2 Crónicas 28

Ahaz king of Judah

¹Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. He did not do what was right in the sight of the LORD, as his ancestor David had done. ²He walked in the ways of the kings of Israel; he also made images of cast metal for the Baals. ³He burned incense in the Valley of Ben-hinnom and burned his sons in the fire, following the detestable practices of the nations that the LORD had driven out ahead of the Israelites.^{a 4}He offered sacrifices and burned incense at the high places, on the hills and under every leafy tree. ⁵So the LORD his God handed him over to the king of Aram. The Arameans defeated him, took a great many of his people captive and brought them to Damascus. He was also handed over to the king of Israel, who struck him a heavy blow.

⁶In one day Pekah son of Remaliah killed 120,000 in Judah, all of them valiant men, because they had forsaken the LORD, the God of their ancestors. ⁷Zichri, an Ephraimite warrior, killed Maaseiah the king’s son, Azrikam the officer in charge of the palace, and Elkanah, who was second to the king.^b

⁸The Israelites took 200,000 of their own relatives captive, women, sons and daughters. They also seized a great deal of plunder from them and brought the plunder to Samaria.

Oded and the captives from Judah

⁹But a prophet of the LORD named Oded was there. He went out to meet the army as it came to Samaria and said to them, “Look, it was because the LORD, the God of your ancestors, was angry with Judah that he handed them over to you. But you have slaughtered them in a rage that has reached up to heaven. ¹⁰And now you intend to force the people of Judah and Jerusalem to become your male and female slaves. But are you not yourselves guilty of wrongs against the LORD your God? ¹¹Now listen to me: send back the captives you have taken from your own relatives, for the fierce anger of the LORD is upon you.”

¹²Then some of the chiefs of the Ephraimites, Azariah son of Jehohanan, Berechiah son of Meshillemoth, Jehizkiah son of Shallum and Amasa son of Hadlai, stood up to confront those returning from the war. ¹³They said to them, “You must not bring the captives here. What you intend would bring guilt on us before the LORD and add to our sins and our guilt. Our guilt is already great, and fierce anger is upon Israel.”

¹⁴So the armed men left the captives and the plunder in the presence of the officials and the whole assembly. ¹⁵Then the men who had been named for the task got up and took charge of the captives. From the plunder they clothed all among them who were naked. They gave them clothes and sandals, food and drink, and anointed them with oil. They put all who were too weak to walk on donkeys and brought them to their relatives at Jericho, the city of palm trees. Then they went back to Samaria.^c

Ahaz turns to Assyria

¹⁶At that time King Ahaz sent to the kings of Assyria for help.^{d 17}The Edomites had come again, attacked Judah and carried off captives. ¹⁸The Philistines had raided the towns of the Shephelah and the Negev of Judah. They captured Beth-shemesh, Aijalon and Gederoth, as well as Soco, Timnah and Gimzo with their villages, and they settled there. ¹⁹The LORD brought Judah low on account of Ahaz king of Israel, because he had let Judah throw off all restraint and had been grossly unfaithful to the LORD.^{ef 20}Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria came against him and brought him distress instead of strength. ²¹Ahaz took a share of the wealth of the house of the LORD, of the royal palace and of the officials, and gave it to the king of Assyria, but it did him no good. ²²In his time of distress this same King Ahaz became even more unfaithful to the LORD. ²³He sacrificed to the gods of Damascus, who had defeated him, and said, “Since the gods of the kings of Aram help them, I will sacrifice to them so that they will help me.” But they brought ruin on him and on all Israel. ²⁴Ahaz collected the vessels of the house of God and cut them in pieces. He shut the doors of the house of the LORD and made himself altars on every street corner in Jerusalem. ²⁵In each and every town of Judah he set up high places for burning incense to other gods, and he provoked the LORD, the God of his ancestors, to anger. ²⁶The rest of his acts and all his ways, from first to last, are written in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel. ²⁷Then Ahaz rested with his ancestors, and they buried him in the city, in Jerusalem; but they did not bring him into the tombs of the kings of Israel. His son Hezekiah became king in his place.