Second Baruch

And the eighth bright waters that you saw:

this is the righteousness and uprightness of Hezekiah, king of Judah,

and the goodness

that came upon him.

For when Sennacherib was stirred up

to destroy,

and his wrath was troubling

him

as to how he might destroy, and also

the multitude of the nations that were with him.

Now when King Hezekiah heard

what he was planning,

the king of Assyria,

to come

and seize it and destroy its people,

the two and a half tribes that were left.

Moreover, he also wanted to overthrow Zion.

Then Hezekiah trusted in his works

and hoped in his righteousness,

and spoke with the Mighty One

and said:

‘Look, behold,

is prepared

Sennacherib to destroy us,

and he will boast and exalt himself

when he destroys Zion.’

And the Mighty One heard him,

for Hezekiah was wise,

and He regarded his prayer because he was righteous.

Then the Mighty One commanded Ramiel, His angel who speaks with you,

and I went out and destroyed their multitude,

those

the number alone of whose

commanders was

one hundred and eighty-five thousand,

and each one of them had an equal number.

And I was

at that time burning their bodies from within,

but their garments and weapons from without I preserved, in order

that the wonders of the Mighty One might be seen even more,

and so that

might be spoken of

His name throughout all the earth.

Was saved,

now Zion, and Jerusalem was delivered;

Israel also was freed from tribulations.

And all those who were in the holy land rejoiced,

and the name of the Mighty One was glorified, so that it was spoken of.

These are the bright waters that you saw.