Kings IV 16

1 In the seventeenth year of Phakee son of Romelias began Achaz the son of Joatham king of Juda to reign.

Ahaz, son of Jotham, became king of Judah in the seventeenth year of the reign of Pekah, son of Remaliah.

2 Twenty years old was Achaz when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem; and he did not that which was right in the eyes of the Lord his God faithfully, as David his father [had done].

Ahaz was twenty when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem for sixteen years. But unlike David his forefather, he did not do what was right in the sight of the Lord his God.

3 And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, yes, he 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.

He followed the ways of the kings of Israel, and he even sacrificed his son in the fire, participating in the disgusting practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before the Israelites.

4 And he sacrificed and burnt incense on the high places, and upon the hills, and under every shady tree.

He sacrificed and presented burnt offerings on the high places and on the hills and under every green tree.

5 Then went up Raasson king of Syria and Phakee son of Romelias king of Israel against Jerusalem to war, and besieged Achaz, but could not prevail [against him].

Rezin, king of Aram, and Pekah, son of Remaliah, king of Israel, came and attacked Jerusalem. They besieged Ahaz but couldn't defeat him.

6 At that time Raasson king of Syria recovered Aelath to Syria, and drove out the Jews from Aelath, and the Idumeans came to Aelath, and lived there until this day.

This was when Rezin, king of Aram, recovered Elath for Edom. He expelled the people of Judah, and sent Edomites to Elath, where they still live to this day.

7 And Achaz sent messengers to Thalgath-phellasar king of the Assyrians, saying, I am your servant and your son: come up, deliver me out of the hand of the king of Syria, and out of the hand of the king of Israel, who are rising up against me.

Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglath-pileser, king of Assyria, saying, “I'm your servant, and your son. Please come and rescue me from the kings of Aram and Israel who are attacking me.”

8 And Achaz took the silver and the gold that was found in the treasures of the house of the Lord, and of the king's house, and sent gifts to the king.

Ahaz took the silver and gold from the Lord's Temple and from the treasuries of the king's palace, and he sent it to the king of Assyria as a gift.

9 And the king of the Assyrians listened to him: and the king of the Assyrians went up to Damascus and took it, and removed the inhabitants, and killed king Raasson.

The king of Assyria responded positively to him. He went and attacked Damascus, and captured it. He deported its inhabitants to Kir and executed Rezin.

10 And king Achaz went to Damascus to meet Thalgath-phellasar king of the Assyrians at Damascus; and he saw an altar at Damascus. And king Achaz sent to Urias the priest the pattern of the altar, and its proportions, and all its workmanship.

King Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglath-Pileser, king of Assyria. During his visit he saw an altar in Damascus, and he sent Uriah the priest a drawing of the altar, along with instructions how to build it.

11 And Urias the priest built the altar, according to all [the directions] which king Achaz sent from Damascus.

So Uriah the priest built an altar following all the instructions King Ahaz had sent from Damascus, completing it before King Ahaz returned.

12 And the king saw the altar, and went up to it,

When the king came back from Damascus he saw the altar. He went over to it and made offerings on it.

13 and offered his whole burnt offering, and his meat-offering, and his drink-offering, and poured out the blood of his peace-offerings on the brazen altar that was before the Lord.

He presented his burnt offering and his grain offering, he poured out his drink offering, and sprinkled the blood of his friendship offerings on it.

14 And he brought forward [the one] before the house of the Lord from between the altar and the house of the Lord, and he set it openly by the side of the altar northwards.

He also moved the bronze altar that stood before the Lord from the front of the Temple, between the new altar and the Lord's Temple, and he placed it to the north of the new altar.

15 And king Achaz charged Urias the priest, saying, Offer upon the great altar the whole burnt offering in the morning and the meat-offering in the evening, and the whole burnt offering of the king, and his meat-offering, and the whole burnt offering of all the people, and their meat-offering, and their drink-offering; and you shall pour all the blood of the whole burnt offering, and all the blood of [any other] sacrifice upon it: and the brazen altar shall be for me in the morning.

Then King Ahaz ordered Uriah the priest: “Use this new important altar to offer the morning burnt offering, the evening grain offering, the king's burnt offering and grain offering, and the burnt offering of all the people, and their grain offerings and their drink offerings. Sprinkle on this altar the blood of all the burnt offerings and sacrifices. The old bronze altar I'll use for divination.”

16 And Urias the priest did according to all that king Achaz commanded him.

Uriah the priest followed King Ahaz's orders.

17 And king Achaz cut off the borders of the bases, and removed the laver from off them, and took down the sea from the brazen oxen that were under it, and set it upon a base of stone.

King Ahaz also removed the frames of the movable carts, and also took out the bronze basin from each of them. He removed the Sea from the bronze bulls it rested on and placed it on a stone pedestal.

18 And he made a base for the throne in the house of the Lord, and he turned the king's entrance without in the house of the Lord because of the king of the Assyrians.

He took down the Sabbath canopy they had built in the Temple, as well as the king's outer entrance to the Lord's Temple. He did this to please the king of Assyria.

19 And the rest of the acts of Achaz, even all that he did, [are] not these written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Juda?

The rest of what happened in Ahaz's reign and all he did are recorded in the Book of Chronicles of the Kings of Judah.

20 And Achaz slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David: and Ezekias his son reigned in his stead.

Ahaz died and was buried with his forefathers in the City of David. His son Hezekiah succeeded him as king.