And thus it came to pass that Israel sinned against Yahweh their God, who brought them up out of the land of Egypt, from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, - yea they did reverence to other gods;

And the sons of Israel did, secretly, things which were not right, against Yahweh their God, - and built for themselves high places in all their cities, from the watchmen's tower, to the fortified city.

and burned incense there, in all the high places, like the nations whom Yahweh drave out from before them, - and did things that were wicked, so as to provoke Yahweh to anger;

and they served the manufactured gods, as to which Yahweh had said to them, Ye shall not do this thing.

And Yahweh testified against Israel and against Judah, through all his prophets - every one who had a vision, saying - Turn ye from your wicked ways, and keep my commandments, my statutes, according to all the law which I commanded your fathers; and which I sent unto you through my servants the prophets.

but rejected his statutes, and his covenant, which he solemnised with their fathers, and his testimonies wherewith he testified against them, - and followed vanity, and became vain, and followed the nations that were round about them, as to whom Yahweh charged them, so that they should not do like them.

But they forsook all the commandments of Yahweh their God, and made for themselves something molten - two calves, and made a Sacred Stem, and bowed themselves down to all the army of the heavens, and served Baal;

and made their sons and their daughters pass through the fire, and used divinations and enchantments, and sold themselves to do the thing that was wicked in the eyes of Yahweh, provoking him to wrath.

for he rent Israel away from the house of David, and they made Jeroboam son of Nebat, king, - and Jeroboam thrust away Israel from following Yahweh, and caused them to commit a great sin.

until that Yahweh removed Israel from his presence, according as he spake through all his servants the prophets, - and so Israel was driven away from off their own soil, to Assyria, until this day.

And the king of Assyria brought men from Babylon, and from Cuthah, and from Avvah, and from Hamath, and from Sepharvaim, and caused them to dwell in the cities of Samaria, instead of the sons of Israel, - so they took possession of Samaria, and dwelt in the cities thereof.

Then came one of the priests whom they had carried away captive from Samaria, and dwelt in Bethel, - and he began teaching them how they should do reverence unto Yahweh.

and, the Avvites, made Nibhaz and Tartak, and, the Sepharvites, did consume their sons in the fire, to Adrammelech and Anammelech gods of Sepharvaim.

Yahweh, were they revering, - and yet, their own gods, were they serving, according to the custom of the nations from whence they had brought them away captive.

Unto this day, are they offering according to the former customs, - they are not revering Yahweh, neither are they offering after their own statutes, or their own custom, nor yet after the law and the commandment which Yahweh commanded the sons of Jacob, whose name he made to be Israel:

With, whom, Yahweh solemnised a covenant, and commanded them saying - Ye shall not revere other gods, - nor bow down to them, nor serve them, nor sacrifice to them;

But, Yahweh - who brought you up out of the land of Egypt, with great might, and with arm outstretched, him, shall ye revere, - and to him, shall ye bow down, and to him, shall ye sacrifice;

And, the statutes and the regulations, and the law and the commandment, which he wrote for you, shall ye surely observe to do, continually, - So shall ye not revere other gods;

Howbeit they hearkened not, - but, according to their own former custom, were they offering.

Thus were these nations doing reverence unto Yahweh, and yet, unto their own carved images, were they rendering service, - yea, their sons and their son's sons, as the fathers offered, so are, they, offering until this day.

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

Twenty-five years old, was he when he began to reign, and, twenty-nine years, reigned he in Jerusalem, - and, his mother's name, was Abi, daughter of Zachariah.

And he did that which was right in the eyes of Yahweh, - according to all that, David his father, did.

He, smote the Philistines, as far as Gazah, and her boundaries, - from the watchmen's tower even to the fortified city.

And it came to pass, in the fourth year of King Hezekiah - the same, was the seventh year of Hosea son of Elah king of Israel, that Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up against Samaria, and laid siege against it;

So the king of Assyria drave away Israel to Assyria, - and settled them in Halah, and in Habor, by the river of Gozan, and the mountains of Media:

Then sent Hezekiah king of Judah unto the king of Assyria, to Lachish, saying - I have sinned, Return from me, What thou shalt lay upon me, I will bear. So the king of Assyria appointed unto Hezekiah king of Judah, three hundred talents of silver, and thirty talents of gold.

And the king of Assyria sent Tartan and Rab-saris and Rab-shakeh, from Lachish unto King Hezekiah, with a heavy force to Jerusalem, - so they came up and drew near to Jerusalem, and took their stand by the upper channel of the pool, which is in the highway of the fuller's field.

Now, lo! thou dost trust thyself on the support of this bruised cane, on Egypt, whereon, if a man lean, it will enter his hand and lay it open, - so, is Pharaoh king of Egypt, to all who trust upon him.

But, if ye should say unto me, In Yahweh our God, do we trust, Then is that not he whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah hath removed, and said unto Judah, and unto Jerusalem - Before this altar, shall ye bow down, in Jerusalem?

Now, therefore, pledge thyself, I pray thee, with my lord, the king of Assyria, - that I supply thee with two thousand horses, if thou, on thy part, be able to set riders upon them.

How then wilt thou turn back the face of one pasha of the least of my lord's servants? Or hast thou, on thy part, trusted to Egypt for chariots and for horsemen?

Now, is it, without Yahweh, that I have come up against this place, to destroy it? Yahweh himself, said unto me, Go thou up against this land, and destroy it.

Then said Eliakim son of Hilkiah, and Shebnah, and Joah, unto Rab-shakeh: Speak, we pray thee, unto thy servants in the, Syrian, language, for, we, can, understand, it, - and do not speak with us in, the Jews', language, in the ears of the people who are upon the wall.

But Rab-shakeh said unto them - Is it, concerning thy lord, and concerning thee, that my lord hath sent me to speak these things? Is it not concerning the men who are tarrying upon the wall, that they may eat their own dung and drink their own water with you?

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

Neither let Hezekiah cause you to trust in Yahweh, saying, Yahweh, will, certainly deliver, us, - this city, therefore, shall not be given over into the hand of the king of Assyria.

Do not hearken unto Hezekiah, - for, thus, saith the king of Assyria, Deal with me thankfully, and come out unto me, then shall ye eat - every one of his own vine, and every one of his own fig-tree, and drink every one the waters of his own cistern;

Until I come and take you, into a land like your own land - A land of corn and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of oil olive and honey, so shall ye live, and not die, - But do not hearken unto Hezekiah, for he would persuade you, saying, Yahweh, will deliver us!

And it came to pass, when King Hezekiah heard, that he rent his clothes, - and covered himself with sackcloth, and entered the house of Yahweh;

and they said unto him - Thus, saith Hezekiah, A day of trouble, and rebuke, and reviling, is this day, - for children are come to the birth, and, strength, is there none to bring forth!

It may be that Yahweh thy God will hear all the words of Rab-shakeh, whom the king of Assyria his lord hath sent, to reproach a Living God, and will rebuke the words, which Yahweh thy God hath heard, - Wherefore lift thou up a prayer, for the remnant that remaineth.

Behold me! about to let go against him, a blast, and, when he heareth the report, then will he return to his own country, - and I will cause him to fall by the sword, in his own land.

And when he heard say of Tirhakah, king of Ethiopia, saying, Lo! he hath come forth to fight with thee, - then he again sent messengers unto Hezekiah, saying -

Lo! thou thyself, hast heard, what the kings of Assyria have done to all the lands, in devoting them to destruction, - and shalt, thou, be delivered?

And, when Hezekiah had received the letter at the hand of the messengers, and had read it, then went he up to the house of Yahweh, and Hezekiah spread it out before Yahweh.

Bow down, O Yahweh, thine ear, and hear, Open, O Yahweh, thine eyes, and see, - yea hear thou the words of Sennacherib, who hath sent - To reproach a Living God!

Of a truth, O Yahweh, - the kings of Assyria have devoted to destruction the nations and their lands;

This, is the word that Yahweh hath spoken concerning him, - The virgin daughter of Zion, laugheth thee to scorn, mocketh thee, The daughter of Jerusalem, after thee, doth wag her head.

Hast thou not heard - that, long ago, that, is what I appointed, and, from days of old, devised it? Now, have I brought it to pass, that thou mightest serve to lay waste, in desolate ruins, fortified cities;

And, their inhabitants, being powerless, were overthrown and put to shame, - they became grass of the field, and young herbage, grass on housetops, and seed withered before it came up.

Thus will I throw a covering over this city, to save it, - for mine own sake, and for the sake of David my servant.

And it came to pass, during that night, that the messenger of Yahweh went forth, and smote, in the camp of the Assyrians, a hundred and eighty-five thousand. And, when men arose early in the morning, lo! they were all, dead bodies!

And it came to pass, as he was bowing down in the house of Nisroch his god, that, Adrammelech and Sharezer his sons , smote him with the sword, howbeit, they, escaped into the land of Ararat, - and Esarhaddon his son, reigned, in his stead.

In those days, was Hezekiah sick, unto death, - and Isaiah son of Amoz, the prophet, came unto him, and said unto him - Thus, saith Yahweh Set in order thy house, for, about to die, thou, art, and shalt not recover.

And it came to pass that Isaiah, had not gone out into the middle court, when the word of Yahweh came unto him, saying:

Return, and thou shalt say unto Hezekiah the leader of my people - Thus, saith Yahweh, God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears, - Behold me! about to heal thee, On the third day, shalt thou go up unto the house of Yahweh;

Now Hezekiah had said unto Isaiah, What sign is there, that Yahweh will heal me, - and that I shall go up on the third day, to the house of Yahweh?

And Isaiah said, - This unto thee, is the sign from Yahweh, that Yahweh will do the thing which he hath spoken, The shadow hath gone forward ten steps, shall it return ten steps?

And Hezekiah said - It is, a light thing, for the shadow, to decline ten steps, - Nay, but let the shadow go back ten steps.

And Isaiah the prophet cried unto Yahweh, and he caused the shadow on the steps by which it had gone down on the steps of Ahaz to go back, ten steps.

Lo! days are coming, when all that is in thine house, and that thy fathers have treasured up, unto this day, shall be carried into Babylon, - nothing shall be left, saith Yahweh;

Twelve years old, was Manasseh when he began to reign, and, fifty-five years, reigned he in Jerusalem, - and the name of his mother was Hephzibah.

He again built the high places, which Hezekiah his father had destroyed, - and reared altars to Baal, and made a Sacred Stem, as did Ahab, king of Israel, and bowed down to all the army of the heavens, and served them.

And he used to build altars in the house of Yahweh, - concerning which Yahweh had said, - In Jerusalem, will I put my Name.

And he built altars to all the army of the heavens, - in the two courts of the house of Yahweh;

and caused his son to pass through the fire, and practiced hidden arts and used divination, and dealt with a familiar spirit and wizards, - he exceeded in doing the thing that was wicked in the eyes of Yahweh, provoking him to anger;

and I will not again let the foot of Israel wander away from the soil which I gave unto their fathers. Only if they take heed to do according to all that I have commanded them, even to the extent of all the law which, my servant Moses, commanded them.

But they hearkened not, - and Manasseh led them astray to do the thing that was wicked, more than the nations which Yahweh destroyed from before the sons of Israel.

Because Manasseh king of Judah hath made these abominations - hath done that which is wicked, more than all which the Amorites did who were before him, and hath caused, even Judah, to sin with his manufactured gods,

And will abandon the remnant of mine inheritance, and deliver them into the hand of their enemies, - and they shall become a prey and a plunder, to all their enemies:

Because they have done the thing that is wicked in mine eyes, and have become such as to provoke me to anger, - from the day when their fathers came forth out of Egypt, even until this day.

Moreover also, innocent blood, did Manasseh shed in great abundance, till he had filled Jerusalem, from one end to the other, besides his committing the sins which he caused, Judah, to commit, in doing the thing that was wicked in the eyes of Yahweh.

Twenty-two years old, was Amon when he began to reign, and, two years, reigned he in Jerusalem, - and, his mother's name, was Meshullemeth daughter of Haruz, of Jotbah.

yea he walked in all the way wherein, his father, had walked, - and served the manufactured gods that, his father, had served, and bowed down to them;

Eight years old, was Josiah when he began to reign, and, thirty-one years, reigned he in Jerusalem, - and, this mother's name, was Jedidah daughter of Adaiah, of Bozkath.

And he did that which was right in the eyes of Yahweh, - and walked in all the way of David his father, and turned not aside, to the right hand or to the left.

And it came to pass, in the eighteenth year of King Josiah, that the king sent Shaphan son of Azaliah son of Meshullam, the scribe, to the house of Yahweh, saying -

that they may give it into the hand of the doers of the work, who have oversight of the house of Yahweh, that they may give it to the doers of the work, who are in the house of Yahweh, to repair the breaches of the house;

to the carpenters, and to the builders, and to the masons, - and to buy timber, and hewn stones, for repairing the house.

Howbeit there used to be no reckoning made with them, as to the silver that was given into their hand, - because, with faithfulness, were they dealing.

And it came to pass, when the king heard the words of the book of the law, that he rent his clothes.

Go ye - enquire of Yahweh, for me and for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book which hath been found, - for, great, is the wrath of Yahweh, in that it hath fired up against us, because our fathers have not hearkened unto the words of this book, to do according to all which is written concerning us.

Thus, saith Yahweh, Behold me! about to bring calamity upon this place, and upon the inhabitants thereof, - all the words of the book, which, the king of Judah, hath read:

Because they have forsaken me, and burned incense unto other gods, that they might provoke me to anger, with all the workmanship of their hands; and so my wrath shall fire up against this place, and shall not be quenched:

But, unto the king of Judah, who hath sent you to enquire of Yahweh, thus, shall ye say unto him, - Thus, saith Yahweh, God of Israel, As touching the words which thou hast heard:

For this cause, behold me! about to gather thee unto thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered unto thy graves, in peace, and so thine eyes shall not look upon all the misfortune which I am about to bring upon this place. And they brought the king word again.

and the king went up to the house of Yahweh, and all the men of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem with him, and the priests, and the prophets, and all the people, both small and great, - and he read in their ears, all the words of the book of the covenant, which had been found in the house of Yahweh.

And the king took his stand by the pillar, and solemnised a covenant before Yahweh - to follow Yahweh, and to keep his commandments and his testimonies and his statutes, with all their heart and with all their soul, to confirm the words of this covenant, written in this book. And all the people took their stand in the covenant.

Then the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest, and the priests of the second order, and the keepers of the entrance-hall, to bring forth, out of the temple of Yahweh, all the vessels that had been made for Baal and for the Sacred Stem, and for all the army of the heavens, - and he burned them up outside Jerusalem, in the fields of Kidron, and carried the ashes of them to Bethel;

and he put down the idol-priests, whom the kings of Judah had appointed, so that incense might be burned in the high places, in the cities of Judah, and round about Jerusalem, - them also that burned incense to Baal, to the sun, and to the moon, and to the constellations, and to all the army of the heavens;

and he brought forth the Sacred Stem out of the house of Yahweh, outside Jerusalem, into the Kidron ravine, and burned it in the Kidron ravine, and crushed it to powder, - and cast the powder upon the graves of the sons of the people;

and he brake down the houses of the male devotees, which were in the house of Yahweh, - where the women did weave houses to the Sacred Stem;

and he defiled Topheth, which was in the valley of the son of Hinnom, - so that no man might cause his son or his daughter to pass through the fire unto Molech;

and he did away with the horses, which the kings of Judah had devoted to the sun, at the entrance of the house of Yahweh, near the chamber of Nathan-melech the courtier, which was in the suburbs, also, the chariots of the sun, burned he with fire;

and, the altars which were on the roof of the upper chamber of Ahaz, which the kings of Judah had made, also the altars which Manasseh had made, in the two courts of the house of Yahweh, did the king break down, - and hurried away from thence, and cast out the powder of them into the Kidron ravine;

moreover also, the altar that was in Bethel, the high place which Jeroboam son of Nebat made, wherewith he caused, Israel, to sin, - even that altar, and the high place, brake he down, - and burned the high place, crushing it to powder, and burned a Sacred Stem.

And, when Josiah turned, and saw the graves which were there, in the mount, he sent and took the bones out of the graves, and burned upon the altar, and defiled it, - according to the word of Yahweh, which the man of God proclaimed, who proclaimed these things.

Then said he - What is yonder erection, which I do see? And the men of the city said unto him - The grave of the man of God, who came in out of Judah, and proclaimed these things, which thou hast done, concerning the altar of Bethel.

Moreover also, all the houses of the high places which were in the cities of Samaria, which the kings of Israel had made, so as to provoke Yahweh to anger, did Josiah remove, - and he did to them according to all the doings which he had done in Bethel;