2 Chronicles 28

¹Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign , and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem . He didn’t do that which was right in the LORD ’s eyes , like David his father ,

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

³Moreover 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 the LORD cast out before the children of Israel .

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

⁵Therefore the LORD his God delivered him into the hand of the king of Syria. They struck him , and carried away from him a great multitude of captives , and brought them to Damascus . He was also delivered into the hand of the king of Israel , who struck him with a great slaughter .

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

⁷Zichri , a mighty man of Ephraim, killed Maaseiah the king ’s son , Azrikam the ruler of the house , and Elkanah who was next to the king .

⁸The children of Israel carried away captive of their brothers two hundred thousand women , sons , and daughters , and also took away much plunder from them , and brought the plunder to Samaria .

⁹But a prophet of the LORD was there , whose name was Oded ; and he went out to meet the army that came to Samaria , and said to them , “Behold , because the LORD , the God of your fathers, was angry with Judah , he has delivered them into your hand , and you have slain them in a rage which has reached up to heaven .

¹⁰Now you intend to degrade the children of Judah and Jerusalem as male and female slaves for yourselves . Aren’t there even with you trespasses of your own against the LORD your God ?

¹¹Now hear me therefore , and send back the captives that you have taken captive from your brothers, for the fierce wrath of the LORD is on you .”

¹²Then some of the heads of the children of Ephraim, Azariah the son of Yochanan, 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 ,

¹³and said to them , “You must not bring in the captives here , for you intend that which will bring on us a trespass against the LORD , to add to our sins and to our guilt; for our guilt is great , and there is fierce wrath against Israel .”

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

¹⁵The men who have been mentioned by name rose up and took the captives , and with the plunder clothed all who were naked among them , dressed them , gave them sandals , gave them something to eat and to drink , anointed them , carried all the feeble of them on donkeys , and 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 to help him .

¹⁷For again the Edomites had come and struck Judah , and carried away captives .

¹⁸The Philistines also had invaded the cities of the lowland and of the South of Judah , and had taken Beth Shemesh, Aijalon, Gederoth , Soco with its villages , Timnah with its villages , and also Gimzo and its villages ; and they lived there .

¹⁹For the LORD brought Judah low because of Ahaz king of Israel , because he acted without restraint in Judah and trespassed severely against the LORD .

²⁰Tilgath-pilneser king of Assyria came to him and gave him trouble, but didn’t strengthen him .

²¹For Ahaz took away a portion out of the LORD ’s house , and out of the house of the king and of the princes , and gave it to the king of Assyria; but it didn’t help him .

²²In the time of his distress , he trespassed yet more against the LORD , this same King Ahaz.

²³For he sacrificed to the gods of Damascus which had defeated him . He said, “Because the gods of the kings of Syria helped them , I will sacrifice to them , that they may help me .” But they were the ruin of him and of all Israel .

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

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

²⁶Now the rest of his acts , and all his ways , first and last, behold , they are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel .

²⁷Ahaz slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city , even in Jerusalem , because they didn’t bring him into the tombs of the kings of Israel ; and Hezekiah his son reigned in his place .