2Chronicles 28; 2Kings 16-17
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.H582H5344H8034H6965H2388H7633H7998H3847H4636H3847H5274H398H8248H5480H5095H3782H2543H935H3405H5892H8558H5899H681H251H7725H811116At 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
16Ahaz son of Jotham began to rule over Judah in the seventeenth year of King Pekah's reign in Israel.H7651H6240H8141H8141H6492H1121H7425H271H1121H3147H4428H3063H4427 2Ahaz 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 his God, as his ancestor David had done.H6242H8141H1121H271H4427H4427H8337H6240H8141H3389H6213H3477H5869H3068H430H1732H1 3Instead, he followed the example of the kings of Israel, even sacrificing his own son 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.H3212H1870H4428H3478H1121H5674H784H8441H1471H3068H3423H6440H1121H3478 4He offered sacrifices and burned incense at the pagan shrines and on the hills and under every green tree.H2076H6999H1116H1389H7488H6086 5Then King Rezin of Aram and King Pekah of Israel came up to attack Jerusalem. They besieged Ahaz but could not conquer him.H7526H4428H758H6492H1121H7425H4428H3478H5927H3389H4421H6696H271H3201H3898 6At that time the king of Edom recovered the town of Elath for Edom. He drove out the people of Judah and sent Edomites to live there, as they do to this day.H6256H7526H4428H758H7725H359H758H130H5394H3064H359H726H935H359H3427H3117 7King Ahaz sent messengers to King Tiglath-pileser of Assyria with this message: "I am your servant and your vassal. Come up and rescue me from the attacking armies of Aram and Israel."H271H7971H4397H8407H4428H804H559H5650H1121H5927H3467H3709H4428H758H3709H4428H3478H6965 8Then Ahaz took the silver and gold from the Temple of the LORD and the palace treasury and sent it as a payment to the Assyrian king.H271H3947H3701H2091H4672H1004H3068H214H4428H1004H7971H7810H4428H804 9So the king of Assyria attacked the Aramean capital of Damascus and led its population away as captives, resettling them in Kir. He also killed King Rezin.H4428H804H8085H4428H804H5927H1834H8610H1540H7024H4191H7526 10King Ahaz then went to Damascus to meet with King Tiglath-pileser of Assyria. While he was there, he took special note of the altar. Then he sent a model of the altar to Uriah the priest, along with its design in full detail.H4428H271H3212H1834H7125H8407H4428H804H7200H4196H1834H4428H271H7971H223H3548H1823H4196H8403H4639 11Uriah followed the king's instructions and built an altar just like it, and it was ready before the king returned from Damascus.H223H3548H1129H4196H4428H271H7971H1834H223H3548H6213H4428H271H935H1834 12When the king returned, he inspected the altar and made offerings on it.H4428H935H1834H4428H7200H4196H4428H7126H4196H5927 13He presented a burnt offering and a grain offering, he poured out a liquid offering, and he sprinkled the blood of peace offerings on the altar.H6999H5930H4503H5258H5262H2236H1818H8002H4196 14Then King Ahaz removed the old bronze altar from its place in front of the LORD's Temple, between the entrance and the new altar, and placed it on the north side of the new altar.H7126H5178H4196H6440H3068H6440H1004H4196H1004H3068H5414H6828H3409H4196 15He told Uriah the priest, "Use the new altar for the morning sacrifices of burnt offering, the evening grain offering, the king's burnt offering and grain offering, and the burnt offerings of all the people, as well as their grain offerings and liquid offerings. Sprinkle the blood from all the burnt offerings and sacrifices on the new altar. The bronze altar will be for my personal use only."H4428H271H6680H223H3548H559H1419H4196H6999H1242H5930H6153H4503H4428H5930H4503H5930H5971H776H4503H5262H2236H1818H5930H1818H2077H5178H4196H1239 16Uriah the priest did just as King Ahaz commanded him.H6213H223H3548H4428H271H6680 17Then the king removed the side panels and basins from the portable water carts. He also removed the great bronze basin called the Sea from the backs of the bronze oxen and placed it on the stone pavement.H4428H271H7112H4526H4350H5493H3595H3381H3220H5178H1241H5414H4837H68 18In deference to the king of Assyria, he also removed the canopy that had been constructed inside the palace for use on the Sabbath day, as well as the king's outer entrance to the Temple of the LORD.H4329H4329H7676H1129H1004H4428H3996H2435H5437H1004H3068H6440H4428H804 19The rest of the events in Ahaz's reign and everything he did are recorded in The Book of the History of the Kings of Judah.H3499H1697H271H6213H3789H5612H1697H3117H4428H3063 20When Ahaz died, he was buried with his ancestors in the City of David. Then his son Hezekiah became the next king.H271H7901H1H6912H1H5892H1732H2396H1121H4427
17Hoshea son of Elah began to rule over Israel in the twelfth year of King Ahaz's reign in Judah. He reigned in Samaria nine years.H8147H6240H8141H271H4428H3063H1954H1121H425H4427H8111H3478H8672H81412He did what was evil in the LORD's sight, but not to the same extent as the kings of Israel who ruled before him.H6213H7451H5869H3068H4428H3478H64403King Shalmaneser of Assyria attacked King Hoshea, so Hoshea was forced to pay heavy tribute to Assyria.H5927H8022H4428H804H1954H5650H7725H45034But Hoshea stopped paying the annual tribute and conspired against the king of Assyria by asking King So of Egypt to help him shake free of Assyria's power. When the king of Assyria discovered this treachery, he seized Hoshea and put him in prison.H4428H804H4672H7195H1954H7971H4397H5471H4428H4714H5927H4503H4428H804H8141H8141H4428H804H6113H631H1004H36085Then the king of Assyria invaded the entire land, and for three years he besieged the city of Samaria.H4428H804H5927H776H5927H8111H6696H7969H81416Finally, in the ninth year of King Hoshea's reign, Samaria fell, and the people of Israel were exiled to Assyria. They were settled in colonies in Halah, along the banks of the Habor River in Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.H8671H8141H1954H4428H804H3920H8111H1540H3478H1540H804H3427H2477H2249H5104H1470H5892H40747This disaster came upon the people of Israel because they worshiped other gods. They sinned against the LORD their God, who had brought them safely out of Egypt and had rescued them from the power of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt.H1121H3478H2398H3068H430H5927H776H4714H3027H6547H4428H4714H3372H312H4308They had followed the practices of the pagan nations the LORD had driven from the land ahead of them, as well as the practices the kings of Israel had introduced.H3212H2708H1471H3068H3423H6440H1121H3478H4428H3478H62139The people of Israel had also secretly done many things that were not pleasing to the LORD their God. They built pagan shrines for themselves in all their towns, from the smallest outpost to the largest walled city.H1121H3478H2644H1697H3068H430H1129H1116H5892H4026H5341H4013H589210They set up sacred pillars and Asherah poles at the top of every hill and under every green tree.H5324H4676H842H1364H1389H7488H608611They offered sacrifices on all the hilltops, just like the nations the LORD had driven from the land ahead of them. So the people of Israel had done many evil things, arousing the LORD's anger.H6999H1116H1471H3068H1540H6440H6213H7451H1697H3068H370712Yes, they worshiped idols, despite the LORD's specific and repeated warnings.H5647H1544H3068H559H6213H169713Again and again the LORD had sent his prophets and seers to warn both Israel and Judah: "Turn from all your evil ways. Obey my commands and decrees—the entire law that I commanded your ancestors to obey, and that I gave you through my servants the prophets."H3068H5749H3478H3063H3027H5030H2374H559H7725H7451H1870H8104H4687H2708H8451H6680H1H7971H3027H5650H503014But the Israelites would not listen. They were as stubborn as their ancestors who had refused to believe in the LORD their God.H8085H7185H6203H6203H1H539H3068H43015They rejected his decrees and the covenant he had made with their ancestors, and they despised all his warnings. They worshiped worthless idols, so they became worthless themselves. They followed the example of the nations around them, disobeying the LORD's command not to imitate them.H3988H2706H1285H3772H1H5715H5749H3212H310H1892H1891H310H1471H5439H3068H6680H621316They rejected all the commands of the LORD their God and made two calves from metal. They set up an Asherah pole and worshiped Baal and all the forces of heaven.H5800H4687H3068H430H6213H4541H8147H5695H6213H842H7812H6635H8064H5647H116817They even sacrificed their own sons and daughters in the fire. They consulted fortune-tellers and practiced sorcery and sold themselves to evil, arousing the LORD's anger.H1121H1323H5674H784H7080H7081H5172H4376H6213H7451H5869H3068H370718Because the LORD was very angry with Israel, he swept them away from his presence. Only the tribe of Judah remained in the land.H3068H3966H599H3478H5493H6440H7604H7626H306319But even the people of Judah refused to obey the commands of the LORD their God, for they followed the evil practices that Israel had introduced.H3063H8104H4687H3068H430H3212H2708H3478H621320The LORD rejected all the descendants of Israel. He punished them by handing them over to their attackers until he had banished Israel from his presence.H3068H3988H2233H3478H6031H5414H3027H8154H7993H644021For when the LORD tore Israel away from the kingdom of David, they chose Jeroboam son of Nebat as their king. But Jeroboam drew Israel away from following the LORD and made them commit a great sin.H7167H3478H1004H1732H3379H1121H5028H4427H3379H5080H5077H3478H310H3068H2398H1419H240122And the people of Israel persisted in all the evil ways of Jeroboam. They did not turn from these sinsH1121H3478H3212H2403H3379H6213H549323until the LORD finally swept them away from his presence, just as all his prophets had warned. So Israel was exiled from their land to Assyria, where they remain to this day.H3068H5493H3478H6440H1696H3027H5650H5030H3478H1540H127H804H311724The king of Assyria transported groups of people from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sepharvaim and resettled them in the towns of Samaria, replacing the people of Israel. They took possession of Samaria and lived in its towns.H4428H804H935H894H3575H5755H2574H5617H3427H5892H8111H1121H3478H3423H8111H3427H589225But since these foreign settlers did not worship the LORD when they first arrived, the LORD sent lions among them, which killed some of them.H8462H3427H3372H3068H3068H7971H738H202626So a message was sent to the king of Assyria: "The people you have sent to live in the towns of Samaria do not know the religious customs of the God of the land. He has sent lions among them to destroy them because they have not worshiped him correctly."H559H4428H804H559H1471H1540H3427H5892H8111H3045H4941H430H776H7971H738H4191H3045H4941H430H77627The king of Assyria then commanded, "Send one of the exiled priests back to Samaria. Let him live there and teach the new residents the religious customs of the God of the land."H4428H804H6680H559H3212H259H3548H1540H3212H3427H3384H4941H430H77628So one of the priests who had been exiled from Samaria returned to Bethel and taught the new residents how to worship the LORD.H259H3548H1540H8111H935H3427H1008H3384H3372H306829But these various groups of foreigners also continued to worship their own gods. In town after town where they lived, they placed their idols at the pagan shrines that the people of Samaria had built.H1471H6213H430H3240H1004H1116H8118H6213H1471H5892H342730Those from Babylon worshiped idols of their god Succoth-benoth. Those from Cuthah worshiped their god Nergal. And those from Hamath worshiped Ashima.H582H894H6213H5524H582H3575H6213H5370H582H2574H6213H80731The Avvites worshiped their gods Nibhaz and Tartak. And the people from Sepharvaim even burned their own children as sacrifices to their gods Adrammelech and Anammelech.H5757H6213H5026H8662H5616H8313H1121H784H152H6048H430H561732These new residents worshiped the LORD, but they also appointed from among themselves all sorts of people as priests to offer sacrifices at their places of worship.H3373H3068H6213H7098H3548H1116H6213H1004H111633And though they worshiped the LORD, they continued to follow their own gods according to the religious customs of the nations from which they came.H3373H3068H5647H430H4941H1471H154034And this is still going on today. They continue to follow their former practices instead of truly worshiping the LORD and obeying the decrees, regulations, instructions, and commands he gave the descendants of Jacob, whose name he changed to Israel.H3117H6213H7223H4941H3373H3068H6213H2708H4941H8451H4687H3068H6680H1121H3290H7760H8034H347835For the LORD had made a covenant with the descendants of Jacob and commanded them: "Do not worship any other gods or bow before them or serve them or offer sacrifices to them.H3068H3772H1285H6680H559H3372H312H430H7812H5647H207636But worship only the LORD, who brought you out of Egypt with great strength and a powerful arm. Bow down to him alone, and offer sacrifices only to him.H3068H5927H776H4714H1419H3581H5186H2220H3372H7812H207637Be careful at all times to obey the decrees, regulations, instructions, and commands that he wrote for you. You must not worship other gods.H2706H4941H8451H4687H3789H8104H6213H3117H3372H312H43038Do not forget the covenant I made with you, and do not worship other gods.H1285H3772H7911H3372H312H43039You must worship only the LORD your God. He is the one who will rescue you from all your enemies."H3068H430H3372H5337H3027H34140But the people would not listen and continued to follow their former practices.H8085H6213H7223H494141So while these new residents worshiped the LORD, they also worshiped their idols. And to this day their descendants do the same.H1471H3373H3068H5647H6456H1121H1121H1121H6213H1H6213H3117
Dublin, OH
. In this way, he followed the detestable practices of the pagan nations the LORD had driven from the land ahead of the Israelites.H6999
