2 Chronicles 28

1 Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. He did not do what was right in the eyes of Yahweh, as David his ancestor had done.

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; he also made cast metal figures for the Baals.

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

3 In addition, he burned incense in the Valley of Ben Hinnom and he caused his children to pass through the fire, according to the idolatrous practices of the people that Yahweh forced out of their land before the people 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 He sacrificed and burned incense at the high places and on the hills and under every green tree.

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

5 Therefore Yahweh the God of Ahaz gave him into the hand of the king of Aram. The Arameans defeated him and carried away from him a great crowd of prisoners, bringing them to Damascus. Ahaz was also given into the hand of the king of Israel who defeated him in a great slaughter.

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 For Pekah son of Remaliah in one day killed 120,000 soldiers in Judah and all of them were powerful men, because they had forsaken Yahweh the God of their ancestors.

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 Zicri, a powerful man from Ephraim, killed Maaseiah the king's son, Azrikam, the official over the palace, and Elkanah, who was next 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 The army of Israel took captive from their relatives 200,000 wives, sons, and daughters. They also took much plunder, which they carried back 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 But a prophet of Yahweh was there, his name was Oded. He went out to meet the army coming into Samaria. He said to them, “Because Yahweh, the God of your ancestors, was angry with Judah, he gave them into your hand. But you have slaughtered them in a rage that 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 Now you intend to keep the men and women of Judah and Jerusalem as your slaves. But are you not guilty of sins of your own against Yahweh 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 Now then, listen to me: Send the prisoners back, those whom you have taken of your own brothers, for Yahweh's fierce wrath is on 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 Then certain 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 against those who came back from the war.

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 They said to them, “You must not bring the prisoners here, for you intend something that will bring on us sin against Yahweh, to add to our sins and trespasses, for our trespass is great, and there is fierce wrath against 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 So the armed men left the prisoners and the plunder before the leaders and all the assembly.

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

15 The men who were assigned by name got up and took the prisoners, and clothed all who were naked among them with the plunder. They clothed them and gave them sandals. They gave them food to eat and drink. They treated their wounds and put the weak ones on donkeys. They took them back to their families in Jericho, (called the City of Palms). Then they 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 At that time King Ahaz sent messengers to the kings of Assyria to ask them to help him.

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

17 For once again the Edomites had come and attacked Judah, carrying prisoners away.

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

18 The Philistines also invaded the cities of the lowlands and of the Negev of Judah. They took Beth Shemesh, Aijalon, Gederoth, Soko with its villages, Timnah with its villages, and also Gimzo with its villages. They went to live in those places.

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 Yahweh brought Judah low because of Ahaz, king of Israel; for he had acted wickedly in Judah and had sinned against Yahweh very heavily.

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 Tiglath-Pileser, king of Assyria, came to him and troubled him instead of strengthening him.

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

21 For Ahaz plundered the house of Yahweh and the houses of the king and the leaders, to give the valuable things to the kings of Assyria. But doing this did not benefit him.

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 This same King Ahaz sinned even more against Yahweh in his time of suffering.

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

23 For he sacrificed to the gods of Damascus, gods that had defeated him. He said, “Because the gods of the kings of Aram helped them, I will sacrifice to them, so that they might help me.” But they were 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 Ahaz gathered together the furnishings of the house of God and cut them to pieces. He shut the doors of the house of Yahweh and he made for himself altars in every corner 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 In every city of Judah he made high places to burn sacrifices to other gods. He provoked Yahweh, the God of his ancestors, to anger.

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 Now the rest of his deeds, and all his ways, first and last, see, they are 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 Ahaz slept with his ancestors, and they buried him in the city, in Jerusalem, but they did not bring him into the tombs of the kings of Israel. Hezekiah, his son, became king 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.