1
In the seventeenth year of Pekah the son of Remaliah Ahaz the son of
Jotham king of Judah began to reign.
2Twenty years old was
Ahaz when he began to reign, and reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem, and
did not that which was right in the sight of the LORD his God, like David
his father.
3
But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, yea, and made his son to
pass through the fire, according to the abominations of the heathen, whom
the LORD cast out from before the children of Israel.
He sacrificed his son as a burnt offering.
4
And 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 drave the
Jews from Elath: and the Syrians came to Elath, and dwelt there unto this
day.
7
So Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglathpileser king of Assyria, saying, I am
thy servant and thy 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, which rise up against me.
8
And Ahaz took the silver and gold that was found in the house of the LORD,
and in the treasures of the king's house, and sent it for a present to the
king of Assyria.
9
And the king of Assyria hearkened unto him: for the king of Assyria went
up against Damascus, and took it, and carried the people of it captive to
Kir, and slew Rezin.
10
And king Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglathpileser king of Assyria, and
saw an 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 thereof.
11
And Urijah the priest built an altar according to all that king Ahaz had
sent from Damascus: so Urijah the priest made it against king Ahaz came from
Damascus.
12
And when the king was come from Damascus, the king saw the altar: and the
king approached to the altar, and offered thereon.
13
And he burnt his burnt offering and his meat offering, and poured his
drink offering, and sprinkled the blood of his peace offerings, upon the
altar.
14
And he brought also the brasen altar, which was before the LORD, from the
forefront of the house, from between the altar and the house of the LORD,
and put it on the north side of the altar.
15
And king Ahaz commanded Urijah the priest, saying, Upon the great altar
burn the morning burnt offering, and the evening meat offering, and the
king's burnt sacrifice, and his meat offering, with the burnt offering of
all the people of the land, and their meat offering, and their drink
offerings; and sprinkle upon it all the blood of the burnt offering, and all
the blood of the sacrifice: and the brasen altar shall be for me to enquire
by.
16
Thus did Urijah the priest, according to all that king Ahaz commanded.
17
And king Ahaz cut off the borders of the bases, and removed the laver from
off them; and took down the sea from off the brasen oxen that were under it,
and put it upon the pavement of stones.
18
And the covert for the sabbath that they had built in the house, and the
king's entry without, turned he from the house of the LORD for the king of
Assyria.
And he burned incense in the high places under every green tree.
20And Ahaz slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the
city of David: and Hezekiah his son reigned in his stead.