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¹ After these actes and faithfulnes came Sennacharib the kynge of Assur, and wente in to Iuda, and pitched before the stroge cities, and thoughte to plucke them vnto him.² And whan Ezechias sawe that Sennacherib came, and that his face stode to fighte agaynst Ierusalem,³ he deuysed with his rulers and mightie men, to couer the waters of the welles that were without the cite, and they helped him:⁴ and there gathered together a greate people, and couered all ye welles and water brokes in the myddes of the londe, and sayde: Lest the kynges of Assur fynde moch water wha they come.⁵ And he toke a corage vnto him, and buylded all the walles where they were in decaye, and made towres theron, and buylded yet another wall without, and strengthed Millo in the cite of Dauid. And made moch ordinaunce and shyldes,⁶ and set captaynes of warre ouer the people.And gathered them vnto him vpon the brode strete by the gate of the cite, and spake hertely vnto them, and sayde:⁷ Be stronge and bolde, feare not, and be not afrayed for the kynge of Assur, ner all ye multitude that is with him: for there is one greater with vs then with him.⁸ With him is a fleshly arme, but with vs is the LORDE oure God, to helpe vs and to fighte for vs. And ye people trusted vnto the wordes of Ezechias kynge of Iuda.

⁹ Afterwarde sent Sennacherib the kynge of Assur his seruauntes vnto Ierusalem (for he laye before Lachis, & all his hoost wt him) to Ezechias ye kinge of Iuda, & to all Iuda that was at Ierusale, sayenge:¹⁰ Thus sayeth Sennacherib ye kynge of Assur: Wherin put ye youre trust ye that dwell in the beseged Ierusalem?¹¹ Ezechias disceaueth you, that he maye delyuer you vnto death, hoger and thyrst, and sayeth: The LORDE oure God shal delyuer vs from the hande of the kynge of Assur.¹² Is it not Ezechias, that hath put awaye his hye places and altares, and sayde vnto Iuda and Ierusalem: Before one altare shal ye worshippe, and burne incense theron?¹³ Knowe ye not what I and my fathers haue done to all ye people in the londes? Haue the goddes of the Heythen in the londes bene able to delyuer their countrees fro my hande?¹⁴ What is he amonge all the goddes of these Heythen (whom my father damned) that was able to delyuer his people fro my hande? yt youre God shulde be able to delyuer fro my hande.¹⁵ Therfore let not Ezechias now disceaue you, and let him not persuade you eny soch thinge, and beleue him not. For yf no god of all the Heythe and kyngdomes might delyuer his people fro my hande and from the hande of my progenitours, then shal not youre goddes be able to delyuer you fro my hande.¹⁶ His seruautes also spake yet more against the LORDE God, and agaynst his seruaunt Ezechias.¹⁷ And he wrote a letter to blaspheme the LORDE God of Israel, and spake of him, and sayde: Like as the goddes of the Heythen in their londes haue not bene able to delyuer their people from my hande, euen so shal not the God of Ezechias delyuer his people fro my hande.¹⁸ And the cryed with loude voyce in the Iewish langage vnto the people of Ierusalem that were vpon the wall, to make them fearfull and to be fayntharted, that they might wynne the cite.¹⁹ And they spake agaynst the God off Ierusalem, euen as agaynst the goddes off the nacions vpon earth, which were but the workes of mens hondes.²⁰ But contrary wyse the kynge Ezechias and the prophet Esay the sonne of Amos prayed, and cryed vnto heaue.²¹ And the LORDE sent an angell, which destroyed all the mightie men of the hoost, and the prynces and rulers in ye tentes of the kynge of Assur, so that he departed agayne with shame in to his owne londe. And whan he wente in to his gods house, they yt came of his owne body, slewe him there with the swerde.²² Thus the LORDE, helped Ezechias and them at Ierusalem, out of the hade of Sennacherib ye kynge of Assur, and of all other, and mayntayned the fro all on euery syde,²³ so yt many broughte presentes vnto the LORDE to Ierusalem, and Iewels vnto Ezechias the kynge of Iuda. And afterwarde was he exalted in the sighte of all Heythen.

²⁴ At ye same tyme was Ezechias deedsicke, and he prayed vnto the LORDE, which made him promes, and gaue him a wondertoken.²⁵ But Ezechias recopensed not acordinde as was geuen vnto him, for his hert was lifted vp: therfore came the wrath vpon him, and vpon Iuda and Ierusalem.²⁶ Neuertheles Ezechias humbled him selfe because his hert had bene exalted, with them at Ierusalem: therfore came not the wrath of the LORDE vpon them, whyle Ezechias lyued.²⁷ And Ezechias had very greate riches and worshippe, and made him treasures of syluer, golde, precious stones, spyces, shyldes, and all maner costly vessell,²⁸ and corne houses for the increace of corne, wyne and oyle, and stalles for all maner catell, and foldes for the shepe,²⁹ and buylded him cities, and had many catell of shepe and oxen: for God gaue him very moch good.³⁰ It is the same Ezechias that couered the hye water condyte in Gihon, and conveyed it vnder on the west syde of ye cite of Dauid: for Ezechias prospered in all his workes.³¹ But whan the interpreters the chefe of Babilon were sent vnto him, to axe question at him (concernynge the wondertoke that had happened in the londe) God lefte him to be tempted, that it mighte be knowne what soeuer was in his hert.³² What more there is to saye of Ezechias, and of his mercifulnes, beholde, it is wrytte in the vision of the prophet Esay the sonne of Amos, and in the boke of the kynges of Iuda and Israel.³³ And Ezechias fell on slepe with his fathers, and they buried him ouer the sepulcres of the children of Dauid, and all Iuda and they of Ierusale dyd him worshippe in his death: and Manasses his sonne was kynge in his steade.