1Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. He did not do what was right in the eyes of Yahweh, as David his father had.
2He walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, and he also made cast images for the Baals.
3He himself made offerings in the Valley of Ben-Hinnom and burned his sons in the fire, according to the abominations of the nations whom Yahweh had dispossessed before the sons of Israel.
4He sacrificed and made offerings on the high places, on the hills, and under every green tree.
5So Yahweh his God gave him into the hand of the king of Aram; they struck him and carried off from him a great captivity, bringing them to Damascus. He was also given into the hand of the king of Israel, who struck him with a great blow.
6Pekah son of Remaliah killed in Judah one hundred and twenty thousand in one day, all of them valiant men, because they had forsaken Yahweh, the God of their fathers.
7And Zichri, a mighty warrior of Ephraim, killed Maaseiah the king’s son, Azrikam the ruler of the house, and Elkanah the second to the king.
8The sons of Israel took captive from their kinsmen two hundred thousand women, sons, and daughters; they also plundered much spoil from them and brought the spoil to Samaria.
9Now there was a prophet of Yahweh there, Oded by name, and he went out before the army that came to Samaria and said to them, “Look, it is in the wrath of Yahweh, the God of your fathers, against Judah that he gave them into your hand, but you have killed them in a rage that has reached up to heaven.
10And now you intend to subjugate the people of Judah and Jerusalem as male and female slaves for yourselves. But are you not yourselves guilty before Yahweh your God?
11Now then, listen to me, and send back the captives whom you have taken captive from your kinsmen, for the burning anger of Yahweh is against you.”
12Then some men of the heads of the sons of Ephraim rose up—Azariah son of Jehohanan, Berechiah son of Meshillemoth, Jehizkiah son of Shallum, and Amasa son of Hadlai—against those who were coming from the army,
13and they said to them, “You shall not bring the captives here, for you intend to add to our sins and our guilt bringing guilt before Yahweh upon us; for our guilt is great, and there is burning anger against Israel.”
14So the armed men left the captives and the plunder before the officials and all the assembly.
15Then the men who were designated by name rose and took hold of the captives, and all who were naked among them they clothed from the spoil; they clothed them, gave them sandals, fed them, gave them drink, anointed them, and led all the feeble ones on donkeys. They brought them to Jericho, the city of palms, near their kinsmen, and then returned to Samaria.
16At that time King Ahaz sent to the kings of Assyria to help him.
17For the Edomites had come again and struck Judah and carried off captives.
18And the Philistines had raided the cities of the Shephelah and the Negev of Judah, and they captured Beth-Shemesh, Aijalon, Gederoth, Soco with its villages, Timnah with its villages, and Gimzo with its villages, and they settled there.
19For Yahweh had humbled Judah on account of Ahaz king of Israel, because he had let Judah run wild and had been utterly unfaithful to Yahweh.
20So Tilgath-Pilneser king of Assyria came against him and pressed him hard, and did not strengthen him.
21For Ahaz took a portion from the house of Yahweh, from the house of the king, and from the officials, and gave it to the king of Assyria, but it was of no help to him.
22And in the time of his distress he continued to be unfaithful to Yahweh—this King Ahaz.
23He sacrificed to the gods of Damascus who had struck him, and said, “Because the gods of the kings of Aram help them, I will sacrifice to them so that they will help me.” But they were the ruin of him and of all Israel.
24Ahaz gathered the vessels of the house of God and cut the vessels of the house of God into pieces, and he shut the doors of the house of Yahweh; and he made for himself altars in every corner in Jerusalem.
25And in every city of Judah he made high places to make offerings to other gods, and he provoked Yahweh, the God of his fathers, to anger.
26Now the rest of his acts and all his ways, the earlier and the later, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.
27Ahaz slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city, in Jerusalem, but 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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