2 Chronicles 28

1 Ahaz was twenty years old when he had begun to reign, and he reigned for sixteen years in Jerusalem. He did not do what is right in the sight of the Lord, as his father David did.

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. Moreover, he also cast statues for the Baals.

But he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, and made also molten images for the Be'alim.

3 It is he who burned incense in the Valley of the son of Hinnom. And he purified his sons by fire, in accord with the ritual of the nations that the Lord put to death at the advent of the sons of Israel.

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 Also, he was sacrificing and burning incense in the high places, and on the hills, and under every leafy tree.

And he sacrificed and burnt incense on the high-places, and on the hills, and under every green tree.

5 And so the Lord, his God, delivered him into the hand of the king of Syria, who struck him and took great plunder from his kingdom. And he carried it away to Damascus. Also, he was delivered into the hands of the king of Israel, and he struck him with great affliction.

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 And Pekah, the son of Remaliah, killed, on one day, one hundred twenty thousand, all of them men of war from Judah, 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 In the same time, Zichri, a powerful man of Ephraim, killed Maaseiah, the son of the king, and Azrikam, the governor of his house, and also Elkanah, who was 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 And the sons of Israel seized, from their brothers, two hundred thousand women, boys, and girls, and immense plunder. And they took it away 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 At that time, there was a prophet of the Lord there, named Oded. And going out to meet the army arriving in Samaria, he said to them: “Behold, the Lord, the God of your fathers, having become angry against Judah, has delivered them into your hands. But you have killed them by atrocities, so that your cruelty has reached 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 Moreover, you wanted to subjugate the sons of Judah and Jerusalem as your men and women servants, which is a work that should never be done. And so you sinned in this matter against 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 But listen to my counsel, and release the captives, whom you have brought from your brothers. For a great fury of the Lord is hanging over 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 And so, some of the leaders 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, stood up against those who were arriving from the battle.

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 And they said to them: “You shall not lead back captives to here, lest we sin against the Lord. Why are you willing to add to our sins, and to build upon our old offenses? For indeed, the sin is great, and the furious anger of the Lord is hanging over 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 And the warriors released the spoils and all that they had seized, in the sight of the leaders and the entire multitude.

So the armed men abandoned the captives and the spoil before the princes and all the assembly.

15 And the men, whom we mentioned above, rose up and took the captives. All those who were naked, they clothed from the spoils. And when they had clothed them, and had given them shoes, and had refreshed them with food and drink, and had anointed them because of the hardship, and had cared for them, whoever was not able to walk and whoever was feeble in body, they set them upon beasts of burden, and they led them to Jericho, the city of palm trees, to their brothers, and they themselves 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 In that time, king Ahaz sent to the king of the Assyrians, requesting assistance.

At that time sent king Achaz unto the kings of Assyria to help him.

17 And the Edomites arrived and struck down many of Judah, and they seized great plunder.

Moreover the Edomites came again and defeated [the men of] Judah, and carried away captives.

18 Also, the Philistines spread out among the cities of the plains, and to the south of Judah. And they seized Beth-shemesh, and Aijalon, and Gederoth, and also Soco, and Timnah, and Gimzo, with their villages, and they lived in them.

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 had humbled Judah because of Ahaz, the king of Judah, since he had stripped it of help, and had shown contempt for 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 And he led against him Tilgath-pilneser, the king of the Assyrians, who also afflicted him and laid waste to him, without resistance.

Then came against him Tilgath-pilneesser the king of Assyria, and distressed him, but strengthened him not.

21 And so Ahaz, despoiling the house of the Lord, and the house of the kings and the leaders, gave gifts to the king of the Assyrians, and yet it profited him nothing.

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 Moreover, in the time of his anguish, he also added to his contempt against the Lord. King Ahaz himself, by himself,

And in the time that he distressed him, became he yet more faithless against the Lord, —yea, he, king Achaz;

23 immolated victims to the gods of Damascus, those who had struck him. And he said: “The gods of the kings of Syria assist them, and so I will please them with victims, and they will help me.” But to the contrary, they had been the ruin of him 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 And so, Ahaz, having despoiled and broken apart all the vessels of the house of God, closed up the doors of the temple of God, and made for himself altars in all the corners of 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 Also, he constructed altars in all the cities of Judah, in order to burn frankincense, and so he provoked the Lord, the God of his fathers, to wrath.

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 But the rest of his words, and all his works, the first and the last, have been 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 slept with his fathers. And they buried him in the city of Jerusalem. And they did not allow him to be in the sepulchers 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.