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When Hezekiah heard that, he rent his clothes, put on sackcloth, and went in to the temple of the LORD.
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But he sent Eliakim the President, Sobna the Scribe, with the eldest priests clothed in sackcloth, unto the Prophet Esay the son of Amoz,
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and they said unto him: Thus sayeth Hezekiah: This is the day of trouble, of plague, and of wrath: like as when a child cometh to the birth, but the woman hath no power to bring it forth.
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The LORD thy God (no doubt) hath well considered the words of Rabsakeh, whom his lord the king of the Assyrians hath sent, to defy and blaspheme the living God: with such words as the LORD thy God hath heard right well. And therefore lift up thy prayer for the remnant, that yet are left.
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So the servants of king Hezekiah came to Esay.
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And Esay gave them this answer: say thus unto your lord: Thus sayeth the LORD: Be not afraid of the words that thou hast heard, wherewith the king of the Assyrians' servants have blasphemed me.
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Behold, I will cause a wind go over him, as soon as he heareth it, he shall go again into his country, there will I destroy him with the sword.
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Now when Rabsakeh returned, he found the king of Assyria laying siege to Lobnah, for he had understand, that he was departed from Lachis.
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For there came a rumour, that Tharhakah king of Ethiopia was come forth to war against him. And when the king of Assyeria heard that, he sent other messengers to king Hezekiah with this commandment:
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Say thus to Hezekiah king of Judah: Let not thy God deceive thee, in whom thou hopest, and sayest: Jerusalem shall not be given into the hands of the king of Assyria.
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For thou knowest well how the kings of Assyria have handled all the lands that they have subverted, and hopest |hapest| thou to escape?
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Were the people of the Gentiles (whom my progenitors conquered) delivered at any time thorow their gods? As namely, Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and the children of Eden, which dwell at Thalassar.
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Where is the king of Hemah, and the king of Arphad, and the king of the city Separvaim, Ena, and Ava?
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Now when Hezekiah had received the letter off the messengers, and read it, he went up into the house of the LORD, and opened the letter before the LORD.
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And Hezekiah prayed before the LORD on this manner:
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O LORD of Hosts, thou God of Israel, which dwellest upon Cherubin; Thou art the God, that only is God of all the kingdoms of the world, for thou only hast created heaven and earth.
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Incline thine ear LORD, and consider, open thine eyes, O LORD, and see, and ponder all the words of Sennacherib, which hath sent his embassage to blaspheme the living God.
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It is true, O LORD, that the kings of Assyria have conquered all kingdoms and lands,
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and cast their gods in the fire. Notwithstanding, those were no gods {goddes} but the works of men's hands, of wood or stone, therefore have they destroyed them.
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Deliver us then, O LORD our God, from the hands of Sennacherib, that all kingdoms of the earth may know, that thou only art the LORD.
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Then Esay the son of Amoz sent unto Hezekiah, saying: Thus sayeth the LORD God of Israel: Whereas thou hast made thy prayer unto me, as touching Sennacherib,
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this is the answer, that the LORD hath given concerning him: Despised art thou, and mocked, O daughter of Sion, he hath shaken his head at thee, O daughter of Jerusalem.
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But thou Sennacherib, whom hast thou defied and |or| blasphemed? And against whom hast thou lifted up thy voice, and exalted thy proud looks? even against the holy one of Israel.
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Thou with thy servants hast blasphemed the Lord, |LORDE| and thus holdest thou of thyself: I cover the high mountains, and sides of Libanus with my horsemen. And there will I cut down the high Cedar trees and the fairest Fir trees. I will up into the height of it, and into the chiefest of his timber woods.
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If there be no water, I will grave and drink. And as for waters of defense, I shall dry them up with the feet of mine Host.
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Yea (sayest thou) hast thou not heard, what I have taken in hand, and brought to pass of old time? That same will I do now also: waste, destroy, and bring the strong cities into heaps of stones.
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For their inhabiters shall be like lame men, brought in fear and confounded. They shall be like the grass and green herbs in the field, like the hay upon housetops, that withereth afore it be grown up.
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I know thy ways, thy going forth and thy coming home, yea and thy madness against me.
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Therefore thy furriousness against me, and thy pride is come before me. I will put a ring in thy nose, and a bridle bit in the chaws of thee, and turn thee about, even the same way thou camest.
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I will give thee also this token, (O Hezekiah) this year shalt thou eat that is kept in store, and the next year such as groweth of himself, and in the third year ye shall sow and reap, yea ye shall plant vineyards, and enjoy the fruits thereof.
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And such of the house of Judah as are escaped, shall come together, and the remnant shall take root beneath, and bring forth fruit above.
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For the escaped shall go out of Jerusalem, and the remnant from the mount Sion. And this shall the jealousy of the LORD of Hosts bring to pass.
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Therefore thus sayeth the LORD, concerning the king of the Assyrians: He shall not come into the city, and shall shoot no arrow into it, there shall no shride hurt it, neither shall they grave about it.
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The same way that he came, shall he return, and not come at this city, sayeth the LORD.
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And I will keep and save the city, sayeth he, for mine own, and for my servant David's sake.
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Thus the angel went forth, and slew of the Assyrians host, an hundredth and eighty five thousand. And when men arose up early (at Jerusalem:) Behold, all lay full of dead bodies.
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So Sennacherib the king of the Assyrians brake up, and dwelt at Nineve.
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Afterward it chanced, as he prayed in the temple of Nesrah his god, that Adramalech and Sarazer his own sons slew him with the sword, and fled into the land of Ararat. And Asarhadon his son reigned after him.