Chronicles II 28

1 Achaz was five and twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem: and he did not that which was right in the sight of the Lord, as David his father.

Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he was ruling in Jerusalem for sixteen years; he did not do what was right in the eyes of the Lord, like David his father:

2 But he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, for he made graven images.

But he went in the ways of the kings of Israel and made images of metal for the Baals.

3 And [he sacrificed] to their idols in the valley of Benennom, and passed his children through the fire, according to the abominations of the heathen, whom the Lord cast out from before the children of Israel.

More than this, he had offerings burned in the valley of the son of Hinnom, and made his children go through fire, copying the disgusting ways of the nations whom the Lord had sent out of the land before the children of Israel.

4 And he burnt incense upon the high places, and upon the roofs, and under every shady tree.

And he made offerings and had perfumes burned in the high places and on the hills and under every green tree.

5 And the Lord his God delivered him into the hand of the king of Syria; and he struck him, and took captive of them a great band of prisoners, and carried him to Damascus. Also [God] delivered him into the hands of the king of Israel, who struck him with a great slaughter.

So the Lord his God gave him up into the hands of the king of Aram; and they overcame him, and took away a great number of his people as prisoners to Damascus. Then he was given into the hands of the king of Israel, who sent great destruction on him.

6 And Phakee the son of Romelias king of Israel, killed in Juda in one day a hundred and twenty thousand mighty men; because they had forsaken the Lord God of their fathers.

For Pekah, the son of Remaliah, in one day put to death a hundred and twenty thousand men of Judah, all of them good fighting-men; because they had given up the Lord, the God of their fathers.

7 And Zechri, a mighty man of Ephraim, killed Maasias the king's son, and Ezrican the chief of his house, and Elcana the king's deputy.

And Zichri, a great fighting-man of Ephraim, put to death Maaseiah, the king's son, and Azrikam, the controller of his house, and Elkanah, who was second in authority to the king.

8 And the children of Israel took captive of their brethren three hundred thousand, women, and sons, and daughters, and they spoiled them of much property, and brought the spoils to Samaria.

And the children of Israel took away as prisoners from their brothers, two hundred thousand, women and sons and daughters, and a great store of their goods, and took them to Samaria.

9 And there was there a prophet of the Lord, his name [was] Oded: and he went out to meet the host that were coming to Samaria, and said to them, Behold, the wrath of the Lord God of your fathers [is] upon Juda, and he has delivered them into your hands, and you have slain them in wrath, and it has reached even to heaven.

But a prophet of the Lord was there, named Oded; and he went out in front of the army which was coming into Samaria and said to them, Truly, because the Lord, the God of your fathers, was angry with Judah, he gave them up into your hands, and you have put them to death in an outburst of wrath stretching up to heaven.

10 And now you talk of keeping the children of Juda and Jerusalem for servants and handmaidens. Behold, am I not with you to testify for the Lord your God?

And now your purpose is to keep the children of Judah and Jerusalem as men-servants and women-servants under your yoke: but are there no sins against the Lord your God to be seen among yourselves?

11 And now listen to me, and restore the prisoners of your brethren whom you have taken: for the fierce anger of the Lord [is] upon you.

And now give ear to me, and send back the prisoners whom you have taken from your brothers: for the wrath of the Lord is burning against you.

12 And the chiefs of the sons of Ephraim rose up, Udias the son of Joanas, and Barachias the son of Mosolamoth, and Ezekias the son of Sellem, and Amasias the son of Eldai, against those that came from the war,

Then certain of the heads of the children of Ephraim, Azariah, the son of Johanan, Berechiah, the son of Meshillemoth Jehizkiah, the son of Shallum, and Amasa the son of Hadlai, put themselves against those who had come from the war,

13 and said to them, You shall not bring in hither the prisoners to us, for whereas sin against the Lord [is] upon us, you mean to add to our sins, and to our trespass: for our sin [is] great, and the fierce anger of the Lord [is] upon Israel.

And said to them, You are not to let these prisoners come here; for what you are designing to do will be a cause of sin against the Lord to us, making even greater our sin and our wrongdoing, which now are great enough, and his wrath is burning against Israel.

14 So the warriors left the prisoners and the spoils before the princes and all the congregation.

So the armed men gave up the prisoners and the goods they had taken to the heads and the meeting of the people.

15 And the men who were called by name rose up, and took hold of the prisoners, and clothed all the naked from the spoils, and gave them garments and shoes, and gave them [food] to eat, and [oil] to anoint themselves [with], and they helped also every one that was weak with asses, and placed them in Jericho, the city of palm-trees, with their brethren; and they returned to Samaria.

And those men who have been named went up and took the prisoners, clothing those among them who were uncovered, with things from the goods which had been taken in the war, and putting robes on them and shoes on their feet; and they gave them food and drink and oil for their bodies, and seating all the feeble among them on asses, they took them to Jericho, the town of palm-trees, to their people, and then went back to Samaria.

16 At that time king Achaz sent to the king of Assyria to help him, and on this occasion,

At that time King Ahaz sent for help to the king of Assyria.

17 because the Idumeans had attacked [him], and struck Juda, and taken a number of prisoners.

For the Edomites had come again, attacking Judah and taking away prisoners.

18 Also the Philistines had made an attack on the cities of the plain country, and the cities of the south of Juda, and taken Baethsamys, and [the things in the house of the Lord, and the things in the house of the king, and of the princes: and they gave to the king] Aelon, and Galero, and Socho and her villages, and Thamna and her villages, and Gamzo and her villages: and they lived there.

And the Philistines, forcing their way into the towns of the lowlands and the south of Judah, had taken Beth-shemesh and Aijalon and Gederoth and Soco, with their daughter-towns, as well as Timnah and Gimzo and their daughter-towns, and were living there.

19 For the Lord humbled Juda because of Achaz king of Juda, because he grievously departed from the Lord.

For the Lord made Judah low, because of Ahaz, king of Israel; for he had given up all self-control in Judah, sinning greatly against the Lord.

20 And there came against him Thalgaphellasar king of Assyria, and he afflicted him.

Then Tiglath-pileser, king of Assyria, came to him, but was a cause of trouble and not of strength to him.

21 And Achaz took the things [that were] in the house of the Lord, and the things in the house of the king, and of the princes, and gave them to the king of Assyria: but he was no help to him,

For Ahaz took a part of the wealth from the house of the Lord, and from the house of the king and of the great men, and gave it to the king of Assyria; but it was no help to him.

22 but only [troubled him] in his affliction: and he departed yet more from the Lord, and king Achaz said,

And in the time of his trouble, this same King Ahaz did even more evil against the Lord.

23 I will seek after the gods of Damascus that strike me. And he said, Forasmuch as the gods of the king of Syria themselves strengthen them, therefore will I sacrifice to them, and they will help me. But they became a stumbling block to him, and to all Israel.

For he made offerings to the gods of Damascus, who were attacking him, and said, Because the gods of the kings of Aram are giving them help, I will make offerings to them so that they may give me help. But they were the cause of his downfall, and of that of all Israel.

24 And Achaz removed the vessels of the house of the Lord, and cut them in pieces, and shut the doors of the house of the Lord, and made to himself altars in every corner in Jerusalem:

And Ahaz got together the vessels of the house of God, cutting up all the vessels of the house of God, and shutting the doors of the Lord's house; and he made altars in every part of Jerusalem.

25 and in each several city in Juda he made high places to burn incense to strange gods: and they provoked the Lord God of their fathers.

And in every town of Judah he made high places where perfumes were burned to other gods, awaking the wrath of the Lord, the God of his fathers.

26 And the rest of his acts, and his deeds, the first and the last, behold, [they are] written in the book of the kings of Juda and Israel.

Now the rest of his acts and all his ways, first and last, are recorded in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.

27 And Achaz slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David; for they did not bring him into the sepulchres of the kings of Israel: and Ezekias his son reigned in his stead.

And Ahaz went to rest with his fathers, and they put his body into the earth in Jerusalem; but they did not put him in the resting-place of the kings of Israel: and Hezekiah his son became king in his place.