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.

Ahaz [was] twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem: but he did not [that which was] right in the sight of the LORD, like David his father:

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

For he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, and made also molten images for 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.

Moreover, he burnt incense in the valley of the son of Hinnom, and burnt his children in the fire, after the abominations of the heathen whom the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel.

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

He sacrificed also and burnt incense in the high places, and on 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 the LORD his God delivered him into the hand of the king of Syria; and they smote him, and carried away a great multitude of them captives, and brought [them] to Damascus. And he was also delivered into the hand of the king of Israel, who smote him with a great slaughter.

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.

For Pekah the son of Remaliah slew in Judah a hundred and twenty thousand in one day, [who were] all valiant men; because they had forsaken the LORD 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 mighty man of Ephraim, slew Maaseiah the king's son, and Azrikam the governor of the house, and Elkanah [that was] next to 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 children of Israel carried away captive of their brethren two hundred thousand, women, sons, and daughters, and also took away much spoil from 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 a prophet of the LORD was there, whose name [was] Oded: and he went out before the army that came to Samaria, and said to them, Behold, because the LORD God of your fathers was wroth with Judah, he hath delivered them into your hand, and ye have slain them in a rage [that] reacheth to heaven.

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?

And now ye purpose to keep under the children of Judah and Jerusalem for bond-men and bond-women to you: [but are there] not with you, even with you, sins against the LORD 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 hear me therefore, and deliver the captives again, which ye have taken captive of your brethren: for the fierce wrath of the LORD [is] upon 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 certain of the heads of the children of Ephraim, Azariah the son of Johanan, Berechiah the son of Meshillemoth, and Jehizkiah the son of Shallum, and Amasa the son of Hadlai, stood up against them that came from the war.

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 to them, Ye shall not bring in the captives hither: for whereas we have offended against the LORD [already], ye intend to add [more] to our sins and to our trespass: for our trespass [is] great, and [there is] fierce wrath against 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 the spoil before the princes and all the congregation.

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.

And the men who were expressed by name arose, and took the captives, and with the spoil clothed all that were naked among them, and arrayed them, and shod them, 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, to their brethren: then they returned to Samaria.

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

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

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

For again the Edomites had 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.

The Philistines also had invaded the cities of the low country, and of the south of Judah, and had taken Beth-shemesh, and Ajalon, and Gederoth, and Shocho with its villages, and Timnah with its villages, Gimzo also and its villages: and they 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 the LORD brought Judah low because of Ahaz king of Israel: for he made Judah naked, and greatly transgressed against the LORD.

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

And Tilgath-pilneser king of Assyria came to 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 from the house of the LORD, and from the house of the king, and of the princes, and gave [it] to 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 trespassed yet more against the LORD: this [is that] 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 to the gods of Damascus, which smote him: and he said, Because the gods of the kings of Syria help them, [therefore] will I sacrifice to them, that they may help me. But they were the ruin of him, and of 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 collected the vessels of the house of God, and cut in pieces the vessels of the house of God, and shut up the doors of the house of the LORD, and he made for himself altars in every corner of 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 he made high places to burn incense to other gods, and provoked to anger the LORD 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.

Now the rest of his acts and of all his ways, first and last, behold, they [are] written in 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, [even] in Jerusalem: but they brought him not into the sepulchers of the kings of Israel: and Hezekiah his son reigned in his stead.