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 sight of Yahweh, as his ancestor David had done.

2He walked in the ways of the kings of Israel and even made metal images for the Baals.

3He burned incense in the Valley of Ben-hinnom and burned his sons in the fire, following the detestable practices of the nations whom Yahweh had driven out before the Israelites.

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

5So Yahweh his God handed him over to the king of Aram. The Arameans defeated him and took a great many of his people captive and brought them to Damascus. He was also handed over to the king of Israel, who struck him with a great slaughter.

6In one day Pekah son of Remaliah killed 120,000 in Judah, all of them valiant men, because they had forsaken Yahweh, the God of their ancestors.

7Zichri, a mighty warrior from Ephraim, killed Maaseiah the king’s son, Azrikam the officer in charge of the palace, and Elkanah, who was second to the king.

8The Israelites took captive two hundred thousand of their own relatives, women, sons, and daughters. They also took a great deal of plunder from them and brought the plunder to Samaria.

9But a prophet of Yahweh named Oded was there. He went out to meet the army as it came to Samaria and said to them, “Look, because Yahweh, the God of your ancestors, was angry with Judah, he handed them over to you, but you have killed them in a rage that has reached up to heaven.

10And now you intend to force the people of Judah and Jerusalem to become your male and female slaves. But are you yourselves not guilty of sins against Yahweh your God?

11Now listen to me, and send back the captives you have taken from your relatives, for the fierce anger of Yahweh is on you.”

12Then some of the leaders of the people of Ephraim—Azariah son of Johanan, Berechiah son of Meshillemoth, Jehizkiah son of Shallum, and Amasa son of Hadlai—stood up against those who were coming back from the war.

13They said to them, “You must not bring the captives here, for you are planning to bring guilt on us before Yahweh and add to our sins and our guilt. Our guilt is already great, and fierce anger is on Israel.”

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

15Then the men who had been named got up and took charge of the captives. From the plunder they clothed all who were naked. They gave them clothes and sandals, food and drink, and anointed them with oil. They put all who were weak on donkeys and brought them to their relatives at Jericho, the City of Palms. Then they returned to Samaria.

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

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

18The Philistines had raided the cities of the lowland and the Negev of Judah. They had captured Beth-shemesh, Aijalon, Gederoth, Soco with its villages, Timnah with its villages, and Gimzo with its villages, and they settled there.

19For Yahweh humbled Judah because of Ahaz king of Israel, for he had let Judah run wild and had been utterly unfaithful to Yahweh.

20Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria came to him, but he brought him trouble instead of strengthening him.

21For Ahaz took a share from the house of Yahweh, from the king’s house, and from the officials, and gave it to the king of Assyria, but it did not help him.

22In the time of his distress this same King Ahaz became even more unfaithful to Yahweh.

23He sacrificed to the gods of Damascus, who had defeated him, for he said, “Since the gods of the kings of Aram are helping them, I will sacrifice to them so that they will help me.” But they were the ruin of him and of all Israel.

24Ahaz gathered together the articles of the house of God and cut the articles of the house of God to pieces. He shut the doors of the house of Yahweh and made himself altars in every corner of Jerusalem.

25In every city of Judah he made high places to burn incense to other gods, and he provoked Yahweh, the God of his ancestors, to anger.

26The rest of his acts and all his ways, from first to last, are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.

27Ahaz rested 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. And his son Hezekiah became king in his place.