Ahaz Reigns Wickedly in Judah

1 Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. He did not do that which was right in the eyes of the Lord, like David his father, 2 but he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel and also made molten images for the Baals. 3 Moreover he burned incense in the valley of the son of Hinnom and burned his children in the fire, according to the abominations of the nations whom the Lord had cast out before the Israelites. 4 He sacrificed and burned incense in the high places and on the hills and under every green tree.

Judah Defeated by Syria

5 Therefore the Lord his God delivered him into the hand of the king of Syria. They struck him and took from him a great multitude of captives and brought them to Damascus. He was also delivered into the hand of the king of Israel, who struck him with a great slaughter. 6 For Pekah the son of Remaliah killed in Judah 120,000 in one day, all of the valiant men, because they had forsaken the Lord, the God of their fathers. 7 Zichri, a mighty man of Ephraim, killed Maaseiah the king’s son, Azrikam the ruler of the house and Elkanah who was next to the king.

8 The Israelites took captive, of their brothers, 200,000 women, sons, and daughters, and also took much plunder from them, and brought the plunder to Samaria.

9 But a prophet of the Lord was there, whose name was Oded, and he went out to meet the army that came to Samaria and said to them, “Because the Lord, the God of your fathers, was angry with Judah, he has delivered them into your hand, and you have slain them in a rage which has reached up to heaven. 10 Now you intend to degrade the children of Judah and Jerusalem as male and female slaves for yourselves. Are you not also guilty of trespasses of your own against the Lord your God? 11 Now hear me therefore and send back the captives that you have taken from your brothers, for the fierce wrath of the Lord is on you.”

12 Then some of the leaders of the Ephraimites–Azariah the son of Johanan, Berechiah the son of Meshillemoth, Jehizkiah the son of Shallum, and Amasa the son of Hadlai, stood up against those who came from the war, 13 and said to them, “You must not bring in the captives here, for you intend that which will bring on us a trespass against the Lord, to add to our sins and to our guilt; for our guilt is great, and there is fierce wrath against Israel.”

14 So the armed men left the captives and the plunder before the officials and the entire assembly.

Compromise with Assyria

15 The men who have been mentioned by name rose up and took the captives and with the plunder, clothed everyone who was naked among them, dressed them, gave them sandals, and gave them something to eat and to drink, anointed them, carried all the feeble among them on donkeys, and brought them to Jericho, the city of palm trees, to their brothers. Then they returned to Samaria.

16 At that time king Ahaz sent to the kings of Assyria to help him. 17 For again the Edomites had come and struck Judah and took captives. 18 The Philistines also had invaded the cities of the lowland, and of the South of Judah, and had taken Beth Shemesh, Aijalon, Gederoth, Soco with its villages, Timnah with its villages, and also Gimzo and its villages; and they lived there. 19 For the Lord brought Judah low because of Ahaz king of Israel, because he acted without restraint in Judah and trespassed severely against the Lord. 20 Tilgath Pilneser king of Assyria came to him and afflicted him instead of strengthening him. 21 For Ahaz took a portion from the temple of the Lord and from the king’s house and from the rulers and gave it to the king of Assyria, but it did not help him.

Ahaz’s Idolatry

22 In the time of his distress, this same king Ahaz trespassed yet more against the Lord, 23 for he sacrificed to the gods of Damascus, which struck him. He said, “Because the gods of the kings of Syria helped them, so I will sacrifice to them, that they may help me.” But they were the ruin of him and of all Israel.

24 Ahaz gathered the vessels of God’s temple, cut them in pieces, and shut up the doors of the temple of the Lord; and he made himself altars in every corner of Jerusalem. 25 In every city of Judah he made high places to burn incense to other gods, and provoked the Lord, the God of his fathers, to anger.

Hezekiah Succeeds Ahaz in Judah

26 Now the rest of his acts, and all of his ways, from the first to the last, they are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel. 27 Ahaz rested with his fathers, and they buried him in the city, in Jerusalem, because they did not bring him into the tombs of the kings of Israel; and Hezekiah his son reigned in his place.

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