2Kgs 16
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 did not that which was right in the eyes of YHWH 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 nations, whom YHWH cast out from before
the children of Israel.
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 drove the Jews from
Elath; and the Syrians came to Elath, and dwelt 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
And Ahaz took the silver and gold that was found in the house of YHWH, 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 to him; and 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 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 its workmanship.
11
And 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
And when the king was come from Damascus, the king saw the altar: and the king drew
near to the altar, and offered thereon.
13
And he burnt his burnt-offering and his meal-offering, and poured his drink-offering,
and sprinkled the blood of his peace-offerings, upon the altar.
14
And the brazen altar, which was before YHWH, he brought from the forefront of the
house, from between his altar and the house of YHWH, and put it on the north side
of his altar.
15
And king Ahaz commanded Urijah the priest, saying, Upon 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 upon 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
And king Ahaz cut off the panels of the bases, and removed the laver from off them,
and took down the sea from off the brazen oxen that were under it, and put it upon
a pavement of stone.
18
And the covered way for the sabbath that they had built in the house, and the king`s
entry without, turned he to the house of YHWH, because of the king of Assyria.
19
Now the rest of the acts of Ahaz which he did, are they not written in the book of
the chronicles of the kings of Judah?
20
And Ahaz slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David:
and Hezekiah his son reigned in his stead.