XLVIII. Then stood up aElias the prophet as fire,

And his word bburnt like a lamp.

2  cHe dbrought a sore famine upon them,

And by his zeal he diminished their number.

3  cBy the word of the Lord he * shut up the heaven,

And also dthree times brought down fire.

4  O Elias, ddhow wast thou honoured in thy wondrous deeds!

And who may glory like unto thee!

5  eWho didst raise up a dead man from death,

And his soul from the * place of the dead, by the word of the most High:

6  fWho broughtest kings to destruction,

And ghonourable men from their * gbed:

7  hWho heardest the rebuke of the Lord in Sinai,

And in iHoreb the judgment of vengeance:

8  kWho anointedst kings to take revenge,

And kprophets to succeed after * him:

9  lWho wast taken up in a whirlwind of fire,

And in a chariot of fiery horses:

10  Who wast * ordained for reproofs in their times,

To pacify the wrath of the Lord’s judgment, before it break forth into fury,

And mto turn the heart of the father unto the son,

And nto * restore the tribes of Jacob.

11  Blessed are they that saw thee,

And * slept in love;

For we shall surely live.

12  lElias it was, who was covered with a whirlwind:

And oEliseus was filled with his spirit:

Whilst he lived, phe was not moved with the presence of any prince,

Neither could any bring him into subjection.

13  * qNo word could overcome him;

And rafter his sdeath his body prophesied.

14  He did wonders in his life,

And at his death were his works marvellous.

15  For all this the people repented not,

Neither departed they from their sins,

tTill they were spoiled and carried out of their land,

And were scattered through all the earth:

uYet there remained a small people,

And a ruler in the house of David:

16  Of whom some did that which was pleasing to God,

And some multiplied sins.

17  vEzekias wfortified his city,

And xbrought in water into the midst thereof:

He digged the hard rock with iron,

And made xwells for waters.

18  In his time ySennacherib came up,

And sent Rabsaces,

And lift up his hand against Sion,

And boasted proudly.

19  Then trembled their hearts and hands,

And they zwere in pain, as women in travail.

20  aBut they called upon the Lord which is merciful,

And bstretched out their hands towards him:

And immediately the Holy One heard them out of heaven,

And delivered them by the * ministry of Esay.

21  cHe smote the host of the Assyrians,

And chis angel destroyed them.

22  dFor Ezekias had done the thing that pleased the Lord,

And was strong in the ways of David his father,

eAs Esay the prophet, who was great

And ffaithful in his vision, had commanded him.

23  gIn his time the sun went backward,

And he lengthened the king’s life.

24  He saw by an excellent spirit what should come to pass at the last,

And hhe comforted them that mourned in Sion.

25  He shewed what should come to pass for ever,

And secret things or ever they came.