The Divided Kingdom

apart from their genealogy, to males from a son of three years and upward, to every one who hath gone in to the house of Jehovah, by the matter of a day in its day, for their service in their charges, according to their courses;

and the genealogy of the priests by the house of their fathers, and of the Levites, from a son of twenty years and upward, in their charges, in their courses;

and to the genealogy among all their infants, their wives, and their sons, and their daughters to all the congregation, for in their faithfulness they sanctify themselves in holiness.

And to sons of Aaron, the priests, in the fields of the suburb of their cities, in every city and city, are men who have been defined by name, to give portions to every male among the priests, and to every one who reckoned himself by genealogy among the Levites.

And Hezekiah doth thus in all Judah, and doth that which is good, and that which is right, and that which is true, before Jehovah his God;

and in every work that he hath begun for the service of the house of God, and for the law, and for the command, to seek to his God, with all his heart he hath wrought and prospered.

After these things and this truth, come hath Sennacherib king of Asshur, yea, he cometh in to Judah, and encampeth against the cities of the bulwarks, and saith to rend them unto himself.

And Hezekiah seeth that Sennacherib hath come, and his face is to the battle against Jerusalem,

and he taketh counsel with his heads and his mighty ones, to stop the waters of the fountains that are at the outside of the city--and they help him,

and much people are gathered, and they stop all the fountains and the brook that is rushing into the midst of the land, saying, `Why do the kings of Asshur come, and have found much water?'

And he strengtheneth himself, and buildeth the whole of the wall that is broken, and causeth it to ascend unto the towers, and at the outside of the wall another, and strengtheneth Millo, in the city of David, and maketh darts in abundance, and shields.

And he putteth heads of war over the people, and gathereth them unto him, unto the broad place of a gate of the city, and speaketh unto their heart, saying,

`Be strong and courageous, be not afraid, nor be cast down from the face of the king of Asshur, and from the face of all the multitude that is with him, for with us are more than with him.

With him is an arm of flesh, and with us is Jehovah our God, to help us, and to fight our battles;' and the people are supported by the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.

After this hath Sennacherib king of Asshur sent his servants to Jerusalem--and he is by Lachish, and all his power with him--against Hezekiah king of Judah, and against all Judah, who are in Jerusalem, saying,

`Thus said Sennacherib king of Asshur, On what are ye trusting and abiding in the bulwark, in Jerusalem?

`Is not Hezekiah persuading you, to give you up to die by famine, and by thirst, saying, Jehovah our God doth deliver us from the hand of the king of Asshur?

Hath not Hezekiah himself turned aside His high places, and His altars, and speaketh to Judah and to Jerusalem, saying, Before one altar ye bow yourselves, and on it ye make perfume?

`Do ye not know what I have done--I and my fathers--to all peoples of the lands? Were the gods of the nations of the lands at all able to deliver their land out of my hand?

Who among all the gods of these nations whom my fathers have devoted to destruction is he who hath been able to deliver his people out of my hand, that your God is able to deliver you out of my hand?

`And, now, let not Hezekiah lift you up, nor persuade you thus, nor give credence to him, for no god of any nation and kingdom is able to deliver his people from my hand, and from the hand of my fathers: also, surely your God doth not deliver you from my hand!'

And again have his servants spoken against Jehovah God, and against Hezekiah His servant,

and letters he hath written to give reproach to Jehovah, God of Israel, and to speak against Him, saying, `As the gods of the nations of the lands that have not delivered their people from my hand, so the God of Hezekiah doth not deliver His people from my hand.'

And they call with a great voice in Jewish, against the people of Jerusalem who are on the wall, to frighten them, and to trouble them, that they may capture the city,

and they speak against the God of Jerusalem as against the gods of the peoples of the land--work of the hands of man.