but walked in the way of the kings of Israel, - moreover also, me made, his son, pass through the fire, according to the abominable practices of the nations, whom Yahweh dispossessed from before the sons of Israel;

and he offered sacrifice and burned incense in the high places, and on the hills, - and under every green tree.

And Ahaz took the silver and the gold that was found in the house of Yahweh, and in the treasuries of the house of the king, - and sent them to the king of Assyria, as a bribe.

So then King Ahaz went to meet Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, in Damascus, and saw the altar which was in Damascus, - and King Ahaz, sent unto Urijah the priest, a likeness of the altar, and a model thereof, according to all the workmanship thereof;

and Urijah the priest built an altar, - according to all that King Ahaz sent from Damascus, so, did Urijah the priest make it, by the time King Ahaz came from Damascus.

And, when the king came from Damascus, then the king saw the altar, - so the king drew near unto the altar, and caused offerings to ascend thereupon.

And King Ahaz cut off the side walls of the stands, and took away from off them the laver, and, the sea, took he down from off the oxen of bronze, which were under it, - and set it on a pavement of stones.

Also, the covered walk for the Sabbath, which they had built in the house, and the outer entrance for the king, he changed in the house of Yahweh, - because of the king of Assyria.

Now, the rest of the story of Ahaz, what he did, is, it, not written in the book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah?

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.

In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah, began Hosea son of Elah to reign in Samaria, over Israel, and he reigned nine years.

And he did the thing that was wicked in the eyes of Yahweh, - only, not like the kings of Israel who were before him.

Then found the king of Assyria, in Hosea, a conspiracy, in that he had sent messengers unto So king of Egypt, and had not brought up a 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.

In the ninth year of Hoshea, did the king of Assyria capture Samaria, and carried Israel away captive to Assyria, - and settled them in Halah, and in Habor by the river of Gozan, and the mountains of Media.

and walked in the statutes of the nations, whom Yahweh had dispossessed from before the sons of Israel, - and in the statutes of the kings of Israel, which they had made.

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 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.

Howbeit they hearkened not, - but stiffened their neck, like the neck of their fathers, who trusted not in Yahweh their God;

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.

Even Judah, kept not the commandments of Yahweh their God, - but walked in the statutes of Israel, which they had made.

And the sons of Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam which he had committed, - they turned not away therefrom;

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.

And so it was, that, when they first dwelt there, they revered not Yahweh, - therefore Yahweh sent among them, lions, which were slaying them.

Therefore spake they unto the king of Assyria, saying, The nations whom thou hast removed and settled in the cities of Samaria, know not the custom of the God of the land, - and he hath sent among them lions, and lo! they are slaying them, because they know not the custom of the God of the land.

So the king of Assyria commanded, saying - Carry thither, one of the priests, whom ye brought away captive from thence, that they may go, and dwell there, - and teach them the custom of the God of the land.

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.

Howbeit the nations severally were making their own gods, - and did put them in the houses of the high places, which, the Samaritans, had made, each several nation, in their cities wherein, they, were dwelling.

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

Thus became they reverers of Yahweh, - and yet made for themselves, from the whole compass of them, priests of high places, who became offerers for them in the house of the high places.

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:

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, removed the high places, and brake in pieces the pillars, and cut down the Sacred Stem, - and beat in pieces the serpent of bronze that, Moses, had made, because, until those days, had the sons of Israel been burning incense thereunto, so he called it Nehushtan.

In Yahweh, God of Israel, did he trust, - so that, after him, was none like him, among all the kings of Judah, nor that were before him;

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;

and he captured it at the end of three years, in the sixth year of Hezekiah, - the same, is the ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel, was Samaria captured.

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:

And, in the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, came up Sennacherib king of Assyria, against all the fortified cities of Judah, and took them.

And Hezekiah delivered up all the silver that was found in the house of Yahweh, and in the treasuries of the house of the king.

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.

Thou hast said - they are only words of the lips! - Counsel and might have I for the war. Now, in whom dost thou trust, that thou hast rebelled against me?

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?

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?

So then Rab-shakeh took his stand, and cried out with a loud voice, in, the Jews', language, - and spake, and said, Hear ye the message of the great king, the king of Assyria: -

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!

Have, the gods of the nations, at all delivered, any one of them, his country, out of the hand of the king of Assyria?

Then came in Eliakim son of Hilkiah who was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah son of Asaph the recorder, unto Hezekiah, with rent clothes, - and they told him the words of Rab-shakeh.

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;

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 -

Thus, shall ye, speak, unto Hezekiah king of Judah, saying - Let not thy God in whom thou art trusting beguile thee, saying, - Jerusalem shall not be given over, into the hand of the king of Assyria.

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?

Did the gods of the nations, deliver them, whom my fathers destroyed, Gozan, and Haran, - and Rezeph, and the sons of Eden, who were in Telassar?

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.

and have put their gods in the fire, - for, no-gods, were, they, but the work of the hands of men - wood and stone, and so they destroyed them.

Whom, hast thou reproached, and insulted? and, against whom, hast thou lifted high thy voice? yea thou hast proudly raised thine eyes, against the Holy One of Israel.

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.

Howbeit, thine abode, and thy coming out and thy going in, I know, - and thy raging against me.

Because, thy raging against me, and thy contempt, have come up into mine ears, therefore will I put my ring in thy nose, and my bit in thy lips, and will turn thee back by the way by which thou camest.

And, this unto thee, is the sign - Eating, this year, the growth of scattered seeds, and, in the second year, that which groweth after, - then, in the third year, sow ye and reap, plant ye vineyards, and eat the fruit thereof;

Therefore - Thus, saith Yahweh, concerning the king of Assyria, He shall not enter this city, nor shoot there, an arrow, - nor attack it with shield, nor cast up against it, a mound;

By the way that he cometh in, by the same, shall he return, - and, into this city, shall he not enter, declareth Yahweh!

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!

So Sennacherib king of Assyria brake up, and went his way, and returned, - and remained in Nineveh.

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.

I beseech thee, O Yahweh, remember, I pray thee, how I have walked before thee, in truth, and with a whole heart, and, that which is good in thine eyes, have I done! And Hezekiah wept aloud.

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;

And I will add unto thy days, fifteen years, and, out of the hand of the king of Assyria, will I deliver thee, and this city, - and will throw a covering over this city, for my own sake, and for the sake of David my servant.

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 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.

And Hezekiah hearkened unto them, and shewed them all his house of precious things - the silver, and the gold, and the spices, and the precious ointment, and his armoury, and all that was found among his treasures, - there was, nothing, that Hezekiah shewed them not, in his house or in all his dominion.

And he said - What have they seen in thy house? Then said Hezekiah - All that is in my house, have they seen, there was, nothing, that I shewed them not, among my treasures.

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;

and, of thy sons who shall issue from thee, whom thou shalt beget, shall they take away, - and they shall become eunuchs, in the palace of the king of Babylon.

And Hezekiah said unto Isaiah - Good, is the word of Yahweh, which thou hast spoken. And he said - Is it not, that, peace and stability, there shall be in my days?

Now, the rest of the story of Hezekiah, and all his might, and how he made a pool and an aqueduct, and brought water into the city, are, they, not written in the book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah?

So Hezekiah slept with his fathers, and, Manasseh his son, reigned, in his stead.

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.

And he did the thing that was wicked in the eyes of Yahweh, - after the abominable practices of the nations, whom Yahweh had dispossessed from before the sons of Israel.

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 he set the image of the Sacred Stem which he had made, - in the house, of which Yahweh had said unto David, and unto Solomon his son, In this house, and in Jerusalem which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, will I put my Name, unto times age-abiding;

therefore - Thus, saith Yahweh, God of Israel, Behold me! bringing in calamity upon Jerusalem and Judah, - that, whosoever heareth thereof, both his ears, will tingle;