< 2 Kings 16 >

1 When Pekah had been ruling Israel for almost 17 years, Ahaz, the son of Jotham, became the king of Judah.
בִּשְׁנַת֙ שְׁבַֽע־עֶשְׂרֵ֣ה שָׁנָ֔ה לְפֶ֖קַח בֶּן־רְמַלְיָ֑הוּ מָלַ֛ךְ אָחָ֥ז בֶּן־יוֹתָ֖ם מֶ֥לֶךְ יְהוּדָֽה׃
2 He was 20 years old when he became the king [of Judah]. He ruled from Jerusalem for 16 years. He did not do things that pleased Yahweh his God, good things like his ancestor King David had done.
בֶּן־עֶשְׂרִ֤ים שָׁנָה֙ אָחָ֣ז בְּמָלְכ֔וֹ וְשֵׁשׁ־עֶשְׂרֵ֣ה שָׁנָ֔ה מָלַ֖ךְ בִּירוּשָׁלִָ֑ם וְלֹא־עָשָׂ֣ה הַיָּשָׁ֗ר בְּעֵינֵ֛י יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהָ֖יו כְּדָוִ֥ד אָבִֽיו׃
3 Instead, he was as sinful as the kings of Israel had been. He even sacrificed his son as an offering to idols. That was worse than the disgusting things that the people who previously lived there had done, people whom Yahweh had expelled as the Israelis were advancing through the land.
וַיֵּ֕לֶךְ בְּדֶ֖רֶךְ מַלְכֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וְגַ֤ם אֶת־בְּנוֹ֙ הֶעֱבִ֣יר בָּאֵ֔שׁ כְּתֹֽעֲבוֹת֙ הַגּוֹיִ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֨ר הוֹרִ֤ישׁ יְהוָה֙ אֹתָ֔ם מִפְּנֵ֖י בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
4 Ahaz offered sacrifices and burned incense [to honor Yahweh] on the tops of many hills and under many [HYP] big trees, [instead of in Jerusalem as Yahweh had commanded].
וַיְזַבֵּ֧חַ וַיְקַטֵּ֛ר בַּבָּמ֖וֹת וְעַל־הַגְּבָע֑וֹת וְתַ֖חַת כָּל־עֵ֥ץ רַעֲנָֽן׃
5 While he was the king of Judah, King Rezin of Assyria and King Pekah of Israel [came with their armies] and attacked Jerusalem. They surrounded the city, but they could not conquer it.
אָ֣ז יַעֲלֶ֣ה רְצִ֣ין מֶֽלֶךְ־אֲ֠רָם וּפֶ֨קַח בֶּן־רְמַלְיָ֧הוּ מֶֽלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל יְרוּשָׁלִַ֖ם לַמִּלְחָמָ֑ה וַיָּצֻ֙רוּ֙ עַל־אָחָ֔ז וְלֹ֥א יָכְל֖וּ לְהִלָּחֵֽם׃
6 At that time the [army of the] king of Edom expelled the people of Judah who were living in Elath [city]. Some of the people of Edom started to live there, and they are still living there.
בָּעֵ֣ת הַהִ֗יא הֵ֠שִׁיב רְצִ֨ין מֶֽלֶךְ־אֲרָ֤ם אֶת־אֵילַת֙ לַֽאֲרָ֔ם וַיְנַשֵּׁ֥ל אֶת־הַיְהוּדִ֖ים מֵֽאֵיל֑וֹת וארמים בָּ֣אוּ אֵילַ֔ת וַיֵּ֣שְׁבוּ שָׁ֔ם עַ֖ד הַיּ֥וֹם הַזֶּֽה׃ פ
7 King Ahaz sent messengers to King Tiglath-Pileser of Assyria, to tell this message to him: “I promise that I will completely do what you tell me to do, [as though] I [was] your son. Please come and rescue us from the armies of Syria and Israel who are attacking my country.”
וַיִּשְׁלַ֨ח אָחָ֜ז מַלְאָכִ֗ים אֶל־תִּ֠גְלַת פְּלֶ֤סֶר מֶֽלֶךְ־אַשּׁוּר֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר עַבְדְּךָ֥ וּבִנְךָ֖ אָ֑נִי עֲלֵ֨ה וְהוֹשִׁעֵ֜נִי מִכַּ֣ף מֶֽלֶךְ־אֲרָ֗ם וּמִכַּף֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל הַקּוֹמִ֖ים עָלָֽי׃
8 Ahaz took the silver and gold that was in the palace and in the temple and sent it to Assyria to be a present/gift for the king of Assyria.
וַיִּקַּ֨ח אָחָ֜ז אֶת־הַכֶּ֣סֶף וְאֶת־הַזָּהָ֗ב הַנִּמְצָא֙ בֵּ֣ית יְהוָ֔ה וּבְאֹֽצְר֖וֹת בֵּ֣ית הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ וַיִּשְׁלַ֥ח לְמֶֽלֶךְ־אַשּׁ֖וּר שֹֽׁחַד׃
9 So Tiglath-Pileser did what Ahaz requested. His army marched to Damascus and captured it, and they took the people of Damascus as prisoners to live in the capital city of Assyria, and executed [King] Rezin.
וַיִּשְׁמַ֤ע אֵלָיו֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ אַשּׁ֔וּר וַיַּעַל֩ מֶ֨לֶךְ אַשּׁ֤וּר אֶל־דַּמֶּ֙שֶׂק֙ וַֽיִּתְפְּשֶׂ֔הָ וַיַּגְלֶ֖הָ קִ֑ירָה וְאֶת־רְצִ֖ין הֵמִֽית׃
10 When King Ahaz went to Damascus to meet King Tiglath-Pileser, he saw the altar that was there. So he sent to Uriah, the Supreme Priest [in Jerusalem], a drawing of the altar and a model that was exactly like the altar in Damascus.
וַיֵּ֣לֶךְ הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ אָחָ֡ז לִ֠קְרַאת תִּגְלַ֨ת פִּלְאֶ֤סֶר מֶֽלֶךְ־אַשּׁוּר֙ דּוּמֶּ֔שֶׂק וַיַּ֥רְא אֶת־הַמִּזְבֵּ֖חַ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בְּדַמָּ֑שֶׂק וַיִּשְׁלַח֩ הַמֶּ֨לֶךְ אָחָ֜ז אֶל־אוּרִיָּ֣ה הַכֹּהֵ֗ן אֶת־דְּמ֧וּת הַמִּזְבֵּ֛חַ וְאֶת־תַּבְנִית֖וֹ לְכָֽל־מַעֲשֵֽׂהוּ׃
11 So Uriah built an altar [in Jerusalem], following the drawing that King Ahaz had sent. Uriah finished the altar before Ahaz returned [to Jerusalem] from Damascus.
וַיִּ֛בֶן אוּרִיָּ֥ה הַכֹּהֵ֖ן אֶת־הַמִּזְבֵּ֑חַ כְּכֹ֣ל אֲשֶׁר־שָׁלַח֩ הַמֶּ֨לֶךְ אָחָ֜ז מִדַּמֶּ֗שֶׂק כֵּ֤ן עָשָׂה֙ אוּרִיָּ֣ה הַכֹּהֵ֔ן עַד־בּ֥וֹא הַמֶּֽלֶךְ־אָחָ֖ז מִדַּמָּֽשֶׂק׃
12 When the king returned from Damascus, he saw the altar. He went to it
וַיָּבֹ֤א הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ מִדַּמֶּ֔שֶׂק וַיַּ֥רְא הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ אֶת־הַמִּזְבֵּ֑חַ וַיִּקְרַ֥ב הַמֶּ֛לֶךְ עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּ֖חַ וַיַּ֥עַל עָלָֽיו׃
13 and burned animal sacrifices and a grain offering on it. He also poured a wine offering on it and threw on it the blood of the offerings to maintain fellowship with God.
וַיַּקְטֵ֤ר אֶת־עֹֽלָתוֹ֙ וְאֶת־מִנְחָת֔וֹ וַיַּסֵּ֖ךְ אֶת־נִסְכּ֑וֹ וַיִּזְרֹ֛ק אֶת־דַּֽם־הַשְּׁלָמִ֥ים אֲשֶׁר־ל֖וֹ עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּֽחַ׃
14 The old bronze altar which had been dedicated long ago to Yahweh was between the new altar and the temple, so Ahaz moved it to the north side of his new altar, [which was bigger than the old altar].
וְאֵ֨ת הַמִּזְבַּ֣ח הַנְּחֹשֶׁת֮ אֲשֶׁ֣ר לִפְנֵ֣י יְהוָה֒ וַיַּקְרֵ֗ב מֵאֵת֙ פְּנֵ֣י הַבַּ֔יִת מִבֵּין֙ הַמִּזְבֵּ֔חַ וּמִבֵּ֖ין בֵּ֣ית יְהוָ֑ה וַיִּתֵּ֥ן אֹת֛וֹ עַל־יֶ֥רֶךְ הַמִּזְבֵּ֖חַ צָפֽוֹנָה׃
15 Then King Ahaz ordered Uriah: “Each morning put on this new altar the sacrifices that will be completely burned, and in the evening put on it the grain offering, along with my offering and the offerings that the people bring, ones that will be completely burned, and my grain offering and the people’s grain and wine offerings. Pour against the sides of the altar the blood of all the animals that are sacrificed. But the old bronze altar will be only for me to use to find out what Yahweh wants me to do.”
ויצוהו הַמֶּֽלֶךְ־אָ֠חָז אֶת־אוּרִיָּ֨ה הַכֹּהֵ֜ן לֵאמֹ֗ר עַ֣ל הַמִּזְבֵּ֣חַ הַגָּד֡וֹל הַקְטֵ֣ר אֶת־עֹֽלַת־הַבֹּקֶר֩ וְאֶת־מִנְחַ֨ת הָעֶ֜רֶב וְֽאֶת־עֹלַ֧ת הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ וְאֶת־מִנְחָת֗וֹ וְ֠אֵת עֹלַ֞ת כָּל־עַ֤ם הָאָ֙רֶץ֙ וּמִנְחָתָ֣ם וְנִסְכֵּיהֶ֔ם וְכָל־דַּ֥ם עֹלָ֛ה וְכָל־דַּם־זֶ֖בַח עָלָ֣יו תִּזְרֹ֑ק וּמִזְבַּ֧ח הַנְּחֹ֛שֶׁת יִֽהְיֶה־לִּ֖י לְבַקֵּֽר׃
16 So Uriah did what the king commanded him to do.
וַיַּ֖עַשׂ אוּרִיָּ֣ה הַכֹּהֵ֑ן כְּכֹ֥ל אֲשֶׁר־צִוָּ֖ה הַמֶּ֥לֶךְ אָחָֽז׃
17 King Ahaz told his workers to take off the frames of the carts [that were outside the temple] and to take down the basins that were on them. They also took down the bronze tank from the backs of the bronze [statues of the] oxen and put it on a stone foundation.
וַיְקַצֵּץ֩ הַמֶּ֨לֶךְ אָחָ֜ז אֶת־הַמִּסְגְּר֣וֹת הַמְּכֹנ֗וֹת וַיָּ֤סַר מֵֽעֲלֵיהֶם֙ ואת ־הַכִּיֹּ֔ר וְאֶת־הַיָּ֣ם הוֹרִ֔ד מֵעַ֛ל הַבָּקָ֥ר הַנְּחֹ֖שֶׁת אֲשֶׁ֣ר תַּחְתֶּ֑יהָ וַיִּתֵּ֣ן אֹת֔וֹ עַ֖ל מַרְצֶ֥פֶת אֲבָנִֽים׃
18 Then to please the king of Assyria, Ahaz had them remove from the temple the roof under which the people walked into the temple on the Sabbath Day, and closed up the private entrance into the temple for the kings of Judah.
וְאֶת־מיסך הַשַּׁבָּ֜ת אֲשֶׁר־בָּנ֣וּ בַבַּ֗יִת וְאֶת־מְב֤וֹא הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ הַֽחִיצ֔וֹנָה הֵסֵ֖ב בֵּ֣ית יְהוָ֑ה מִפְּנֵ֖י מֶ֥לֶךְ אַשּֽׁוּר׃
19 [If you want to know about] the other things that Ahaz did, they are written [RHQ] in the scroll called ‘The History of the Kings of Judah’.
וְיֶ֛תֶר דִּבְרֵ֥י אָחָ֖ז אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָשָׂ֑ה הֲלֹא־הֵ֣ם כְּתוּבִ֗ים עַל־סֵ֛פֶר דִּבְרֵ֥י הַיָּמִ֖ים לְמַלְכֵ֥י יְהוּדָֽה׃
20 Ahaz died [EUP], and he was buried in [the part of Jerusalem called] ‘The City of David’, where his ancestors had been buried. Then his son Hezekiah became the king.
וַיִּשְׁכַּ֤ב אָחָז֙ עִם־אֲבֹתָ֔יו וַיִּקָּבֵ֥ר עִם־אֲבֹתָ֖יו בְּעִ֣יר דָּוִ֑ד וַיִּמְלֹ֛ךְ חִזְקִיָּ֥הוּ בְנ֖וֹ תַּחְתָּֽיו׃ פ

< 2 Kings 16 >