2 Chronicles 28

1 Ahaz was twenty years old when he had begun to reign, and he reigned for sixteen years in Jerusalem. He did not do what is right in the sight of the Lord, as his father David did.

Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. He did not do what was right in the eyes of Yahweh, as David his ancestor had done.

2 Instead, he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel. Moreover, he also cast statues for the Baals.

Instead, he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel; he also made cast metal figures for the Baals.

3 It is he who burned incense in the Valley of the son of Hinnom. And he purified his sons by fire, in accord with the ritual of the nations that the Lord put to death at the advent of the sons of Israel.

In addition, he burned incense in the Valley of Ben Hinnom and he caused his children to pass through the fire, according to the idolatrous practices of the people that Yahweh forced out of their land before the people of Israel.

4 Also, he was sacrificing and burning incense in the high places, and on the hills, and under every leafy tree.

He sacrificed and burned incense at the high places and on the hills and under every green tree.

5 And so the Lord, his God, delivered him into the hand of the king of Syria, who struck him and took great plunder from his kingdom. And he carried it away to Damascus. Also, he was delivered into the hands of the king of Israel, and he struck him with great affliction.

Therefore Yahweh the God of Ahaz gave him into the hand of the king of Aram. The Arameans defeated him and carried away from him a great crowd of prisoners, bringing them to Damascus. Ahaz was also given into the hand of the king of Israel who defeated him in a great slaughter.

6 And Pekah, the son of Remaliah, killed, on one day, one hundred twenty thousand, all of them men of war from Judah, because they had forsaken the Lord, the God of their fathers.

For Pekah son of Remaliah in one day killed 120,000 soldiers in Judah and all of them were powerful men, because they had forsaken Yahweh the God of their ancestors.

7 In the same time, Zichri, a powerful man of Ephraim, killed Maaseiah, the son of the king, and Azrikam, the governor of his house, and also Elkanah, who was second to the king.

Zicri, a powerful man from Ephraim, killed Maaseiah the king's son, Azrikam, the official over the palace, and Elkanah, who was next to the king.

8 And the sons of Israel seized, from their brothers, two hundred thousand women, boys, and girls, and immense plunder. And they took it away to Samaria.

The army of Israel took captive from their relatives 200,000 wives, sons, and daughters. They also took much plunder, which they carried back to Samaria.

9 At that time, there was a prophet of the Lord there, named Oded. And going out to meet the army arriving in Samaria, he said to them: “Behold, the Lord, the God of your fathers, having become angry against Judah, has delivered them into your hands. But you have killed them by atrocities, so that your cruelty has reached up to heaven.

But a prophet of Yahweh was there, his name was Oded. He went out to meet the army coming into Samaria. He said to them, “Because Yahweh, the God of your ancestors, was angry with Judah, he gave them into your hand. But you have slaughtered them in a rage that reached up to heaven.

10 Moreover, you wanted to subjugate the sons of Judah and Jerusalem as your men and women servants, which is a work that should never be done. And so you sinned in this matter against the Lord your God.

Now you intend to keep the men and women of Judah and Jerusalem as your slaves. But are you not guilty of sins of your own against Yahweh your God?

11 But listen to my counsel, and release the captives, whom you have brought from your brothers. For a great fury of the Lord is hanging over you.”

Now then, listen to me: Send the prisoners back, those whom you have taken of your own brothers, for Yahweh's fierce wrath is on you.”

12 And so, some of the leaders of the sons of Ephraim, Azariah, the son of Johanan, Berechiah, the son of Meshillemoth, Jehizkiah, the son of Shallum, and Amasa, the son of Hadlai, stood up against those who were arriving from the battle.

Then certain leaders of the people of Ephraim—Azariah son of Jehohanan, Berechiah son of Meshillemoth, Jehizkiah son of Shallum, and Amasa son of Hadlai, stood up against those who came back from the war.

13 And they said to them: “You shall not lead back captives to here, lest we sin against the Lord. Why are you willing to add to our sins, and to build upon our old offenses? For indeed, the sin is great, and the furious anger of the Lord is hanging over Israel.”

They said to them, “You must not bring the prisoners here, for you intend something that will bring on us sin against Yahweh, to add to our sins and trespasses, for our trespass is great, and there is fierce wrath against Israel.”

14 And the warriors released the spoils and all that they had seized, in the sight of the leaders and the entire multitude.

So the armed men left the prisoners and the plunder before the leaders and all the assembly.

15 And the men, whom we mentioned above, rose up and took the captives. All those who were naked, they clothed from the spoils. And when they had clothed them, and had given them shoes, and had refreshed them with food and drink, and had anointed them because of the hardship, and had cared for them, whoever was not able to walk and whoever was feeble in body, they set them upon beasts of burden, and they led them to Jericho, the city of palm trees, to their brothers, and they themselves returned to Samaria.

The men who were assigned by name got up and took the prisoners, and clothed all who were naked among them with the plunder. They clothed them and gave them sandals. They gave them food to eat and drink. They treated their wounds and put the weak ones on donkeys. They took them back to their families in Jericho, (called the City of Palms). Then they returned to Samaria.

16 In that time, king Ahaz sent to the king of the Assyrians, requesting assistance.

At that time King Ahaz sent messengers to the kings of Assyria to ask them to help him.

17 And the Edomites arrived and struck down many of Judah, and they seized great plunder.

For once again the Edomites had come and attacked Judah, carrying prisoners away.

18 Also, the Philistines spread out among the cities of the plains, and to the south of Judah. And they seized Beth-shemesh, and Aijalon, and Gederoth, and also Soco, and Timnah, and Gimzo, with their villages, and they lived in them.

The Philistines also invaded the cities of the lowlands and of the Negev of Judah. They took Beth Shemesh, Aijalon, Gederoth, Soko with its villages, Timnah with its villages, and also Gimzo with its villages. They went to live in those places.

19 For the Lord had humbled Judah because of Ahaz, the king of Judah, since he had stripped it of help, and had shown contempt for the Lord.

For Yahweh brought Judah low because of Ahaz, king of Israel; for he had acted wickedly in Judah and had sinned against Yahweh very heavily.

20 And he led against him Tilgath-pilneser, the king of the Assyrians, who also afflicted him and laid waste to him, without resistance.

Tiglath-Pileser, king of Assyria, came to him and troubled him instead of strengthening him.

21 And so Ahaz, despoiling the house of the Lord, and the house of the kings and the leaders, gave gifts to the king of the Assyrians, and yet it profited him nothing.

For Ahaz plundered the house of Yahweh and the houses of the king and the leaders, to give the valuable things to the kings of Assyria. But doing this did not benefit him.

22 Moreover, in the time of his anguish, he also added to his contempt against the Lord. King Ahaz himself, by himself,

This same King Ahaz sinned even more against Yahweh in his time of suffering.

23 immolated victims to the gods of Damascus, those who had struck him. And he said: “The gods of the kings of Syria assist them, and so I will please them with victims, and they will help me.” But to the contrary, they had been the ruin of him and of all Israel.

For he sacrificed to the gods of Damascus, gods that had defeated him. He said, “Because the gods of the kings of Aram helped them, I will sacrifice to them, so that they might help me.” But they were the ruin of him and of all Israel.

24 And so, Ahaz, having despoiled and broken apart all the vessels of the house of God, closed up the doors of the temple of God, and made for himself altars in all the corners of Jerusalem.

Ahaz gathered together the furnishings of the house of God and cut them to pieces. He shut the doors of the house of Yahweh and he made for himself altars in every corner of Jerusalem.

25 Also, he constructed altars in all the cities of Judah, in order to burn frankincense, and so he provoked the Lord, the God of his fathers, to wrath.

In every city of Judah he made high places to burn sacrifices to other gods. He provoked Yahweh, the God of his ancestors, to anger.

26 But the rest of his words, and all his works, the first and the last, have been written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.

Now the rest of his deeds, and all his ways, first and last, see, they are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.

27 And Ahaz slept with his fathers. And they buried him in the city of Jerusalem. And they did not allow him to be in the sepulchers of the kings of Israel. And his son, Hezekiah, reigned in his place.

Ahaz slept 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. Hezekiah, his son, became king in his place.