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The Reign of Ahaz

28 Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. And he did not do what is right in the eyes of Yahweh like David his ancestor.[a] But he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel and also made molten idols for the Baals. And he himself burned incense in the valley of Ben-Hinnom and burned his sons in the fire, according to the detestable practices of the nations whom Yahweh drove out before the Israelites. And he sacrificed and burned incense at the high places, on the hilltops, and under every flourishing tree.

Then Yahweh his God gave him into the hand of the king of Aram[b] who defeated him and captured many captives from him and brought them to Damascus. Moreover, he was also given into the hand of the king of Israel, and he defeated him by a great attack. And Pekah, the son of Remaliah, killed in one day one hundred and twenty thousand in Judah, all men of strength, because they forsook Yahweh the God of their ancestors.[c] And Zikri, a mighty warrior of Ephraim, killed Maaseiah the son of the king, Azrikam the commander of the house, and Elkanah the second to the king. And the Israelites captured two hundred thousand of their brothers, women, sons, and daughters. And they also plundered much booty from them and brought the booty to Samaria.

Now a prophet of Yahweh was there; Oded was his name. And he went out before the army that was coming to Samaria and said to them, “Look, it is on account of the anger of Yahweh, the God of your ancestors,[d] against Judah that he gave them into your hands, and you killed them in a rage reaching to the heavens. 10 So now, you yourselves plan to subdue people of Judah and Jerusalem as slaves and female servants for yourselves. Is there not also guilt on your part[e] against Yahweh your God? 11 So now, listen to me and return the captives of your brothers whom you have taken captive, for the fierce anger of Yahweh is against you.”

12 Then men from the heads of Ephraim—Azariah the son of Jehohanan, Berekiah the son of Meshillemoth, Hezekiah the son of Shallum, and Amasa the son of Hadlai—stood against those returning from the fight. 13 And they said to them, “You shall not bring the captives here, for it is as guilt against Yahweh upon us. You yourselves plan to add to our sins and to our guilt, but our guilt is very great, and there is great anger against Israel.” 14 So the soldiers left the captives and the plunder before the commanders and all the assembly. 15 Then the men designated by name arose and took the captives and from the plunder clothed all their nakedness. So they clothed them, gave them sandals, gave them food to eat, gave them water to drink, anointed them, and guided them with the donkeys provided for all those who stumbled, and brought them to Jericho, the city of the palm trees, next to their brothers. Then they returned to Samaria.

16 At that time King Ahaz sent to the king of Assyria to help him, 17 since again the Edomites came and struck against Judah and took captives. 18 And the Philistines sent raids into the cities of the Shephelah and the Negeb of Judah. And they captured Beth-Shemesh, Aijalon, Gederoth, Socoh with its villages, Timnah with its villages, and Gimzo with its villages. And they settled there. 19 For Yahweh subdued Judah for the sake of Ahaz, king of Israel, for he created disorder in Judah and acted unfaithfully against Yahweh. 20 Then Tiglath-Pileser[f] the king of Assyria came against him and brought trouble for him, instead of helping him,[g] 21 for Ahaz took a portion from the house of Yahweh and the house of the king and the princes, and he gave it to the king of Assyria, but it was no help to him.

22 And in the time of his distress, King Ahaz continued to act unfaithfully against Yahweh. 23 He sacrificed to the gods of Damascus that had defeated him and said, “Because the gods of the king of Aram[h] helped them, I will sacrifice to them so that they will help me.” But they were a disaster[i] to him and to all Israel. 24 Then Ahaz gathered the objects of the house of God, and he cut the objects of the house of God to pieces. And he shut the doors of the house of Yahweh and made for himself altars in every corner of Jerusalem. 25 And in every city[j] of Judah he made high places to burn incense to other gods, and he provoked Yahweh, the God of his ancestors,[k] to anger.

26 Now the remainder of his words and all his ways, from the first to the last, behold, they are written upon the scroll of the kings of Judah and Israel. 27 And Ahaz slept with his ancestors,[l] and they buried him in the city, in Jerusalem, for they did not bring him to the burial site of the kings of Israel. And Hezekiah his son became king in his place.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 28:1 Or “father”
  2. 2 Chronicles 28:5 Or “Syria”
  3. 2 Chronicles 28:6 Or “fathers”
  4. 2 Chronicles 28:9 Or “fathers”
  5. 2 Chronicles 28:10 Literally “Is there not only you with yourselves guilt?”
  6. 2 Chronicles 28:20 The Hebrew reads “Tilgath-Pilneser”
  7. 2 Chronicles 28:20 Literally “and did not strengthen him”
  8. 2 Chronicles 28:23 Or “Syria”
  9. 2 Chronicles 28:23 Literally “a cause of stumbling”
  10. 2 Chronicles 28:25 Literally “in all city and city”
  11. 2 Chronicles 28:25 Or “fathers”
  12. 2 Chronicles 28:27 Or “fathers”

Ahaz King of Judah(A)

28 Ahaz(B) was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. Unlike David his father, he did not do what was right in the eyes of the Lord. He followed the ways of the kings of Israel and also made idols(C) for worshiping the Baals. He burned sacrifices in the Valley of Ben Hinnom(D) and sacrificed his children(E) in the fire, engaging in the detestable(F) practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before the Israelites. He offered sacrifices and burned incense at the high places, on the hilltops and under every spreading tree.

Therefore the Lord his God delivered him into the hands of the king of Aram.(G) The Arameans defeated him and took many of his people as prisoners and brought them to Damascus.

He was also given into the hands of the king of Israel, who inflicted heavy casualties on him. In one day Pekah(H) son of Remaliah killed a hundred and twenty thousand soldiers in Judah(I)—because Judah had forsaken the Lord, the God of their ancestors. Zikri, an Ephraimite warrior, killed Maaseiah the king’s son, Azrikam the officer in charge of the palace, and Elkanah, second to the king. The men of Israel took captive from their fellow Israelites who were from Judah(J) two hundred thousand wives, sons and daughters. They also took a great deal of plunder, which they carried back to Samaria.(K)

But a prophet of the Lord named Oded was there, and he went out to meet the army when it returned to Samaria. He said to them, “Because the Lord, the God of your ancestors, was angry(L) with Judah, he gave them into your hand. But you have slaughtered them in a rage that reaches to heaven.(M) 10 And now you intend to make the men and women of Judah and Jerusalem your slaves.(N) But aren’t you also guilty of sins against the Lord your God? 11 Now listen to me! Send back your fellow Israelites you have taken as prisoners, for the Lord’s fierce anger rests on you.(O)

12 Then some of the leaders in Ephraim—Azariah son of Jehohanan, Berekiah son of Meshillemoth, Jehizkiah son of Shallum, and Amasa son of Hadlai—confronted those who were arriving from the war. 13 “You must not bring those prisoners here,” they said, “or we will be guilty before the Lord. Do you intend to add to our sin and guilt? For our guilt is already great, and his fierce anger rests on Israel.”

14 So the soldiers gave up the prisoners and plunder in the presence of the officials and all the assembly. 15 The men designated by name took the prisoners, and from the plunder they clothed all who were naked. They provided them with clothes and sandals, food and drink,(P) and healing balm. All those who were weak they put on donkeys. So they took them back to their fellow Israelites at Jericho, the City of Palms,(Q) and returned to Samaria.(R)

16 At that time King Ahaz sent to the kings[a] of Assyria(S) for help. 17 The Edomites(T) had again come and attacked Judah and carried away prisoners,(U) 18 while the Philistines(V) had raided towns in the foothills and in the Negev of Judah. They captured and occupied Beth Shemesh, Aijalon(W) and Gederoth,(X) as well as Soko,(Y) Timnah(Z) and Gimzo, with their surrounding villages. 19 The Lord had humbled Judah because of Ahaz king of Israel,[b] for he had promoted wickedness in Judah and had been most unfaithful(AA) to the Lord. 20 Tiglath-Pileser[c](AB) king of Assyria(AC) came to him, but he gave him trouble(AD) instead of help.(AE) 21 Ahaz(AF) took some of the things from the temple of the Lord and from the royal palace and from the officials and presented them to the king of Assyria, but that did not help him.(AG)

22 In his time of trouble King Ahaz became even more unfaithful(AH) to the Lord. 23 He offered sacrifices to the gods(AI) of Damascus, who had defeated him; for he thought, “Since the gods of the kings of Aram have helped them, I will sacrifice to them so they will help me.”(AJ) But they were his downfall and the downfall of all Israel.(AK)

24 Ahaz gathered together the furnishings(AL) from the temple of God(AM) and cut them in pieces. He shut the doors(AN) of the Lord’s temple and set up altars(AO) at every street corner in Jerusalem. 25 In every town in Judah he built high places to burn sacrifices to other gods and aroused the anger of the Lord, the God of his ancestors.

26 The other events of his reign and all his ways, from beginning to end, are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel. 27 Ahaz rested(AP) with his ancestors and was buried(AQ) in the city of Jerusalem, but he was not placed in the tombs of the kings of Israel. And Hezekiah his son succeeded him as king.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 28:16 Most Hebrew manuscripts; one Hebrew manuscript, Septuagint and Vulgate (see also 2 Kings 16:7) king
  2. 2 Chronicles 28:19 That is, Judah, as frequently in 2 Chronicles
  3. 2 Chronicles 28:20 Hebrew Tilgath-Pilneser, a variant of Tiglath-Pileser