| Christian Standard Bible | NET Bible |
| 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 LORD's sight like his ancestor David, | 1Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned for sixteen years in Jerusalem. He did not do what pleased the LORD, in contrast to his ancestor David. |
| 2for he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel and made cast images of the Baals. | 2He followed in the footsteps of the kings of Israel; he also made images of the Baals. |
| 3He burned incense in Ben Hinnom Valley and burned his children in the fire, imitating the detestable practices of the nations the LORD had dispossessed before the Israelites. | 3He offered sacrifices in the Valley of Ben-Hinnom and passed his sons through the fire, a horrible sin practiced by the nations whom the LORD drove out before the Israelites. |
| 4He sacrificed and burned incense on the high places, on the hills, and under every green tree. | 4He offered sacrifices and burned incense on the high places, on the hills, and under every green tree. |
| 5So the LORD his God handed Ahaz over to the king of Aram. He attacked him and took many captives to Damascus. Ahaz was also handed over to the king of Israel, who struck him with great force: | 5The LORD his God handed him over to the king of Syria. The Syrians defeated him and deported many captives to Damascus. He was also handed over to the king of Israel, who thoroughly defeated him. |
| 6Pekah son of Remaliah killed one hundred twenty thousand in Judah in one day--all brave men--because they had abandoned the LORD God of their ancestors. | 6In one day King Pekah son of Remaliah of Israel killed 120,000 warriors in Judah, because they had abandoned the LORD God of their ancestors. |
| 7An Ephraimite warrior named Zichri killed the king's son Maaseiah, Azrikam governor of the palace, and Elkanah who was second to the king. | 7Zikri, an Ephraimite warrior, killed the king's son Maaseiah, Azrikam, the supervisor of the palace, and Elkanah, the king's second-in-command. |
| 8Then the Israelites took two hundred thousand captives from their brothers--women, sons, and daughters. They also took a great deal of plunder from them and brought it to Samaria. | 8The Israelites seized from their brothers 200,000 wives, sons, and daughters. They also carried off a huge amount of plunder and took it back to Samaria. |
| 9A prophet of the LORD named Oded was there. He went out to meet the army that came to Samaria and said to them, "Look, the LORD God of your ancestors handed them over to you because of his wrath against Judah, but you slaughtered them in a rage that has reached heaven. | 9Oded, a prophet of the LORD, was there. He went to meet the army as they arrived in Samaria and said to them: "Look, because the LORD God of your ancestors was angry with Judah he handed them over to you. You have killed them so mercilessly that God has taken notice. |
| 10Now you plan to reduce the people of Judah and Jerusalem, male and female, to slavery. Are you not also guilty before the LORD your God? | 10And now you are planning to enslave the people of Judah and Jerusalem. Yet are you not also guilty before the LORD your God? |
| 11Listen to me and return the captives you took from your brothers, for the LORD's burning anger is on you." | 11Now listen to me! Send back those you have seized from your brothers, for the LORD is very angry at you!" |
| 12So some men who were leaders of the Ephraimites--Azariah son of Jehohanan, Berechiah son of Meshillemoth, Jehizkiah son of Shallum, and Amasa son of Hadlai--stood in opposition to those coming from the war. | 12So some of the Ephraimite family leaders, Azariah son of Jehochanan, Berechiah son of Meshillemoth, Jechizkiah son of Shallum, and Amasa son of Hadlai confronted those returning from the battle. |
| 13They said to them, "You must not bring the captives here, for you plan to bring guilt on us from the LORD to add to our sins and our guilt. For we have much guilt, and burning anger is on Israel." | 13They said to them, "Don't bring those captives here! Are you planning on making us even more sinful and guilty before the LORD? Our guilt is already great and the LORD is very angry at Israel." |
| 14The army left the captives and the plunder in the presence of the officers and the congregation. | 14So the soldiers released the captives and the plunder before the officials and the entire assembly. |
| 15Then the men who were designated by name took charge of the captives and provided clothes for their naked ones from the plunder. They clothed them, gave them sandals, food and drink, dressed their wounds, and provided donkeys for all the feeble. The Israelites brought them to Jericho, the City of Palms, among their brothers. Then they returned to Samaria. | 15Men were assigned to take the prisoners and find clothes among the plunder for those who were naked. So they clothed them, supplied them with sandals, gave them food and drink, and provided them with oil to rub on their skin. They put the ones who couldn't walk on donkeys. They brought them back to their brothers at Jericho, the city of the date palm trees, and then returned to Samaria. |
| 16At that time King Ahaz asked the king of Assyria for help. | 16At that time King Ahaz asked the king of Assyria for help. |
| 17The Edomites came again, attacked Judah, and took captives. | 17The Edomites had again invaded and defeated Judah and carried off captives. |
| 18The Philistines also raided the cities of the Judean foothills and the Negev of Judah. They captured and occupied Beth-shemesh, Aijalon, and Gederoth, as well as Soco, Timnah, and Gimzo with their surrounding villages. | 18The Philistines had raided the cities of Judah in the lowlands and the Negev. They captured and settled in Beth Shemesh, Aijalon, Gederoth, Soco and its surrounding villages, Timnah and its surrounding villages, and Gimzo and its surrounding villages. |
| 19For the LORD humbled Judah because of King Ahaz of Judah, who threw off restraint in Judah and was unfaithful to the LORD. | 19The LORD humiliated Judah because of King Ahaz of Israel, for he encouraged Judah to sin and was very unfaithful to the LORD. |
| 20Then King Tiglath-pileser of Assyria came against Ahaz; he oppressed him and did not give him support. | 20King Tiglath-pileser of Assyria came, but he gave him more trouble than support. |
| 21Although Ahaz plundered the LORD's temple and the palace of the king and of the rulers and gave the plunder to the king of Assyria, it did not help him. | 21Ahaz gathered riches from the LORD's temple, the royal palace, and the officials and gave them to the king of Assyria, but that did not help. |
| 22At the time of his distress, King Ahaz himself became more unfaithful to the LORD. | 22During his time of trouble King Ahaz was even more unfaithful to the LORD. |
| 23He sacrificed to the gods of Damascus which had defeated him; 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 downfall of him and of all Israel. | 23He offered sacrifices to the gods of Damascus whom he thought had defeated him. He reasoned, "Since the gods of the kings of Damascus helped them, I will sacrifice to them so they will help me." But they caused him and all Israel to stumble. |
| 24Then Ahaz gathered up the utensils of God's temple, cut them into pieces, shut the doors of the LORD's temple, and made himself altars on every street corner in Jerusalem. | 24Ahaz gathered the items in God's temple and removed them. He shut the doors of the LORD's temple and erected altars on every street corner in Jerusalem. |
| 25He made high places in every city of Judah to offer incense to other gods, and he angered the LORD, the God of his ancestors. | 25In every city throughout Judah he set up high places to offer sacrifices to other gods. He angered the LORD God of his ancestors. |
| 26As for the rest of his deeds and all his ways, from beginning to end, they are written in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel. | 26The rest of the events of Ahaz's reign, including his accomplishments from start to finish, are recorded in the Scroll of the Kings of Judah and Israel. |
| 27Ahaz rested with his fathers and was buried in the city, in Jerusalem, but they did not bring him into the tombs of the kings of Israel. His son Hezekiah became king in his place. | 27Ahaz passed away and was buried in the City of David; they did not bring him to the tombs of the kings of Israel. His son Hezekiah replaced him as king. |
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