeur of the revelations with which he was favored, and for the sublimity of his style.

The most remarkable and important of the prophecies of Isaias are those which relate to the coming of the Messias. He declares that He would be born of a Virgin, and describes the different circumstances of the life and passion of Our Lord so clearly, that the Fathers remark that Isaias should be styled rather an evangelist than a prophet.

Who were left in Judea? What is said of Jeremias? of Isaias?

BIOGRAPHICAL BOOKS

OF THE OLD TESTAMENT.

CHAPTER XLIX.

PATIENCE OF JOB.

N the time of the old patriarchs there lived on the ɔnfines of Arabia, a pastoral prince called Job. The number of his servants, and his vast herds of cattle rendered him wealthy and powerful in the land, and he was the happy father of seven sons and three daughters.

Job was also distinguished by his virtue and wisdom, and his life was a course of unexampled prosperity. The envy of Satan was kindled against this holy man, and God, who willed that his servant should glorify him by his patience under affliction, permitted that the Evil One should exercise his malice against him.

Satan hastened to exert his power, and the blows followed one another, until Job found himself stripped of all his possessions. His servants were slain by the enemy, and his sons and daughters were buried in the

What was the character of Job? How was he tried?

ruins of the house where they were feasting together. In his great sorrow, Job fell prostrate on the ground, but he resigned himself to the divine will, saying: "The Lord gave, and the Lord taketh away: as it hath pleased the Lord, so it is done: blessed be the name of the Lord."

As Job continued to glorify God under these afflic tions, Satan solicited permission to torment him in his body, and the Lord said: Behold, he is in thy hands, but save his life." Job was immediately struck with a grievous ulcer, which covered his entire body; so that sitting on a dung-hill in sign of his deep humilia. tion, he scraped the corrupt matter with a potsherd. His wife incited him to blaspheme God, but he reproved her, and said: "If we have received good things at the hands of the Lord, shall we not receive evil also?"

Three neighboring princes, friends of Job, came to console him under his afflictions. They believed that he must have been guilty of some secret sin, and increased his sorrow by their exhortations to repentance. Job defended himself boldly and maintained his innocence, appealing to his past life, and dwelling particularly on his mercy to the poor. He expressed his faith in a Redeemer to come, saying: "For I know that my Redeemer liveth; and in the last day I shall rise out of the earth; and I shall be clothed again with my skin, and in my flesh I shall see my

Who came to visit Job? How did Job express his faith in a Redeemer?