1Ahaz was 20 years old when he became king, and he ruled in Jerusalem for 16 years. He did not do what was right in the eyes of Yahweh, unlike his ancestor David.
2Instead, he followed the practices of the kings of Israel and even made idols out of molten metal to worship the Baals.
3He also burned incense in the Valley of Ben Hinnom and sacrificed his children in the fire, copying the detestable practices of the nations whom Yahweh had driven out before the people of Israel.
4He offered sacrifices and burned incense at the pagan shrines, on the hills, and under every green tree.
5Because of this, Yahweh his God handed him over to the king of Aram. They defeated Ahaz, took many captives, and brought them to Damascus. He was also handed over to the king of Israel, who inflicted a great defeat on him.
6In one day, Pekah, son of Remaliah, killed 120,000 brave soldiers in Judah because they had abandoned Yahweh, the God of their ancestors.
7Zichri, a powerful soldier from Ephraim, killed Maaseiah, the king’s son, Azrikam, the palace administrator, and Elkanah, who was the king’s second in command.
8The people of Israel took 200,000 of their relatives captive, including women, sons, and daughters. They also took much loot from them and carried it to Samaria.
9However, a prophet of Yahweh named Oded was there. He went out to meet the army returning to Samaria and said to them, "Look, because Yahweh, the God of your ancestors, was angry with Judah, he gave them into your hands. But you have slaughtered them with a rage that has reached up to heaven.
10Now you intend to make the people of Judah and Jerusalem your male and female slaves. But don't you also have your own sins against Yahweh your God?
11So now listen to me and send back the captives you have taken from your relatives, for the fierce anger of Yahweh is on you."
12Then some of the leaders of the people of Ephraim—Azariah son of Johanan, Berechiah son of Meshillemoth, Jehizkiah son of Shallum, and Amasa son of Hadlai—stood up against those who were returning from the war.
13They said to them, "You must not bring the captives here, or you will bring guilt upon us before Yahweh, adding to our sins and our guilt. Our guilt is already great, and there is fierce anger against Israel."
14So the armed men left the captives and the loot in front of the officials and the entire assembly.
15The men who were mentioned by name then stood up and took the captives. With the loot, they clothed all who were naked among them. They dressed them, put sandals on their feet, gave them food and drink, anointed them with oil, carried all the weak ones on donkeys, and brought them to Jericho, the city of palm trees, to their relatives. Then they returned to Samaria.
16At that time, King Ahaz sent messengers to the kings of Assyria to ask for help.
17For the Edomites had again invaded and attacked Judah, carrying away captives.
18The Philistines had also attacked the cities in the lowlands and the southern part of Judah. They captured Beth Shemesh, Aijalon, Gederoth, Soco with its surrounding villages, Timnah with its surrounding villages, and also Gimzo with its surrounding villages, and they settled there.
19Yahweh humbled Judah because of Ahaz king of Israel, for Ahaz had encouraged lawlessness in Judah and had been very unfaithful to Yahweh.
20Tilgath-Pilneser king of Assyria came to him and troubled him, instead of helping him.
21Ahaz took away valuable items from Yahweh's temple, and from the king's palace and the officials' houses, and gave them to the king of Assyria; but it didn't help him.
22Even when he was in trouble, King Ahaz continued to sin more against Yahweh.
23He sacrificed to the gods of Damascus, which had defeated him. He said, "Because the gods of the kings of Syria helped them, I will sacrifice to them so they can help me." But those gods were the downfall of Ahaz and all of Israel.
24Ahaz gathered all the items from God's temple, broke them into pieces, and shut the doors of Yahweh's temple. He built altars for himself on every street corner in Jerusalem.
25In every city of Judah, he built places of worship on high ground to burn incense to other gods, making Yahweh, the God of his ancestors, angry.
26All of Ahaz's other actions and his entire life story, from beginning to end, are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.
27Ahaz died and was buried in the city of Jerusalem, but not in the royal tombs of the kings of Israel. His son Hezekiah became king in his place.