228. Now when Zachariah, the son of Jeroboam, had reigned six months over Israel, he was slain by the treachery of a certain friend of his, whose name was Shallum, the son of Jabesh, who took the kingdom afterward, but kept it no longer than thirty days; for Menahem, the general of his army, who was at that time in the city Tirzah, and heard of what had befallen Zachariah, removed thereupon with all his forces to Samaria, and joining battle with Shallum, slew him; and when he had made himself king, he went thence, and came to the city Tiphsah; but the citizens that were in it shut their gates, and barred them against the king, and would not admit him: but in order to be avenged on them, he burnt the country round about it, and took the city by force, upon a siege; and being very much displeased at what the inhabitants of Tiphsah had done, he slew them all, and spared not so much as the infants, without omitting the utmost instances of cruelty and barbarity; for he used such severity upon his own countrymen, as would not be pardonable with regard to strangers who had been conquered by him. And after this manner it was that this Menahem continued to reign with cruelty and barbarity for ten years. But when Pul, king of Assyria, had made an expedition against him, he did not think meet to fight or engage in battle with the Assyrians, but he persuaded him to accept of a thousand talents of silver, and to go away, and so put an end to the war. This sum the multitude collected for Menahem, by exacting fifty drachme as poll-money for every head; after which he died, and was buried in Samaria, and left his son Pekahiah his successor in the kingdom, who followed the barbarity of his father, and so ruled but two years only, after which he was slain with his friends at a feast, by the treachery of one Pekah, the general of his horse, and the son of Remaliah, who laid snares for him. Now this Pekah held the government twenty years, and proved a wicked man and a transgressor. But the king of Assyria, whose name was Tiglath-Pileser, when he had made an expedition against the Israelites, and had overrun all the land of Gilead, and the region beyond Jordan, and the adjoining country, which is called Galilee, and Kadesh, and Hazor, he made the inhabitants prisoners, and transplanted them into his own kingdom. And so much shall suffice to have related here concerning the king of Assyria.
228. Ὁ δὲ τοῦ Ἱεροβάμου παῖς Ζαχαρίας ἓξ μῆνας βασιλεύσας τῶν Ἰσραηλιτῶν δολοφονηθεὶς ἀπέθανεν ὑπὸ φίλου τινὸς Σελλήμου μὲν τοὔνομα Ἰαβήσου δὲ υἱοῦ, ὃς καὶ τὴν βασιλείαν μετʼ αὐτὸν παραλαβὼν οὐ πλείονα χρόνον ἡμερῶν αὐτὴν κατέσχε τριάκοντα. ὁ γὰρ στρατηγὸς Μαναῆμος κατʼ ἐκεῖνον τὸν καιρὸν ὢν ἐν Θάρσῃ πόλει καὶ τὰ περὶ τὸν Ζαχαρίαν ἀκούσας ἄρας μετὰ πάσης τῆς στρατιᾶς ἧκεν εἰς τὴν Σαμάρειαν, καὶ συμβαλὼν εἰς μάχην ἀναιρεῖ τὸν Σέλλημον καὶ βασιλέα καταστήσας ἑαυτὸν ἐκεῖθεν εἰς Θαψὰν παραγίνεται πόλιν. οἱ δʼ ἐν αὐτῇ τὰς πύλας μοχλῷ κλείσαντες οὐκ εἰσεδέξαντο τὸν βασιλέα. ὁ δὲ ἀμυνόμενος αὐτοὺς τὴν πέριξ ἐδῄου χώραν καὶ τὴν πόλιν κατὰ κράτος λαμβάνει πολιορκίᾳ. φέρων δὲ χαλεπῶς ἐπὶ τοῖς ὑπὸ τῶν Θαψίων πραχθεῖσι πάντας αὐτοὺς διεχρήσατο μηδὲ νηπίων φεισάμενος ὠμότητος ὑπερβολὴν οὐ καταλιπὼν οὐδὲ ἀγριότητος· ἃ γὰρ οὐδὲ τῶν ἀλλοφύλων τινὰς συγγνωστὸν διαθεῖναι γενομένους ὑποχειρίους, ταῦτα τοὺς ὁμοφύλους οὗτος εἰργάσατο. βασιλεύσας οὖν τῷ τρόπῳ τούτῳ ὁ Μαναῆμος ἐπʼ ἔτη μὲν δέκα σκαιὸς καὶ πάντων ὠμότατος διέμενεν ὤν, στρατεύσαντος δʼ ἐπʼ αὐτὸν Φούλου τοῦ Ἀσσυρίων βασιλέως εἰς μὲν ἀγῶνα καὶ μάχην οὐκ ἀπαντᾷ τοῖς Ἀσσυρίοις, πείσας δὲ χίλια τάλαντα ἀργυρίου λαβόντα ἀναχωρῆσαι διαλύεται τὸν πόλεμον. τὸ δὲ κεφάλαιον τοῦτο συνήνεγκε τὸ πλῆθος Μαναήμῳ πραχθὲν κατὰ κεφαλὴν δραχμὰς πεντήκοντα. τελευτήσας δὲ μετὰ ταῦτα κηδεύεται μὲν ἐν Σαμαρείᾳ, καταλείπει δὲ τῆς βασιλείας τὸν υἱὸν Φακέαν διάδοχον, ὃς τῇ τοῦ πατρὸς κατακολουθήσας ὠμότητι δυσὶν ἔτεσι μόνοις ἦρξεν. ἔπειτα δολοφονηθεὶς ἐν συμποσίῳ μετὰ φίλων ἀπέθανε Φακέου τινός, ὃς ἦν χιλίαρχος, ἐπιβουλεύσαντος αὐτῷ, παιδὸς δὲ Ῥομελία. κατασχὼν δὲ καὶ οὗτος ὁ Φακέας τὴν ἀρχὴν ἔτεσιν εἴκοσιν ἀσεβής τε ἦν καὶ παράνομος. ὁ δὲ τῶν Ἀσσυρίων βασιλεὺς Θαγλαθφαλλάσαρ τοὔνομα ἐπιστρατευσάμενος τοῖς Ἰσραηλίταις καὶ τήν τε Γαλαδηνὴν ἅπασαν καταστρεψάμενος καὶ τὴν πέραν τοῦ Ἰορδάνου χώραν καὶ τὴν πρὸς αὐτῇ τὴν Γαλιλαίαν καλουμένην καὶ Κύδισσα καὶ Ἄσωρα τοὺς οἰκήτορας αἰχμαλωτίσας μετέστησεν εἰς τὴν αὑτοῦ βασιλείαν. καὶ τὰ μὲν περὶ τοῦ Ἀσσυρίων βασιλέως ἐν τούτοις ἡμῖν δεδηλώσθω.
236. Now Jotham the son of Uzziah reigned over the tribe of Judah in Jerusalem, being a citizen thereof by his mother, whose name was Jerusha. This king was not defective in any virtue, but was religious towards God, and righteous towards men, and careful of the good of the city (for what part soever wanted to be repaired or adorned he magnificently repaired and adorned them). He also took care of the foundations of the cloisters in the temple, and repaired the walls that were fallen down, and built very great towers, and such as were almost impregnable; and if any thing else in his kingdom had been neglected, he took great care of it. He also made an expedition against the Ammonites, and overcame them in battle, and ordered them to pay tribute, a hundred talents, and ten thousand cori of wheat, and as many of barley, every year, and so augmented his kingdom, that his enemies could not despise it, and his own people lived happily.
236. Ἰωσᾶς δὲ Ὀζία παῖς ἐβασίλευσε τῆς Ἰούδα φυλῆς ἐν Ἱεροσολύμοις ἐκ μητρὸς μὲν ἀστῆς γεγονὼς καλουμένης δὲ Ἰεράσης. οὗτος ὁ βασιλεὺς οὐδεμιᾶς ἀρετῆς ἀπελείπετο, ἀλλʼ εὐσεβὴς μὲν τὰ πρὸς τὸν θεόν, δίκαιος δὲ τὰ πρὸς ἀνθρώπους ὑπῆρχεν, ἐπιμελὴς δὲ τῶν κατὰ πόλιν· ὅσα γὰρ ἐπισκευῆς ἐδεῖτο καὶ κόσμου ταῦτα φιλοτίμως ἐξειργάσατο, στοὰς μὲν τὰς ἐν τῷ ναῷ ἱδρύσας καὶ προπύλαια, τὰ δὲ καταπεπτωκότα τῶν τειχῶν ἀνέστησε πύργους παμμεγέθεις καὶ δυσαλώτους οἰκοδομήσας, καὶ τῶν ἄλλων εἴ τι κατὰ τὴν βασιλείαν ἠμέλητο πολλὴν ἐπιστροφὴν ἐποιεῖτο. στρατευσάμενος δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ τοὺς Ἀμμανίτας καὶ κρατήσας αὐτῶν τῇ μάχῃ προσέταξεν αὐτοῖς φόρους κατὰ πᾶν ἔτος αὐτῷ τελεῖν ἑκατὸν τάλαντα καὶ σίτου κόρους μυρίους, τοσούτους δὲ καὶ κριθῆς. ηὔξησε δʼ οὕτω τὴν βασιλείαν, ὥστε ἀκαταφρόνητον μὲν αὐτὴν ἐκ τῶν πολεμίων εἶναι, τοῖς δʼ οἰκείοις εὐδαίμονα.
239. Now there was at that time a prophet, whose name was Nahum, who spake after this manner concerning the overthrow of the Assyrians and of Nineveh: “Nineveh shall be a pool of water in motion so shall all her people be troubled, and tossed, and go away by flight, while they say one to another, Stand, stand still, seize their gold and silver, for there shall be no one to wish them well, for they will rather save their lives than their money; for a terrible contention shall possess them one with another, and lamentation, and loosing of the members, and their countenances shall be perfectly black with fear. And there will be the den of the lions, and the mother of the young lions! God says to thee, Nineveh, that they shall deface thee, and the lion shall no longer go out from thee to give laws to the world.” And indeed this prophet prophesied many other things besides these concerning Nineveh, which I do not think necessary to repeat, and I here omit them, that I may not appear troublesome to my readers; all which thing happened about Nineveh a hundred and fifteen years afterward: so this may suffice to have spoken of these matters.
239. Ἦν δέ τις κατὰ τοῦτον τὸν καιρὸν προφήτης Ναοῦμος ὄνομα, ὃς περὶ τῆς Ἀσσυρίων καταστροφῆς καὶ τῆς Νίνου προφητεύων ἔλεγεν, ὡς ἔσται Νινύας κολυμβήθρα ὕδατος κινουμένη· οὕτως καὶ ὁ δῆμος ἅπας ταρασσόμενος καὶ κλυδωνιζόμενος οἰχήσεται φεύγων λεγόντων πρὸς ἀλλήλους στῆτε καὶ μείνατε καὶ χρυσὸν αὑτοῖς καὶ ἄργυρον ἁρπάσατε. ἔσται δʼ οὐδεὶς βουλησόμενος· σώζειν γὰρ αὑτῶν ἐθελήσουσι τὰς ψυχὰς μᾶλλον ἢ τὰ κτήματα· δεινὴ γὰρ αὐτοὺς ἐν ἀλλήλοις ἔρις ἕξει καὶ θρῆνος πάρεσίς τε τῶν μελῶν, αἵ τε ὄψεις ὑπὸ τοῦ φόβου μέλαιναι τελέως αὐτοῖς γενήσονται. ποῦ δὲ ἔσται τὸ κατοικητήριον τῶν λεόντων καὶ ἡ μήτηρ σκύμνων; λέγει δέ σοι ὁ θεός, Νινύα, ὅτι ἀφανιῶ σε καὶ οὐκέτι λέοντες ἐκ σοῦ πορευόμενοι ἐπιτάξουσι τῷ κόσμῳ. καὶ ἄλλα δὲ πολλὰ πρὸς τούτοις ἐπροφήτευσεν οὗτος ὁ προφήτης περὶ Νινύης, ἃ λέγειν οὐκ ἀναγκαῖον ἡγησάμην, ἵνα δὲ μὴ τοῖς ἐντυγχάνουσιν ὀχληρὸς δοκῶ παρέλιπον. συνέβη δὲ πάντα τὰ προειρημένα περὶ Νινύης μετὰ ἔτη ἑκατὸν καὶ πεντεκαίδεκα. περὶ μὲν τούτων ἀποχρώντως ἡμῖν δεδήλωται.
243. NOW Jotham died when he had lived forty-one years, and of them reigned sixteen, and was buried in the sepulchers of the kings; and the kingdom came to his son Ahaz, who proved most impious towards God, and a transgressor of the laws of his country. He imitated the kings of Israel, and reared altars in Jerusalem, and offered sacrifices upon them to idols; to which also he offered his own son as a burnt-offering, according to the practices of the Canaanites. His other actions were also of the same sort. Now as he was going on in this mad course, Rezin, the king of Syria and Damascus, and Pekah, the king of Israel, who were now at amity one with another, made war with him; and when they had driven him into Jerusalem, they besieged that city a long while, making but a small progress, on account of the strength of its walls; and when the king of Syria had taken the city Elath, upon the Red Sea, and had slain the inhabitants, he peopled it with Syrians; and when he had slain those in the [other] garrisons, and the Jews in their neighborhood, and had driven away much prey, he returned with his army back to Damascus. Now when the king of Jerusalem knew that the Syrians were returned home, he, supposing himself a match for the king of Israel, drew out his army against him, and joining battle with him was beaten; and this happened because God was angry with him, on account of his many and great enormities. Accordingly there were slain by the Israelites one hundred and twenty thousand of his men that day, whose general, Amaziah by name, slew Zechariah the king’s son, in his conflict with Ahaz, as well as the governor of the kingdom, whose name was Azricam. He also carried Elkanah, the general of the troops of the tribe of Judah, into captivity. They also carried the women and children of the tribe of Benjamin captives; and when they had gotten a great deal of prey, they returned to Samaria.
243. Ὁ δὲ Ἰώθαμος μετήλλαξεν ἔτη βιώσας ἓν καὶ τεσσαράκοντα βασιλεύσας δʼ ἐξ αὐτῶν ἑκκαίδεκα, θάπτεται δὲ ἐν ταῖς βασιλικαῖς θήκαις. ἔρχεται δʼ εἰς τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ Ἄχαζον ἡ βασιλεία, ὃς ἀσεβέστατος εἰς τὸν θεὸν γενόμενος καὶ τοὺς πατρίους παραβὰς νόμους τοὺς Ἰσραηλιτῶν βασιλέας ἐμιμήσατο βωμοὺς ἐν Ἱεροσολύμοις ἀναστήσας καὶ θύων ἐπʼ αὐτῶν τοῖς εἰδώλοις, οἷς καὶ ἴδιον ὡλοκαύτωσε παῖδα κατὰ τὰ Χαναναίων ἔθη, καὶ τούτοις ἄλλα παραπλήσια διεπράττετο. ἔχοντος δʼ οὕτως καὶ μεμηνότος ἐστράτευσεν ἐπʼ αὐτὸν ὁ τῶν Σύρων καὶ Δαμασκηνῶν βασιλεὺς Ῥαασὴς καὶ Φακέας ὁ τῶν Ἰσραηλιτῶν· φίλοι γὰρ ἦσαν· καὶ συνελάσαντες αὐτὸν εἰς τὰ Ἱεροσόλυμα ἐπὶ πολὺν ἐπολιόρκουν χρόνον διὰ τὴν τῶν τειχῶν ὀχυρότητα μηδὲν ἀνύοντες. ὁ δὲ τῶν Σύρων βασιλεὺς λαβὼν τὴν πρὸς τῇ Ἐρυθρᾷ θαλάσσῃ πόλιν Ἠλαθοὺς καὶ τοὺς ἐνοικοῦντας ἀποκτείνας ἐγκατῴκισεν αὐτῇ Σύρους. τοὺς δʼ ἐντοῖς φρουρίοις ὁμοίως καὶ τοὺς πέριξ Ἰουδαίους διαφθείρας καὶ λείαν πολλὴν ἀπελάσας εἰς Δαμασκὸν μετὰ τῆς στρατιᾶς ἀνέζευξεν. ὁ δὲ τῶν Ἱεροσολυμιτῶν βασιλεὺς γνοὺς τοὺς Σύρους ἐπʼ οἴκου κεχωρηκότας καὶ νομίσας ἀξιόμαχος εἶναι τῷ τῶν Ἰσραηλιτῶν βασιλεῖ τὴν δύναμιν ἐπʼ αὐτὸν ἐξήγαγε, καὶ συμβαλὼν ἐνικήθη κατὰ μῆνιν τοῦ θεοῦ, ἣν ἐπὶ τοῖς ἀσεβήμασιν αὐτοῦ πολλοῖς ἅμα καὶ μεγάλοις εἶχεν· δώδεκα γὰρ μυριάδες κατʼ ἐκείνην αὐτοῦ τὴν ἡμέραν ὑπὸ τῶν Ἰσραηλιτῶν ἀνῃρέθησαν, ὧν ὁ στρατηγὸς Ζαχάριν τὸν υἱὸν ἀπέκτεινεν ἐν τῇ συμβολῇ τοῦ βασιλέως Ἀχάζου Ἀμασίας ὄνομα, καὶ τὸν ἐπίτροπον τῆς βασιλείας ἁπάσης Ἐρκὰμ καὶ τὸν τῆς Ἰούδα φυλῆς στρατηγὸν Ἐλικὰν αἰχμάλωτον ἔλαβον, καὶ ἐκ τῆς Βενιαμίτιδος φυλῆς γυναῖκας καὶ παῖδας ἀπήγαγον, καὶ πολλὴν λείαν διαρπάσαντες ἀνεχώρησαν εἰς Σαμάρειαν.
248. Now there was one Obed, who was a prophet at that time in Samaria; he met the army before the city walls, and with a loud voice told them that they had gotten the victory not by their own strength, but by reason of the anger God had against king Ahaz. And he complained that they were not satisfied with the good success they had had against him, but were so bold as to make captives out of their kinsmen the tribes of Judah and Benjamin. He also gave them counsel to let them go home without doing them any harm, for that if they did not obey God herein, they should be punished. So the people of Israel came together to their assembly, and considered of these matters, when a man whose name was Berechiah, and who was one of chief reputation in the government, stood up, and the others with him, and said, “We will not suffer the citizens to bring these prisoners into the city, lest we be all destroyed by God; we have sins enough of our own that we have committed against him, as the prophets assure us; nor ought we therefore to introduce the practice of new crimes.” When the soldiers heard that, they permitted them to do what they thought best. So the forenamed men took the captives, and let them go, and took care of them, and gave them provisions, and sent them to their own country, without doing them any harm. However, these four went along with them, and conducted them as far as Jericho, which is not far from Jerusalem, and returned to Samaria.
248. Ὠδηδὰς δέ τις, ὃς κατʼ ἐκεῖνο καιροῦ προφήτης ὑπῆρχεν ἐν Σαμαρείᾳ, τῷ στρατῷ πρὸ τῶν τειχῶν ἀπαντήσας μεγάλῃ βοῇ τὴν νίκην αὐτοῖς οὐ διὰ τὴν οἰκείαν ἰσχὺν αὐτῶν ἐδήλου γενέσθαι, διὰ δὲ τὸν τοῦ θεοῦ χόλον, ὃν εἶχεν ἐπʼ Ἄχαζον τὸν βασιλέα. καὶ κατεμέμφετο τῇ μὲν εὐπραγίᾳ τῇ κατʼ αὐτοῦ μὴ ἀρκεσθέντας, ἀλλὰ τολμήσαντας τοὺς ἐκ τῆς Ἰούδα φυλῆς καὶ Βενιαμίτιδος συγγενεῖς ὄντας αἰχμαλωτίσαι. συνεβούλευέ τε αὐτοῖς ἀπολῦσαι τούτους εἰς τὴν οἰκείαν ἀπαθεῖς· ἀπειθήσαντας γὰρ τῷ θεῷ δίκην ὑφέξειν. ὁ δὲ τῶν Ἰσραηλιτῶν λαὸς εἰς ἐκκλησίαν συνελθὼν ἐπεσκέπτετο περὶ τούτων. ἀναστὰς δέ τις Βαραχίας ὄνομα τῶν εὐδοκιμούντων ἐν τῇ πολιτείᾳ καὶ ἄλλοι μετʼ αὐτοῦ τρεῖς ἔλεγον οὐκ ἐπιτρέψειν τοῖς ὁπλίταις εἰσαγαγεῖν εἰς τὴν πόλιν, ἵνα μὴ πάντες ἀπολώμεθα ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ· μόνον γὰρ ἀπόχρη τὸ πρὸς αὐτὸν ἡμᾶς ἐξαμαρτεῖν, ὡς οἱ προφῆται λέγουσιν, ἀλλὰ μὴ καινότερα τούτων ἀσεβήματα δρᾶν. ταῦτʼ ἀκούσαντες οἱ στρατιῶται συνεχώρησαν ἐκείνοις ποιεῖν ὃ ἐδόκει συμφέρειν. παραλαβόντες οὖν οἱ προειρημένοι ἄνδρες τοὺς αἰχμαλώτους ἔλυσάν τε καὶ ἐπιμελείας ἠξίωσαν καὶ δόντες ἐφόδια εἰς τὴν οἰκείαν ἀπέλυσαν ἀβλαβεῖς, οὐδὲν δʼ ἧττον καὶ τέσσαρες αὐτοῖς συνῆλθον καὶ μέχρις Ἱεριχοῦντος προπέμψαντες οὐκ ἄπωθεν τῶν Ἱεροσολύμων ἀνέστρεψαν εἰς Σαμάρειαν.
252. Hereupon king Ahaz, having been so thoroughly beaten by the Israelites, sent to Tiglath-Pileser, king of the Assyrians, and sued for assistance from him in his war against the Israelites, and Syrians, and Damascenes, with a promise to send him much money; he sent him also great presents at the same time. Now this king, upon the reception of those ambassadors, came to assist Ahaz, and made war upon the Syrians, and laid their country waste, and took Damascus by force, and slew Rezin their king, and transplanted the people of Damascus into the Upper Media, and brought a colony of Assyrians, and planted them in Damascus. He also afflicted the land of Israel, and took many captives out of it. While he was doing thus with the Syrians, king Ahaz took all the gold that was in the king’s treasures, and the silver, and what was in the temple of God, and what precious gifts were there, and he carried them with him, and came to Damascus, and gave it to the king of Assyria, according to his agreement. So he confessed that he owed him thanks for all he had done for him, and returned to Jerusalem. Now this king was so sottish and thoughtless of what was for his own good, that he would not leave off worshipping the Syrian gods when he was beaten by them, but he went on in worshipping them, as though they would procure him the victory; and when he was beaten again, he began to honor the gods of the Assyrians; and he seemed more desirous to honor any other gods than his own paternal and true God, whose anger was the cause of his defeat; nay, he proceeded to such a degree of despite and contempt [of God’s worship], that he shut up the temple entirely, and forbade them to bring in the appointed sacrifices, and took away the gifts that had been given to it. And when he had offered these indignities to God, he died, having lived thirty-six years, and of them reigned sixteen; and he left his son Hezekiah for his successor.
252. Ἄχαζος δʼ ὁ βασιλεὺς ταῦτα παθὼν ὑπὸ τῶν Ἰσραηλιτῶν πέμψας πρὸς τὸν τῶν Ἀσσυρίων βασιλέα Θαγλαθφαλλασάρην συμμαχίαν αὐτὸν παρασχεῖν παρεκάλει πρὸς τὸν πόλεμον τὸν πρὸς τοὺς Ἰσραηλίτας καὶ Σύρους καὶ Δαμασκηνοὺς χρήματα πολλὰ δώσειν ὑπισχνούμενος, ἔπεμψε δʼ αὐτῷ καὶ λαμπρὰς δωρεάς. ὁ δὲ τῶν πρέσβεων ἀφικομένων ὡς αὐτὸν ἧκε σύμμαχος Ἀχάζῳ, καὶ στρατεύσας ἐπὶ τοὺς Σύρους τήν τε χώραν αὐτῶν ἐπόρθησε καὶ τὴν Δαμασκὸν κατὰ κράτος εἷλε καὶ τὸν βασιλέα Ἀρασὴν ἀπέκτεινε. τοὺς δὲ Δαμασκηνοὺς ἀπῴκισεν εἰς τὴν ἄνω Μηδίαν καὶ ἐκ τῶν ἐθνῶν τῶν Ἀσσυρίων μεταστήσας τινὰς εἰς τὴν Δαμασκὸν κατῴκισε. τὴν δὲ τῶν Ἰσραηλιτῶν γῆν κακώσας πολλοὺς ἐξ αὐτῆς αἰχμαλώτους συνέλαβε. ταῦτʼ αὐτοῦ διαπραξαμένου τοὺς Σύρους ὁ βασιλεὺς ἄρας τὸν χρυσὸν ὃς ἦν ἐν τοῖς βασιλικοῖς θησαυροῖς καὶ τὸν ἄργυρον τὸν ἐν τῷ ναῷ τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ εἴ τι κάλλιστον ἀνάθημα, τοῦτο βαστάσας ἧκεν ἔχων εἰς Δαμασκὸν καὶ ἔδωκε τῷ τῶν Ἀσσυρίων βασιλεῖ κατὰ τὰς ὁμολογίας· καὶ πάντων αὐτῷ χάριν ἔχειν ὁμολογήσας ὑπέστρεψεν εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα. ἦν δʼ οὕτως ἀνόητος καὶ τοῦ συμφέροντος ἀσυλλόγιστος ὁ βασιλεὺς, ὥστε οὐδὲ πολεμούμενος ὑπὸ τῶν Σύρων ἐπαύσατο τοὺς θεοὺς αὐτῶν προσκυνῶν, ἀλλὰ διετέλει τούτους σεβόμενος ὡς παρεξομένους αὐτῷ τὴν νίκην. ἡττηθεὶς δὲ πάλιν τοὺς Ἀσσυρίων ἤρξατο τιμᾶν θεοὺς καὶ πάντας ἐῴκει μᾶλλον τιμήσων ἢ τὸν πατρῷον καὶ ἀληθῶς θεόν, ὃς αὐτῷ καὶ τῆς ἥττης ὀργιζόμενος ἦν αἴτιος. ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον δʼ ὀλιγωρίας καὶ καταφρονήσεως ἦλθεν, ὡς καὶ τέλεον ἀποκλεῖσαι τὸν ναὸν καὶ τὰς νενομισμένας ἀπαγορεῦσαι θυσίας ἐπιφέρειν καὶ περιδῦσαι τῶν ἀναθημάτων αὐτόν. ταῦθʼ ὑβρίσας τὸν θεὸν ἐτελεύτησεν ἔτη μὲν βιώσας ἓξ καὶ τριάκοντα, βασιλεύσας δʼ ἐξ αὐτῶν ἑκκαίδεκα, τὸν δʼ υἱὸν Ἐζεκίαν διάδοχον καταλιπών.
258. ABOUT the same time Pekah, the king of Israel, died by the treachery of a friend of his, whose name was Hoshea, who retained the kingdom nine years’ time, but was a wicked man, and a despiser of the Divine worship; and Shalmaneser, the king of Assyria, made an expedition against him, and overcame him, (which must have been because he had not God favorable nor assistant to him,) and brought him to submission, and ordered him to pay an appointed tribute. Now, in the fourth year of the reign of Hoshea, Hezekiah, the son of Ahaz, began to reign in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Abijah, a citizen of Jerusalem. His nature was good, and righteous, and religious; for when he came to the kingdom, he thought that nothing was prior, or more necessary, or more advantageous to himself, and to his subjects, than to worship God. Accordingly, he called the people together, and the priests, and the Levites, and made a speech to them, and said, “You are not ignorant how, by the sins of my father, who transgressed that sacred honor which was due to God, you have had experience of many and great miseries, while you were corrupted in your mind by him, and were induced to worship those which he supposed to be gods; I exhort you, therefore, who have learned by sad experience how dangerous a thing impiety is, to put that immediately out of your memory, and to purify yourselves from your former pollutions, and to open the temple to these priests and Levites who are here convened, and to cleanse it with the accustomed sacrifices, and to recover all to the ancient honor which our fathers paid to it; for by this means we may render God favorable, and he will remit the anger he hath had to us.”
258. Ἀπέθανε δʼ ὑπὸ τὸν αὐτὸν καιρὸν καὶ ὁ τῶν Ἰσραηλιτῶν βασιλεὺς Φακέας ἐπιβουλεύσαντος αὐτῷ φίλου τινὸς Ὠσήου ὄνομα, ὃς κατασχὼν τὴν βασιλείαν ἐπʼ ἔτη ἐννέα πονηρός τε ἦν καὶ τῶν πρὸς τὸν θεὸν ὀλίγωρος. στρατεύει δʼ ἐπʼ αὐτὸν ὁ τῶν Ἀσσυρίων βασιλεὺς Σαλμανάσσας καὶ κρατήσας αὐτοῦ, τὸν γὰρ θεὸν οὐκ εἶχεν Ὠσῆος εὐμενῆ, καὶ σύμμαχον ἐποιήσατο καὶ φόρους ἐπέταξεν αὐτῷ τελεῖν ὡρισμένους. ἔτει δὲ τετάρτῳ Ὠσήου τῆς βασιλείας ἐβασίλευσεν Ἐζεκίας ἐν Ἱεροσολύμοις Ἀχάζου υἱὸς καὶ Ἀβίας ἀστῆς τὸ γένος. φύσις δʼ ἦν αὐτῷ χρηστὴ καὶ δικαία καὶ εὐσεβής· οὐδὲν γὰρ ἄλλο πρῶτον εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν παρελθὼν οὐδʼ ἀναγκαιότερον οὐδὲ συμφορώτερον αὑτῷ τε καὶ τοῖς ἀρχομένοις ὑπέλαβε τοῦ θρησκεύειν τὸν θεόν, ἀλλὰ συγκαλέσας τὸν λαὸν καὶ τοὺς ἱερεῖς καὶ τοὺς Ληουίτας ἐδημηγόρησεν ἐν αὐτοῖς λέγων· οὐκ ἀγνοεῖτε μέν, ὡς διὰ τὰς τοῦ πατρὸς ἁμαρτίας τοὐμοῦ παραβάντος τὴν πρὸς θεὸν ὁσίαν καὶ τιμὴν πολλῶν ἐπειράθητε καὶ μεγάλων κακῶν, διαφθαρέντες ὑπʼ αὐτοῦ τὴν διάνοιαν καὶ ἀναπεισθέντες οὓς αὐτὸς ἐδοκίμαζεν εἶναι θεοὺς τούτοις προσκυνεῖν· παραινῶ δὲ ὑμῖν ἔργῳ μεμαθηκότας, ὡς ἔστι δεινὸν τὸ ἀσεβεῖν, τούτου μὲν ἤδη λήθην ποιήσασθαι, καθᾶραι δʼ αὑτοὺς ἐκ τῶν προτέρων μιασμάτων τούς τε ἱερεῖς καὶ Ληουίτας καὶ συνελθόντας οὕτως ἀνοῖξαι τὸ ἱερόν, καὶ καθάραντας αὐτὸ ταῖς ἐξ ἔθους θυσίαις εἰς τὴν ἀρχαίαν καὶ πάτριον ἀνακαλέσασθαι τιμήν. οὕτως γὰρ τὸν θεὸν εὐμενῆ ποιήσαιμεν ἀφέντα τὴν ὀργήν.
263. When the king had said this, the priests opened the temple; and when they had set in order the vessels of God, and east out what was impure, they laid the accustomed sacrifices upon the altar. The king also sent to the country that was under him, and called the people to Jerusalem to celebrate the feast of unleavened bread, for it had been intermitted a long time, on account of the wickedness of the forementioned kings. He also sent to the Israelites, and exhorted them to leave off their present way of living, and return to their ancient practices, and to worship God, for that he gave them leave to come to Jerusalem, and to celebrate, all in one body, the feast of unleavened bread; and this he said was by way of invitation only, and to be done of their own good-will, and for their own advantage, and not out of obedience to him, because it would make them happy. But the Israelites, upon the coming of the ambassadors, and upon their laying before them what they had in charge from their own king, were so far from complying therewith, that they laughed the ambassadors to scorn, and mocked them as fools: as also they affronted the prophets, which gave them the same exhortations, and foretold what they would suffer if they did not return to the worship of God, insomuch that at length they caught them, and slew them; nor did this degree of transgressing suffice them, but they had more wicked contrivances than what have been described: nor did they leave off, before God, as a punishment for their impiety, brought them under their enemies: but of that more hereafter. However, many there were of the tribe of Manasseh, and of Zebulon, and of Issachar, who were obedient to what the prophets exhorted them to do, and returned to the worship of God. Now all these came running to Jerusalem, to Hezekiah, that they might worship God [there].
263. Ταῦτʼ εἰπόντος τοῦ βασιλέως οἱ ἱερεῖς ἀνοίγουσί τε τὸ ἱερὸν καὶ ἀνοίξαντες τὰ σκεύη τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ τὰ μιάσματα ἐκβαλόντες τὰς ἐξ ἔθους τῷ βωμῷ θυσίας ἐπέφερον. διαπέμψας δʼ ὁ βασιλεὺς εἰς τὴν ὑπʼ αὐτὸν χώραν ἐκάλει τὸν λαὸν εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα τὴν τῶν ἀζύμων ἑορτὴν ἄξοντα· πολὺν γὰρ ἐκλελοίπει χρόνον διὰ τὰς τῶν προειρημένων βασιλέων παρανομίας. ἐξαπέστειλε δὲ καὶ πρὸς τοὺς Ἰσραηλίτας προτρεπόμενος αὐτοὺς ἀφέντας τὸν ἄρτι βίον εἰς τὴν ἀρχαίαν ἐπανελθεῖν συνήθειαν καὶ σέβειν τὸν θεόν· καὶ γὰρ ἐπιτρέπειν αὐτοῖς παραγενομένοις εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα τὴν τῶν ἀζύμων ἑορτὴν ἄγειν καὶ συμπανηγυρίζειν αὐτοῖς. ταῦτα δʼ ἔλεγε παραινεῖν, οὐχ ὅπως ὑπακούσωσιν αὐτοῦ εἰ μὴ θέλουσι, τοῦ δʼ ἐκείνοις συμφέροντος ἕνεκα· μακαρίους γὰρ ἔσεσθαι. οἱ δὲ Ἰσραηλῖται παραγενομένων τῶν πρέσβεων καὶ δηλωσάντων αὐτοῖς τὰ παρὰ τοῦ ἰδίου βασιλέως οὐ μόνον οὐκ ἐπείσθησαν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς πρέσβεις ὡς ἀνοήτους ἐχλεύασαν, καὶ τοὺς προφήτας δὲ ὁμοίως ταῦτα παραινοῦντας καὶ προλέγοντας ἃ πείσονται μὴ μεταθέμενοι πρὸς τὴν εὐσέβειαν τοῦ θεοῦ διέπτυον καὶ τελευταῖον συλλαβόντες αὐτοὺς ἀπέκτειναν. καὶ οὐδὲ μέχρι τούτων αὐτοῖς ἤρκεσε παρανομοῦσιν, ἀλλὰ χείρω τῶν προειρημένων ἐπενοοῦντο καὶ οὐ πρότερον ἐπαύσαντο, πρὶν ἢ τοῖς πολεμίοις αὐτοὺς ἀμυνόμενος τῆς ἀσεβείας ὁ θεὸς ἐποίησεν ὑποχειρίους. καὶ περὶ μὲν τούτων αὖθις δηλώσομεν. πολλοὶ μέντοι τῆς Μανασσίτιδος φυλῆς καὶ Ζαβούλου καὶ Ἰσσαχάρου πεισθέντες οἷς οἱ προφῆται παρῄνεσαν εἰς εὐσέβειαν μετεβάλοντο. καὶ οὗτοι πάντες εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα πρὸς Ἐζεκίαν συνέδραμον, ὅπως τῷ θεῷ προσκυνήσωσιν.
268. When these men were come, king Hezekiah went up into the temple, with the rulers and all the people, and offered for himself seven bulls, and as many rams, with seven lambs, and as many kids of the goats. The king also himself, and the rulers, laid their hands on the heads of the sacrifices, and permitted the priests to complete the sacred offices about them. So they both slew the sacrifices, and burnt the burnt-offerings, while the Levites stood round about them, with their musical instruments, and sang hymns to God, and played on their psalteries, as they were instructed by David to do, and this while the rest of the priests returned the music, and sounded the trumpets which they had in their hands; and when this was done, the king and the multitude threw themselves down upon their face, and worshipped God. He also sacrificed seventy bulls, one hundred rams, and two hundred lambs. He also granted the multitude sacrifices to feast upon, six hundred oxen, and three thousand other cattle; and the priests performed all things according to the law. Now the king was so pleased herewith, that he feasted with the people, and returned thanks to God; but as the feast of unleavened bread was now come, when they had offered that sacrifice which is called the passover, they after that offered other sacrifices for seven days. When the king had bestowed on the multitude, besides what they sanctified of themselves, two thousand bulls, and seven thousand other cattle, the same thing was done by the rulers; for they gave them a thousand bulls, and a thousand and forty other cattle. Nor had this festival been so well observed from the days of king Solomon, as it was now first observed with great splendor and magnificence; and when the festival was ended, they went out into the country and purged it, and cleansed the city of all the pollution of the idols. The king also gave order that the daily sacrifices should be offered, at his own charges, and according to the law; and appointed that the tithes and the first-fruits should be given by the multitude to the priests and Levites, that they might constantly attend upon Divine service, and never be taken off from the worship of God. Accordingly, the multitude brought together all sorts of their fruits to the priests and the Levites. The king also made garners and receptacles for these fruits, and distributed them to every one of the priests and Levites, and to their children and wives; and thus did they return to their old form of Divine worship. Now when the king had settled these matters after the manner already described, he made war upon the Philistines, and beat them, and possessed himself of all the enemy’s cities, from Gaza to Gath; but the king of Assyria sent to him, and threatened to overturn all his dominions, unless he would pay him the tribute which his father paid him formerly; but king Hezekiah was not concerned at his threatenings, but depended on his piety towards God, and upon Isaiah the prophet, by whom he inquired and accurately knew all future events. And thus much shall suffice for the present concerning this king Hezekiah.
268. Ἀφικομένων δὲ τούτων ὁ βασιλεὺς Ἐζεκίας ἀναβὰς εἰς τὸ ἱερὸν μετὰ τῶν ἡγεμόνων καὶ τοῦ λαοῦ παντὸς ἔθυσεν ὑπὲρ αὑτοῦ ταύρους ἑπτὰ καὶ κριοὺς τοσούτους καὶ ἄρνας ἑπτὰ καὶ ἐρίφους τοσούτους. ἐπιθέντες δὲ τὰς χεῖρας ταῖς κεφαλαῖς τῶν ἱερείων αὐτός τε ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ οἱ ἡγεμόνες τοῖς ἱερεῦσι καλλιερεῖν ἐφῆκαν. καὶ οἱ μὲν ἔθυόν τε καὶ ὡλοκαύτουν, οἱ δὲ Λευῖται περιεστῶτες ἐν κύκλῳ μετὰ τῶν μουσικῶν ὀργάνων ᾖδον ὕμνους εἰς τὸν θεὸν καὶ ἔψαλλον ὡς ἐδιδάχθησαν ὑπὸ Δαυίδου, οἱ δὲ λοιποὶ ἱερεῖς βυκάνας ἔχοντες ἐπεσάλπιζον τοῖς ὑμνῳδοῦσι. τούτων δὲ γινομένων ἐπὶ πρόσωπον ῥίψαντες αὑτοὺς ὅ τε βασιλεὺς καὶ τὸ πλῆθος προσεκύνουν τὸν θεόν. ἔπειτα θύει μὲν βοῦς ἑβδομήκοντα κριοὺς ἑκατὸν ἄρνας διακοσίους, τῷ πλήθει δὲ πρὸς εὐωχίαν ἐχαρίσατο βοῦς μὲν ἑξακοσίους τὰ δὲ λοιπὰ θρέμματα τρισχίλια· καὶ πάντα μὲν οἱ ἱερεῖς ἀκολούθως ἐποίησαν τῷ νόμῳ. τούτοις δʼ ὁ βασιλεὺς ἡδόμενος εὐωχεῖτο μετὰ τοῦ λαοῦ τῷ θεῷ χάριν ἔχειν ὁμολογῶν. ἐνστάσης δὲ τῆς τῶν ἀζύμων ἑορτῆς θύσαντες τὴν λεγομένην φάσκα τὰς ἄλλας τὸ λοιπὸν θυσίας ἐπετέλουν ἐπὶ ἡμέρας ἑπτά. τῷ δὲ πλήθει πάρεξ ὧν ἐκαλλιέρησαν αὐτοὶ ταύρους μὲν δισχιλίους θρέμματα δὲ ἑπτακισχίλια ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐχαρίσατο. τὸ δʼ αὐτὸ καὶ οἱ ἡγεμόνες ἐποίησαν· χιλίους μὲν γὰρ ταύρους ἔδοσαν αὐτοῖς θρέμματα δὲ χίλια καὶ τεσσαράκοντα. καὶ τοῦτον τὸν τρόπον ἀπὸ Σολόμωνος τοῦ βασιλέως οὐκ ἀχθεῖσα ἡ ἑορτὴ τότε πρῶτον λαμπρῶς καὶ φιλοτίμως ἐπετελέσθη. ὡς δὲ τὰ περὶ τὴν ἑορτὴν αὐτοῖς πέρας εἶχεν, ἐξελθόντες εἰς τὴν χώραν ἥγνισαν αὐτήν· καὶ τὴν πόλιν δὲ παντὸς ἐκάθηραν μιάσματος εἰδώλων, τάς τε καθημερινὰς θυσίας ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐκ τῶν ἰδίων ἐπιτελεῖσθαι διέταξε κατὰ τὸν νόμον, καὶ τοῖς ἱερεῦσι καὶ Ληουίταις τὰς δεκάτας ὥρισε παρὰ τοῦ πλήθους δίδοσθαι καὶ τὰς ἀπαρχὰς τῶν καρπῶν, ἵνʼ ἀεὶ τῇ θρησκείᾳ παραμένωσι καὶ τῆς θεραπείας ὦσιν ἀχώριστοι τοῦ θεοῦ. καὶ τὸ μὲν πλῆθος συνεισέφερε παντοδαπὸν καρπὸν τοῖς ἱερεῦσι καὶ Λευίταις, ἀποθήκας δὲ καὶ ταμιεῖα τούτων ὁ βασιλεὺς κατασκευάσας ἑκάστῳ διένειμε τῶν ἱερέων καὶ Ληουιτῶν καὶ παισὶν αὐτῶν καὶ γυναιξί· καὶ οὕτω πάλιν εἰς τὴν ἀρχαίαν θρησκείαν ἐπανῆλθον. ταῦτα δὲ τὸν προειρημένον τρόπον ὁ βασιλεὺς καταστησάμενος πόλεμον ἐξήνεγκε πρὸς τοὺς Παλαιστίνους καὶ νικήσας κατέσχεν ἁπάσας ἀπὸ Γάζης μέχρι Γίττης πόλεις τῶν πολεμίων. ὁ δὲ τῶν Ἀσσυρίων βασιλεὺς πέμψας ἠπείλει πᾶσαν αὐτοῦ καταστρέψεσθαι τὴν ἀρχήν, εἰ μὴ τοὺς φόρους, οὓς ὁ πατὴρ αὐτοῦ τὸ πρῶτον ἐτέλει, τούτους ἀποδώσει. Ἐζεκίας δὲ τῶν μὲν ἀπειλῶν οὐκ ἐφρόντισʼ, ἐθάρρει δὲ ἐπὶ τῇ πρὸς τὸ θεῖον εὐσεβείᾳ καὶ τῷ προφήτῃ Ἡσαΐᾳ, παρʼ οὗ πάντʼ ἀκριβῶς τὰ μέλλοντα ἐπυνθάνετο. καὶ ὧδε μὲν ἡμῖν ἐπὶ τοῦ παρόντος ἐχέτω τὰ περὶ τούτου τοῦ βασιλέως.
277. WHEN Shalmaneser, the king of Assyria, had it told him, that [Hoshea] the king of Israel had sent privately to So, the king of Egypt, desiring his assistance against him, he was very angry, and made an expedition against Samaria, in the seventh year of the reign of Hoshea; but when he was not admitted [into the city] by the king, he besieged Samaria three years, and took it by force in the ninth year of the reign of Hoshea, and in the seventh year of Hezekiah, king of Jerusalem, and quite demolished the government of the Israelites, and transplanted all the people into Media and Persia among whom he took king Hoshea alive; and when he had removed these people out of this their land he transplanted other nations out of Cuthah, a place so called, (for there is [still] a river of that name in Persia,) into Samaria, and into the country of the Israelites. So the ten tribes of the Israelites were removed out of Judea nine hundred and forty-seven years after their forefathers were come out of the land of Egypt, and possessed themselves of the country, but eight hundred years after Joshua had been their leader, and, as I have already observed, two hundred and forty years, seven months, and seven days after they had revolted from Rehoboam, the grandson of David, and had given the kingdom to Jeroboam. And such a conclusion overtook the Israelites, when they had transgressed the laws, and would not hearken to the prophets, who foretold that this calamity would come upon them, if they would not leave off their evil doings. What gave birth to these evil doings, was that sedition which they raised against Rehoboam, the grandson of David, when they set up Jeroboam his servant to be their king, when, by sinning against God, and bringing them to imitate his bad example, made God to be their enemy, while Jeroboam underwent that punishment which he justly deserved.
277. Σαλμανάσσης δὲ ὁ τῶν Ἀσσυρίων βασιλεύς, ἐπεὶ ἠγγέλη αὐτῷ ὁ τῶν Ἰσραηλιτῶν βασιλεὺς Ὠσείης πέμψας κρύφα πρὸς Σώαν τὸν τῶν Αἰγυπτίων βασιλέα παρακαλῶν αὐτὸν ἐπὶ συμμαχίαν τὴν κατʼ αὐτοῦ, παροξυνθεὶς ἐστράτευσεν ἐπὶ τὴν Σαμάρειαν ἔτει ἑβδόμῳ τῆς Ὠσήου βασιλείας. οὐ δεξαμένου δʼ αὐτὸν τοῦ βασιλέως ἔτεσι πολιορκήσας τρισὶν εἷλε κατὰ κράτος τὴν Σαμάρειαν, ἔνατον μὲν ἔτος Ὠσήου βασιλεύοντος ἕβδομον δὲ Ἐζεκίου τοῦ τῶν Ἱεροσολυμιτῶν βασιλέως, καὶ τὴν τῶν Ἰσραηλιτῶν ἡγεμονίαν ἄρδην ἠφάνισε καὶ πάντα τὸν λαὸν μετῴκισεν εἰς τὴν Μηδίαν καὶ Περσίδα, ἐν οἷς καὶ τὸν βασιλέα Ὠσῆν ζῶντα ἔλαβε. καὶ μεταστήσας ἄλλα ἔθνη ἀπὸ Χούθου τόπου τινός, ἔστι γὰρ ἐν τῇ Περσίδι ποταμὸς τοῦτʼ ἔχων τοὔνομα, κατῴκισεν εἰς τὴν Σαμάρειαν καὶ τὴν τῶν Ἰσραηλιτῶν χώραν. μετῴκησαν οὖν αἱ δέκα φυλαὶ τῶν Ἰσραηλιτῶν ἐκ τῆς Ἰουδαίας μετὰ ἐτῶν ἀριθμὸν ἐνακοσίων τεσσαρακονταεπτά, ἀφʼ οὗ χρόνου τὴν Αἴγυπτον ἐξῆλθον αὐτῶν οἱ πρόγονοι, ὃν δὲ κατέσχον τὴν χώραν ταύτην στρατηγοῦντος Ἰησοῦ ἔστιν ἐτῶν ὀκτακοσίων· ἀφʼ οὗ δʼ ἀποστάντες ἀπὸ Ῥοβοάμου τοῦ Δαυίδου υἱωνοῦ τὴν βασιλείαν Ἱεροβοάμῳ παρέδοσαν, ὥς μοι καὶ πρότερον δεδήλωται, ἔτη ἐστὶ διακόσια τεσσαράκοντα μῆνες ἑπτὰ ἡμέραι ἑπτά. καὶ τέλος μὲν τοὺς Ἰσραηλίτας τοιοῦτο κατέλαβε παραβάντας τοὺς νόμους καὶ παρακούσαντας τῶν προφητῶν, οἳ προύλεγον ταύτην αὐτοῖς τὴν συμφορὰν μὴ παυσαμένοις τῶν ἀσεβημάτων. ἦρξε δʼ αὐτοῖς τῶν κακῶν ἡ στάσις, ἣν ἐστασίασαν πρὸς Ῥοβόαμον τὸν Δαυίδου υἱωνὸν Ἱερόβαμον τὸν τούτου δοῦλον αὑτῶν ἀποδείξαντες βασιλέα, ὃς εἰς τὸ θεῖον ἐξαμαρτὼν ἐχθρὸν αὐτοῖς τοῦτο ἐποίησε μιμησαμένοις τὴν ἐκείνου παρανομίαν. ἀλλʼ ὁ μὲν ἧς ἦν ἄξιος δίκης ταύτην ὑπέσχεν.
283. And now the king of Assyria invaded all Syria and Phoenicia in a hostile manner. The name of this king is also set down in the archives of Tyre, for he made an expedition against Tyre in the reign of Eluleus; and Menander attests to it, who, when he wrote his Chronology, and translated the archives of Tyre into the Greek language, gives us the following history: “One whose name was Eluleus reigned thirty-six years; this king, upon the revolt of the Citteans, sailed to them, and reduced them again to a submission. Against these did the king of Assyria send an army, and in a hostile manner overrun all Phoenicia, but soon made peace with them all, and returned back; but Sidon, and Ace, and Palsetyrus revolted; and many other cities there were which delivered themselves up to the king of Assyria. Accordingly, when the Tyrians would not submit to him, the king returned, and fell upon them again, while the Phoenicians had furnished him with threescore ships, and eight hundred men to row them; and when the Tyrians had come upon them in twelve ships, and the enemy’s ships were dispersed, they took five hundred men prisoners, and the reputation of all the citizens of Tyre was thereby increased; but the king of Assyria returned, and placed guards at their rivers and aqueducts, who should hinder the Tyrians from drawing water. This continued for five years; and still the Tyrians bore the siege, and drank of the water they had out of the wells they dug.” And this is what is written in the Tyrian archives concerning Shalmaneser, the king of Assyria.
283. Ὁ δὲ τῶν Ἀσσυρίων βασιλεὺς ἐπῆλθε πολεμῶν τήν τε Συρίαν πᾶσαν τήν τε Φοινίκην, τό τε ὄνομα τούτου τοῦ βασιλέως ἐν τοῖς Τυρίων ἀρχείοις ἀναγέγραπται· ἐστράτευσε γὰρ ἐπὶ Τύρον βασιλεύοντος αὐτῆς Ἐλουλαίου. μαρτυρεῖ δὲ καὶ τούτοις Μένανδρος ὁ τῶν χρονικῶν ποιησάμενος τὴν ἀναγραφὴν καὶ τὰ τῶν Τυρίων ἀρχεῖα μεταφράσας εἰς τὴν Ἑλληνικὴν γλῶτταν, ὃς οὕτως ἐδήλωσε· καὶ Ἐλουλαῖος θεμένων αὐτῷ Πύας ὄνομα ἐβασίλευσεν ἔτη τριακονταέξ. οὗτος ἀποστάντων Κιτταίων ἀναπλεύσας προσηγάγετο αὐτοὺς πάλιν. ἐπὶ τούτου Σελάμψας ὁ τῶν Ἀσσυρίων βασιλεὺς ἐπῆλθε Φοινίκην πολεμῶν ἅπασαν, ὅστις σπεισάμενος εἰρήνην μετὰ πάντων ἀνεχώρησεν ὀπίσω· ἀπέστη τε Τυρίων Σιδὼν καὶ Ἄρκη καὶ ἡ πάλαι Τύρος καὶ πολλαὶ ἄλλαι πόλεις, αἳ τῷ Ἀσσυρίων ἑαυτὰς βασιλεῖ παρέδοσαν. διʼ ἃ Τυρίων οὐχ ὑποταγέντων πάλιν ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐπʼ αὐτοὺς ὑπέστρεψε Φοινίκων συμπληρωσάντων αὐτῷ ναῦς ἑξήκοντα καὶ ἐπικώπους ὀκτακοσίους. αἷς ἐπιπλεύσαντες οἱ Τύριοι ναυσὶ δεκαδύο τῶν νεῶν τῶν ἀντιπάλων διασπαρεισῶν λαμβάνουσιν αἰχμαλώτους ἄνδρας εἰς πεντακοσίους· ἐπετάθη δὴ πάντων ἐν Τύρῳ τιμή. διὰ ταῦτʼ ἀναζεύξας ὁ τῶν Ἀσσυρίων βασιλεὺς κατέστησε φύλακας ἐπὶ τοῦ ποταμοῦ καὶ τῶν ὑδραγωγείων, οἳ διακωλύσουσι Τυρίους ἀρύεσθαι, καὶ τοῦτο ἔτεσι πέντε γενόμενον ἐκαρτέρησαν πίνοντες ἐκ φρεάτων ὀρυκτῶν. καὶ τὰ μὲν ἐν τοῖς Τυρίων ἀρχείοις γεγραμμένα κατὰ Σαλμανάσσου τοῦ Ἀσσυρίων βασιλέως ταῦτʼ ἐστίν.
288. But now the Cutheans, who removed into Samaria, (for that is the name they have been called by to this time, because they were brought out of the country called Cuthah, which is a country of Persia, and there is a river of the same name in it,) each of them, according to their nations, which were in number five, brought their own gods into Samaria, and by worshipping them, as was the custom of their own countries, they provoked Almighty God to be angry and displeased at them, for a plague seized upon them, by which they were destroyed; and when they found no cure for their miseries, they learned by the oracle that they ought to worship Almighty God, as the method for their deliverance. So they sent ambassadors to the king of Assyria, and desired him to send them some of those priests of the Israelites whom he had taken captive. And when he thereupon sent them, and the people were by them taught the laws, and the holy worship of God, they worshipped him in a respectful manner, and the plague ceased immediately; and indeed they continue to make use of the very same customs to this very time, and are called in the Hebrew tongue Cutlans, but in the Greek tongue Samaritans. And when they see the Jews in prosperity, they pretend that they are changed, and allied to them, and call them kinsmen, as though they were derived from Joseph, and had by that means an original alliance with them; but when they see them falling into a low condition, they say they are no way related to them, and that the Jews have no right to expect any kindness or marks of kindred from them, but they declare that they are sojourners, that come from other countries. But of these we shall have a more seasonable opportunity to discourse hereafter. IT was now the fourteenth year of the government of Hezekiah, king of the two tribes, when the king of Assyria, whose name was Sennacherib, made an expedition against him with a great army, and took all the cities of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin by force; and when he was ready to bring his army against Jerusalem, Hezekiah sent ambassadors to him beforehand, and promised to submit, and pay what tribute he should appoint. Hereupon Sennacherib, when he heard of what offers the ambassadors made, resolved not to proceed in the war, but to accept of the proposals that were made him; and if he might receive three hundred talents of silver, and thirty talents of gold, he promised that he would depart in a friendly manner; and he gave security upon oath to the ambassadors that he would then do him no harm, but go away as he came. So Hezekiah submitted, and emptied his treasures, and sent the money, as supposing he should be freed from his enemy, and from any further distress about his kingdom. Accordingly, the Assyrian king took it, and yet had no regard to what he had promised; but while he himself went to the war against the Egyptians and Ethiopians, he left his general Rabshakeh, and two other of his principal commanders, with great forces, to destroy Jerusalem. The names of the two other commanders were Tartan and Rabsaris.
288. Οἱ δὲ μετοικισθέντες εἰς τὴν Σαμάρειαν Χουθαῖοι, ταύτῃ γὰρ ἐχρῶντο μέχρι δεῦρο τῇ προσηγορίᾳ διὰ τὸ ἐκ τῆς Χουθᾶ καλουμένης χώρας μεταχθῆναι, αὕτη δʼ ἐστὶν ἐν τῇ Περσίδι καὶ ποταμὸς τοῦτʼ ἔχων ὄνομα, ἕκαστοι κατὰ ἔθνος ἴδιον θεὸν εἰς τὴν Σαμάρειαν κομίσαντες, πέντε δʼ ἦσαν, καὶ τούτους καθὼς ἦν πάτριον αὐτοῖς σεβόμενοι παροξύνουσι τὸν μέγιστον θεὸν εἰς ὀργὴν καὶ χόλον. λοιμὸν γὰρ αὐτοῖς ἐνέσκηψεν, ὑφʼ οὗ φθειρόμενοι οὐδεμίαν τῶν κακῶν θεραπείαν ἐπινοοῦντες χρησμῷ θρησκεύειν τὸν μέγιστον θεόν, ὡς τοῦτο σωτήριον αὐτοῖς ὄν, ἔμαθον. πέμψαντες οὖν πρὸς τὸν Ἀσσυρίων βασιλέα πρέσβεις ἐδέοντο ἱερεῖς αὐτοῖς ὧν ἔλαβεν αἰχμαλώτων τοὺς Ἰσραηλίτας πολεμήσας ἀποστεῖλαι. πέμψαντός τε τὰ νόμιμα καὶ τὴν περὶ τὸν θεὸν τοῦτον ὁσίαν διδαχθέντες ἐθρήσκευον αὐτὸν φιλοτίμως καὶ τοῦ λοιμοῦ παραχρῆμα ἐπαύσαντο. χρώμενοί τε τοῖς αὐτοῖς ἔτι καὶ νῦν ἔθεσι διατελοῦσιν οἱ κατὰ μὲν τὴν Ἑβραίων γλῶτταν Χουθαῖοι, κατὰ δὲ τὴν Ἑλλήνων Σαμαρεῖται, οἳ πρὸς μεταβολὴν συγγενεῖς μὲν ὅταν εὖ πράττοντας βλέπωσι τοὺς Ἰουδαίους ἀποκαλοῦσιν ὡς ἐξ Ἰωσήπου φύντες καὶ τὴν ἀρχὴν ἐκεῖθεν τῆς πρὸς αὐτοὺς ἔχοντες οἰκειότητος, ὅταν δὲ πταίσαντας ἴδωσιν, οὐδαμόθεν αὐτοῖς προσήκειν λέγουσιν οὐδʼ εἶναι δίκαιον οὐδὲν αὐτοῖς εὐνοίας ἢ γένους, ἀλλὰ μετοίκους ἀλλοεθνεῖς ἀποφαίνουσιν αὑτούς. περὶ μὲν τούτων ἕξομεν εὐκαιρότερον εἰπεῖν. α. Στρατεία τοῦ Ἀσσυρίων βασιλέως Σεναχειρίβου ἐπὶ Ἱεροσόλυμα καὶ πολιορκία τοῦ βασιλέως αὐτῶν Ἐζεκίου. β. ὡς ἐφθάρη τὸ τῶν Ἀσσυρίων στράτευμα λοιμικῶς ἐν μιᾷ νυκτὶ καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς αὐτῶν ἀναζεύξας οἴκαδε ἐξ ἐπιβουλῆς τῶν τέκνων ἀπέθανεν. γ. ὡς τὸν μεταξὺ χρόνον μετ' εἰρήνης Ἐζεκίας διαγαγὼν ἐτελεύτησε διάδοχον τῆς βασιλείας Μανασσῆν καταλιπών. δ. ὅτι στρατεύσαντες ἐπ' αὐτὸν οἱ Χαλδαίων καὶ Βαβυλωνίων βασιλεῖς καὶ νικήσαντες αὐτὸν αἰχμάλωτον λαβόντες ἤγαγον εἰς Βαβυλῶνα, καὶ κατασχόντες αὐτόθι πολὺν χρόνον εἰς τὴν [αὐτὴν] βασιλείαν πάλιν ἀπέλυσαν. ε. ὡς τὸν Αἰγυπτίων βασιλέα Νεχαῶνα στρατευσάμενον ἐπὶ Βαβυλωνίους καὶ ποιούμενον διὰ τῆς Ἰουδαίας τὴν ὁδὸν κωλύων ὁ βασιλεὺς Ἰωσίας ὑπαντᾷ· μάχης δὲ γενομένης τραυματίας κομισθεὶς εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα τελευτᾷ καὶ τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ Ἰωάζην ἀπέδειξαν οἱ Ἱεροσολυμῖται βασιλέα. ϛ. ὡς συμβαλὼν ὁ Νεχαὼς τῷ τῶν Βαβυλωνίων βασιλεῖ κατὰ τὸν Εὐφράτην ποταμὸν καὶ ὑποστρέφων εἰς Αἴγυπτον ἧκεν εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα καὶ τὸν μὲν Ἰωάζην ἤγαγεν εἰς Αἴγυπτον, τὸν δ' ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ Ἰωάκειμον ἀνέδειξε βασιλέα τῶν Ἱεροσολυμιτῶν. ζ. Ναβουχοδονοσάρου τοῦ τῶν Βαβυλωνίων βασιλέως στρατεία εἰς Συρίαν, καὶ ὡς πᾶσαν αὐτὴν καταστρεψάμενος ἄχρι τῶν ὅρων τῶν Αἰγυπτίων ἀνέβη εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα καὶ τὸν βασιλέα αὐτῶν Ἰωάκειμον φίλον ἠνάγκασεν εἶναι καὶ σύμμαχον. η. ὡς μετὰ τὴν ἀναχώρησιν τὴν τοῦ Βαβυλωνίου πάλιν ὁ Ἰωάκειμος ἐφρόνησε τὰ τῶν Αἰγυπτίων καὶ στρατεύσας ἐπ' αὐτὸν ὁ Ναβουχοδονόσαρος καὶ πολιορκήσας τῆς πόλεως παραδούσης ἑαυτὴν μετὰ χρόνον τὸν μὲν Ἰωάκειμον ἀπέκτεινεν, Ἰωάκειμον δὲ τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ κατέστησε βασιλέα· καὶ ὡς πολλὰ χρήματα λαβὼν ἐκ τῶν Ἱεροσολύμων εὐθέως εἰς Συρίαν ὑπέστρεψεν. θ. ὅτι μετανοήσας ἐπὶ τῷ τὸν Ἰωάκειμον ποιῆσαι βασιλέα καὶ στρατεύσας ἐπὶ Ἱεροσόλυμα ἐγκρατὴς τοῦ Ἰωακείμου γίνεται παραδόντος αὑτὸν μετὰ τῆς μητρὸς καὶ τῶν φίλων, ὅπως τ' ἔλαβε πολλοὺς αἰχμαλώτους ὁ Βαβυλώνιος καὶ ἀναθήματα βαστάσας ἐκ τοῦ ἱεροῦ ἀνέστρεψεν εἰς Βαβυλῶνα τὸν Ἰεχονίου θεῖον Σαχχίαν τῶν Ἱεροσολυμιτῶν βασιλέα καταστήσας. ι. ὡς καὶ τοῦτον ἀκούσας βούλεσθαι πρὸς τοὺς Αἰγυπτίους συμμαχίαν ποιήσασθαι καὶ φιλίαν στρατεύσας ἐπὶ τὰ Ἱεροσόλυμα κατὰ κράτος αἱρεῖ τῇ πολιορκίᾳ καὶ τὸν ναὸν ἐμπρήσας τὸν τῶν Ἱεροσολυμιτῶν δῆμον καὶ Σεδεκίαν μετῴκισεν εἰς Βαβυλῶνα. ια. ὡς Ναβουχοδονόσαρος τελευτήσας διάδοχον καταλείπει τῆς βασιλείας τὸν υἱόν, καὶ ὡς καταλύεται ἡ τούτων ἀρχὴ ὑπὸ Κύρου τοῦ τῶν Περσῶν βασιλέως. ιβ. ὅσα συνέβη τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις κατὰ τοῦτον τὸν καιρὸν παρὰ τοῖς Βαβυλωνίοις. περιέχει ἡ βίβλος χρόνον ἐτῶν ρπβ μῆνας ϛ ἡμέρας ι. Ἐζεκίου δὲ τοῦ τῶν δύο φυλῶν βασιλέως τέταρτον ἤδη καὶ δέκατον ἔτος τῆς ἡγεμονίας ἔχοντος ὁ τῶν Βαβυλωνίων βασιλεὺς Σεναχείριμος ὄνομα στρατεύει μετὰ πολλῆς παρασκευῆς ἐπʼ αὐτὸν κατὰ κράτος τε ἁπάσας αἱρεῖ τὰς πόλεις τὰς τῆς Ἰούδα φυλῆς καὶ Βενιαμίτιδος. μέλλοντος δʼ ἄγειν τὴν δύναμιν καὶ ἐπὶ Ἱεροσόλυμα φθάνει πρεσβευσάμενος πρὸς αὐτὸν καὶ ὑπακούσεσθαι καὶ φόρον ὃν ἂν τάξῃ τελέσειν ὑπισχνούμενος. Σεναχείριμος δὲ μαθὼν τὰ παρὰ τῶν πρέσβεων ἔγνω μὴ πολεμεῖν, ἀλλὰ τὴν ἀξίωσιν προσδέχεται καὶ ἀργυρίου μὲν τάλαντα τριακόσια χρυσίου δὲ τριάκοντα λαβὼν φίλος ἀναχωρήσειν ὡμολόγει πίστεις δοὺς τοῖς πρεσβευταῖς ἐνόρκους, ἦ μὴν ἀδικήσας μηδὲν αὐτὸν οὕτως ἀναστρέψειν. ὁ δʼ Ἐζεκίας πεισθεὶς καὶ κενώσας τοὺς θησαυροὺς πέμπει τὰ χρήματα νομίζων ἀπαλλαγήσεσθαι τοῦ πολέμου καὶ τοῦ περὶ τῆς βασιλείας ἀγῶνος. ὁ δὲ Ἀσσύριος λαβὼν ταῦτα τῶν μὲν ὡμολογημένων οὐδὲν ἐφρόντισεν, ἀλλʼ αὐτὸς μὲν ἐστράτευσεν ἐπʼ Αἰγυπτίους καὶ Αἰθίοπας, τὸν δὲ στρατηγὸν Ῥαψάκην μετὰ πολλῆς ἰσχύος σὺν καὶ δυσὶν ἄλλοις τῶν ἐν τέλει κατέλιπε πορθήσοντας τὰ Ἱεροσόλυμα. τούτων δὲ τὰ ὀνόματα Θαρατὰ καὶ Ἀράχαρις ἦν.