16
1 In
the seventeenth
year of Pekah
the son of
Remaliah, Ahaz the
son of Jotham
king of Judah
began to reign.
2 Ahaz was
twenty years old
when he began to
reign, and he
reigned sixteen
years in Jerusalem.
He didn’t do that
which was right
in the LORD
his God’s eyes,
like David his
father.
3 But
he walked in
the way of
the kings of
Israel, and even
made his son
to pass through
the fire, according to
the abominations
of the nations
whom the LORD
cast out from
before the
children of Israel.
4 He
sacrificed and
burned incense in
the high places,
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 wage war.
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
LORD’s house, 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 its
people 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 a drawing
of the altar
and plans to build
it.
11 Urijah the
priest built an
altar. According to
all that King Ahaz
had sent from
Damascus, so Urijah
the priest made
it for the coming
of King Ahaz from
Damascus.
12 When
the king had
come from Damascus,
the king saw
the altar; and
the king came
near to the
altar, and offered
on it.
13 He
burned his burnt
offering and his
meal offering,
poured his drink
offering, and
sprinkled the
blood of his
peace offerings on
the altar.
14 The
bronze altar,
which was before
the LORD, he
brought from the
front of the
house, from
between his altar
and the LORD’s
house, 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,
the evening meal
offering, the
king’s burnt
offering and his
meal offering,
with the burnt
offering of all
the people of
the land, 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 bronze altar
will be for
me to inquire
by.”
16 Urijah the
priest did so,
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
bronze oxen that
were under it,
and put it
on a pavement
of stone.
18 He
removed the covered
way for the
Sabbath that they
had built in
the house, and
the king’s outer
entrance to the
LORD’s house,
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 David’s city;
and Hezekiah his
son reigned in
his place.