The Divided Kingdom

Their daily portion: beside their generation being males from three yeere olde and aboue, euen to all that entred into the house of the Lord to their office in their charge, according to their courses:

Both to the generation of the Priestes after the house of their fathers, and to the Leuites from twentie yeere olde and aboue, according to their charge in their courses:

And to the generation of all their children, their wiues, and their sonnes and their daughters throughout all ye Congregation: for by their fidelitie are they partakers of the holy things.

Also to the sonnes of Aaron, the Priestes, which were in the fieldes and suburbes of their cities, in euery citie the men that were appointed by names, shoulde giue portions to all the males of the Priestes, and to all the generation of the Leuites.

And thus did Hezekiah throughout al Iudah, and did well, and vprightly, and truely before the Lord his God.

And in all the workes that he began for the seruice of the house of God, both in the Law and in the commandements, to seeke his God, he did it with all his heart, and prospered.

After these things faithfully described, Saneherib King of Asshur came and entred into Iudah, and besieged the strong cities, and thought to winne them for him selfe.

When Hezekiah sawe that Saneherib was come, and that his purpose was to fight against Ierusalem,

Then he tooke counsell with his princes and his nobles, to stoppe the water of the fountaines without the citie: and they did helpe him.

So many of the people assembled themselues, and stopt all the fountaines, and the riuer that ranne through the middes of the countrey, saying, Why should the Kings of Asshur come, and finde much water?

And he tooke courage, and built all the broken wall, and made vp the towers, and another wall without, and repayred Millo in the citie of Dauid, and made many dartes and shields.

And he set captaines of warre ouer the people, and assembled them to him in the broade place of the gate of the citie, and spake comfortably vnto them, saying,

Be strong and couragious: feare not, neither be afraide for the King of Asshur, neither for all the multitude that is with him: for there be more with vs, then is with him.

With him is an arme of flesh, but with vs is the Lord our God for to helpe vs, and to fight our battels. Then the people were confirmed by the wordes of Hezekiah King of Iudah.

After this, did Saneherib King of Asshur send his seruants to Ierusalem (while he was against Lachish, and all his dominion with him) vnto Hezekiah King of Iudah and vnto all Iudah that were at Ierusalem, saying,

Thus saith Saneherib the King of Asshur, Wherein doe ye trust, that ye will remaine in Ierusalem, during the siege?

Doeth not Hezekiah entice you to giue ouer your selues vnto death by famine and by thirst, saying, The Lord our God shall deliuer vs out of the hande of the King of Asshur?

Hath not the same Hezekiah taken away his hie places and his altars, and commanded Iudah and Ierusalem, saying, Ye shall worshippe before one altar, and burne incense vpon it?

Knowe ye not what I and my fathers haue done vnto all the people of other countreyes? were the gods of the nations of other landes able to deliuer their land out of mine hande?

Who is he of al the gods of those natios (that my fathers haue destroied) that could deliuer his people out of mine hande? that your God should be able to deliuer you out of mine hand?

Nowe therefore let not Hezekiah deceiue you, nor seduce you after this sort, neither beleeue ye him: for none of all the gods of any nation or kingdome was able to deliuer his people out of mine hande and out of the hande of my fathers: howe much lesse shall your gods deliuer you out of mine hande?

And his seruants spake yet more against the Lord God, and against his seruant Hezekiah.

He wrote also letters, blaspheming the Lord God of Israel and speaking against him, saying, As the gods of the nations of other countreies could not deliuer their people out of mine hand, so shall not the God of Hezekiah deliuer his people out of mine hande.

Then they cryed with a loude voyce in the Iewes speach vnto the people of Ierusalem that were on the wall, to feare them and to astonish them, that they might take the citie.

Thus they spake against the God of Ierusalem, as against the gods of the people of the earth, euen the workes of mans hands,