Israel is subdued and

B. C. 730.

725.

723.

c ch. 18. 9.

721.

d ch. 18. 10, 11.

Hos. 13. 16.

e Lev. 26. 32,

33. Deut. 28.

36, 64. & 29.
27, 28.

f 1 Chr. 5. 26.

g Lev. 18. 3. Deut. 18. 9. ch. 16. 3.

h ch. 18. 8.

+ Heb. statues. i1 Kings 14.

e

6 In the ninth year of Hoshea the king of Assyria took Samaria, and carried Israel away into Assyria, and placed them in Halah and in Habor by the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.

7 For so it was, that the children of Israel had sinned against the LORD their God, which had brought them up out of the land of Egypt, from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and had feared other gods, 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.

9 And the children of Israel did secretly those things that were not right against the LORD their God, and they built them high places in all their cities, h from the tower of the watchmen to the fenced city.

k

10 And they set them up images 23. 16. 57. 5. and groves in every high hill, and under every green tree:

k Ex. 34. 13.

Deut. 16. 21.
Mic. 5. 14.

1 Deut. 12. 2. ch. 16. 4.

m Ex. 20. 3, 4. Lev. 26. 1. Deut. 5, 7, 8. n Deut. 4. 19.

+ Heb. by the hand of all.

o 1 Sam. 9. 9.

25. 5. & 35. 15.

13 Yet the LORD testified against Israel, and against Judah, † by all the prophets, and by all the seers, sayp Jer. 18. 11. &ing, 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 my servants the prophets.

carried into captivity.

whom the LORD had charged them, that they should "not do like them. 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.

X

B. C. 721.

u Deut. 12. $0 31.

x Ex. 32 & 1 Kings 12.2 y 1 Kings 14. 15, 23. & 15. 13. & 16. 35. 2 1 Kings 16. 31. & 22. 53. ch. 11. 13.

ch. 16. 3. Ez. 23. $7.

17 And they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the Lev. 18. 21. 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 a but the tribe of Judah only.

e

19 Also Judah kept not the commandments of the LORD their God, but walked in the statutes of Israel which they made.

b Deut. 18. 10. c 1 Kings 21.

20.

d1 Kings 11. 13, 32 e Jer. 3. 8.

20 And the LORD rejected all the seed of Israel, and afflicted them, and delivered them into the hand off ch. 13. 3. & spoilers, until he had cast them out of his sight.

21 For he rent Israel from the house of David; and they made Jeroboam the son of Nebat king: and Jeroboam drave Israel from following the LORD, and made them sin a great sin.

15. 29.

1 Kings 11.

11, SI. h1 Kings 12 20, 28.

16. k ver. 6.

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 his sight, as he had said by 1 Kings 14. * So all his servants the prophets. was Israel carried away out of their own land to Assyria unto this day. 24 And the king of Assyria about 678. brought men m from Babylon, and from Cuthah, and from Ava, and from Hamath, and from Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the children of Israel: and they possessed Samaria, and dwelt in the cities thereof.

n

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.

26 Wherefore they spake to the king of Assyria, saying, The nations which thou hast removed, and placed in the cities of Samaria, know not the manner 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 the land.

27 Then the king of Assyria commanded, saying, Carry thither one of the priests whom ye brought from

1 Ezra 42, 10 m See ver. 30, n ch. 18. 34. Ivah.

The religion of Samaria.

B. C. about 678.

over. 24

P Ezra 49.

Deut. 12. 31.

thence; and let them go and dwell there, and let him teach them the manner of the God of the land.

28 Then 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 made Ashima,

31 PAnd the Avites made Nibhaz and Ler 18. 21. Tartak, and the Sepharvites burnt their children in fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of Sepharvaim.

Hezekiah's good reign.

CHAPTER XVIII.

Hezekiah's good reign. 4 He destroyeth idolatry, and prospereth. 9 The ten tribes are carried away captive for their sins. 13 Sennacherib invading Judah is pacified by a tribute. 17 Rab-shakeh, sent by Sennacherib, revileth Hezekiah, and exhorteth the people to revolt.

B. C. about 726.

27. & 29. 1. Matt. 1.9, Ezekias.

OW it came to pass in the third year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, that a Hezekiah the son of a 2 Chr. 28. Ahaz king of Judah began to reign. 2 Twenty and five years old was he when he began to reign; and he reigned twenty and nine years in Jerusalem. His mother's name also was Abi, the daughter of Zachariah.

3 And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that David his father did. 4 He removed the high places, and brake the timages, and cut down the groves, and brake in pieces the brazen serpent that Moses had made: for unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it: and he called it Nehushtan.

e

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

7 And the LORD was with him; and he prospered whithersoever he went forth and he rebelled against the king of Assyria, and served him not.

b 2 Chr. 29. 1, Abijah.

e 2 Chr. 31. 1. + Heb.statues.

d Num. 21. 9.

That is, A piece of brass.

e ch. 19. 10.
Job 13. 15.
Ps. 13. 5.
f ch. 23. 25.

Deut. 10. 20.

Josh. 23. 8.
after him.

Heb. from

h 2 Chr. 15. 2. i 1 Sam. 18. 5, 14. Ps. 60. 12.

about 725. ch. 16. 7.

11 Chr. 4. 41. Is. 14. 29.

8 He smote the Philistines, even unto Gaza, and the borders thereof, † Heb. Azzah. mfrom the tower of the watchmen to the fenced city.

m ch. 17. 9.

about 723.

9 And it came to pass in the ch. 17. 3. 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, and besieged it.

10 And at the end of three years about 721. they took it: even in the sixth year of Hezekiah, that is the ninth year o ch. 17. 6. of Hoshea king of Israel, Samaria was taken.

t ch. 16. 8.

+ Heb. them.

about 710.

14 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 Ju- | dah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold.

15 And Hezekiah gave him all the silver that was found in the house of the LORD, and in the treasures of the king's house.

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.

17 And the king of Assyria sent Tartan and Rabsaris and Rab-shakeh from Lachish to king Hezekiah with Heb. heavy. a great host against 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 highway of the fuller's field.

u Is. 7. 3.

Or, talkest. 20 Thou sayest, (but they are but Heb. wordt vain words,) I have counsel and of the lips. strength for the war. Now on whom Or, But counsel and dost thou trust, that thou rebellest strength are for the war. against me? +Heb. trustest thee.

y Ez. 29. 6, 7.

z ver. 4.

2 Chr. 31. 1. & 32. 12.

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.

22 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 Jerusalem, Ye shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem?

23 Now therefore, I pray thee, give Or, hostages. pledges to my lord the king of Assyria, and I will deliver thee two thousand horses, if thou be able on thy part to set riders upon them.

24 How then wilt thou turn away

Rab-shakeh's insulting speech.

B. C.

the face of one captain of the least of my master's servants, and put thy about 710. trust on Egypt for 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.

26 Then said Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, and Shebna, and Joah, unto Rab-shakeh, Speak, I pray thee, to thy servants in the Syrian language; for we understand it: and talk not with us in the Jews' language in the ears of the people that are on the wall.

27 But Rab-shakeh 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, that they may eat their own dung, and drink their own piss with you?

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

+ Heb. the dter of their feet.

29 Thus saith the king, Let not a 2 Chr. 32 15. Hezekiah deceive you: for he shall not be able to deliver you out of his hand:

30 Neither let Hezekiah make you trust in the LORD, saying, The LORD will surely deliver us, and this city shall not be delivered into the hand of the king of Assyria.

a

31 Hearken not to Hezekiah: for thus saith the king of Assyria, " Make Or. Seek my an agreement with me by a present, and come out to me, and then eat ye every man of his own vine, and every one of his fig tree, and drink ye every one the waters of his cistern:

favour. Heb. Make with me blessing, Gen. 32. 20. & 33. 11. Prov. 18. 16. Or, pit.

32 Until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land Deut. 8. 7, 8. 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 deliver us.

Or, deceiv

eth.

ch. 19. 12

2 Chr. 2. 14. Is. 10. 10, 11.

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, ch. 19. 13. and of Arpad? where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivah? have they delivered Samaria out of mine hand?

e ch. 17. 24. Ava

35 Who are they among all the gods of the countries, that have delivered their country out of mine hand, that Dan. 3. 15. the LORD should deliver Jerusalem out of mine hand?

36 But the people held their peace,

a Is. 37. 1, &c.

Lake 3. 4, Eslida

37 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 Rab-shakeh.

CHAPTER XIX.

Hezekiah sendeth to Isaiah to pray for deliverance. 6 Isaiah comforteth him. 8 Sennacherib sendeth a

blasphemous letter to Hezekiah. 14 Hezekiah's prayer. 20 Isaiah foretelleth the destruction of

Sennacherib, and the safety of Zion. 35 An angel slayeth the Assyrians. 36 Sennacherib is slain at Nineveh by his own sons.

His prayer for deliverance.

delivered into the hand of the king of Assyria.

11 Behold, thou hast heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands, by destroying them utterly: and shalt thou be delivered?

12 Have the gods of the nations delivered them which my fathers have destroyed; as Gozan, and Haran, and Rezeph, and the children of " Eden which were in Thelasar?

n

B. C. 710.

m ch. 18. 33.

n Ez. 27. 23.

Hezekiah 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 sackcloth, to Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz.

3 And they said unto him, Thus saith Hezekiah, This day is a day of Or. provoca- trouble, and of rebuke, and blasphemy for the children are come to the birth, and there is not strength to bring forth.

:"Sm. 16 12.

4 ch. 18. 35.

4 It may be the LORD thy God will hear all the words of Rab-shakeh, whom the king of Assyria his master hath sent to reproach the living God; and will reprove the words which the LORD thy God hath heard: wherefore lift up thy prayer for the Heb. found. remnant that are + left.

• Pe. 50. 21.

e

5 So the servants of king Hezekiah came to Isaiah.

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.

7 Behold, I will send a blast upon 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.

8 So Rab-shakeh returned, and found the king of Assyria warring against Libnah: for he had heard that he was departed from Lachish.

e Job 16. 4. Ps. 22. 7, 8. Lam. 2. 15.

22 Whom hast thou reproached and blasphemed? and against whom hast thou exalted thy voice, and lifted up thine eyes on high? even against the Ps. 71. 22. Holy One of Israel.

d

Is. 5. 24.
Jer. 51. 5.

+ Heb. By the hand of.

e ch. 18. 17.

23 By thy messengers thou hast reproached the Lord, and hast said, With the multitude of my chariots Ps. 20. 7. I am come up to the height of the