aAhaz was twenty
years
old
when he became
king
, and he reigned
sixteen
years
in Jerusalem
; and bhe did not do
right
in the sight
of the LORD
as David
his father
had done.
aBut he walked in the ways
of the kings
of Israel
; he also
bmade
molten
images
for the Baals
.
Moreover, ahe burned incense
in the valley
of Ben-hinnom
and bburned
his sons
in fire
, caccording to the abominations
of the nations
whom
the LORD
had driven
out before
the sons
of Israel
.
He sacrificed and aburned
incense
on the high
places
, on the hills
and under
every
green
tree
.
Wherefore, athe LORD his God
delivered
him into the hand
of the king
of Aram
; and they 1defeated
him and carried
away from him a great
number of captives
and brought
them to Damascus
. And he was also
delivered
into the hand
of the king
of Israel
, who 2inflicted
him with heavy
casualties
.
For aPekah the son
of Remaliah
slew
in Judah
120,000
in one
day
, all
valiant
men
, because they had forsaken
the LORD
God
of their fathers
.
And Zichri, a mighty
man
of Ephraim
, slew
Maaseiah
the king's
son
and Azrikam
the ruler
of the house
and Elkanah
the second
to the king
.
aThe sons of Israel
carried
away captive
of btheir brethren
200,000
women
, sons
and daughters
; and they 1took
also
a great
deal
of spoil
from them, and brought
the spoil
to Samaria
.
But a prophet of the LORD
was there
, whose name
was Oded
; and ahe went
out to meet
the army
which came
to Samaria
and said
to them, "Behold
, because the LORD
, the God
of your fathers
, bwas angry
with Judah
, He has delivered
them into your hand
, and you have slain
them in a rage
cwhich has even
reached
heaven
.
"Now you are proposing
to asubjugate
for yourselves the people
of Judah
and Jerusalem
for male
and female
slaves
. Surely
, do you not have transgressions
of your own
against the LORD
your God
?
"Now therefore, listen
to me and return
the captives
awhom
you captured
from your brothers
, bfor the burning
anger
of the LORD
is against
you."
Then some of the heads
of the sons
of Ephraim
--Azariah
the son
of Johanan
, Berechiah
the son
of Meshillemoth
, Jehizkiah
the son
of Shallum
, and Amasa
the son
of Hadlai
--arose
against
those who were coming
from the battle
,
and said to them, "You must not bring
the captives
in here
, for you are proposing
to bring upon us guilt
against the LORD
adding
to our sins
and our guilt
; for our guilt
is great
so that His burning
anger
is against
Israel
."
So the armed men left
the captives
and the spoil
before
the officers
and all
the assembly
.
Then athe men who
were designated
by name
arose
, took
the captives
, and they clothed
all
their naked
ones
from the spoil
; and they gave
them clothes
and sandals
, fed
them and bgave
them drink
, anointed
them with oil, led
all
their feeble
ones on donkeys
, and brought
them to Jericho
, cthe city
of palm
trees
, to their brothers
; then they returned
to Samaria
.
aAt that time King
Ahaz
sent
to the 1kings
of Assyria
for help
.
aFor again the Edomites
had come
and attacked
Judah
and carried
away captives
.
aThe Philistines also had invaded
the cities
of the 1lowland
and of the Negev
of Judah
, and had taken
Beth-shemesh
, Aijalon
, Gederoth
, and Soco
with its villages
, Timnah
with its villages
, and Gimzo
with its villages
, and they settled
there
.
For the LORD humbled
Judah
because
of Ahaz
king
of aIsrael
, for he had brought
about a lack
of restraint
in Judah
and was very
unfaithful
to the LORD
.
So aTilgath-pilneser king
of Assyria
came
against
him and afflicted
him instead
of strengthening
him.
aAlthough Ahaz
took
a portion
out of the house
of the LORD
and out of the palace
of the king
and of the princes
, and gave
it to the king
of Assyria
, it did not help
him.
Now in the time of his distress
this
same
King
Ahaz
abecame
yet
more
unfaithful
to the LORD
.
aFor he sacrificed to the gods
of Damascus
which had 1defeated
him, and said
, " bBecause
the gods
of the kings
of Aram
helped
them, I will sacrifice
to them that they may help
me." But they became
the 2downfall
of him and all
Israel
.
Moreover, when Ahaz gathered
together the utensils
of the house
of God
, he acut
the utensils
of the house
of God
in pieces
; and he bclosed
the doors
of the house
of the LORD
and cmade
altars
for himself in every
corner
of Jerusalem
.
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
.
aNow the rest of his acts
and all
his ways
, from first
to last
, behold
, they are written
in the Book
of the Kings
of Judah
and Israel
.
aSo Ahaz slept
with his fathers
, and they buried
him in the city
, in Jerusalem
, for they did not bring
him into the tombs
of the kings
of bIsrael
; and Hezekiah
his son
reigned
in his place
.