1 Ahaz was twenty when he became king, and he ruled sixteen years in Jerusalem. Unlike his father David, he did not do what was right in the LORD's eyes.
2 He followed the ways of the kings of Israel and even made metal idols for the Baals.
3 He burned incense in the Valley of Ben-hinnom and burned his sons in the fire, imitating the detestable practices of the nations the LORD had driven out before the children of Israel.
4 He offered sacrifices and burned incense at the high places, on the hilltops, and under every leafy tree.
5 So the LORD his God handed him over to the king of Syria, who defeated him and took many of his people as prisoners to Damascus. He was also handed over to the king of Israel, who inflicted heavy losses on him.
6 In a single day Pekah son of Remaliah killed a hundred and twenty thousand men in Judah, all of them brave men, because they had abandoned the LORD God of their fathers.
7 Zichri, a warrior from Ephraim, killed Maaseiah the king's son, Azrikam the official in charge of the palace, and Elkanah, who ranked next to the king.
8 The children of Israel took two hundred thousand of their own relatives captive, women, sons, and daughters. They also took a great deal of plunder from them and brought it to Samaria.
9 But a prophet of the LORD named Oded was there. He went out to meet the army as it came to Samaria and told them, "See, the LORD God of your fathers was angry with Judah, so he handed them over to you; but you have slaughtered them in a fury that has reached all the way to heaven.
10 And now you mean to make the people of Judah and Jerusalem your slaves, male and female. But are you yourselves not guilty of sins against the LORD your God?
11 So listen to me now and send back the captives you took from your brothers, for the LORD's burning anger is on you."
12 Then some of the leaders of the children of Ephraim, Azariah son of Jehohanan, Berechiah son of Meshillemoth, Jehizkiah son of Shallum, and Amasa son of Hadlai, confronted those returning from the battle.
13 "You must not bring the captives here," they told them, "for you are planning to bring guilt against the LORD upon us, adding to our sins and our guilt. Our guilt is already great, and burning anger hangs over Israel."
14 So the soldiers released the captives and the plunder in front of the officials and the whole assembly.
15 The men who had been named for the task got up and took charge of the captives. From the plunder they clothed all who were naked; they gave them clothes and sandals, food and drink, and anointed them. They put all who were weak on donkeys and took them to their brothers at Jericho, the city of palm trees. Then they went back to Samaria.
16 At that time King Ahaz sent to the kings of Assyria for help,
17 since the Edomites had once again invaded, attacked Judah, and taken prisoners.
18 The Philistines too had raided the towns of the Shephelah and the Negev of Judah and captured Beth-shemesh, Aijalon, Gederoth, Soco and its villages, Timnah and its villages, and Gimzo and its villages, and they occupied them.
19 For the LORD humbled Judah because of Ahaz king of Israel, since he had let Judah go unrestrained and had been grossly unfaithful to the LORD.
20 Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria came to him, but he oppressed him rather than strengthening him.
21 Although Ahaz took a share from the house of the LORD, the palace, and the officials and gave it to the king of Assyria, it did him no good.
22 In his time of trouble this same King Ahaz became even more unfaithful to the LORD.
23 He sacrificed to the gods of Damascus, who had defeated him, thinking, "Since the gods of the kings of Syria help them, I will sacrifice to them so they will help me." But they brought about his downfall and that of all Israel.
24 Ahaz collected the vessels of God's house and broke them up. He shut the doors of the house of the LORD and set up altars for himself on every street corner in Jerusalem.
25 In every city of Judah he built high places to burn incense to other gods, and he provoked the LORD God of his fathers to anger.
26 The rest of his deeds and all his ways, from beginning to end, are recorded in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel.
27 Ahaz lay down with his fathers and was buried in the city, in Jerusalem; they did not bring him into the tombs of the kings of Israel. And his son Hezekiah became king after him.