able on thy part to set riders upon them. How then canst thou turn away the face of one captain of the least of my master's 60 servants, and put thy trust on Egypt for chariots and for horsemen? Am I now come up without the LORD against this place to destroy it? The LORD said unto me, Go up against this land, and destroy it. Then said Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, and Shebnah, and Joah, unto Rabshakeh, Speak, I pray thee, to thy 65 servants in the Syrian language; for we understand it: and speak not with us in the Jews' language, in the ears of the people that are on the wall. But Rabshakeh said unto them, Hath my master sent me to thy master, and to thee, to speak these words? hath he not sent me to the men which sit on the wall with you? 70 Then Rabshakeh stood, and cried with a loud voice in the Jews' language, and spake, saying, Hear ye the word of the great king, the king of Assyria. Thus saith the king, Let not Hezekiah deceive you; for he shall not be able to deliver you out of his hand neither let Hezekiah make you trust in the LORD, saying, 75 The LORD will surely deliver us, and this city shall not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria. Hearken not to Hezekiah : for thus saith the king of Assyria, Make your peace with me, and come out to me; and eat ye every one of his vine, and every one of his fig tree, and drink ye every one the waters of his own 80 cistern; until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of corn and wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of oil olive and of honey, that ye may live, and not die: and hearken not unto Hezekiah, when he persuadeth you, saying, The LORD will deliver us. Hath any of the gods of the nations 85 ever delivered his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria? Where are the gods of Hamath, and of Arpad ? where are the gods of Sepharvaim, of Hena, and Ivvah? 1 have they delivered Samaria out of my hand? Who are they among all the gods of the countries, that have delivered their country out of my hand, 90 that the LORD should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand? But the people held their peace, and answered him not a word for the king's commandment was, saying, Answer him not. Then

1 After Ivvah add where are the gods of the land of Samaria ? (S).

came Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, which was over the household, 95 and Shebna the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph the recorder, to Hezekiah with their clothes rent, and told him the words of Rabshakeh.

19 1 And it came to pass, when king Hezekiah heard it, that he rent his clothes, and covered himself with sackcloth, and went 100 into the house of the LORD. And he sent Eliakim, which was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and the elders of the priests, covered with sackcloth, unto Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz. And they said unto him, Thus saith Hezekiah, This day is a day of trouble, and of rebuke, and of contumely. It 105 may be the LORD thy God will hear all the words of Rabshakeh, whom the king of Assyria his master hath sent to reproach the living God, and will rebuke the words which the LORD thy God hath heard: wherefore lift up thy prayer for the remnant that is left. So the servants of king Hezekiah came to Isaiah. And 110 Isaiah said unto them, Thus shall ye say to your master, Thus saith the LORD, Be not afraid of the words that thou hast heard, wherewith the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me. Behold, I will put a spirit in him, and he shall hear a rumour, and shall return to his own land; and I will cause him 115 to fall by the sword in his own land.

8 So Rabshakeh returned, and found the king of Assyria warring against Libnah: for he had heard that he was departed from Lachish. And when he heard say of Tirhakah king of Ethiopia, Behold, he is come out to fight against thee, Sennacherib 12c king of Assyria departed, and went and returned, and dwelt at Nineveh. And it came to pass, as he was worshipping in the house of Nisroch his god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer smote him with the sword: and they escaped into the land of Ararat. And Esar-haddon his son reigned in his stead.

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ISAIAH'S REPLY TO RABSHAKEH. [Isaiah 10]

5 Ho Assyrian, the rod of mine anger,

the staff in whose hand is mine indignation!

I will send him against a profane nation,

and against the people of my wrath will I give him a charge,

and to tread them down like the mire of the streets.

Howbeit he meaneth not so,

neither doth his heart think so;

But it is in his heart to destroy,

and to cut off nations not a few.

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For he saith, Are not my princes all of them kings?

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Is not Calno as Carchemish ?

Is not Hamath as Arpad ?

is not Samaria as Damascus ?

By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom; for I am prudent:

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And I have removed the bounds of the peoples, and have robbed their treasures,

And I have brought down as a valiant man

them that sit on thrones :

And my hand hath found as a nest

the riches of the peoples;

And as one gathereth eggs that are forsaken,

have I gathered all the earth:

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And there was none that moved the wing,

or that opened the mouth, or chirped.

Shall the axe boast itself against him that heweth therewith?

Shall the saw magnify itself against him that shaketh it?

As if a rod should shake them that lift it up,

Or as if a staff should lift up him that is not wood.

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5

ΙΟ

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LESSON LXXVIII

ISAIAH AND THE INVASION

Three of Isaiah's prophecies delivered about the time of the Assyrian invasion.

ISAIAH I. 2-17, IX. 2-7, XXXII. 1-20

A CALL TO REPENTANCE

1 2 Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth,
for the LORD hath spoken:

I have nourished and brought up children,
and they have rebelled against me.
The ox knoweth his owner,

and the ass his master's crib :

But Israel doth not know,

my people doth not consider. Ah sinful nation,

a people laden with iniquity, A seed of evil-doers,

children that deal corruptly: They have forsaken the LORD,

they have despised the Holy One of Israel.

Why will ye be still stricken,

that ye

revolt more and more?

The whole head is sick,

and the whole heart faint.

From the sole of the foot even unto the head

there is no soundness in it;

But wounds, and bruises,

and festering sores:

They have not been closed, neither bound up,

neither mollified with oil.

Your country is desolate;

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your cities are burned with fire;

Your land, strangers devour it in your presence,
and it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers.
And the daughter of Zion is left

as a booth in a vineyard,

As a lodge in a garden of cucumbers,

as a besieged city.

Except the LORD of hosts had left unto us

a very small remnant,

We should have been as Sodom,

we should have been like unto Gomorrah.

Hear the word of the LORD,

ye rulers of Sodom;

Give ear unto the law of our God,

ye people of Gomorrah.

To what purpose is the multitude of

unto me? saith the LORD:

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35

40

new moon and sabbath, the calling of assemblies,—

I cannot away with iniquity and the solemn meeting.

Your new moons and your appointed feasts

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my soul hateth :

1 For When ye . . . court read:

When ye come to see my face,

Who hath required this at your hands?
Trample my courts no more (R and S).