| Holman Christian Standard Bible | International Standard Version |
| 1Ahaz was 20 years old when he became king and reigned 16 years in Jerusalem. He did not do what was right in the LORD's sight like his ancestor David, | 1Ahaz was 20 years old when he began to reign, and he reigned 16 years in Jerusalem, but he did not practice what the LORD considered to be right, as his ancestor David had done. |
| 2for he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel and made cast images of the Baals. | 2Instead, he lived like the kings of Israel did. He cast metal images of Baal, |
| 3He burned incense in the Valley of Hinnom and burned his children in the fire, imitating the detestable practices of the nations the LORD had dispossessed before the Israelites. | 3burned incense in the Ben-hinnom Valley, and burned his sons as an offering, following the detestable activities of the nations whom the LORD had expelled in front of the people of Israel. |
| 4He sacrificed and burned incense on the high places, on the hills, and under every green tree. | 4He sacrificed and burned incense on high places, on the top of 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: | 5As a result, the LORD his God handed Ahaz over to the king of Aram, who defeated him and took a large number of captives away to Damascus. Ahaz was also delivered over to the control of the King of Israel, who defeated him with many heavy casualties. |
| 6Pekah son of Remaliah killed 120,000 in Judah in one day--all brave men--because they had abandoned the LORD God of their ancestors. | 6Remaliah's son Pekah killed 120,000 soldiers in a single day, all of them elite forces, because they had forsaken 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. | 7Zichri, a valiant soldier from Ephraim, killed the king's son Maaseiah, Azrikam, the palace manager, and Elkanah, who was second in rank to the king. |
| 8Then the Israelites took 200,000 captives from their brothers--women, sons, and daughters. They also took a great deal of plunder from them and brought it to Samaria. | 8The Israelis carried away 200,000 women, sons, and daughters from among their own relatives. They also took a great deal of plunder, and brought it all 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. | 9But a prophet of the LORD was there named Oded. He went out to greet the army as it arrived in Samaria. He warned them, "Look! Because the LORD God of your ancestors was angry at Judah, he delivered them into your control, but you have killed them with a vehemence that has reached all the way to heaven! |
| 10Now you plan to reduce the people of Judah and Jerusalem, male and female, to slavery. Are you not also guilty before Yahweh your God? | 10Now you're intending to make the men and women of Judah and Jerusalem to be your slaves. Surely you have your own sins against the LORD your God for which you're accountable, don't you? |
| 11Listen to me and return the captives you took from your brothers, for the LORD's burning anger is on you." | 11So listen to me! Return the captives whom you've captured from your brothers, because the anger of the LORD is burning hot against 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. | 12Some of the leaders of the descendants of Ephraim, including Johanan's son Azariah, Meshillemoth's son Berechiah, Shallum's son Jehizkiah, and Hadlai's son Amasa, stood up to the army as they were coming back 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." | 13and told them, "Don't bring those captives here! You'll bring even more guilt on us from the LORD, in addition to our own existing sin and guilt! He's already mad enough against Israel because of our guilt!" |
| 14The army left the captives and the plunder in the presence of the officers and the congregation. | 14So the army abandoned the captives and the war booty in front of the officers and the entire assembled retinue. |
| 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. | 15After this, some men who were chosen by name took charge of the captives, clothed those who were naked with clothes appropriated from the war booty, gave them clothes and sandals, fed them, gave them something to drink, anointed them with oil, provided those who weren't able to walk with donkeys to ride on, and took them back to their relatives at Jericho, the city of palm trees. Then they returned to Samaria. |
| 16At that time King Ahaz asked the king of Assyria for help. | 16Right about then, King Ahaz sent for help from the kings of Assyria |
| 17The Edomites came again, attacked Judah, and took captives. | 17because the Edomites had invaded, attacked Judah, and carried off some captives. |
| 18The Philistines also raided the cities of the Judean foothills and the Negev of Judah and captured Beth-shemesh, Aijalon, Gederoth, Soco and its villages, Timnah and its villages, Gimzo and its villages, and they lived there. | 18The Philistines also invaded some of the cities in the Shephelah and in the Negev of Judah. They captured Beth-shemesh, Aijalon, Gederoth, Soco, and their surrounding villages, Timnah and its villages, and Gimzo and its villages. Then the Philistines settled there, |
| 19For the LORD humbled Judah because of King Ahaz of Judah, who threw off restraint in Judah and was unfaithful to the LORD. | 19because the LORD was humiliating Judah because of King Ahaz of Israel, since Ahaz had brought about a lack of restraint within Judah and had remained unfaithful to the LORD. |
| 20Then Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria came against Ahaz; he oppressed him and did not give him support. | 20King Tiglath-pileser of Assyria attacked Ahaz and, instead of helping him, attacked him. |
| 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. | 21Even though Ahaz took some of the assets belonging to the LORD's Temple from the royal palace, and from the palaces belonging to the princes, and gave them to the king of Assyria, none of his gifts did any good. |
| 22At the time of his distress, King Ahaz himself became more unfaithful to the LORD. | 22In the midst of his troubles, King Ahaz became more and 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 sacrificed to the gods of Damascus that had defeated him, reasoning, "The gods of the kings of Aram helped them, so I'll sacrifice to them so they will help me!" But those gods brought about his downfall, and the downfall of all of Israel, too. |
| 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 also collected the utensils of God's Temple, cut them all into pieces, and closed the doors of the LORD's Temple. Then he made altars to himself on every corner in Jerusalem |
| 25He made high places in every city of Judah to offer incense to other gods, and he provoked the LORD, the God of his ancestors. | 25and established high places in every city of Judah where incense was burned to other gods, thus provoking the LORD God of his ancestors to anger. |
| 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 his accomplishments, and records of everything he did from first to last are written in the Book 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. | 27So Ahaz died, as had his ancestors, and he was buried in the city of Jerusalem, but they didn't bury him among the tombs of the kings of Israel. Ahaz's son Hezekiah reigned in his place. |
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