Now after this he built a wall without the city of David, on the west side of Gihon, in the valley, even to the entering in at the fish gate, and compassed about Ophel, and raised it up a very great height, and put captains of war in all the fenced cities of Judah. {Ophel: or, the tower}

So Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam, and Achbor, and Shaphan, and Asahiah, went unto Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe; (now she dwelt in Jerusalem in the college;) and they communed with her. {wardrobe: Heb. garments} {in the...: or, in the second part}

And the songs of the temple shall be howlings in that day, saith the Lord GOD: {there shall be} many dead bodies in every place; they shall cast {them} forth with silence. {shall be howlings: Heb. shall howl} {with...: Heb. be silent}

My bowels, my bowels! I am pained at my very heart; my heart maketh a noise in me; I cannot hold my peace, because thou hast heard, O my soul, the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war. {my very...: Heb. the walls of my heart}

But the fish gate did the sons of Hassenaah build, who {also} laid the beams thereof, and set up the doors thereof, the locks thereof, and the bars thereof.

Therefore said I, Look away from me; I will weep bitterly, labour not to comfort me, because of the spoiling of the daughter of my people. {weep...: Heb. be bitter in weeping}

Then Solomon began to build the house of the LORD at Jerusalem in mount Moriah, where {the LORD} appeared unto David his father, in the place that David had prepared in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite. {where...: or, which was seen of David his father} {Ornan: also called, Araunah}

Thus the LORD saved Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib the king of Assyria, and from the hand of all {other}, and guided them on every side.

Nevertheless David took the strong hold of Zion: the same {is} the city of David.

Hold thy peace at the presence of the Lord GOD: for the day of the LORD {is} at hand: for the LORD hath prepared a sacrifice, he hath bid his guests. {bid: Heb. sanctified, or, prepared}

For I have heard a voice as of a woman in travail, {and} the anguish as of her that bringeth forth her first child, the voice of the daughter of Zion, {that} bewaileth herself, {that} spreadeth her hands, {saying}, Woe {is} me now! for my soul is wearied because of murderers.

That day {is} a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness,

We roar all like bears, and mourn sore like doves: we look for judgment, but {there is} none; for salvation, {but} it is far off from us.

So David dwelt in the fort, and called it the city of David. And David built round about from Millo and inward.

{And} in the eleventh year of Zedekiah, in the fourth month, the ninth {day} of the month, the city was broken up.

Now after this he built a wall without the city of David, on the west side of Gihon, in the valley, even to the entering in at the fish gate, and compassed about Ophel, and raised it up a very great height, and put captains of war in all the fenced cities of Judah. {Ophel: or, the tower}

Let a cry be heard from their houses, when thou shalt bring a troop suddenly upon them: for they have digged a pit to take me, and hid snares for my feet.

For thus saith the LORD; We have heard a voice of trembling, of fear, and not of peace. {of fear...: or, there is fear, and not peace}

The great day of the LORD {is} near, {it is} near, and hasteth greatly, {even} the voice of the day of the LORD: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly.

But the fish gate did the sons of Hassenaah build, who {also} laid the beams thereof, and set up the doors thereof, the locks thereof, and the bars thereof.

{And} in the eleventh year of Zedekiah, in the fourth month, the ninth {day} of the month, the city was broken up.

The nations have heard of thy shame, and thy cry hath filled the land: for the mighty man hath stumbled against the mighty, {and} they are fallen both together.

Thus saith the LORD; Behold, waters rise up out of the north, and shall be an overflowing flood, and shall overflow the land, and all that is therein; the city, and them that dwell therein: then the men shall cry, and all the inhabitants of the land shall howl. {all that...: Heb. the fulness thereof}

A sound of a cry {cometh} from Babylon, and great destruction from the land of the Chaldeans:

And there shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as there was none like it, nor shall be like it any more.

{There is} a voice of the howling of the shepherds; for their glory is spoiled: a voice of the roaring of young lions; for the pride of Jordan is spoiled.

So Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam, and Achbor, and Shaphan, and Asahiah, went unto Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe; (now she dwelt in Jerusalem in the college;) and they communed with her. {wardrobe: Heb. garments} {in the...: or, in the second part}

And from above the gate of Ephraim, and above the old gate, and above the fish gate, and the tower of Hananeel, and the tower of Meah, even unto the sheep gate: and they stood still in the prison gate.

Now therefore, what have I here, saith the LORD, that my people is taken away for nought? they that rule over them make them to howl, saith the LORD; and my name continually every day {is} blasphemed.

Set up the standard toward Zion: retire, stay not: for I will bring evil from the north, and a great destruction. {retire: or, strengthen} {destruction: Heb. breaking}