away together, they are made prisoners without drawing the bow; they are
come hither from afar for safety, and all that meet together here shall
be taken together."*

* [The R.V. gives this passage as follows: "They were bound
by the archers: all that were found of thee were bound
together, they fled afar off."--TR.]

The danger was urgent; the Assyrians were massed in their entrenchments
with their auxiliaries ranged behind them to support them: "Elam bare
the quiver with chariots of men and horsemen, and Kir uncovered the
shield (for the assault). And it came to pass that thy choicest valleys
were full of chariots, and the horsemen set themselves in array at thy
gate, and he took away the covering of Judah."

[Illustration: 029.jpg SENNACHERIB RECEIVING THE SUBMISSIONS OF THE
JEWS]

In those days, therefore, Jahveh, without pity for His people, called
them to "weeping, and to mourning, and to baldness, and to girding with
sackcloth: and behold, joy and gladness, slaying oxen and killing sheep,
eating flesh and drinking wine: let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we
shall die. And the Lord of hosts revealed Himself in mine ears, Surely
this iniquity shall not be purged from you till ye die, saith the
Lord, the Lord of Hosts."* The prophet threw the blame on the courtiers
especially Shebna, who still hoped for succour from the Egyptians, and
kept up the king's illusions on this point. He threatened him with the
divine anger; he depicted him as seized by Jahveh, rolled and kneaded
into a lump, "and tossed like a ball into a large country: there shalt
thou die, and there shall be the chariots of thy glory, thou shame of