2Chronicles 28

Ahaz Rules in Judah

28Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. He did not do what was pleasing in the sight of the LORD, as his ancestor David had done.H271H6242H8141H1121H4427H4427H8337H6240H8141H3389H6213H3477H5869H3068H1732H12Instead, he followed the example of the kings of Israel. He cast metal images for the worship of Baal.H3212H1870H4428H3478H6213H4541H11683He offered sacrifices in the valley of Ben-Hinnom, even sacrificing his own sons in the fire

. In this way, he followed the detestable practices of the pagan nations the LORD had driven from the land ahead of the Israelites.H6999H1516H1121H2011H1197H1121H784H8441H1471H3068H3423H6440H1121H34784He offered sacrifices and burned incense at the pagan shrines and on the hills and under every green tree.H2076H6999H1116H1389H7488H60865Because of all this, the LORD his God allowed the king of Aram to defeat Ahaz and to exile large numbers of his people to Damascus. The armies of the king of Israel also defeated Ahaz and inflicted many casualties on his army.H3068H430H5414H3027H4428H758H5221H7617H1419H7633H935H1834H5414H3027H4428H3478H5221H1419H43476In a single day Pekah son of Remaliah, Israel's king, killed 120,000 of Judah's troops, all of them experienced warriors, because they had abandoned the LORD, the God of their ancestors.H6492H1121H7425H2026H3063H3967H6242H505H259H3117H2428H1121H5800H3068H430H17Then Zicri, a warrior from Ephraim, killed Maaseiah, the king's son; Azrikam, the king's palace commander; and Elkanah, the king's second-in-command.H2147H1368H669H2026H4641H4428H1121H5840H5057H1004H511H4932H44288The armies of Israel captured 200,000 women and children from Judah and seized tremendous amounts of plunder, which they took back to Samaria.H1121H3478H7617H251H3967H505H802H1121H1323H962H7227H7998H935H7998H81119But a prophet of the LORD named Oded was there in Samaria when the army of Israel returned home. He went out to meet them and said, "The LORD, the God of your ancestors, was angry with Judah and let you defeat them. But you have gone too far, killing them without mercy, and all heaven is disturbed.H5030H3068H8034H5752H3318H6440H6635H935H8111H559H3068H430H1H2534H3063H5414H3027H2026H2197H5060H806410And now you are planning to make slaves of these people from Judah and Jerusalem. What about your own sins against the LORD your God?H559H3533H1121H3063H3389H5650H8198H7535H819H3068H43011Listen to me and return these prisoners you have taken, for they are your own relatives. Watch out, because now the LORD's fierce anger has been turned against you!"H8085H7725H7633H7617H251H2740H639H306812Then some of the leaders of Israel

—Azariah son of Jehohanan, Berekiah son of Meshillemoth, Jehizkiah son of Shallum, and Amasa son of Hadlai—agreed with this and confronted the men returning from battle.H582H7218H1121H669H5838H1121H3076H1296H1121H4919H3169H1121H7967H6021H1121H2311H6965H935H663513"You must not bring the prisoners here!" they declared. "We cannot afford to add to our sins and guilt. Our guilt is already great, and the LORD's fierce anger is already turned against Israel."H559H935H7633H819H3068H559H3254H2403H819H819H7227H2740H639H347814So the warriors released the prisoners and handed over the plunder in the sight of the leaders and all the people.H2502H5800H7633H961H6440H8269H695115Then the four men just mentioned by name came forward and distributed clothes from the plunder to the prisoners who were naked. They provided clothing and sandals to wear, gave them enough food and drink, and dressed their wounds with olive oil. They put those who were weak on donkeys and took all the prisoners back to their own people in Jericho, the city of palms. Then they returned to Samaria.H582H5344H8034H6965H2388H7633H7998H3847H4636H3847H5274H398H8248H5480H5095H3782H2543H935H3405H5892H8558H5899H681H251H7725H8111

Ahaz Closes the Temple

16At that time King Ahaz of Judah asked the king of Assyria for help.H6256H4428H271H7971H4428H804H582617The armies of Edom had again invaded Judah and taken captives.H130H935H5221H3063H7617H762818And the Philistines had raided towns located in the foothills of Judah

and in the Negev of Judah. They had already captured and occupied Beth-shemesh, Aijalon, Gederoth, Soco with its villages, Timnah with its villages, and Gimzo with its villages.H6430H6584H5892H8219H5045H3063H3920H1053H357H1450H7755H1323H8553H1323H1579H1323H342719The LORD was humbling Judah because of King Ahaz of Judah

, for he had encouraged his people to sin and had been utterly unfaithful to the LORD.H3068H3665H3063H3665H271H4428H3478H6544H3063H6544H4603H4604H306820So when King Tiglath-pileser

of Assyria arrived, he attacked Ahaz instead of helping him.H8407H4428H804H935H6696H238821Ahaz took valuable items from the LORD's Temple, the royal palace, and from the homes of his officials and gave them to the king of Assyria as tribute. But this did not help him.H271H2505H1004H3068H1004H4428H8269H5414H4428H804H583322Even during this time of trouble, King Ahaz continued to reject the LORD.H6256H6887H4603H3254H3068H4428H27123He offered sacrifices to the gods of Damascus who had defeated him, for he said, "Since these gods helped the kings of Aram, they will help me, too, if I sacrifice to them." But instead, they led to his ruin and the ruin of all Judah.H2076H430H1834H5221H559H430H4428H758H5826H2076H5826H3782H347824The king took the various articles from the Temple of God and broke them into pieces. He shut the doors of the LORD's Temple so that no one could worship there, and he set up altars to pagan gods in every corner of Jerusalem.H271H622H3627H1004H430H7112H3627H1004H430H5462H1817H1004H3068H6213H4196H6438H338925He made pagan shrines in all the towns of Judah for offering sacrifices to other gods. In this way, he aroused the anger of the LORD, the God of his ancestors.H5892H3063H6213H1116H6999H312H430H3707H3068H430H126The rest of the events of Ahaz's reign and everything he did, from beginning to end, are recorded in The Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel.H3499H1697H1870H7223H314H3789H5612H4428H3063H347827When Ahaz died, he was buried in Jerusalem but not in the royal cemetery of the kings of Judah. Then his son Hezekiah became the next king.H271H7901H1H6912H5892H3389H935H6913H4428H3478H3169H1121H4427