Ahaz s wicked reign.

Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin.

25 But Pekah the son of Remaliah, a captain of his, conspired against him, and smote him n Samaria, in the palace of the king's house, with Argob and Arieh, and with him fifty men of the Gileadites: and he killed him, and reigned in his room.

26 And the rest of the acts of Pekahiah, and all that he did, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel. 27 ¶ In the two and fiftieth year of Azariah king of Judah, 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. 29 In the days of Pekah king of Israel came Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, and took Ijon, and Abel-beth-maachah, and Janoah, and Kedesh, and Hazor, and Gilead, and Galilee, all the land of Naphtali, and carried them captive to Assyria.

r

30 And Hoshea the son of Elah made a conspiracy against Pekah the son of Remaiah, and smote him, and slew him, and reigned in his stead, in the twentieth year of Jotham 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 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.

A. M. 3245..3265. B. C. 759..739.

q Is. 7.1,4,9.

A. M. 3264.

B. C. 740.

1.9.1. A. M. 3265

B. C. 739.

After an

anarchy for some years. c.17.1. Hos. 10.3. 7.15.

t The 4th year of Ahaz, the 20th after Jothain

had begun to reign: (Usher.)

A. M. 3246.

He spoileth the temple. Jerusalem to war: and they besieged Ahaz, but could not overcome him.

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 of the hand of the king of Syria, and out of the hand of the king of Israel, which rise up against me.

8 And Ahaz took the silver and gold that was found in the house of the LORD, and in the treasures of the king's house, and sent it for a present to the king of Assyria.

9 And the king of Assyria hearkened unto him for the king of Assyria went up against * Damascus, and took it, and carried the B. C. 15 people 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.

u 2 Ch.27.1, &c.

A. M. 3262. B. C. 742.

v At the end of Jotham's

reign.

w c.16.5.

ver.27. a2 Ch.23.1,

&c.

Le 18.21.

Ps. 106.37, 38.

© De.12.31. Ps. 106.35.

d De. 122. 1 Ki. 14.23.

11 And Urijah the priest built man altar according to all that king Ahaz had sent from Damascus: so 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 drink-offering, and sprinkled the blood of his peace-offerings, upon the altar.

14 And he brought also the brazen Paltar, e la 7.1,&c. 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.

Na the seventeenth year of Pekah the son of 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 Jerusalem, and did not that which was right in the sight of the LORD his God, like David his father. 3 But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, yea, and made his son to pass through the fire, according to the abominations of the heathen, whom the LORD cast out from before the children of Israel.

Eloth.

h Tilgathpileser.

1 Ch.5.26,

&c.

2 Ch.28. 20. Tilgathpilne er.

i c. 15.29.

J c.12.18.

A. M. 3264. B. C. 740.

Dammesek.

15 And king Ahaz commanded Urijah the priest, saying, Upon the great altar burn the morning burnt-offering, and the evening meat-offering, and the king's burnt-sacrifice, and his meat-offering, with the burnt-offering of all the people of the land, and their meatoffering, and their drink-offerings; and sprinkle upon it all the blood of the burnt-offering, and all the blood of the sacrifice: and the brazen altar shall be for me to inquire by.

16 Thus did Urijah the priest, according to all that king Ahaz commanded.

г

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 brazen oxen that were under it, and put it Ps. 106.39. upon a pavement of stones,

1 Foretold, Am. 1.5.

n Nu. 18.3. 2 Ch.26. 16,19.

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. CHAPTER XVII.

1 Hoshea's wickel reign 3 Being subdued by Shalmaneser, he conspireth against him with So king of Egypt. 5 Samaria for their sins is captivatet. 24 The strange nations, which were transplanted in Samaria, being plagued with lions, make a mixture of religions

The wicked reign of Hoshea.

с

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.

е

and

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, from the tower of the watchmen to the fenced city.

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

Mi.5.14.

De.12.2

c. 16.4.

Israel carried away captive.

19 Also Judah kept not the commandments of the LORD their God, but walked in the sta- [ tutes 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.

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 m by all his servants the prophets. So was Israel carried away out of their own land to Assyria unto this day. 24 And • the king of Assyria brought men from P Babylon, and from Cuthah, and from Ava, and from Hamath, and from Sepharhand of vaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the children of Israel: and they possessed Samaria, and dwelt in the cities

Is. 1.16,17. 55.7.

Je. 18.11.

25.5.

35.15.

Eze 18.31. thereof.

11 And there they burnt incense in all they high places, as did the heathen whom the LORD carried away before them; and wrought wicked things to provoke the LORD to anger: 12 For they served idols, whereof the LORD had said unto them, Ye shall not do this thing. 13 Yet the LORD testified against Israel, and against Judah, by all the prophets, and by all the seers, saying, 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.

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.

r

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 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 Succothbenoth, and the men of Cuth made Nergal, and the men of Hamath made Ashima,

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

the land of Egypt with great power and a stretched out arm, him shall ye fear, and him shall ye worship, and to him shall ye do sacrifice.

e

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.

39 But the LORD your God ye shall fear; and he shall deliver you out of the hand of all your enemies.

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.

CHAPTER XVIII.

1 Hezekiah's good reign. 4 He destroyeth idolatry, and prospereth. 9 Samaria is carried captive for their sins. 13 Sennacherib invading Judah is pacified by a tribute.

B. C. 675.

e Ex.6.6. d De. 10.20. e De.5.32. f De.4.23.

8 Je.13.23. hver 32,33 M.

B. C. 726.

a 2Ch.28.27. 29.1.

He is calle:1 Ezdias. Mat.1.9. A. M. 3278..3306. B. C. 726..698.

21

Abijah.

c statues. d Nu.21.9.

e i. e. a piece of brass.

17 Rap-shaken, sent by Sennacherib again, revileth Hezekiah, and by blasphemous f c.23.25. persuasions soliciteth the people to revolt.

Now

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

a

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 b 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.

De. 10. 20.

Jos.23.8.

A. M. 3281. B. C. 723.

me.17.3,&

1 Ch.5.25 Ne.9 2.27.

P 107.17.
Da. 9.6,10.

A. M. 3291. B. C. 713.

&c.

P 2Ch.32.1, 18.36.1,&c

6 For he clave to the LORD, and departed not from following him, but kept his com- q Sanherib. mandments, which the LORD commanded ro.16.8. Moses.

s them.

19 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 w 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?

21 Now, behold, thou* trustest upon the staff of this bruised breed, 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.

C

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 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 the face of one captain of the least of my master's servants, and put thy 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?

f

28 Then Rab-shakeh stood and cried with

Sennacherib slain by his sons.

28 Because thy rage against me and thy tumult is come up into mine ears, therefore I 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.

29 And this shall be a sign unto thee, Ye shall eat this year such things as grow of themselves, and in the second year that which springeth of the same; and in the third year sow ye, and reap, and plant vineyards, and eat the fruits thereof.

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

r

B. C. 710. 1 short of hand.

m Ps. 129.6.

nor,sitting o Eze.38.4.

p the esca ping of the house

that re

maineth.

q ver.4.

r the escaping.

c.20.6. 12Ch 32.21.

Is.37.36.

u Ge.10.11.

Jo. 1.2.
3.2, &c.

v ver.7.

w Ararat.

x Ezr.4.2

a 2 Ch.32. 24, &c. Is.38.1,&c

31 For out of Jerusalem shall go forth a remnant, and they that escape out of mount b give 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.

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

35 And it came to pass that night, that the angel of the LORD went out, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians a hundred fourscore and five thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses.

36 So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed, and went and returned, and dwelt at " Nineveh.

u

charge

concern

ing thy
house.
28a.17.23.

Ne.13.22
c.18.3.6.

e Ge. 17.1.
1 KI.3.6.

f with a great weeping.

gor, city.

37 And it came to pass, as he was worshipping in the house of Nisroch his god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer his sons smote ▾ him with the sword: and they escaped into the land of Armenia. And Esarhaddon P 1.39.1, * his son reigned in his stead.

B. C. 712.

&c.

q or, Merodach-baladan.

r2 Ch.32.27.

sor,spicery.

t vessels, or, jewels. u Pr.23.5. v ver. 13. w Le.26.19. e.24. 13. 25.13. Je.27.21. 52.17.

x c.24.12.

2 Ch.33.11

3 I beseech thee, O LORD, remember now how I have walked before thee in truth,y Da.1.3. and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore.

z Job 1.21.

shall there

not be peace and truth.

4 And it came to pass, afore Isaiah was gone out into the middle court, that the word of b Ne.3.16. the LORD came to him, saying,

7 And Isaiah said, Take a lump of figs. And they took and laid it on the boil, and he recovered.

8 And Hezekiah said unto Isaiah, What shall be the sign m that the LORD will heal me, and that I shall go up into the house of the LORD the third day?

9 And Isaiah said, This sign shalt thou have of the LORD, that the LORD will do the thing that he hath spoken: shall the shadow go forward ten degrees, or go back ten degrees?

10 And Hezekiah answered, It is a light thing for the shadow to go down ten degrees: nay, but let the shadow return backward ten degrees.

11 And Isaiah the prophet cried unto the LORD: and he brought the shadow ten degrees backward, by which it had gone down in the dial of Ahaz.

12 At that time Berodach-baladan, the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a present unto Hezekiah: for he had heard that Hezekiah had been sick.

13 And Hezekiah hearkened unto them, and showed them all the house of his precious things, the silver, and the gold, and the spices, and the precious ointment, and all the house of his armour, and all that was found in his treasures: " there was nothing in his house, nor in all his dominion, that Hezekiah showed them not.

14 ¶ Then came Isaiah the prophet unto king Hezekiah, and said unto him, What said these men? and from whence came they unto thee? And Hezekiah said, They are come from a far country, even from Babylon.

15 And he said, What have they seen in thy house? And Hezekiah answered, All the things that are in my house have they seen there is nothing among my treasures that I have not showed them.

16 And Isaiah said unto Hezekiah, Hear the word of the LORD.