< 2 Chronicles 28 >

1 Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. And unlike David his father, he did not do what was right in the eyes of the LORD.
Twenty years old was Achaz when he became king, and sixteen years did he reign in Jerusalem; and he did not what is right in the eyes of the Lord, like David his father;
2 Instead, he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel and even made cast images of the Baals.
But he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, and made also molten images for the Be'alim.
3 Moreover, Ahaz burned incense in the Valley of Hinnom and sacrificed his sons in the fire, according to the abominations of the nations that the LORD had driven out before the Israelites.
And he also burnt incense in the valley of the son of Hinnom, and burnt his sons in the fire, after the abominable acts of the nations that the Lord had driven out from before the children of Israel.
4 And he sacrificed and burned incense on the high places, on the hills, and under every green tree.
And he sacrificed and burnt incense on the high-places, and on the hills, and under every green tree.
5 So the LORD his God delivered Ahaz into the hand of the king of Aram, who attacked him and took many captives to Damascus. Ahaz was also delivered into the hand of the king of Israel, who struck him with great force.
Wherefore the Lord his God gave him up into the hand of the king of Syria; and they defeated his people, and carried away a great multitude of them captives, and brought them to Damascus. And also into the hand of the king of Israel was he given up, and he defeated his people with a great slaughter.
6 For in one day Pekah son of Remaliah killed 120,000 valiant men in Judah. This happened because they had forsaken the LORD, the God of their fathers.
And Pekach the son of Remalyahu slew in Judah one hundred and twenty thousand in one day, all being valiant men; because they had forsaken the Lord, the God of their fathers.
7 Zichri, a mighty man of Ephraim, killed Maaseiah the son of the king, Azrikam the governor of the palace, and Elkanah the second to the king.
And Zichri, a mighty man of Ephraim, slew Ma'asseyahu the king's son, and 'Azrikam the governor of the house, and Elkanah the second in rank to the king.
8 Then the Israelites took 200,000 captives from their kinsmen—women, sons, and daughters. They also carried off a great deal of plunder and brought it to Samaria.
And the children of Israel led away captive from their brethren two hundred thousand, women, sons, and daughters, and also much booty did they plunder from them, and they brought the booty to Samaria.
9 But a prophet of the LORD named Oded was there, and he went out to meet the army that returned to Samaria. “Look,” he said to them, “because of His wrath against Judah, the LORD, the God of your fathers, has delivered them into your hand. But you have slaughtered them in a rage that reaches up to heaven.
But there was a prophet of the Lord, 'Oded was his name; and he went out to meet the host that was coming to Samaria, and said unto them, Behold, because of the fury of the Lord the God of your fathers against Judah, hath he given them up into your hand, and ye have slain among them in a rage that reacheth as far as the heavens.
10 And now you intend to reduce to slavery the men and women of Judah and Jerusalem. But are you not also guilty before the LORD your God?
And now ye think to force the children of Judah and Jerusalem to become bond-men and bond-women unto you; but surely are there not with you, even with you, trespasses against the Lord your God?
11 Now therefore, listen to me and return the captives you took from your kinsmen, for the fierce anger of the LORD is upon you.”
And now hear me, and restore the captives, whom ye have taken captive from your brethren; for the fierce wrath of the Lord is over you.
12 Then some of the leaders of the Ephraimites —Azariah son of Jehohanan, Berechiah son of Meshillemoth, Jehizkiah son of Shallum, and Amasa son of Hadlai—stood in opposition to those arriving from the war.
Then arose certain men of the heads of the children of Ephraim, 'Azaryahu the son of Jehochanan, Berechyahu the son of Meshillemoth, and Jechizkiyahu the son of Shallum, and 'Amassa the son of Chadlai, against those that were come from the army.
13 “You must not bring the captives here,” they said, “for you are proposing to bring guilt upon us from the LORD and to add to our sins and our guilt. For our guilt is great, and fierce anger is upon Israel.”
And they said unto them, Ye shall not bring in the captives hither; for in addition to the guiltiness against the Lord [resting] on us, ye think to add unto our sins and unto our guiltiness; for great is the guiltiness [resting] on us, and there is fierce wrath over Israel.
14 So the armed men left the captives and the plunder before the leaders and all the assembly.
So the armed men abandoned the captives and the spoil before the princes and all the assembly.
15 Then the men who were designated by name arose, took charge of the captives, and provided from the plunder clothing for the naked. They clothed them, gave them sandals and food and drink, anointed their wounds, and put all the feeble on donkeys. So they brought them to Jericho, the City of Palms, to their brothers. Then they returned to Samaria.
And then arose the men who have been expressed by name, and took hold of the captives, and all that were naked among them they clothed from the booty; and they gave them garments and shoes, and gave them to eat and to drink, and anointed them, and carried all the feeble of them upon asses, and brought them to Jericho, the city of palm-trees, near their brethren; and then did they return to Samaria.
16 At that time King Ahaz sent for help from the king of Assyria.
At that time sent king Achaz unto the kings of Assyria to help him.
17 The Edomites had again come and attacked Judah and carried away captives.
Moreover the Edomites came again and defeated [the men of] Judah, and carried away captives.
18 The Philistines had also raided the cities of the foothills and the Negev of Judah, capturing and occupying Beth-shemesh, Aijalon, and Gederoth, as well as Soco, Timnah, and Gimzo with their villages.
And the Philistines invaded the cities of the lowlands, and of the south of Judah, and captured Beth-shemesh, and Ayalon, and Gederoth, and Socho with its villages, and Thimnah with its villages, and Gimzo with its villages; and they dwelt there.
19 For the LORD humbled Judah because Ahaz king of Israel had thrown off restraint in Judah and had been most unfaithful to the LORD.
For the Lord humbled Judah on account of Achaz the king of Israel; for he made Judah unruly, and acted very faithlessly against the Lord.
20 Then Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria came to Ahaz but afflicted him rather than strengthening him.
Then came against him Tilgath-pilneesser the king of Assyria, and distressed him, but strengthened him not.
21 Although Ahaz had taken a portion from the house of the LORD, from the royal palace, and from the princes and had presented it to the king of Assyria, it did not help him.
Although Achaz took away a portion [out] of the house of the Lord, and [out] of the house of the king, and of the princes, and gave it unto the king of Assyria: he yet gave him no assistance.
22 In the time of his distress, King Ahaz became even more unfaithful to the LORD.
And in the time that he distressed him, became he yet more faithless against the Lord, —yea, he, king Achaz;
23 Since Damascus had defeated him, he sacrificed to their gods and said, “Because the gods of the kings of Aram have helped them, I will sacrifice to them that they may help me.” But these gods were the downfall of Ahaz and of all Israel.
And he sacrificed unto the gods of [the people of] Damascus, who had smitten him; and he said, Because the gods of the kings of Syria do help them, [therefore] will I sacrifice unto them, that they may help me. But they only became to him a stumbling-block for him and for all Israel.
24 Then Ahaz gathered up the articles of the house of God, cut them into pieces, shut the doors of the house of the LORD, and set up altars of his own on every street corner in Jerusalem.
And Achaz gathered up the vessels of the house of God, and cut in pieces the vessels of the house of God, and locked up the doors of the house of the Lord, and he made for himself altars in every corner of Jerusalem.
25 In every city of Judah he built high places to offer incense to other gods, and so he provoked the LORD, the God of his fathers.
And in each and every city of Judah made he high-places to burn incense unto other gods; and he provoked to anger the Lord the God of his fathers.
26 As for the rest of the acts of Ahaz and all his ways, from beginning to end, they are indeed written in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel.
And the rest of his acts and of all his ways, the first and the last, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.
27 And Ahaz rested with his fathers and was buried in the city of Jerusalem, but he was not placed in the tombs of the kings of Israel. And his son Hezekiah reigned in his place.
And Achaz slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city, in Jerusalem; for they brought him not into the sepulchres of the kings of Israel: and Hezekiah his son became king in his stead.

< 2 Chronicles 28 >