[1] In the seventeenth year of Pekah the son of Remaliah Ahaz the son of
Jotham king of Judah began to reign. [2] Twenty years old was Ahaz when he
began to reign; and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem: and he didn`t do
that which was right in the eyes of Yahweh his God, like David his father.
[3] But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, yes, and made his son
to pass through the fire, according to the abominations of the nations,
whom Yahweh cast out from before the children of Israel. [4] He sacrificed
and burnt incense in the high places, and on the hills, and under every
green tree. [5] Then Rezin king of Syria and Pekah son of Remaliah king of
Israel came up to Jerusalem to war: and they besieged Ahaz, but could not
overcome him. [6] At that time Rezin king of Syria recovered Elath to
Syria, and drove the Jews from Elath; and the Syrians came to Elath, and
lived there, to this day. [7] So Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglath-pileser
king of Assyria, saying, I am your servant and your son: come up, and save
me out of the hand of the king of Syria, and out of the hand of the king of
Israel, who rise up against me. [8] Ahaz took the silver and gold that was
found in the house of Yahweh, and in the treasures of the king`s house, and
sent it for a present to the king of Assyria. [9] The king of Assyria
listened to him; and the king of Assyria went up against Damascus, and took
it, and carried [the people of] it captive to Kir, and killed Rezin. [10]
King Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, and saw
the altar that was at Damascus; and king Ahaz sent to Urijah the priest the
fashion of the altar, and the pattern of it, according to all the
workmanship of it. [11] Urijah the priest built an altar: according to all
that king Ahaz had sent from Damascus, so did Urijah the priest make it
against the coming of king Ahaz from Damascus. [12] When the king was come
from Damascus, the king saw the altar: and the king drew near to the altar,
and offered thereon. [13] He burnt his burnt offering and his
meal-offering, and poured his drink-offering, and sprinkled the blood of
his peace-offerings, on the altar. [14] The brazen altar, which was before
Yahweh, he brought from the forefront of the house, from between his altar
and the house of Yahweh, and put it on the north side of his altar. [15]
King Ahaz commanded Urijah the priest, saying, On the great altar burn the
morning burnt offering, and the evening meal-offering, and the king`s burnt
offering, and his meal-offering, with the burnt offering of all the people
of the land, and their meal-offering, and their drink-offerings; and
sprinkle on it all the blood of the burnt offering, and all the blood of
the sacrifice: but the brazen altar shall be for me to inquire by. [16]
Thus did Urijah the priest, according to all that king Ahaz commanded. [17]
King Ahaz cut off the panels of the bases, and removed the basin from off
them, and took down the sea from off the brazen oxen that were under it,
and put it on a pavement of stone. [18] The covered way for the Sabbath
that they had built in the house, and the king`s entry outside, turned he
to the house of Yahweh, because of the king of Assyria. [19] Now the rest
of the acts of Ahaz which he did, aren`t they written in the book of the
chronicles of the kings of Judah? [20] Ahaz slept with his fathers, and was
buried with his fathers in the city of David: and Hezekiah his son reigned
in his place.
