1Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign; and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem: and he did not do that which was right in the eyes of Yehovah, like David his father; 2but he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, and made also molten images for the Baalim. 3Moreover he burnt incense in the valley of the son of Hinnom, and burnt his children in the fire, according to the abominations of the nations whom Yehovah cast out before the children of Israel. 4And he sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places, and on the hills, and under every green tree. 5Therefore Yehovah his God delivered him into the hand of the king of Syria; and they struck him, and carried away a great multitude of his people as captives, and brought them to Damascus. And he was also delivered into the hand of the king of Israel, who struck him with a great slaughter. 6For Pekah the son of Remaliah killed in Judah a hundred and twenty thousand in one day, all of them valiant men; because they had forsaken Yehovah, the God of their fathers. 7And Zichri, a mighty man of Ephraim, killed Maaseiah the king’s son, and Azrikam the ruler of the house, and Elkanah who was next to the king. 8And the children of Israel carried away captive two hundred thousand of their brothers, women, sons, and daughters, and also took away much spoil from them, and brought the spoil to Samaria. 9But a prophet of Yehovah was there, whose name was Oded: and he went out to meet the army that came to Samaria, and said to them, Behold, because Yehovah, the God of your fathers, was angry with Judah, he has delivered them into your hand, and you have killed them in a rage which has reached up to heaven. 10And now you intend to subjugate the children of Judah and Jerusalem as male slaves and female slaves for yourselves: but are there not even with you trespasses of your own against Yehovah your God? 11Now hear me therefore, and send back the captives, whom you have taken captive from your brothers; for the fierce wrath of Yehovah is upon you. 12Then certain of the heads of the children of Ephraim, Azariah the son of Johanan, Berechiah the son of Meshillemoth, and Jehizkiah the son of Shallum, and Amasa the son of Hadlai, stood up against those who came from the war, 13and said to them, You shall not bring in the captives here: for you intend that which will bring upon us a trespass against Yehovah, to add to our sins and to our trespass; for our trespass is great, and there is fierce wrath against Israel. 14So the armed men left the captives and the spoil before the princes and all the assembly. 15And the men who have been mentioned by name rose up, and took the captives, and with the spoil clothed all who were naked among them, and arrayed them, and shod them, and gave them to eat and to drink, and anointed them, and carried all the feeble of them upon donkeys, and brought them to Jericho, the city of palm-trees, to their brothers: then they returned to Samaria. 16At that time king Ahaz sent to the kings of Assyria to help him. 17For again the Edomites had come and struck Judah, and carried away captives. 18The Philistines also had invaded the cities of the lowland, and of the South of Judah, and had taken Beth-shemesh, and Aijalon, and Gederoth, and Soco with its towns, and Timnah with its towns, Gimzo also and its towns: and they dwelt there. 19For Yehovah brought Judah low because of Ahaz king of Israel; for he had dealt wantonly in Judah, and trespassed severely against Yehovah. 20And Tilgath-pilneser king of Assyria came to him, and distressed him, but did not strengthen him. 21For Ahaz took away a portion out of the house of Yehovah, and out of the house of the king and of the princes, and gave it to the king of Assyria: but it did not help him. 22And in the time of his distress he trespassed yet more against Yehovah, this same king Ahaz. 23For he sacrificed to the gods of Damascus, which struck him; and he said, Because the gods of the kings of Syria helped them, therefore I will sacrifice to them, that they may help me. But they were the ruin of him, and of all Israel. 24And Ahaz gathered together the vessels of the house of God, and cut in pieces the vessels of the house of God, and shut up the doors of the house of Yehovah; and he made for himself altars in every corner of Jerusalem. 25And in every city of Judah he made high places to burn incense to other gods, and provoked to anger Yehovah, the God of his fathers. 26Now the rest of his acts, and all his ways, first and last, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel. 27And Ahaz slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city, even in Jerusalem; for they did not bring him into the sepulchres of the kings of Israel: and Hezekiah his son reigned in his place.