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and even now it is possible to find this happening. For when a presbyter is not present, and the need is urgent, a deacon is also compelled to offer baptism to the one in need. The king, however, being exceedingly pious, also summoned to the feast those dwelling in the cities of the ten tribes. And some indeed mocked those who were summoning them, but some obeyed and came. And when a very great multitude had gathered, the feast of the Passover was celebrated. Yet again, as the priests were not sufficient, the Levites sacrificed the victims for the multitude, 80.853 and they brought the blood to the priests; and they poured it at the base of the altar. But having been suddenly called before being purified, they partook of the sacrificial victims. This the history also teaches, that the greatest part of the people, from Ephraim, and Manasseh, and Issachar, and Zebulun, were not sanctified, but ate this Pascha contrary to the divine Scripture. But they obtained pardon through the piety of the king. And they added to the feast other days of equal number, the rulers having generously provided the victims. And he said that such a feast had not happened since the days of Solomon. Setting out from there, they also destroyed the precincts of the idols, and cut down the groves, and with these they tore up from their foundations the altars dedicated to God in the high places. And he took care for the priestly order, and he strengthened that which had been established by his ancestor, and he prepared the people to give the first-fruits according to the law to the priests. Then the writer added that after these words, and this truth, Sennacherib the king of the Assyrians came. But the account shows that the God of all, testing even the God-fearing men, allows them to fall into misfortunes, then helping them, he dispels the sorrows. But the king, trusting in God, and contributing his own efforts, first blocked up the springs before the city, so that the besieger might not have an abundance of water while laying siege. Then he fortified the walls, and raised the towers to a height, and built another fore-wall in addition. But he trusted neither in these, nor in his weapons, but said to the multitude: "Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed before the face of the king of the Assyrians, and before the face of every nation that is with him, because there are more with us than with him. With him are arms of flesh, with us is the Lord our God, to save us, and to fight our war." And through these things he taught both the invincibility of divine assistance, and the temporary and perishable nature of human nature. The rest the fourth book of Kings also has. But the history reproaches him, that having won so great a victory, and been marvelously delivered from sickness, Hezekiah did not repay the Lord according to the recompense which he repaid him, "but his heart was lifted up, and there was wrath upon Judah, and upon Jerusalem, and upon him. And Hezekiah was humbled from the pride of his heart, he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And the wrath of the Lord did not come upon them in the days of Hezekiah." True, then, is that saying, that "He who 80.856 exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." This man, however, on account of his piety, did not become an eyewitness of the sorrowful things, but before the invasion of the enemies, he reached the end of his life. And Gihon, as was said before, he calls Siloam. But that because the sun had turned back the ten steps, the king of the Babylonians sent to him, the history teaches. For having related what wealth he gathered, and how many treasuries he prepared, it added: "And Hezekiah prospered in all his works. And so in the matter of the envoys of the rulers from Babylon, who were sent to him to inquire from him about the wonder that had happened on the earth, the Lord forsook him, to test him, to know what was in his heart." And the account shows that it is better to boast in the Lord. For when he ought to have explained the things concerning the divine power, he showed his treasures, which have nothing permanent. But the "to test him, to know what was in his heart,"

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δὲ καὶ νῦν ἔστιν εὑρεῖν γιγνόμενον. Πρεσβυτέρου γὰρ οὐ παρόντος, καὶ τῆς χρείας κατεπειγούσης, ἀναγκάζεται καὶ διάκονος προσφέρειν τῷ δεομένῳ τὸ βάπτισμα. Ὁ μέντοι βασιλεὺς ἄγαν ὢν εὐσεβὴς, καὶ τοὺς ἐν ταῖς πόλεσι τῶν δέκα φυλῶν οἰκοῦντας εἰς τὴν ἑορτὴν συνεκάλεσε. Καί τινες μὲν ἐκωμῴδουν τοὺς συγκαλοῦντας, τινὲς δὲ ὑπακούοντες ᾔεσαν. Πλείστου δὲ πλήθους συναθροισθέντος, ἐπετελέσθη τοῦ Πάσχα ἡ ἑορτή. Πάλιν μέντοι οὐκ ἐξαρκούντων τῶν ἱερέων, οἱ Λευῖται ἔθυον τῷ πλήθει τὰ θύματα, 80.853 καὶ τοῖς ἱερεῦσι τὸ αἷμα προσέφερον· οἱ δὲ τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου προσέχεον βάσει. Ἐξαπίνης δὲ κλη θέντες πρὶν ἁγνισθῆναι τῶν ἱερείων μετέλαβον. Τοῦτο καὶ ἡ ἱστορία διδάσκει, ὅτι τὸ πλεῖστον τοῦ λαοῦ, ἀπὸ Ἐφραῒμ, καὶ Μανασσῆ, καὶ Ἰσάχαρ, καὶ Ζαβουλὼν, οὐχ ἡγιάσθησαν, ἀλλ' ἔφαγον τὸ Φασὲκ τοῦτο παρὰ τὴν θείαν Γραφήν. Ἔτυχον δὲ συγγνώμης διὰ τὴν τοῦ βασιλέως εὐσέβειαν. Προέθεσαν δὲ τῇ ἑορτῇ ἑτέρας ἰσαρίθμους ἡμέρας, τῶν ἀρχόντων παρεσχηκότων φιλοτίμως τὰ θύματα. Ἔφη δὲ τοιαύτην ἑορτὴν ἐκ τῶν ἡμερῶν Σολομῶντος μὴ γεγενῆσθαι. Ἐντεῦθεν ὁρμήσαντες, καὶ τὰ τεμένη τῶν εἰδώλων κατέλυσαν, καὶ τὰ ἄλση ἐξέτεμον, καὶ μετὰ τούτων τὰ ἐν τοῖς ὑψηλοῖς ἀνατεθέντα τῷ Θεῷ θυσιαστήρια ἐκ βάθρων ἀνέσπασαν. Ἐφρόντισε δὲ καὶ τῆς ἱερατικῆς τάξεως, καὶ τὴν ὑπὸ τοῦ προγόνου γεγενημένην ἐκράτυνε, καὶ τὸν λαὸν παρεσκεύασε τὰς κατὰ νόμον ἀπαρχὰς ἀποδοῦναι τοῖς ἱερεῦσιν. Εἶτα ὁ συγγραφεὺς ἐπήγαγεν, ὡς μετὰ τοὺς λόγους τούτους, καὶ τὴν ἀλήθειαν ταύτην, ἦλθε Σεναχηρεὶμ ὁ βασιλεὺς Ἀσσυρίων. ∆ηλοῖ δὲ ὁ λόγος, ὅτι καὶ τοὺς θεοσεβεῖς ἄνδρας δοκιμάζων ὁ τῶν ὅλων Θεὸς, συμφοραῖς παραπεσεῖν συγχωρεῖ, εἶτα ἐπικουρῶν διαλύει τὰ σκυθρωπά. Ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς τῷ Θεῷ θαῤῥῶν, καὶ τὰ παρ' αὐτοῦ συνεισφέρων, πρῶτον τὰς πρὸ τῆς πόλεως πηγὰς ἐνέφραξεν· ἵνα μὴ προσεδρεύων πολιορκῇ ἔχων τὴν ἀφθονίαν τοῦ ὕδατος. Ἔπειτα τοὺς περιβόλους ὠχύρωσε, καὶ τοὺς πύργους εἰς ὕψος ἀνέστησε, καὶ προτείχισμα προσῳκοδόμησεν ἕτερον. Ἀλλ' οὔτε τούτοις, οὔτε τοῖς ὅπλοις ἐθάῤῥησεν, ἀλλὰ πρὸς τὸ πλῆθος ἔφη· "Ἀνδρίζεσθε, καὶ ἰσχύσατε· μὴ φοβηθῆτε, μηδὲ πτοηθῆτε ἀπὸ προσώπου τοῦ βασιλέως Ἀσσυρίων, καὶ ἀπὸ προσώπου παντὸς ἔθνους τοῦ μετ' αὐτοῦ, ὅτι μεθ' ἡμῶν πλείους ὑπὲρ τοὺς μετ' αὐτοῦ. Μετ' αὐτοῦ βραχίονες σάρκινοι, μεθ' ἡμῶν Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν, τοῦ σῶσαι ἡμᾶς, καὶ τοῦ πολεμεῖν τὸν πόλεμον ἡμῶν." ∆ιὰ δὲ τούτων ἐδίδαξε καὶ τῆς θείας ἐπικουρίας τὸ ἄμαχον, καὶ τῆς ἀνθρωπείας φύσεως τὸ πρόσκαιρον καὶ ἐπίκηρον. Τὰ δὲ λοιπὰ καὶ ἡ τετάρτη τῶν Βασιλειῶν ἔχει. Ἐπιμέμφεται δὲ αὐτῷ ἡ ἱστορία, ὅτι καὶ τοσαύτην νίκην νενικηκὼς, καὶ τῆς ἀῤῥωστίας ἀπαλλαγεὶς παραδόξως, οὐ κατὰ τὸ ἀνταπόδομα ὃ ἀνταπέδωκεν αὐτῷ Κύριος, ἀνταπέδωκεν αὐτῷ Ἐζεκίας, "ἀλλ' ὑψώθη ἡ καρδία αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐγένετο ὀργὴ ἐπὶ Ἰούδα, καὶ ἐπὶ Ἱερουσαλὴμ, καὶ ἐπ' αὐτόν. Καὶ ἐταπεινώθη Ἐζεκίας ἀπὸ τοῦ ὕψους τῆς καρδίας αὑτοῦ, αὐτὸς καὶ οἱ κατοικοῦντες Ἱερουσαλήμ. Καὶ οὐκ ἦλθεν ἐπ' αὐτοὺς ὀργὴ Κυρίου ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις Ἐζεκίου." Ἀληθὴς ἄρα ὁ λόγος ἐκεῖνος, ὅτι "Ὁ 80.856 ὑψῶν ἑαυτὸν ταπεινωθήσεται, καὶ ὁ ταπεινῶν ἑαυτὸν ὑψωθήσεται." Οὗτος μέντοι διὰ τὴν εὐσέβειαν αὐτόπτης οὐκ ἐγένετο τῶν λυπηρῶν, ἀλλὰ πρὸ τῆς ἐφόδου τῶν πολεμίων τοῦ βίου τὸ τέλος κατέλαβε. Γηὼν δὲ, ὡς προείρηται, τὸν Σιλωὰμ καλεῖ. Ὅτι μέντοι διὰ τὸ ἀναστρέψαι τὸν ἥλιον τοὺς δέκα ἀναβαθμοὺς, ἀπέστειλε πρὸς αὐτὸν τῶν Βαβυλωνίων ὁ βασιλεὺς, ἡ ἱστορία διδάσκει. ∆ιηγησαμένη γὰρ ὃν συνήγαγε πλοῦτον, καὶ ὅσους κατεσκεύασε θησαυροὺς, ἐπήγαγε· "Καὶ εὐωδώθη Ἐζεκίας ἐν πᾶσι τοῖς ἔργοις αὑτοῦ. Καὶ οὕτως ἐν τοῖς πρεσβευταῖς τῶν ἀρχόντων τῶν ἀπὸ Βαβυλῶνος, τοῖς ἀποσταλεῖσι πρὸς αὐτὸν πυθέσθαι παρ' αὐτοῦ τὸ τέρας ὃ ἐγένετο ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, καὶ ἐγκατέλιπεν αὐτὸν Κύριος, τοῦ πειρᾶσαι αὐτὸν εἰδέναι τὰ ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ αὐτοῦ." ∆ηλοῖ δὲ ὁ λόγος, ὅτι ἄμεινον ἐν Κυρίῳ καυχᾶσθαι. ∆έον γὰρ αὐτὸν τὰ περὶ τῆς θείας δυνάμεως ἐξηγήσασθαι, τοὺς θησαυροὺς ἐπέδειξε, τοὺς οὐδὲν μόνιμον ἔχοντας. Τὸ δὲ "πειρᾶσαι αὐτὸν εἰδέναι τὰ ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ αὐτοῦ,"