2 Chronicles 28

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

2He walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, and he also made cast images for the Baals.

3He also burned incense in the Valley of Ben-hinnom, and he burned his sons in the fire, according to the abominations of the nations whom Yahweh had driven out before the sons of Israel.

4He sacrificed and burned incense on the high places, on the hills, and under every green tree.

5Therefore Yahweh his God gave him into the hand of the king of Aram, and they struck him and took from him a great number of captives and brought them to Damascus. He was also given into the hand of the king of Israel, who struck him with a great blow.

6And Pekah son of Remaliah killed in Judah one hundred twenty thousand in a single day, all of them valiant men, because they had forsaken Yahweh, the God of their fathers.

7And Zikri, a mighty man of Ephraim, killed Maaseiah the king’s son, Azrikam the overseer of the house, and Elkanah, second to the king.

8And the sons of Israel took captive from their brothers two hundred thousand women, sons, and daughters. They also took much spoil from them and brought the spoil to Samaria.

9There was a prophet of the LORD there, whose name was Oded; and he went out before the army that came to Samaria and said to them, “Look, because the LORD, the God of your fathers, was angry with Judah, he gave them into your hand, but you have killed them in a rage that has reached up to heaven.”

10And now, you are saying that you will subdue the people of Judah and Jerusalem as male and female servants for yourselves. But do not you yourselves also have guilt before Yahweh your God?

11Now listen to me, and return the captives whom you have taken from your brothers, for the burning anger of Yahweh is upon you.

12Then some men from the heads of the sons of Ephraim stood up against those coming from the army: Azariah son of Jehohanan, Berechiah son of Meshillemoth, Hezekiah son of Shallum, and Amasa son of Hadlai.

13And they said to them, “Do not bring the captives here, for you are proposing to add to our sins and to our guilt, bringing guilt from Yahweh upon us, because our guilt is already great, and there is fierce anger against Israel.”

14So the armed men left the captives and the plunder before the officials and all the assembly.

15Then the men who had been designated by name stood up and took charge of the captives, and from the spoil they clothed all who were naked among them. They clothed them, put sandals on them, fed them, gave them drink, anointed them, and led all the feeble among them on donkeys. They brought them to Jericho, the city of palm trees, to their brothers; then they returned to Samaria.

16At that time King Ahaz sent to the kings of Assyria for help.

17The Edomites had also come and attacked Judah and carried away captives.

18And the Philistines had raided the cities of the lowland and the Negeb of Judah, and they captured Beth-shemesh, Aijalon, Gederoth, Soko and its villages, Timnah and its villages, and Gimzo and its villages; and they settled there.

19For Yahweh humbled Judah because of Ahaz king of Israel, for he had cast off restraint in Judah and had acted very unfaithfully against Yahweh.

20Then Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria came against him and distressed him, but did not strengthen him.

21For Ahaz plundered the house of Yahweh, and the house of the king and the princes, and gave it to the king of Assyria, but it did not help him.

22In the time of his distress, he continued to act unfaithfully against Yahweh—he, King Ahaz.

23And he sacrificed to the gods of Damascus that had struck him, and he said, “Because the gods of the kings of Aram help them, I will sacrifice to them, so that they may help me.” But they became the downfall of him and of all Israel.

24Ahaz gathered the vessels of the house of God and cut up the vessels of the house of God, and he shut the doors of the house of the LORD and made for himself altars in every corner of Jerusalem.

25And in every city of Judah he made high places to burn incense to other gods, and he provoked Yahweh, the God of his fathers.

26The rest of his acts and all his ways, the first and the last, behold, they are written in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel.

27And Ahaz lay down with his fathers, and they buried him in the city, in Jerusalem, for they did not bring him into the tombs of the kings of Israel. And Hezekiah his son reigned in his place.