might be with him to confirm the kingdom 36 ¶ Now the rest of the acts of Jotham, in his hand. and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the Chronicles of the kings of

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

20 And Menahem exacted the money of Israel, even of all the mighty men of wealth, Judah? of each man fifty shekels of silver, to give to he king of Assyria so the king of Assyria turned back, and stayed not there in the land. 21 And the rest of the acts of Menahem, 33 And Jotham slept with his fathers, and and all that he did, are they not written in was buried with his fathers in the city of Da the book of the Chronicles of the kings of Is-vid his father and Ahaz his son reigned in rael? his stead.

CHAP. XVI.

22 And Menahem slept with his fathers; and Pekahiah his son reigned in his stead. the seventeenth year of Pekah the son of 23 In the fiftieth year of Azariah king of Judah, Pekahiah the son of Menahem began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and reigned two years.

Remaliah, Ahaz the son of Jotham king of Judah began to reign.

2 Twenty years old was Ahaz when he began to reign, and reigned sixteen years in 24 And he did that which was evil in the Jerusalem, and did not that which was right sight of the LORD: he departed not from the in the sight of the LORD his God, like David sius of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who his father. made Israel to sin.

3 But he walked in the way of the kings 25 But Pekah the son of Remaliah, a cap- of Israel; yea, and made his son to pass tain of his, conspired against him, and smote through the fire, according to the abominahim in Samaria, in the palace of the king's tions of the heathen, whom the LORD cast house, with Argob and Arieh, and with him out from before the children of Israel. fifty men of the Gileadites: and he killed 4. And he sacrificed and burnt incense in him, and reigned in his room. the high places, and on the hills, and under

26 And the rest of the acts of Pekahiah, every green tree. and all that he did, behold, they are written 5 Then Rezin king of Syria, and Pekah in the book of the Chronicles of the kings of son of Remaliah king of Israel, came up to Israel. Jerusalem to war; and they besieged Ahaz, but could not overcome him.

27¶In the two and fiftieth year of Azariah king of Julah, Pekah the son of Remaliah began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and reigned twenty years.

28 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD: he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin.

6 At that time Rezin king of Syria recovered Elath to Syria, and drave the Jews from Elath; and the Syrians came to Elath, and dwelt there unto this day.

7 So Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, saying, I am thy servant and thy son: come up, and save me out 29¶ In the days of Pekah king of Israel of the hand of the king of Syria, and out of came Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, and the hand of the king of Israel, which rise up took Ijon, and Abel-beth-maachah, and Ja- against me.

noah, and Kedesh, and Hazor, and Gilead, 8 And Alaz took the silver and gold that and Galilee, all the land of Naphtali, and was found in the house of the LORD, and in carried them captive to Assyria. the treasures of the king's house, and sent it

30 And Hoshea the son of Elah made a for a present to the king of Assyria. conspiracy against Pekah the son of Remali- 9 And the king of Assyria hearkened unto ah, and smote him, and slew him, and reign- him: for the king of Assyria went up against ed in his stead, in the twentieth year of Jo- Damascus, and took it, and carried the peotham the son of Uzziah.

31 And the rest of the acts of Pekah, and all that he did, behold, they are written in the book of the Chronicles of the kings of Israel.

32 T In the second year of Pekah the son of Remaliah king of Israel began Jotham the son of Uzziah king of Judah to reign.

33 Five and twenty years old was he when he began to reign; and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem: and his mother'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.

ple of it captive to Kir, and slew Rezin.

10 ¶ And king Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, and saw an altar that was at Damascus and king Ahaz sent to Urijah the priest the fashion of the altar, and the pattern of it, according to all the workmanship thereof.

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 35 Howbeit the high places were not re-meat-offering, and poured his drink-offering, moved: the people sacrificed and burned in-and sprinkled the blood of his peace-offercense still in the high places. He built the ings, upon the altar. higher gate of the house of the LORD.

14 And he brought also the brasen altar,

which was before the LORD, from the fore places in all their cities, from the tower of front of the house, from between the altar the watchmen to the fenced city. and the house of the LORD, and put it on the north side of the altar.

10 And they set them up images and groves in every high hill, and under every green tree:

15 And king Ahaz commanded Urijah the priest, saying, Upon the great altar burn the II And there they burnt incense in all the morning burnt-offering, and the evening high places, as did the heathen whom the meat-offering, and the king's burnt-sacrifice, LORD carried away before them; and and his meat-offering, with the burnt-offer- wrought wicked things to provoke the LORD ing of all the people of the land, and their to anger:

meat-offering, and their drink-offerings, and 12 For they served idols, whereof the sprinkle upon it all the blood of the burnt-LORD had said unto them, Ye shall not do offering, and all the blood of the sacrifice; this thing.

and the brasen altar shall be for me to en- 13 Yet the LORD testified against Israel quire by. and against Judah by all the prophets, and 16 Thus did Urijah the priest, according by all the seers, saying, Turn ye from your to all that king Ahaz commanded.

17 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 upon a pavement of stones :

18 And the covert for the sabbath that they had built in the house, and the king's entry without, turned he from the house of the LORD for the king of Assyria.

19¶ 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 Judah?

20 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. CHAP. XVII.

IN the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah began Hoshea the son of Elah to reign in Samaria over Israel nine years.

2 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, but not as the kings of Israel that were before him.

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

4 And the king of Assyria found conspiraey 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.

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

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.

14 Notwithstanding they would not hear, but hardened their necks, like to the neck of their fathers, that did not believe in the LORD their God.

15 And they rejected his statutes, and his covenant that he made with their fathers, and his testimonies which he testified against them; and they followed vanity, and became vain, and went after the heathen that were round about them, concerning 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.

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 commandments of the LORD their God, but walked in the statutes of Israel which they made.

20 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 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.

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 22 For the children of Israel walked in all of Egypt, from under the hand of Pharaoh the sins of Jeroboam which he did; they deking of Egypt, and had feared other gods, parted not from them; 8 And walked in the statutes of the hea- 23 Until the LORD removed Israel out of then, whom the LORD cast out from before his sight, as he had said by all his servants the children of Israel, and of the kings of Is- the prophets. So was Israel carried away rael, which they had made. out of their own land to Assyria unto this day. 9 And the children of Israel did secretly 24 And the king of Assyria brought mer those things that were not right against the from Babylon, and from Cuthah, and from LORD their God, and they built them high Ava, and from Hamath, and from Sepher

vaim, and placed them in the cities of Sa- and he shall deliver you out of the hand of maria instead of the children of Israel; and all your enemies. they possessed Samaria, and dwelt in the cities thereof.

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, both their children, and their children's children: as did their fathers, so do they unto this day. CHAP. XVIII.

26 Wherefore they spake to the king of Assyria, saying, The nations which thou

hast removed, and placed in the cities of Se NW it came to pass, in the third year of

Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, that maria, know not the manner of the God of Hezekiah the son of Ahaz king of Judah bethe land: therefore he hath sent lions among gan to reign. them, and behold, they slay them, because 2 Twenty and five years old was he when they know not the manner of the God of the he began to reign; and he reigned twenty and nine years in Jerusalem: his mother 27 Then the king of Assyria commanded, name also was Abi, the daughter of Zacha saying, Carry thither one of the priests whom riah.

land.

ye brought from thence, and let them go and 3 And he did that which was right in the dwell there, and let him teach them the man-sight of the LORD, according to all that Daner of the God of the land. vid his father did.

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.

28 Then one of the priests, whom they had 4 He removed the high places, and brake carried away from Samaria, came and dwelt the images, and cut down the groves, and in Beth-el, and taught them how they should 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 Nehushtan.

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.

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

30 And the men of Babylon made Suc-him. coth-benoth, and the men of Cuth made Ner- 6 For he clave to the LORD, and departed gal, and the men of Hamath made Ashima, not from following him, but kept his com

31 And the Avites made Nibhaz and Tar-mandments, which the LORD commanded tak, and the Sepharvites burnt their children Moses.

in fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech, 7 And the LORD was with him; and he the gods of Sepharvaim. prospered whithersoever he went forth and he rebelled against the king of Assyria, and served him not.

32 So they feared the LORD, and made unto themselves of the lowest of them priests of the high places, which sacrificed for them in the houses of the high places.

8 He smote the Philistines, even unto Gaza, and the borders thereof, from the tower of the watchmen to the fenced city.

33 They feared the LORD, and served their own gods, after the manner of the nations whom they carried away from thence.

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,

34 Unto this day they do after the former manners: they fear not the LORD, neither that Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up do they after their statutes, or after their or- against Samaria, and besieged it. dinances, or after the law and commandment which the LORD commanded the children of Jacob, whom he named Israel; 35 With whom the LORD had made a co-rael,) Samaria was taken. venant, and charged them, saying, Ye shall 11 And the king of Assyria did carry away not fear other gods, nor bow yourselves to Israel unto Assyria, and put them in Halah them, nor serve them, nor sacrifice to them: and in Habor by the river of Gozan, and in

10 And at the end of three years they took it; even in the sixth year of Hezekiah, (that is the ninth year Hoshea king of Is

36 But the LORD, who brought you up the cities of the Medes;

out of the land of Egypt with great power 12 Because they obeyed not the voice of and a stretched-out arm, him shall ye fear, the LORD their God, but transgressed his coand him shall ye worship, and to him shall ye venant, and all that Moses the servant of the do sacrifice. LORD commanded, and would not hear them, nor do them.

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 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.

131 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 to the king of Assyria to Lachish, saying, I have offended; return from me: that which thou

19 But the LORD your God ye shall fear :puttest on me will I bear. And the king of

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Assyria appointed unto Hezekiah king of with a loud voice in the Jews' language, and Judah three hundred talents of silver, and spake, saying, Hear the word of the great thirty talents of gold. king, the king of Assyria:

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.

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

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 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.

18 And when they had called to the king, there came out to them Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, which was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph the recorder.

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?

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

31 Hearken not unto Hezekiah: for thus saith the king of Assyria, Make 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;

32 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 Hezeki ah, when he persuadeth you, saying, The LORD will deliver us.

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 Sa maria 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?

36 But the people held their peace, and an. swered him not a word: for the king's commandment was, saying, Answer him not. 37 Then came Eliakim the son of Hilkiah,

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 which was over the household, and Shebna places and whose altars Hezekiah hath taken the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph the reaway; and hath said to Judah and Jerusa-corder, to Hezekiah, with their clothes rent, lem, Ye shall worship before this altar in Je- and told him the words of Rab-shakeh. rusalem?

CHAP. XIX.

23 Now

I thee, pledges to my lord the king of Assyria, and I will de AND it came to pass, when king Hezekiah heard it, that he rent his clothes, and covered himself with sackcloth, and went in. to the house of the LORD.

liver thee two thousand horses, if thou be able on thy part to set riders upon them.

2 And he sent Eliakim, which was over

24 How then wilt thou turn away the face of one captain of the least of my master's ser- the household, and Shebna the scribe, and the vants, and put thy trust on Egypt for chari-elders of the priests, covered with sackcloth, ots and for horsemen ? to Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz.

25 Am I now come up without the LORD 3 And they said unto him, Thus saith Heagainst this place to destroy it? The LORD zekiah, This day is a day of trouble, and of said to me, Go up against this land, and de-rebuke, and blasphemy: for the children are stroy it. come to the birth, and there is not strength to bring forth.

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

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

the ears of the people that are on the wall. which the LORD thy God hath heard: wherefore lift up thy prayer for the remnant that

27 But Rab-shakeh said unto them, Hath my master sent me to thy master, and to are left. thee, to speak these words? hath he not sent 5 So the servants of king Hezekiah came me to the men which sit on the wall, that they to Isaiah.

may eat their own dung, and drink their own 6 ¶ And Isaiah said unto them, Thus shall piss with you?

28 ¶ Then Rab-shakeh stood, and cried

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 the LORD, and hast said, With the multitude 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.

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

9 And when he heard say of Tirhakah king of Ethiopia, Behold, he is come out to fight against thee; he sent messengers again unto Hezekiah, saying,

of my chariots I am come up to the height of the mountains, to the sides of Lebanon, and will cut down the tall cedar-trees thereof, and the choice fir-trees thereof; and I will enter into the lodgings of his borders, and into the forest of his Carmel.

24 I have digged and drunk strange wa ters, and with the sole of my feet have I dried up all the rivers of besieged places.

25 Hast thou not heard long ago how I have done it, and of ancient times that I have formed it? now have I brought it to pass, that thou shouldest be to lay waste fenced cities into ruinous heaps.

10 Thus shall ye speak to Hezekiah king of Judah, saying, Let not thy God in whom 26 Therefore their inhabitants were of thou trustest deceive thee, saying, Jerusalem small power, the were dismayed and conshall not be delivered into the hand of the founded; they were as the grass of the field, king of Assyria. and as the green herb, as the grass on the

livered?

11 Behold, thou hast heard what the kings house-tops, and as corn blasted before it be of Assyria have done to all lands, by de-grown up. stroying them utterly; and shalt thou be de- 27 But I know thy abode, and thy going out, and thy coming in, and thy rage against 12 Have the gods of the nations delivered me. them which my fathers have destroyed; as Gozan, and Haran, and Rezeph, and the children of Eden which were in Thelasar? 13 Where is the king of Hamath, and the king of Arpad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, of Hena, and Ivah?

28 Because thy rage against me and thy tumult is come up into mine ears, therefore 1 will put my hook in thy nose, and my bridle in thy lips, and I will turn thee back by the way by which thou camest.

9 And this shall be a sign unto thee, Ye 14 ¶ And Hezekiah received the letter of shall eat this year such things as grow of the hand of the messengers, and read it: and themselves, and in the second year that Hezekiah went up into the house of the which springeth of the same; and in the LORD, and spread it before the LORD. third year sow ye, and reap, and plant vine yards, and eat the fruits thereof.

15 And Hezekiah prayed before the LORD, and said, O LORD God of Israel, which dwellest between the cherubims, thou art the God, even thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; thou hast made heaven and earth.

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.

34 For I will defend this city, to save it, for mine own sake, and for my servant David's

sake.

33 By the way that he came, by the same shall he return, and shall not come into this 19 Now therefore, O LORD our God, I be-city, saith the LORD. seech thee, save thou us 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 35 And it came to pass that night, that Hezekiah, saying, Thus saith the LORD God the angel of the LORD went out, and smote of Israel, That which thou hast prayed to me in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred fouragainst Sennacherib king of Assyria I have score and five thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses.

heard.

21 This is the word that the LORD hath spoken concerning him; The virgin, the 36 So Sennacherib king of Assyria dedaughter of Zion, hath despised thee, and parted, and went and returned, and dwelt at laughed thee to scorn; the daughter of Je-Nineveh. rusalem hath shaken her head at thee.

37 And it came to pass, as he was worship22 Whom hast thou reproached and blas-ping in the house of Nisroch his god, that phemed? and against whom hast thou exalt- Adrammelech and Sharezer his sons smote ed thy voice, and lifted up thine eyes on high? him with the sword; and they escaped into ven against the Holy One of Israel. the land of Armenia: and Esarhaddon his 23 By thy messengers thou hast reproached son reigned in his stead.

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