And the king of Assyria sent Tartan and Rabsaris and Rabshakeh from Lachish to king Hezekiah with a great host against Jerusalem. And they went up and came to Jerusalem. And when they were come up, they came and stood by the conduit of the upper pool, which {is} in the highway of the fuller's field. {great: Heb. heavy}

Wherefore Adonizedek king of Jerusalem sent unto Hoham king of Hebron, and unto Piram king of Jarmuth, and unto Japhia king of Lachish, and unto Debir king of Eglon, saying,

After this did Sennacherib king of Assyria send his servants to Jerusalem, (but he {himself laid siege} against Lachish, and all his power with him,) unto Hezekiah king of Judah, and unto all Judah that {were} at Jerusalem, saying, {power: Heb. dominion}

And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed.

And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also.

And when her sister Aholibah saw {this}, she was more corrupt in her inordinate love than she, and in her whoredoms more than her sister in {her} whoredoms. {she was...: Heb. she corrupted her inordinate love more than, etc} {more than...: Heb. more than the whoredoms of her sister}

So Rabshakeh returned, and found the king of Assyria warring against Libnah: for he had heard that he was departed from Lachish.

The whole city shall flee for the noise of the horsemen and bowmen; they shall go into thickets, and climb up upon the rocks: every city {shall be} forsaken, and not a man dwell therein.

And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, as did the house of Ahab: for the daughter of Ahab was his wife: and he did evil in the sight of the LORD.

Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.

And Adoraim, and Lachish, and Azekah,

And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory.

And it came to pass, as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took to wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Zidonians, and went and served Baal, and worshipped him. {as if...: Heb. was it a light thing, etc}

For the transgression of Jacob {is} all this, and for the sins of the house of Israel. What {is} the transgression of Jacob? {is it} not Samaria? and what {are} the high places of Judah? {are they} not Jerusalem?

And Moses said unto Aaron, What did this people unto thee, that thou hast brought so great a sin upon them?

And he shall give Israel up because of the sins of Jeroboam, who did sin, and who made Israel to sin.

But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, yea, and made his son to pass through the fire, according to the abominations of the heathen, whom the LORD cast out from before the children of Israel.

Lachish, and Bozkath, and Eglon,

Madmenah is removed; the inhabitants of Gebim gather themselves to flee.

But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.

After this thing Jeroboam returned not from his evil way, but made again of the lowest of the people priests of the high places: whosoever would, he consecrated him, and he became {one} of the priests of the high places. {made...: Heb. returned and made} {consecrated...: Heb. filled his hand}

Now in the fourteenth year of king Hezekiah did Sennacherib king of Assyria come up against all the fenced cities of Judah, and took them. {Sennacherib: Heb. Sanherib}

And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man's hand. And he said, Go up, say unto Ahab, Prepare {thy chariot}, and get thee down, that the rain stop thee not. {Prepare: Heb. Tie, or, Bind}

Barley also and straw for the horses and dromedaries brought they unto the place where {the officers} were, every man according to his charge. {dromedaries: or, mules, or, swift beasts}

Wherefore Adonizedek king of Jerusalem sent unto Hoham king of Hebron, and unto Piram king of Jarmuth, and unto Japhia king of Lachish, and unto Debir king of Eglon, saying,

The high places also of Aven, the sin of Israel, shall be destroyed: the thorn and the thistle shall come up on their altars; and they shall say to the mountains, Cover us; and to the hills, Fall on us.

And Joram said, Make ready. And his chariot was made ready. And Joram king of Israel and Ahaziah king of Judah went out, each in his chariot, and they went out against Jehu, and met him in the portion of Naboth the Jezreelite. {Make ready: Heb. Bind} {met: Heb. found}

Now they made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem: and he fled to Lachish; but they sent after him to Lachish, and slew him there.

So Rabshakeh returned, and found the king of Assyria warring against Libnah: for he had heard that he was departed from Lachish.

After this did Sennacherib king of Assyria send his servants to Jerusalem, (but he {himself laid siege} against Lachish, and all his power with him,) unto Hezekiah king of Judah, and unto all Judah that {were} at Jerusalem, saying, {power: Heb. dominion}

Canst thou bind the unicorn with his band in the furrow? or will he harrow the valleys after thee?

But ye said, No; for we will flee upon horses; therefore shall ye flee: and, We will ride upon the swift; therefore shall they that pursue you be swift.

When the king of Babylon's army fought against Jerusalem, and against all the cities of Judah that were left, against Lachish, and against Azekah: for these defenced cities remained of the cities of Judah.

And Joshua passed from Libnah, and all Israel with him, unto Lachish, and encamped against it, and fought against it: