16 Jotham's son Ahaz became the king of Judah when Remaliah's son Pekah had been king of Israel for 17 years. 2 Ahaz was 20 years old when he became king. He ruled Judah as king in Jerusalem for 16 years. He did not do the things that the Lord his God said were good. So he was not like his ancestor, King David. 3 He lived in the same bad way that the kings of Israel did. He even caused his son to walk through fire. [ a ] In this way he copied the terrible sins of the other nations in Canaan. Those were the nations that the Lord had chased out so that the Israelites could live there. 4 Ahaz offered sacrifices and he burned incense on altars on the hills, as well as under all the big trees.
5 At that time, King Rezin of Syria and Remaliah's son, King Pekah of Israel, attacked Jerusalem. Their armies made a camp all around the city while Ahaz was there. But they could not win the battle against him. 6 (At the same time, King Rezin got Elath town back for Syria. He chased out the people of Judah who were living there. People from Edom then moved into Elath, and they are still living there.)
7 King Ahaz sent a message to Tiglath-Pileser, the king of Assyria. He said, ‘I am your servant and I need your help. The king of Syria and the king of Israel have brought their armies to attack me in Jerusalem. Please come here to rescue me.’ [ b ] 8 Ahaz took the silver and gold things that were stored in the Lord 's temple and in the palace. He sent them all as a gift to the king of Assyria. 9 So the king of Assyria agreed to do what Ahaz had asked him to do. He attacked Damascus and he took the city for himself. [ c ] He sent the people who had lived there to Kir as his prisoners. He punished King Rezin with death.
10 King Ahaz went to Damascus to meet King Tiglath-Pileser of Assyria. When he was there, he saw an altar. He sent a picture and a plan of the altar to Uriah, the priest, so that someone could build one for him. 11 So Uriah built an altar that copied the plan that King Ahaz had sent from Damascus. Uriah finished it before King Ahaz returned. 12 When the king arrived in Jerusalem from Damascus, he saw the new altar. He went near it to offer sacrifices on it.
13 He made a burnt offering and a grain offering. He poured wine as a drink offering. He splashed the blood from his peace offerings onto the altar.
14 A bronze altar stood in front of the Lord 's temple to bring sacrifices to him. Now it stood between the new altar and the front of the temple. So Ahaz moved it away from there. He put it on the north side of the new altar. 15 Then King Ahaz commanded Uriah the priest, ‘On the large new altar, offer these gifts:
A burnt offering for each morning.
A grain offering for each evening.
A burnt offering and a grain offering on behalf of the king.
A burnt offering on behalf of all the people of Israel.
A grain offering and drink offerings on behalf of the people.
Splash the blood from all these sacrifices on the new altar. But I will use the bronze altar myself, to find out about my future times.’
16 So Uriah the priest did what King Ahaz had commanded him to do.
17 King Ahaz also removed the pieces on the sides of the carts which carried the buckets for water. He also removed the buckets. He took the large bath called ‘the Sea’ from the top of the bronze bulls that it stood on. He stood it on a big flat stone instead. [ d ] 18 He removed the roof that gave shade for people in the temple yard on the Sabbath days. He also removed the king's special entrance into the temple yard. He did these things to please the king of Assyria.
19 The other things that happened while Ahaz was king are written in a book. The book is called ‘The history of Judah's kings’. It tells about the things that Ahaz did. 20 Ahaz died and they buried him beside his ancestors in the City of David. His son Hezekiah became king after him.
16 Ahaz son of Jotham became king of Judah during the 17th year that Pekah son of Remaliah was king of Israel. 2 Ahaz was 20 years old when he became king. He ruled 16 years in Jerusalem. Unlike his ancestor David, Ahaz did not do what the Lord said was right. 3 He did the same bad things the kings of Israel had done. He even burned his son as a sacrifice. [ a ] He copied the terrible sins of the nations that the Lord had forced to leave the country when the Israelites came. 4 Ahaz made sacrifices and burned incense at the high places and on the hills and under every green tree.
5 King Rezin of Aram and King Pekah son of Remaliah of Israel came to fight against Jerusalem. Rezin and Pekah surrounded Ahaz, but could not defeat him. 6 At that time King Rezin of Aram took back Elath for Aram. Rezin took all the people of Judah who were living in Elath. The Arameans settled in Elath, and they still live there today.
7 Ahaz sent messengers to King Tiglath Pileser of Assyria with this message: “I am your servant. I am like a son to you. Come and save me from the king of Aram and the king of Israel. They have come to fight me.” 8 Ahaz also took the silver and gold that was in the Temple of the Lord and in the treasuries of the king’s palace. Then Ahaz sent a gift to the king of Assyria. 9 The king of Assyria listened to Ahaz and went to fight against Damascus. The king captured that city and took the people from Damascus as prisoners to Kir. He also killed Rezin.
10 King Ahaz went to Damascus to meet King Tiglath Pileser of Assyria. Ahaz saw the altar at Damascus. He sent a model and pattern of this altar to Uriah the priest. 11 Then Uriah the priest built an altar just like the model King Ahaz had sent him from Damascus. Uriah the priest built the altar this way before King Ahaz came back from Damascus.
12 When the king arrived from Damascus, he saw the altar. He offered sacrifices on the altar. 13 Ahaz burned his burnt offerings and grain offerings on it. He poured his drink offering and sprinkled the blood of his fellowship offerings on this altar.
14 Ahaz took the bronze altar that was before the Lord from the front of the Temple. This bronze altar was between Ahaz’s altar and the Temple of the Lord . Ahaz put the bronze altar on the north side of his own altar. 15 He commanded Uriah the priest, “Use the large altar to burn the morning burnt offerings, the evening grain offerings, and the drink offerings from all the people of this country. Sprinkle all the blood from the burnt offering and other sacrifices on the large altar. But I will use the bronze altar to get answers from God.” 16 Uriah the priest did everything that King Ahaz commanded him to do.
17 There were carts with bronze panels and basins for the priests to wash their hands. King Ahaz removed the panels and basins and cut up the carts. He also took the large tank [ b ] off the bronze bulls that stood under it. He put the large tank on a stone pavement. 18 Workers had built a covered place inside the Temple area for the Sabbath meetings. But Ahaz removed the covered place and the outside entrance for the king. He removed all these from the Lord ’s Temple. Ahaz did this because of the king of Assyria.
19 All the great things that Ahaz did are written in the book, The History of the Kings of Judah . 20 Ahaz died and was buried with his ancestors in the City of David. Ahaz’s son Hezekiah became the new king after him.
16 In the seventeenth year of Pekah the son of Remaliah Ahaz the son of Jotham king of Judah began to reign.
2 Twenty years old was Ahaz when he began to reign, and reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem, and did not that which was right in the sight of the Lord his God, like David his father.
3 But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, yea, and made his son to pass through the fire, according to the abominations of the heathen, whom the Lord cast out from before the children of Israel.
4 And he sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places, and on the hills, and under every green tree.
5 Then Rezin king of Syria and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel came up to Jerusalem to war: and they besieged Ahaz, but could not overcome him.
6 At that time Rezin king of Syria recovered Elath to Syria, and drave the Jews from Elath: and the Syrians came to Elath, and dwelt there unto this day.
7 So Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglathpileser king of Assyria, saying, I am thy servant and thy son: come up, and save me out of the hand of the king of Syria, and out of the hand of the king of Israel, which rise up against me.
8 And Ahaz took the silver and gold that was found in the house of the Lord , and in the treasures of the king's house, and sent it for a present to the king of Assyria.
9 And the king of Assyria hearkened unto him: for the king of Assyria went up against Damascus, and took it, and carried the people of it captive to Kir, and slew Rezin.
10 And king Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglathpileser king of Assyria, and saw an altar that was at Damascus: and king Ahaz sent to Urijah the priest the fashion of the altar, and the pattern of it, according to all the workmanship thereof.
11 And Urijah the priest built an altar according to all that king Ahaz had sent from Damascus: so Urijah the priest made it against king Ahaz came from Damascus.
12 And when the king was come from Damascus, the king saw the altar: and the king approached to the altar, and offered thereon.
13 And he burnt his burnt offering and his meat offering, and poured his drink offering, and sprinkled the blood of his peace offerings, upon the altar.
14 And he brought also the brasen altar, which was before the Lord , from the forefront of the house, from between the altar and the house of the Lord , and put it on the north side of the altar.
15 And king Ahaz commanded Urijah the priest, saying, Upon the great altar burn the morning burnt offering, and the evening meat offering, and the king's burnt sacrifice, and his meat offering, with the burnt offering of all the people of the land, and their meat offering, and their drink offerings; and sprinkle upon it all the blood of the burnt offering, and all the blood of the sacrifice: and the brasen altar shall be for me to enquire by.
16 Thus did Urijah the priest, according to all that king Ahaz commanded.
17 And king Ahaz cut off the borders of the bases, and removed the laver from off them; and took down the sea from off the brasen oxen that were under it, and put it upon the pavement of stones.
18 And the covert for the sabbath that they had built in the house, and the king's entry without, turned he from the house of the Lord for the king of Assyria.
19 Now the rest of the acts of Ahaz which he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?
20 And Ahaz slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David: and Hezekiah his son reigned in his stead.
16 In the seventeenth year of Pekah the son of Remaliah, ( A ) Ahaz the son of Jotham, king of Judah, became king. 2 ( B ) Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned for sixteen years in Jerusalem; and he did not do what was right in the sight of the Lord his God, as his father David had done . 3 But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, ( C ) and he even made his son pass through the fire, ( D ) in accordance with the abominations of the nations whom the Lord had [ a ] driven out before the sons of Israel. 4 And he ( E ) sacrificed and burned incense on the high places, on the hills, and under every green tree.
5 Then ( F ) Rezin the king of Aram and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up to Jerusalem for war; and they besieged Ahaz, ( G ) but [ b ] were not capable of fighting him. 6 At that time Rezin king of Aram restored ( H ) Elath to Aram, and drove the Judeans away from [ c ] Elath; and the [ d ] Arameans came to Elath and have lived there to this day.
7 ( I ) So Ahaz sent messengers to ( J ) Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, saying, “I am your servant and your son; come up and save me from the [ e ] hand of the king of Aram, and from the [ f ] hand of the king of Israel, who are rising up against me.” 8 And ( K ) Ahaz took the silver and gold that was found in the house of the Lord and in the treasuries of the king’s house, and sent a gift to the king of Assyria. 9 ( L ) So the king of Assyria listened to him; and the king of Assyria went up against Damascus and ( M ) captured it, and led the people of it into exile to ( N ) Kir, and put Rezin to death.
10 Now King Ahaz went to Damascus to meet ( O ) Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, and he saw the altar which was at Damascus; and King Ahaz sent to ( P ) Urijah the priest the [ g ] pattern of the altar and its model, according to all its workmanship. 11 So Urijah the priest built an altar; according to everything that King Ahaz had sent from Damascus, in that way Urijah the priest made it , [ h ] before the coming of King Ahaz from Damascus. 12 And when the king came from Damascus, the king saw the altar; then ( Q ) the king approached the altar and [ i ] went up to it, 13 and [ j ] burned his burnt offering and his meal offering, and poured out his [ k ] drink offering and sprinkled the blood of his peace offerings on the altar. 14 And ( R ) the bronze altar, which was before the Lord , [ l ] he brought from the front of the house, from between ( S ) his altar and the house of the Lord , and he put it on the north side of his altar. 15 Then King Ahaz commanded Urijah the priest, saying, “Upon the great altar [ m ] burn ( T ) the morning burnt offering, the evening meal offering, the king’s burnt offering and his meal offering, with the burnt offering of all the people of the land, their meal offering, and their [ n ] drink offerings; and sprinkle on it all the blood of the burnt offering and all the blood of the sacrifice. But ( U ) the bronze altar shall be for me, for making inquiries.” 16 So Urijah the priest acted in accordance with everything that King Ahaz commanded.
17 Then King Ahaz ( V ) cut off the borders of the stands, and removed the wash basin from them; he also ( W ) took down the [ o ] Sea from the bronze oxen which were under it and put it on a pavement of stone. 18 And the covered way for the Sabbath which they had built in the house, and the outer entry of the king, he removed from the house of the Lord because of the king of Assyria.
19 Now as for the rest of the acts of Ahaz which he did, are they not written ( X ) in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 20 So ( Y ) Ahaz [ p ] lay down with his fathers, and ( Z ) was buried with his fathers in the city of David; and his son Hezekiah reigned in his place.
16 In the seventeenth year of Pekah son of Remaliah, Ahaz ( B ) son of Jotham king of Judah began to reign. 2 Ahaz 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 ( C ) in the eyes of the Lord his God. 3 He followed the ways of the kings of Israel ( D ) and even sacrificed his son ( E ) in the fire, engaging in the detestable ( F ) practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before the Israelites. 4 He offered sacrifices and burned incense ( G ) at the high places, on the hilltops and under every spreading tree. ( H )
5 Then Rezin ( I ) king of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel marched up to fight against Jerusalem and besieged Ahaz, but they could not overpower him. 6 At that time, Rezin ( J ) king of Aram recovered Elath ( K ) for Aram by driving out the people of Judah. Edomites then moved into Elath and have lived there to this day.
7 Ahaz sent messengers to say to Tiglath-Pileser ( L ) king of Assyria, “I am your servant and vassal. Come up and save ( M ) me out of the hand of the king of Aram and of the king of Israel, who are attacking me.” 8 And Ahaz took the silver and gold found in the temple of the Lord and in the treasuries of the royal palace and sent it as a gift ( N ) to the king of Assyria. 9 The king of Assyria complied by attacking Damascus ( O ) and capturing it. He deported its inhabitants to Kir ( P ) and put Rezin to death.
10 Then King Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria. He saw an altar in Damascus and sent to Uriah ( Q ) the priest a sketch of the altar, with detailed plans for its construction. 11 So Uriah the priest built an altar in accordance with all the plans that King Ahaz had sent from Damascus and finished it before King Ahaz returned. 12 When the king came back from Damascus and saw the altar, he approached it and presented offerings [ a ] ( R ) on it. 13 He offered up his burnt offering ( S ) and grain offering, ( T ) poured out his drink offering, ( U ) and splashed the blood of his fellowship offerings ( V ) against the altar. 14 As for the bronze altar ( W ) that stood before the Lord , he brought it from the front of the temple—from between the new altar and the temple of the Lord —and put it on the north side of the new altar.
15 King Ahaz then gave these orders to Uriah the priest: “On the large new altar, offer the morning ( X ) burnt offering and the evening grain offering, the king’s burnt offering and his grain offering, and the burnt offering of all the people of the land, and their grain offering and their drink offering. Splash against this altar the blood of all the burnt offerings and sacrifices. But I will use the bronze altar for seeking guidance.” ( Y ) 16 And Uriah the priest did just as King Ahaz had ordered.
17 King Ahaz cut off the side panels and removed the basins from the movable stands. He removed the Sea from the bronze bulls that supported it and set it on a stone base. ( Z ) 18 He took away the Sabbath canopy [ b ] that had been built at the temple and removed the royal entryway outside the temple of the Lord , in deference to the king of Assyria. ( AA )
19 As for the other events of the reign of Ahaz, and what he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? 20 Ahaz rested ( AB ) with his ancestors and was buried with them in the City of David. And Hezekiah his son succeeded him as king.
