the Fourth Week of Advent
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Wycliffe Bible
2 Chronicles 32
1 Aftir whiche thingis and sich treuthe, Senacherib, the kyng of Assiriens, cam and entride in to Juda; and he bisegide stronge citees, and wolde take tho.2 And whanne Ezechie hadde herd this thing, that is, that Senacherib was comun, and that al the fersnesse of batel was turned ayens Jerusalem,3 he took counsel with the princes and strongest men, that thei schulden stoppe the heedis of wellis, that weren without the citee; and whanne the sentence of alle men demyde this,4 he gaderide togidere a ful greet multitude, and thei stoppiden alle the wellis, and the ryuer, that flowide in the myddis of the lond; and seiden, Lest the kyngis of Assiriens comen, and fynden abundance of watris.5 Also he dide wittili, and bildide al the wal that was distride, and he bildide touris aboue, and an other wal withoutforth. And he reparilide Mello in the citee of Dauid; and made armure of al kynde, and scheldis.6 And he ordeynede princes of werriouris in the oost; and he clepide togidere alle men in the street of the yate of the citee, and spake to the herte of hem,7 and seide, Do ye manli, and be ye coumfortid; nyle ye drede, nether be ye aferd of the kyng of Assiriens, and of al the multitude which is with him; for many mo ben with vs than with him.8 Fleischli arm is with him; `oure Lord God is with vs, which is oure helpere, and schal fiyte for vs. And the puple was coumfortid with sich wordis of Ezechie, kyng of Juda.
9 And aftir that these thingis weren doon, Sennacherib sente hise seruauntis to Jerusalem; for he `with al the oost bisegide Lachis. He sente to Ezechie, kyng of Juda, and to al the puple that was in the citee,10 and seide, Sennacherib, the kyng of Assiriens, seith these thingis, In whom han ye trist, and sitten bisegid in Jerusalem?11 Whether Ezechie disseyueth you, that he bitake you to deeth in hungur and thirst, and affermeth, that `youre Lord God schal delyuere you fro the hond of the kyng of Assyriens?12 Whether not this is Ezechie, that distriede hiy places, and auteris of hym, and comaundide to Juda and to Jerusalem, and seide, Ye schulen worschipe bifor oon auter, and therynne ye schulen brenne encense?13 Whether ye witen not what thingis Y haue do, and my fadir, to alle the puplis of londis? Whether the goddis of folkis and of alle londis myyten delyuere her cuntrei fro myn hond?14 Who is of alle goddis of folkis, whiche my fadris distrieden, that myyte delyuere his puple fro myn hond, that also youre God may delyuere you fro this hond?15 Therfor Ezechie disseyue not you, nether scorne bi veyn counselyng, nethir bileue ye to hym; for if no god of alle folkis and cuntreis myyte delyuere his puple fro myn hond, and fro the hond of my fadris, suyngli nether youre God schal mowe delyuere you fro this myn hond.16 But also hise seruauntis spaken many othir thingis ayenus the Lord God, and ayens Ezechie, his seruaunte.17 Also he wroot epistlis ful of blasfemye ayens the Lord God of Israel, and he spak ayens God, As the goddis of othere folkis myyten not delyuere her puple fro myn hond, so and the God of Ezechie may not delyuere his puple fro myn hond.18 Ferthermore and with greet cry in the langage of Jewis he sownede ayens the puple, that sat on the wallis of Jerusalem, to make hem aferd, and to take the citee.19 And he spake ayens God of Israel, as ayens the goddis of the puplis of erthe, the werkis of mennus hondis.20 Therfor Ezechie, the kyng, and Ysaie, the profete, the sone of Amos, preieden ayens this blasfemye, and crieden til in to heuene.21 And the Lord sente his aungel, that killide ech strong man and werriour, and the prince of the oost of the kyng of Assiriens; and he turnede ayen with schenship `in to his lond. And whanne he hadde entrid in to the hows of his god, the sones, that yeden out of his wombe, killiden hym with swerd.22 And the Lord sauyde Ezechie, and the dwelleris of Jerusalem, fro the hond of Senacherib, kyng of Assiriens, and fro the hond of alle men; and yaf to hem reste bi cumpas.23 Also many men brouyten offryngis and sacrifices to the Lord in to Jerusalem, and yiftis to Ezechie, kyng of Juda; which was enhaunsid aftir these thingis bifor alle folkis.
24 In tho daies Ezechie was sijk `til to the deth, and he preiede the Lord; and he herde hym, and yaf to hym a signe;25 but he yeldide not bi the benefices whiche he hadde take, for his herte was reisid; and ire was maad ayens hym, and ayens Juda, and ayens Jerusalem.26 And he was mekid aftirward, for his herte was reisid; bothe he was mekid, and the dwelleris of Jerusalem; and therfor the ire of the Lord cam not on hem in the daies of Ezechie.27 Forsothe Ezechie was riche, and ful noble, and gaderide to hym silf ful many tresours of siluer, of gold, and of preciouse stoon, of swete smellynge spices, and of armuris of al kynde, and of vessels of greet prijs.28 Also he bildide large housis of wheete, of wyn, and of oile, and cratchis of alle beestis,29 and fooldis to scheep, and sixe citees. For he hadde vnnoumbrable flockis of scheep and of grete beestis; for the Lord hadde youe to hym ful myche catel.30 Thilke is Ezechie, that stoppide the hiyere welle of the watris of Gion, and turnede tho awei vndur the erthe at the west of the citee of Dauid; in alle hise werkis he dide `bi prosperite, what euer thing he wolde.31 Netheles in the message of the princes of Babiloyne, that weren sent to hym for to axe of the grete wondir, that bifelde on the lond, God forsook hym, that he were temptid, and that alle thingis weren knowun that weren in his herte.32 Sotheli the residue of wordis of Ezechie, and of hise mercies, ben writun in the profesie of Ysaie, the profete, sone of Amos, and in the book of kyngis of Juda and of Israel.33 And Ezechie slepte with hise fadris, and thei birieden hym aboue the sepulcris of the sones of Dauid. And al Juda and alle the dwelleris of Jerusalem maden solempne the seruyces of his biriyng; and Manasses, his sone, regnide for him.
