Page 282 - Bible History

THE ASSYRIAN INVASIONS 255
truth and with a perfect heart and have done that which is pleasing to Thee.'' Then Ezechias wept very bitterly.
Isaias was leaving the palace, when God spoke to him and said, '' Go back and tell Ezechias, the king of my people, Thus saith the Lord God of David thy father: 'I have heard thy prayer and I have seen thy tears and, behold, I have healed thee. On the third day thou shalt go to the Temple of the Lord and I will add to thy days fteen years and I will deliver thee and this city out of the hands of the Assyrians.' ''
Ezechias at rst followed the advice of the prophet e Isaias, and put his trust in the power of God. Later,=• contrary to the advice of Isaias, he formed an alliance with Egypt and de ed the Assyrians, whose king, named Sennacherib, was a cruel and proud ruler. This
king marched westward and forced the Phoenicians,
the Ammonites, the Moabites, and the Edomites to accept him as their king. He captured two cities of
the Philistines and forty-six cities of the Kingdom of Juda. He was besieging the city of Lachis, when Ezechias o ered him an enormous tribute if he would leave the country.
Sennacherib withdrew, but he returned in a short time. Twice he sent legates to demand the surrender of Jerusalem. Isaias the prophet encouraged the peo­ ple to stand rm· against the enemy, and Ezechias prayed God to deliver him' from Sennacherib. His trust in God saved him.
•
nlh1
c b's
That night an angel entered the camp of the Assyr- n ians and killed one hundred and eighty- ve thousand Y•