Thus shalt thou answer the people that spake unto thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, but make thou it somewhat lighter for us; thus shalt thou say unto them, My little finger shall be thicker than my father's lòins. 11 For whereas my father put a heavy yoke upon you, I will put more to your yoke: my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions. 12 So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day, as the king bade, saying, Come again to me on the third day. 13 And the king answered them roùghly: and king Rehoboam forsook the counsel of the old men, 14 And answer

ed them after the advice of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add thereto my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions. 15 So the king hearkened not unto the people; for the cause was of God, that the Lord might perform his word, which he spake by the hand of Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat. 16 And when all Israel saw that the king would not hearken unto them, the people answered the king, saying, What portion have we in David and we have none inheritance in the son of Jèsse: every man to your tènts, O Israel: and now, Dávid, see to thine own house. So all Israel went to their tents. 17 But as for the children of Israel that dwell in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them. 18 Then king Rehoboam sent Hadoram, that was over the tribute; and the children of Israel stoned him with stones, that he died. But king Rehoboam made speed to get him up to his chariot, to flee to Jerusalem. 19 And Israel rebelled against the house of David unto this day.

SENNACHERIB INVADETH JUDA H.

2 CHRON. XXXIII.-9* After this did Sennacherib king of Assyria send his Servants to Jerusalem, (but he himself laid siege against Lacish, and all his power with him,) unto Hezekiah king of Judah, and unto all Judah that were at

The reader will notice that the connection is broken in this and other passages, so that it will be necessary to revert to the context,

Jerusalem, saying, 10 Thus saith Sennacherib, king of Assyria, Whereon do ye trust, that ye abide in the siege in Jerusalem? 11 Doth not Hezekiah persuade you to give over yourselves to die by famine and by thirst, saying, The Lord our God shall deliver us out of the hand of the king of Assyria? 12 Hath not the same Hezekiah taken away his high places and his altars, and commanded Judah and Jerusalem, saying, Ye shall worship before one altar, and burn incense upon it? 13 Know ye not what I' and my fathers have done unto all the people of other lands? Were the gods of the nations of those lands any ways able to deliver their lands out of mine hand? 14 Who was there among all the gods of those nations that my fathers utterly destroyed, that could deliver his people out of mine hand, that your God should be able to deliver you out of mine hand? 15 Now therefore let not Hezekiah deceìve you, nor persuade you on this manner, neither yet belìeve him : for no God of any nation or kingdom was able to deliver his people out of mine hand, and out of the hand of my fathers: how much less shall your God deliver you out of mine hand? 16 And his servants spake yet more against the Lord God, and against his servant Hezekiah. 17 He wrote also letters to rail on the Lord God of Israel, and to speak against him, saying, As the gods of the nations of other lands have not delivered their people out of mine hand, so shall not the God of Hezekiah deliver his people out of mine hand. 18 Then they cried with a loud voice in the Jews' speech unto the people of Jerusalem that were on the wall, to affright them, and to trouble them; that they might take the city. 19 And they spake against the God of Jerusalem, as against the gods of the people of the earth, which were the work of the hands of man. 20 And for this cause Hezekiah the king, and the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz, prayed and cried to heaven.

21 And the Lord sent an angel, which cut off all the mighty men of valour, and the leaders and captains in the camp of the king of Assyria: so he returned with shame of face to his own land. And when he was come into the house of his god, they that came forth of his own bowels slèw him there with the sword.

NEHEMIAH'S COMMISSION TO JERUSALEM.

NEHEMIAH II.-1 And it came to pass, in the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king, that wine was before him and I took up the wine and gave it unto the king. Now I had not been beforetime sad in his presence. 2 Wherefore the king said unto me, Why is thy countenance sad, seeing thou art not sick? This is nothing else but sorrow of heart. Then I was very sore afraid, 3 And said unto the king, Let the king live for ever: why should not my countenance be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers' sepulchres lieth waste, and the gates thereof are consumed with fire? 4 Then the king said unto me, For what dost thou make request? So I prayed to the God of heaven. 5 And I said unto the king, If it please the king, and if thy servant have found favour in thy sight, that thou wouldest send me unto Jùdah, unto the city of my fathers' sepulchres, that I may bùild it. 6 And the king said unto me, (the queen also sitting by him) For how long shall thy journey be? and when wilt thou return? So it pleased the king to send me; and I set him a time. 7 Moreover, I said unto the king, If it please the king, let letters be given me to the governors beyond the rìver, that they may convey me over till I come into Judah; 8 And a letter unto Asaph the keeper of the king's forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the palace which appertained to the house, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall enter into. And the king granted me, according to the good hand of my God upon me.

11 So I came to Jerusalem, and was there three days. 12 And I rose in the night, I and some few men with me; neither told I any man what my God had put in my heart to do at Jerusalem: neither was there any beast with me, save the beast that I rode upon. 13 And I went out by night by the gate of the valley, even before the dragon well, and to the dung port, and viewed the walls of Jerusalem, which were broken down, and the gates thereof were consumed with fire. 14 Then I went on to the gate of the fountain, and to the king's pool: but there was no place for the beast that was under me to pass. 15 Then went I

up in the night by the brook, and viewed the wall, and turned back, and entered by the gate of the valley, and so returned. 16 And the rulers knew not whither I went, or what I did; neither had I as yet told it to the Jews, nor to the priests, nor to the nobles, nor to the rulers, nor to the rest that did the work.

And

17 Then said I unto them, Yet see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lieth waste, and the gates thereof are burned with firé : còme, and let us build up the wall of Jerusalem, that we be no more a reproach. 18 Then I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me, as also the king's words that he had spoken unto me. they said, Let us rise up and build. So they strengthened their hands for this good work. 10 But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, heard it, they laughed us to scòrn, and despised us, and said, What is this thing that ye do? Will ye rebel against the king? 20 Then answered I them, and said unto them, The God of heaven, he will prosper us; therefore we his servant will arise and build: but ye have no portion, nor right, nor memorial, in Jerusalem.

THE ENEMIES SCOFF.

NEHEMIAH 1V.— -1 But it came to pass, that when Sanballat heard that we builded the wall, he was wròth, and took great indignàtion, and mocked the Jews. 2 And he spake before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, What do these feeble Jews? Will they fortify themselves? Will they sacrifice? Will they make an end in a day? Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish which are burned? 3 Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, Even that which they build, if a fox go up, he shall even break down their stone wall. Hear, Oour God; for we are despised and turn their reproach upon their own head, and give them for a prey in the land of captivity: 5 And cover not their inìquity, and let not their sin be blotted out from before thee for they have provoked thee to anger before the builders. 6 So built

4

we the wall; and all the wall was joined together unto the half thereof: for the people had a mind to work.

THE WALL OF JERUSALEM FINISHED.

NEHEMIAH VI.-1 Now it came to pass, when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and Geshem the Arabian, and the rest of our enemies, heard that I had builded the wall, and that there was no breach left therein; (though at that time I had not set up the doors upon the gates; 2 That Sanballat and Geshem sent unto me, saying, Còme, let us meet together in some one of the villages in the plain of Onò.* But they thought to do mischief. 3 And I sent messengers unto them, saying, I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to yoù? 4 Yet they sent unto me four times after this sort; and I answered them after the same manner. 5 Then sent Sanballat his sèrvant unto me in the like manner the fifth time with an open letter in his hand; 6 Wherein was written, It is reported among the heathen, and Gashmu saith it, that thou and the Jews think to rebèl : for which cause thou buildest the wall, that thou mayest be their king, according to these words. 7 And thou hast also appointed prophets to preach of thee at Jerusalem, saying There is a king in Judah; and now shall it be reported to the king according to these words? Còme now, therefore, and let us take council together. 8 Then I sent unto him, saying, There are no such things done as thou sayest, but thou feignest them out of thine own heart. 9 For they all made us afraid, saying, Their hands shall be weakened from the work, that it be not done. Now therefore, O God, strengthen my hands. 10 Afterward I came unto the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah the son of Mehetabeel, who was shut up; and he said, Let us meet together in the house of God, within the temple, and let us shut the doors of the temple for they will come to slay thee; yea, in the night will they come to slay thee. 11 And I said, Should such

* Inflections are not placed upon the accented syllable, because it is desirable to make them as prominent as possible.