offering, the king and all that were present with him
bowed themselves and worshiped. Moreover Hezekiah the king and the
princes commanded the Levites to sing praises unto the Lord with the
words of David, and of Asaph the seer. And they sang praises with
gladness, and they bowed their heads and worshiped.

Then Hezekiah answered and said, "Now ye have consecrated yourselves
unto the Lord, come near and bring sacrifices and thank offerings into
the house of the Lord."

And the congregation brought in sacrifices and thank offerings; and as
many as were of a willing heart brought burnt offerings.

So the service of the house of the Lord was set in order. And Hezekiah
rejoiced, and all the people, because of that which God had prepared
for the people: for the thing was done suddenly.

And Hezekiah sent to all Israel and Judah, and wrote letters also to
Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come to the house of the Lord
at Jerusalem, to keep the passover unto the Lord, the God of Israel.
For the king had taken counsel, and his princes, and all the
congregation in Jerusalem, to keep the passover in the second month.

{303}{304}

[Illustration]
THE POOL OF SILOAM.

In connection with the "Pool of Siloam" a most interesting discovery
has been made. A tunnel hewn in the rock carries the water down the
west side of the Kidron Valley to a pool in the Tyropoeon, so that
it might be used by the people in the lower part of the city. In
June, 1880, an inscription was discovered near the mouth of this
tunnel which says that the work was carried on from both ends, that
the workmen met in the middle, and that the length was 1,200 cubits.
It is generally supposed that the tunnel was made during the reign
of King Hezekiah.
[End illustration]

{305}

For they could not keep it at that time, because the priests had not
sanctified themselves in sufficient number, neither had the people
gathered themselves together to Jerusalem. And the thing was right in
the eyes of the king and of all the congregation.

So they established a decree to make proclamation throughout all
Israel, from Beer-sheba even to Dan, that they should come to keep the
passover unto the Lord, the God of Israel, at Jerusalem: for they had
not kept it in great numbers in the way it is written. So the
messengers went with the letters from the king and his princes
throughout all Israel and Judah, and according to the commandment of
the king,