1 Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem; and he did not do what was right in the eyes of Jehovah, like his father David.
2 For he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, and made molten images for the Baals.
3 He burned incense in the valley of the son of Hinnom, and burned his children in the fire, according to the abominations of the nations whom Jehovah had cast out before the children of Israel.
4 And he sacrificed and burned incense on the high places, on the hills, and under every green tree.
5 Therefore Jehovah his God delivered him into the hand of the king of Syria. They struck him, and carried away a great multitude of them as captives, and brought them to Damascus. Then he was also delivered into the hand of the king of Israel, who struck him down with a great slaughter.
6 For Pekah the son of Remaliah killed one hundred and twenty thousand in Judah in one day, all valiant men, because they had forsaken Jehovah the God of their fathers.
7 Zichri, a mighty man of Ephraim, killed Maaseiah the kings son, Azrikam the officer over the house, and Elkanah who was second to the king.
8 And the sons of Israel carried away captive of their brethren two hundred thousand women, sons, and daughters; and they also took away much spoils from them, and brought the spoils to Samaria.
9 But a prophet of Jehovah was there, whose name was Oded; and he went out before the army that came to Samaria, and said to them: Behold, because Jehovah the God of your fathers was angry with Judah, He has delivered them into your hand; but you have killed them in a rage that reaches up to the heavens.
10 And now you propose to subject the children of Judah and Jerusalem to be your male and female slaves; but do you not also have guilt of your own before Jehovah your God?
11 Now listen to me, therefore, and return the captives, whom you have taken captive from your brethren, for the fierce wrath of Jehovah is upon you.
12 Then some of the heads of the sons of Ephraim, Azariah the son of Johanan, Berechiah the son of Meshillemoth, Jehizkiah the son of Shallum, and Amasa the son of Hadlai, stood up against those who came from the war,
13 and said to them, You shall not bring the captives here, for we are already guilty before Jehovah. You intend to add to our sins and to our guilt; for our guilt is great, and there is fierce wrath against Israel.
14 So the armed men left the captives and the spoils before the rulers and all the assembly.
15 Then the men who were designated by name rose up and took the captives, and from the spoils they clothed all who were naked among them, dressed them and gave them sandals, gave them food and drink, and anointed them; and they let all the feeble ones ride on donkeys. So they brought them to their brethren at Jericho, the city of palm trees; and returned to Samaria.
16 At that time King Ahaz had sent to the king of Assyria to help him,
17 for again the Edomites had come, struck Judah, and carried away captives.
18 The Philistines also had invaded the cities of the lowland and of the south of Judah, and had taken Beth Shemesh, Aijalon, Gederoth, Sochoh with its daughter-villages, Timnah with its daughter-villages, and Gimzo with its daughter-villages; and dwelt there.
19 For Jehovah had humbled Judah because of Ahaz king of Israel; for he had led Judah into lack of restraints, and to trespass in unfaithfulness unto Jehovah.
20 And Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria came to him and distressed him, and did not help him.
21 For Ahaz took part of the treasures from the house of Jehovah, from the house of the king, and from the rulers, and he gave it to the king of Assyria; but he did not help him.
22 And in the time of his distress he became increasingly unfaithful to Jehovah; this King Ahaz.
23 For he sacrificed to the gods of Damascus which had struck him, saying, Because the gods of the kings of Syria help them, I will sacrifice to them that they may help me. But they were the ruin of him and of all Israel.
24 So Ahaz gathered the vessels of the house of God, cut in pieces the utensils of the house of God, shut up the doors of the house of Jehovah, and made for himself altars in every corner of Jerusalem.
25 And in every single city of Judah he made high places to burn incense to other gods, and provoked to anger Jehovah the God of his fathers.
26 Now the rest of his acts and all his ways, from first to last, behold they are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.
27 So Ahaz rested with his fathers, and they buried him in the city, in Jerusalem; but they did not bring him into the tombs of the kings of Israel. And Hezekiah his son reigned in his place.