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For there came a rumoure, yt Taracha kinge of Ethiopia was come forth to warre agaynst him. And when the kinge of Assiria herde yt, he sent other messaungers to kinge Ezechias, with this commaundement.

For thou knowest well, how the kinges of Assiria haue handled all the londes, that they haue subuerted, & hapest thou to escape?

O LORDE of hoostes, thou God of Israel, which dwellest vpo Cherubin. Thou art the God, that only is God of all the kingdomes of the worlde, for thou only hast created haue & earth.

Yf there be no water, I wil graue & drynke. And as for waters of defence, I shal drie them vp with the fete of myne hooste.

For their inhabitours shalbe like lame men, brought in feare & confounded. They shalbe like the grasse & grene herbes in the felde, like the hay vpo house toppes, that wythereth, afore it be growne vp.

For the escaped shal go out of Ierusale, & the remnaunte from the mount Sion. And this shal the gelousy of the LORDE of hoostes bringe to passe.

And I wil kepe and saue the citie (saieth he) for myne owne, & for my seruaunte Dauids sake.

Not longe afore this, was Ezechias deadsick: And the prophet Esay the sonne of Amos came vnto him, and sayde: Thus commaundeth the LORDE: Set thyne house in ordre, for thou must dye, and shalt not escape.

and delyuer the and the citie also, from the honde of the kinge of Assiria, for I will defende the cite.

Then chatred I like a swalowe, and like a Crane, and mourned as a doue. I lift vp myne eyes in to ye hight: O LORDE, (sayde I) violence is done vnto me, be thou suertie for me.

Verely (LORDE,) men must lyue in bytternesse, & all my life must I passe ouer therin: For thou raysest me vp, and wakest me. But lo, I wilbe wel content with this bytternes.

For hell prayseth not the, death doth not magnifie the. They that go downe into the graue, prayse not thy treuth:

At the same tyme Merodach Balada, Baladas sonne kinge of Babilon, sent lettres and presentes to Ezechias. For he vnderstode, how that he had bene sick, & was recouered agayne.

Conforte Ierusalem, and tell her: that hir trauale is at an ende, that hir offence is pardoned, that she hath receaued of the LORDES honde sufficient correction for all hir synnes.

A voyce crieth: Prepare ye waye for the LORDE in the wyldernesse, make straight ye path for oure God in the deserte.

For the glory of the LORDE shal apeare, & all flesh shal se it, for why, ye mouth of the LORDE hath spoken it.

Neuerthelesse whether the grasse wyther, or the floure fade awaye: Yet the worde of oure God endureth for euer. Morouer the voyce cried thus:

Libanus is not sufficiet to ministre fyre for his offringe, and all the beastes therof are not ynough to one sacrifice.

so that they be not planted nor sowen agayne, nether their stocke rooted agayne in the earth? For as soone as he bloweth vpon them, they wither & fade awaye, like the strawe in a whirle wynde.

Lift vp youre eyes an hie, and considre. Who hath made those thinges, which come out by so greate heapes? and he can call them all by their names. For there is nothinge hyd vnto the greatnesse of his power, strength, and might.