2 Kings 16

1 In the seventeenth year of Pekah son of Remaliah, Ahaz son of Jotham became king of Judah.

2 Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. And unlike David his father, he did not do what was right in the eyes of the LORD his God.

3 Instead, he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel and even sacrificed his son in the fire, according to the abominations of the nations that the LORD had driven out before the Israelites.

4 And he sacrificed and burned incense on the high places, on the hills, and under every green tree.

5 Then Rezin king of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel came up to wage war against Jerusalem. They besieged Ahaz but could not overcome him.

6 At that time Rezin king of Aram recovered Elath for Aram, drove out the men of Judah, and sent the Edomites into Elath, where they live 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 from the hands of the kings of Aram and Israel, who are rising up against me.”

8 Ahaz also took the silver and gold found in the house of the LORD and in the treasuries of the king’s palace, and he sent it as a gift to the king of Assyria.

9 So the king of Assyria responded to him, marched up to Damascus, and captured it. He took its people to Kir as captives and put Rezin to death.

10 Then King Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria. On seeing the altar in Damascus, King Ahaz sent Uriah the priest a model of the altar and complete plans for its construction.

11 And Uriah the priest built the altar according to all the instructions King Ahaz had sent from Damascus, and he completed it before King Ahaz returned.

12 When the king came back from Damascus and saw the altar, he approached it and presented offerings on it.

13 He offered his burnt offering and his grain offering, poured out his drink offering, and splattered the blood of his peace offerings on the altar.

14 He also took the bronze altar that stood before the LORD from the front of the temple (between the new altar and the house of the LORD) and he put it on the north side of the new altar.

15 Then King Ahaz commanded Uriah the priest, “Offer on the great altar the morning burnt offering, the evening grain offering, and the king’s burnt offering and grain offering, as well as the burnt offerings, grain offerings, and drink offerings of all the people of the land. Splatter on the altar all the blood of the burnt offerings and sacrifices. But I will use the bronze altar to seek guidance.”

16 So Uriah the priest did just as King Ahaz had commanded.

17 King Ahaz also cut off the frames of the movable stands and removed the bronze basin from each of them. He took down the Sea from the bronze oxen that were under it and put it on a stone base.

18 And on account of the king of Assyria, he removed the Sabbath canopy they had built in the temple and closed the royal entryway outside the house of the LORD.

19 As for the rest of the acts of Ahaz, along with his accomplishments, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah?

20 And Ahaz rested with his fathers and was buried with them in the City of David, and his son Hezekiah reigned in his place.

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 reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem, and did not [that which was] right in the sight of the LORD 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 heathen, whom the LORD 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 drave the Jews from Elath: and the Syrians came to Elath, and dwelt there unto this day.

7 So Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglathpileser king of Assyria, saying, I [am] thy servant and thy 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, which rise up against me.

8 And Ahaz took the silver and gold that was found in the house of the LORD, 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 unto him: for 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 Tiglathpileser king of Assyria, and saw an 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 the workmanship thereof.

11 And Urijah the priest built an altar according to all that king Ahaz had sent from Damascus: so Urijah the priest made [it] against king Ahaz came from Damascus.

12 And when the king was come from Damascus, the king saw the altar: and the king approached to the altar, and offered thereon.

13 And he burnt his burnt offering and his meat offering, and poured his drink offering, and sprinkled the blood of his peace offerings, upon the altar.

14 And he brought also the brasen altar, which [was] before the LORD, from the forefront of the house, from between the altar and the house of the LORD, and put it on the north side of the altar.

15 And king Ahaz commanded Urijah the priest, saying, Upon the great altar burn the morning burnt offering, and the evening meat offering, and the king's burnt sacrifice, and his meat offering, with the burnt offering of all the people of the land, and their meat offering, and their drink offerings; and sprinkle upon it all the blood of the burnt offering, and all the blood of the sacrifice: and the brasen altar shall be for me to enquire [by].

16 Thus did Urijah the priest, according to all that king Ahaz commanded.

17 ¶ And king Ahaz cut off the borders of the bases, and removed the laver from off them; and took down the sea from off the brasen oxen that [were] under it, and put it upon a pavement of stones.

18 And the covert for the sabbath that they had built in the house, and the king's entry without, turned he from the house of the LORD for 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.

1 In the seventeenth year of Pekah the son of Remaliah was king Ahaz the son of Jotham king of Judah.

2 Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem: and he did not that which was right in the sight of the LORD his God, as did David his father.

3 For he walked in the way of the kings of Israel. For this cause he made his son to pass through the fire, according to the abominations of the heathen, whom the LORD had cast out from before the children of Israel;

4 And they offered sacrifices, and burned incense in the high places, and in the hills, and among all the green trees.

5 Then Rezin king of Syria, and Pekah the son of Remaliah king of Israel, went up to Jerusalem to battle, and besieged Ahaz; but they could not prevail against them.

6 At that time Rezin king of Syria brought Elath again into Syria, and thrust out the Jews from Elath: but the Syrians came and dwelt therein unto this day.

7 And Ahaz sent messengers unto Tiglathpilesser king of Assyria, saying, I am thy servant, and I am thy 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, which have risen up against me.

8 And Ahaz took the silver and the gold that was found in the house of the LORD, and in the treasures of the king's house, and sent gifts unto the king of Assyria.

9 And the king of Assyria hearkened unto him, and went up to Damascus, and took them, and led them away to Kir, and slew Rezin.

10 And king Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglathpilesser king of Assyria. And when he saw an altar that was in Damascus, king Ahaz sent the image and likeness of the same altar unto Uriah the priest, how it was made.

11 And Uriah the priest built an altar, and made it, as king Ahaz had sent unto him from Damascus, until king Ahaz came from Damascus.

12 And when the king of Damascus was come, and saw the altar, he offered upon it.

13 And he burnt his burnt offering, and his meat offering, and poured out his drink offerings thereon, and sprinkled the blood of the peace offerings, which he offered, upon the altar.

14 But the brasen altar that was before the LORD he took away, that it should not stand between the altar and the house of the LORD: but he set it at the corner of the altar northward.

15 And king Alias commanded Uriah the priest, saying, Upon the great altar thou shalt burn the burnt offerings of the morning, and the meat offerings of the evening, and the king's burnt offerings, and his meat offering, and the burnt offerings of all the people of the land, with their meat offering, and their drink offerings, and all the blood of the burnt offerings; and the blood of all the sacrifices shalt thou sprinkle upon it: but with the brasen altar I will think what I will do.

16 And Uriah the priest did all that Alias the king commanded him.

17 And king Ahaz brake off the sides of the stalls, and put the caldrons on the top of them; and he took the sea from the bullocks that were under it, and set it upon the pavement of stone.

18 And the covering of the sabbath, which they had built upon the house, and the king's course without, he turned unto the house of the LORD, to minister unto the king of Assyria.

19 And the rest of the acts of Ahaz, which he did, behold, they are 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.