Judah’s King Ahaz

1In the seventeenth year of Pekah son of Remaliah,a Ahazb son of Jotham became king of Judah. 2Ahaz 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 the Lord his God like his ancestor Davida 3but walked in the ways of the kings of Israel.a He even sacrificed his son in the fire,A imitating the detestable practices of the nations the Lord had dispossessed before the Israelites.b 4He sacrificed and burned incensea on the high places, on the hills, and under every green tree.b

5Thena Aram’s King Rezin and Israel’s King Pekah son of Remaliah came to wage war against Jerusalem. They besieged Ahaz but were not able to conquer him.b 6At that time Aram’s King Rezin recovered Elath for Aram and expelled the Judahites from Elath.a Then the Arameans came to Elath, and they still live there today.b

7So Ahaz sent messengersa to King Tiglath-pileserb of Assyria, saying, “I am your servant and your son. March up and save me from the grasp of the king of Aram and of the king of Israel, who are rising up against me.” 8Ahaz also took the silver and gold found in the Lord’s temple and in the treasuries of the king’s palace and sent them to the king of Assyria as a bribe.a 9So the king of Assyria listened to hima and marched up to Damascus and captured it.b He deported its people to Kirc but put Rezin to death.

Ahaz’s Idolatry

10King Ahaz went to Damascus to meet King Tiglath-pilesera of Assyria. When he saw the altar that was in Damascus, King Ahaz sent a model of the altar and complete plans for its construction to the priest Uriah.b 11Uriah built the altar according to all the instructions King Ahaz sent from Damascus. Therefore, by the time King Ahaz came back from Damascus, the priest Uriah had completed it. 12When the king came back from Damascus, he saw the altar. Then he approached the altara and ascended it.A 13He offered his burnt offeringa and his grain offering, poured out his drink offering, and splattered the blood of his fellowship offeringsb on the altar. 14He took the bronze altara that was before the Lord in front of the temple between his altar and the Lord’s temple, and put it on the north side of his altar.

15Then King Ahaz commanded the priest Uriah, “Offer on the great altar the morning burnt offering, the evening grain offering, and the king’s burnt offering and his grain offering. Also offer the burnt offering of all the people of the land, their grain offering, and their drink offerings. Splatter on the altar all the blood of the burnt offering and all the blood of sacrifice. The bronze altar will be for me to seek guidance.”A 16The priest Uriah did everything King Ahaz commanded.

17Then King Ahaz cut off the frames of the water cartsa a and removed the bronze basin from each of them. He took the basinB b from the bronze oxen that were under it and put it on a stone pavement. 18To satisfy the king of Assyria, he removed from the Lord’s temple the Sabbath canopy they had built in the palace, and he closed the outer entrance for the king.

Ahaz’s Death

19The resta of the events of Ahaz’s reign, along with his accomplishments, are written in the Historical Record of Judah’s Kings.b 20Ahaz rested with his ancestorsa and was buried with his ancestors in the city of David, and his son Hezekiah became king in his place.