28:1 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 in the eyes of the LORD.
28:2 He walked in the ways of the kings of Israel and also made cast idols for worshiping the Baals.
28:3 He burned sacrifices in the Valley of Ben Hinnom and sacrificed his sons in the fire, following the detestable ways of the nations the LORD had driven out before the Israelites.
28:4 He offered sacrifices and burned incense at the high places, on the hilltops and under every spreading tree.
28:5 Therefore the LORD his God handed him over to the king of Aram. The Arameans defeated him and took many of his people as prisoners and brought them to Damascus. He was also given into the hands of the king of Israel, who inflicted heavy casualties on him.
28:6 In one day Pekah son of Remaliah killed a hundred and twenty thousand soldiers in Judah–because Judah had forsaken the LORD, the God of their fathers.
28:7 Zicri, an Ephraimite warrior, killed Maaseiah the king’s son, Azrikam the officer in charge of the palace, and Elkanah, second to the king.
28:8 The Israelites took captive from their kinsmen two hundred thousand wives, sons and daughters. They also took a great deal of plunder, which they carried back to Samaria.
28:9 But a prophet of the LORD named Oded was there, and he went out to meet the army when it returned to Samaria. He said to them, “Because the LORD, the God of your fathers, was angry with Judah, he gave them into your hand. But you have slaughtered them in a rage that reaches to heaven.
28:10 And now you intend to make the men and women of Judah and Jerusalem your slaves. But aren’t you also guilty of sins against the LORD your God?
28:11 Now listen to me! Send back your fellow countrymen you have taken as prisoners, for the LORD’S fierce anger rests on you.”
28:12 Then some of the leaders in Ephraim–Azariah son of Jehohanan, Berekiah son of Meshillemoth, Jehizkiah son of Shallum, and Amasa son of Hadlai–confronted those who were arriving from the war.
28:13 “You must not bring those prisoners here,” they said, “or we will be guilty before the LORD. Do you intend to add to our sin and guilt? For our guilt is already great, and his fierce anger rests on Israel.”
28:14 So the soldiers gave up the prisoners and plunder in the presence of the officials and all the assembly.
28:15 The men designated by name took the prisoners, and from the plunder they clothed all who were naked. They provided them with clothes and sandals, food and drink, and healing balm. All those who were weak they put on donkeys. So they took them back to their fellow countrymen at Jericho, the City of Palms, and returned to Samaria.
28:16 At that time King Ahaz sent to the king of Assyria for help.
28:17 The Edomites had again come and attacked Judah and carried away prisoners,
28:18 while the Philistines had raided towns in the foothills and in the Negev of Judah. They captured and occupied Beth Shemesh, Aijalon and Gederoth, as well as Soco, Timnah and Gimzo, with their surrounding villages.
28:19 The LORD had humbled Judah because of Ahaz king of Israel, for he had promoted wickedness in Judah and had been most unfaithful to the LORD.
28:20 Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria came to him, but he gave him trouble instead of help.
28:21 Ahaz took some of the things from the temple of the LORD and from the royal palace and from the princes and presented them to the king of Assyria, but that did not help him.
28:22 In his time of trouble King Ahaz became even more unfaithful to the LORD.
28:23 He offered sacrifices to the gods of Damascus, who had defeated him; for he thought, “Since the gods of the kings of Aram have helped them, I will sacrifice to them so they will help me.” But they were his downfall and the downfall of all Israel.
28:24 Ahaz gathered together the furnishings from the temple of God and took them away. He shut the doors of the LORD’S temple and set up altars at every street corner in Jerusalem.
28:25 In every town in Judah he built high places to burn sacrifices to other gods and provoked the LORD, the God of his fathers, to anger.
28:26 The other events of his reign and all his ways, from beginning to end, are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.
28:27 Ahaz rested with his fathers and was buried in the city of Jerusalem, but he was not placed in the tombs of the kings of Israel. And Hezekiah his son succeeded him as king.
28:1 Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. And he did not do what was right in the sight of Jehovah as David his father had done,
28:2 But he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel and even made molten images for the Baals.
28:3 And he burned incense in the valley of the son of Hinnom and burned his children in fire, according to the abominations of the nations that Jehovah had dispossessed before the children of Israel.
28:4 And he sacrificed and burned incense on the high places and on the hills and under every flourishing tree.
28:5 Therefore Jehovah his God delivered him into the hand of the king of Syria; and they struck him and carried away captive from him a great multitude. And they brought them to Damascus. And he was also delivered into the hand of the king of Israel, and he struck a great blow on him.
28:6 For Pekah the son of Remaliah slew one hundred twenty thousand in Judah on one day, all of them valiant men, because they had forsaken Jehovah, the God of their fathers.
28:7 And Zichri, a mighty man of Ephraim, slew Maaseiah, the king’s son, and Azrikam, the ruler of the house, and Elkanah, who was second to the king.
28:8 And the children of Israel carried away captive two hundred thousand women, sons, and daughters of their brothers, and also plundered much spoil from them; and they brought the spoil to Samaria.
28:9 But a prophet of Jehovah was there, whose name was Oded; and he went out to meet the army that was coming to Samaria and said to them, Now, because Jehovah, the God of your fathers, was angry with Judah, He has given them into your hand, and you have slain them in a rage which has reached up to heaven.
28:10 And now you intend to subjugate the children of Judah and Jerusalem as your male and female slaves. Is there not even with you anything but trespasses against Jehovah your God?
28:11 Now therefore listen to me, and return the captives that you have carried away captive from among your brothers, for the burning anger of Jehovah is upon you.
28:12 Then some of the heads of the children of Ephraim, Azariah the son of Johanan and Berechiah the son of Meshillemoth and Jehizkiah the son of Shallum and Amasa the son of Hadlai, rose up against those coming from the war;
28:13 And they said to them, You shall not bring the captives here, for you intend to bring a trespass against Jehovah upon us to add to our sins and our trespass; for our trespass is great, and there is burning anger upon Israel.
28:14 So the soldiers left the captives and the plunder before the leaders and all the assembly.
28:15 And those men who have been mentioned by name rose up and took the captives, and with the spoil clothed all who were naked among them. And they clothed them and gave them sandals and fed them and gave them something to drink, and they anointed them and carried all the feeble among them on asses and brought them to Jericho, the city of palms, to their brothers. And they returned to Samaria.
28:16 At that time King Ahaz sent word to the kings of Assyria to help him,
28:17 For again the Edomites came and struck Judah and carried away captives.
28:18 And the Philistines raided the cities of the lowlands and the south of Judah and took Beth-shemesh and Aijalon and Gederoth and Soco with its villages and Timnah with its villages and Gimzo with its villages; and they dwelt there.
28:19 For Jehovah humbled Judah on account of Ahaz the king of Israel, for he cast off restraint in Judah and trespassed greatly against Jehovah.
28:20 And Tilgath-pilneser the king of Assyria came against him and distressed him and did not strengthen him.
28:21 For Ahaz took away a portion of the house of Jehovah and of the house of the king and the officials and gave it to the king of Assyria, but it did not help him.
28:22 And at the time of his distress, he added to his trespass against Jehovah, this same King Ahaz;
28:23 For he sacrificed to the gods of Damascus, which had struck him, for he said, Because the gods of the kings of Syria helped them, to them will I sacrifice, so that they will help me. But they were the ruin of him and of all Israel.
28:24 And Ahaz gathered together the vessels of the house of God and cut the vessels of the house of God into pieces, and he shut up the doors of the house of Jehovah and made himself altars in every corner in Jerusalem.
28:25 And in every city of Judah he made high places for burning incense to other gods and provoked Jehovah, the God of his fathers, to anger.
28:26 Now the rest of his acts and all his ways, the first and the last, are there written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.
28:27 And Ahaz slept with his fathers; and they buried him in the city, in Jerusalem, for they did not bring him to the tombs of the kings of Israel. And Hezekiah his son reigned in his place.