Sirach

Then came the prophet Elijah, like a fire, with words that burned like a torch.

He brought famine upon the people, and in his fervent love, he had them reduced in number.

Speaking in the Lord’s name, he closed the heavens and called down fire three times.

How marvelous you were, Elijah, in your wondrous deeds! Who could ever claim to be your equal?

By the word of the Most High, you brought a dead man back to life;

you brought kings to ruin and threw famous men out of their beds.

You heard a rebuke at Sinai and sentences of punishment at Horeb;

you anointed kings to serve as warriors and prophets to follow you.

You were carried away by a storm of flames in a chariot pulled by fiery horses.

It was written that you should be the one to calm God’s anger in the future, before it breaks out in fury, to turn the hearts of fathers to their children and to restore the tribes of Jacob.

Happy are those who see you and those who die in love, for we shall also live.

Such was Elijah, taken up in a whirlwind, and Elisha was filled with his spirit. During his life, no leader could shake him; no one could dominate him.

Nothing was too hard for him, and even in death, his body profesied.

In life, he achieved great things; in death, his deeds were extraordinary.

Despite all this, the people were not converted and did not turn away from sin; it wasn’t until they were deported far from their country and scattered across the earth.

The population was greatly diminished, but they still had a ruler from the line of David. Some of them remained upright, while others became sinful.

Hezekiah strengthened his city and brought water inside its walls, tunneling through the rock with iron tools to build cisterns.

During his reign, Sennacherib started his campaigns and sent out Rabshakeh, and as insolent and arrogant as he was, he lifted his arm against Zion.

Then their courage wavered; their hands shook; they felt anguish akin to women in labor.

They stretched out their hands and called on the merciful Lord. From heaven, the Holy One quickly heard them and saved them through the hand of Isaiah.

The Lord struck the Assyrian camp and his angel wiped them out.

Hezekiah did what was pleasing to the Lord and was committed to following the ways of David, his father, as the great and faithful prophet Isaiah commanded, a man of trustworthy vision.

In his time, the sun moved backward, and he extended the king’s life.

In the strength of the spirit, he foresaw the end times and comforted the suffering people of Zion.

He revealed what would happen until the end of time and made hidden events known be-fore they occurred.