2 Chronicles 28

1 Ahaz was twenty when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem for sixteen years. He did not do what was right in the Lord's sight as his forefather David had.

Twenty years old, was Ahaz when he began to reign, and, sixteen years, reigned he in Jerusalem, —but he did not that which was right in the eyes of Yahweh, like David his father;

2 He followed the example of the kings of Israel, and also cast metal idols for worshiping the Baals.

but walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, —yea, even molten images, made he to the Baalim;

3 He burned sacrifices in the Valley of Ben Hinnom, and sacrificed his children in the fire, following the disgusting practices of the peoples the Lord had driven out before the Israelites.

and, he, burned incense, in the valley of the son of Hinnom, -and burnt his sons, in the fire, according to the abominable ways of the nations, whom Yahweh dispossessed from before the sons of Israel.

4 He presented sacrifices and burned incense offerings on the high places, on the mountain tops, and under every living tree.

And he sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places, and upon the hills, —and under every green tree.

5 As a result, the Lord his God let the king of Aram to conquer Ahaz. The Arameans attacked him and captured many of his people, taking them to Damascus. Ahaz was also defeated by the king of Israel in a massive attack.

Wherefore Yahweh his God delivered him into the hand of the king of Syria, who smote him, and carried away captive from him a large body of captives, and brought them into Damascus, —yea, even into the hand of the king of Israel, was he delivered, who smote him with a great smiting.

6 In just one day, Pekah, son of Remaliah, killed 120,000 fighting men in Judah, because they had abandoned the Lord, the God of their fathers.

And Pekah son of Remaliah slew, in Judah, a hundred and twenty thousand in one day, all, sons of valour, -because they had forsaken Yahweh, God of their fathers.

7 Zichri, a warrior from Ephraim, killed Maaseiah, the son of the king; Azrikam, the palace governor; and Elkanah, the king's second-in-command.

And Zichri a hero of Ephraim, slew Maaseiah son of the king, and Azrikam, chief ruler of the house, —and Elkanah, that was next unto the king.

8 The Israelites captured 200,000 of their “brothers”—women, sons, and daughters. They also took a great deal of plunder and brought it to Samaria.

And the sons of Israel, carried away captive, from among their brethren two hundred thousand, wives, sons and daughters, moreover also, of much spoil, did they plunder them, —and brought the spoil to Samaria.

9 But a prophet of the Lord named Oded was there in Samaria, and he went out to meet the returning army. He told them, “It was because the Lord, the God of your fathers, was angry with Judah that he allowed you to defeat them. But you have killed them with such fury that it has upset heaven.

But, in that place, was a prophet unto Yahweh, Oded his name, so he went out to meet the host that was coming unto Samaria, and said unto them, Lo! in the wrath of Yahweh, God of your fathers, against Judah, hath he delivered them into your hand, —and ye have slain them in a rage, until, to the heavens, it hath reached.

10 Now you're planning to turn these people from Judah and Jerusalem into slaves. But aren't you also guilty of sinning against the Lord your God?

Now, therefore, ye, are thinking to tread down, the children of Judah and Jerusalem, as servants and as handmaids for yourselves. But is it not so—that, ye yourselves, are altogether guilty against Yahweh your God?

11 Listen to me! Return the prisoners you've taken from your brothers, the fierce anger of the Lord is falling upon you!”

Now, therefore, hearken unto me, and restore the captives whom ye have taken captive from among your brethren, —for, the glow of the anger of Yahweh, is over you.

12 Some of the leaders of the people of Ephraim—Azariah, son of Jehohanan, Berechiah, son of Meshillemoth, Jehizkiah, son of Shallum, and Amasa, son of Hadlai—stood up in opposition against those returning from the war.

Then rose up certain of the chiefs of the sons of Ephraim—Azariah son of Jehohanan, Berechiah son of Meshillemoth, and Jehizkiah son of Shallum, and Amasa son of Hadlai, —against them who were coming in from the army;

13 “Don't you bring those prisoners here!” they told them. “If you do you will only add to our sins and wrongdoing against the Lord. Our guilt is already great, and his fierce anger is falling upon Israel.”

and said unto them, Ye shall not bring in the captives hither, for, with guilt against Yahweh already upon us, ye, are thinking to add unto our sins, and unto our guilt, —for great is the guilt we have, and fierce is the anger over Israel.

14 So the armed men left the prisoners and the plunder before the leaders and all the people gathered there.

So the armed men left the captives, and tile plunder, before the rulers, and all the convocation.

15 The men named above got up and took clothes from the plunder to those that had none, gave them sandals to wear, and food and drink, and put olive oil on their wounds. Those who couldn't walk any more they put on donkeys, and took them all to Jericho, the town of palms, to be close to the people of Judah.

Then rose up the men who have been expressed by name—and took the captives, and, all who were naked among them, clothed they out of the spoil, and arrayed them and sandalled them, and gave them to eat and to drink, and anointed them, and conducted them with asses for every one that was exhausted, and brought them to Jericho the city of palm-trees, near unto their brethren, —and then returned to Samaria.

16 It was then that King Ahaz asked the king of Assyria for help.

At that time, sent King Ahaz unto the kings of Assyria to help him.

17 The armies of Edom had once again invaded Judah and taken people prisoner,

For again had, the Edomites, come and smitten Judah, and carried away captives;

18 while the Philistines had attacked the towns in the foothills and the Negev of Judah. They had captured and occupied Beth-shemesh, Aijalon, Gederoth, along with Soco, Timnah, and Gimzo and their villages.

and, the Philistines, had spread themselves out against the cities of the lowland and of the south, pertaining to Judah, and had captured Beth-shemesh and Aijalon and Gederoth, and Soco with its villages, and Timnah with its villages, and Gimzo, with its villages, —and dwelt there.

19 The Lord had brought Judah down because Ahaz, king of Israel, was out of control in Judah, sinning terribly against the Lord.

For Yahweh had brought Judah low, because of Ahaz king of Israel, —for he had given the rein in Judah, and, been grievously unfaithful, with Yahweh.

20 So Tiglath-pileser, king of Assyria, came to Ahaz but attacked rather than helped him.

And Tilgath-pilneser king of Assyria, came against him, —and distressed him, but strengthened him not.

21 Ahaz took what was valuable from the Lord's Temple, the king's palace, and from his officials and gave them to the king of Assyria as tribute. But it didn't help him.

For Ahaz took away a portion out of the house of Yahweh, and out of the house of the king, and the rulers, —and gave unto the king of Assyria, but he helped him not.

22 Even at this time when he was having so much trouble, King Ahaz sinned more and more against the Lord.

And, in the time of his distress, he yet further acted unfaithfully with Yahweh, —he, King Ahaz!

23 He sacrificed to the gods of Damascus, whose army had defeated him, for he said to himself, “Since the gods of the kings of Aram helped them, I'll sacrifice to them so they can help me.” But this led to the ruin of Ahaz and of all Israel.

For he sacrificed unto the gods of Damascus who had smitten him, and said, Because the gods of the kings of Syria are helping them, unto them, will I sacrifice, that they may help me. But, they, served to seduce him and all Israel.

24 Ahaz took the sacred items from the Lord's Temple and smashed them to pieces. He barred the doors of the Lord's Temple and set up pagan altars on every corner in Jerusalem.

And Ahaz gathered together the utensils of the house of God, and brake away the fittings of the house of God, and shut up the doors of the house of Yahweh, —and made for himself altars at every corner in Jerusalem;

25 In every town throughout Judah he set up high places to make offerings to pagan gods, angering the Lord, the God of his forefathers.

and, in every several city of Judah, made he high places, for burning incense unto other gods, —and provoked Yahweh, God of his fathers.

26 The rest of what Ahaz did, from beginning to end, is written down in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel.

But, the rest of his story, and all his ways, first and last, there they are, written the book of the Kings of Judah and Israel.

27 Ahaz died, and they buried him in the city, in Jerusalem. They did not bury him in the tombs of the kings of Israel. Hezekiah his son took over as king.

And Ahaz slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city, in Jerusalem, but they brought him not into the sepulchres of the kings of Israel, —and Hezekiah his son reigned in his stead.