More Attacks^(A)

At that time the Edomites came again and attacked Judah and carried away ·prisoners [captives]. So King Ahaz sent to the king of Assyria for help. ¹⁸ The Philistines also ·robbed [raided; invaded] the towns in the ·western hills [^LShephelah] and in ·southern [^Lthe Negev of] Judah. They captured the towns of Beth Shemesh, Aijalon, Gederoth, Soco, Timnah, and Gimzo, and the villages around them. Then the Philistines ·lived [settled] in those towns. ¹⁹ The Lord ·brought trouble on [humbled; humiliated; or subdued] Judah because Ahaz their king ·led the people of Judah to sin [acted without restraint/irresponsibly], and he was ·very [completely; utterly] unfaithful to the Lord. ²⁰ Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria came to Ahaz, but he ·gave Ahaz trouble instead of help [oppressed him rather than helped him]. ²¹ Ahaz ·took some valuable things from [plundered] the ·Temple [^Lhouse] of the Lord, from the ·palace [^Lhouse], and from the ·princes [officials], and he gave them to the king of Assyria, but it did not help.

²² During Ahaz’s ·troubles [^Ltime of distress] he was even more unfaithful to the Lord. ²³ He ·offered [sacrificed] sacrifices to the gods of the people of Damascus, who had defeated him. He thought, “The gods of the kings of Aram helped them. If I ·offer [sacrifice] sacrifices to them, they ·will [may] help me also.” But this brought ·ruin to [the downfall of] Ahaz and all Israel.

²⁴ Ahaz gathered the ·things [articles; utensils] from the ·Temple [^Lhouse] of God and ·broke [cut] them into pieces. Then he closed the doors of the ·Temple [^Lhouse] of the Lord. He made himself altars [^Cto pagan gods] and put them on every street corner in Jerusalem. ²⁵ In every town in Judah, Ahaz made ·places [^Lhigh places; 11:15] for burning sacrifices to other gods. So he ·made [provoked] the Lord, the God of his ·ancestors [fathers], ·very angry [to anger].

²⁶ The ·other things Ahaz did as king [rest of the events/acts/history of Ahaz’s reign], from ·beginning to end [first to last], are written in the ·book [scroll] of the kings of Judah and Israel. ²⁷ Ahaz ·died [^Llay down/^Tslept with his fathers/ancestors] and was buried in the City of David [^CJerusalem], but not in the ·graves [tombs] of the kings of Israel. Ahaz’s son Hezekiah became king in his place.

⁶ At that time Rezin king of Aram ·took back [recovered] the city of Elath for Aram, and he forced out all the people of Judah. Then ·Edomites [Arameans] moved into Elath, and they still live there today.

⁷ Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, saying, “I am your servant and your ·friend [vassal; ^Lson]. Come and ·save [rescue; ^Tdeliver] me from the hand of the king of Aram and the king of Israel, who are attacking me.” ⁸ Ahaz took the silver and gold that was in the ·Temple [^Lhouse] of the Lord and in the treasuries of the ·palace [^Lking’s house], and he sent these as a gift to the king of Assyria. ⁹ So the king of Assyria listened to Ahaz. He attacked Damascus and captured it and ·sent all [exiled; deported] its people away to Kir. And he killed Rezin.

¹⁰ Then King Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria. Ahaz saw an altar at Damascus, and he sent ·plans [a model] and a ·pattern [detailed plan] of this altar to Uriah the priest. ¹¹ So Uriah the priest built an altar, just like the plans King Ahaz had sent him from Damascus. Uriah finished the altar before King Ahaz came back from Damascus. ¹² When the king arrived from Damascus, he saw the altar and went ·near [up to it/onto it] and offered sacrifices on it [^Cthe building of this altar was an act of apostasy]. ¹³ He ·burned [offered; presented] his burnt offerings and grain offerings and poured out his drink offering. He also sprinkled the blood of his ·fellowship [or peace; well-being] offerings [Lev. 3:1] on the altar.

¹⁴ Ahaz moved the bronze altar that was previously before the Lord at the front of the ·Temple [^Lhouse]. It was between Ahaz’s altar [^Cthe new one] and the ·Temple [^Lhouse] of the Lord [^Cthe Temple entrance], but he put it on the north side of his altar. ¹⁵ King Ahaz commanded Uriah the priest, “On the ·large [great; ^Cthe new one] altar ·burn [offer; present] the morning burnt offering [Lev. 1:1–17], the evening grain offering, the king’s burnt offering and ·grain [^Lgift; tribute] offering [Lev. 2:1], and the whole burnt offering, the ·grain [^Lgift; tribute] offering, and the drink offering for all the people of the land. Sprinkle on the altar all the blood of the burnt offering and of the sacrifice. But I will use the bronze altar to ·ask questions [inquire] of God.” ¹⁶ So Uriah the priest did everything as King Ahaz commanded him.

¹⁷ Then King Ahaz ·took [cut] off the side panels from the bases and removed the ·washing bowls [basins] from the top of the ·bases [movable stands; portable water carts]. He also took the large bowl, which was called the Sea, off the bronze ·bulls [oxen] that held it up, and he put it on ·a [the] stone ·base [pavement; pediment]. ¹⁸ Ahaz took away the ·platform [dais; or canopy; covered portal] for the royal throne, which had been built at the ·Temple [^Lhouse] of the Lord. He also took away the outside entrance for the king. He did these things because of the king of Assyria [^Cto show deference and submission].

¹⁹ The other things Ahaz did as king ·are [^Lare they not…?] written in the book of the ·history [chronicles; annals; 1:18] of the kings of Judah. ²⁰ Ahaz ·died [^Llay down/^Tslept with his fathers/ancestors] and was buried with his ·ancestors [fathers] in the City of David [^CJerusalem], and Ahaz’s son Hezekiah ·became king [reigned] in his place.