Ahaz Is King of Judah
2 Chronicles 28, verse 1. Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned for sixteen years in Jerusalem. He did not do right in the sight of the Lord as his father David had done. 2 Chronicles 28, verse 2. For he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel and made molded images for their idols. 2 Chronicles 28, verse 3. He burned incense in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom and burned his children in the fire, according to the abominations of the nations whom the Lord had destroyed before the sons of Israel. 2 Chronicles 28, verse 4. He burned incense on the high places, on the housetops, and under every green tree.
Judah Defeated by Syria and Israel
2 Chronicles 28, verse 5. Therefore the Lord his God delivered Ahaz into the hand of the king of Syria. They defeated him and carried away a great multitude of them as captives, and brought them to Damascus. He then was delivered into the hand of the king of Israel, who defeated him with a great slaughter. 2 Chronicles 28, verse 6. For Pekah the son of Remaliah, the king of Israel, killed one hundred twenty thousand mighty men in Judah in one day, because they had forsaken the Lord God of their fathers. 2 Chronicles 28, verse 7. Zichri, a mighty man of Ephraim, killed Maaseiah the king's son, Azrikam the officer over the house, and Elkanah, who was second to the king. 2 Chronicles 28, verse 8. And the sons of Israel carried away captive three hundred thousand of their brethren—their wives, the sons, and their daughters—and they took away a great deal of spoil from them and brought the spoil to Samaria.
Israel Releases Her Captives
2 Chronicles 28, verse 9. But a prophet of the Lord was there whose name was Oded, and he went out before the army that came to Samaria and said to them, “Look, the wrath of the Lord God of your fathers is on Judah. He has delivered them into your hand, but you killed them in a rage that reaches up to heaven. 2 Chronicles 28, verse 10. And now do you propose to force the sons of Judah and Jerusalem to be your male and female servants? Will I not bear witness about you before the Lord your God? 2 Chronicles 28, verse 11. Therefore, now hear me and return the captives you took from your brethren, for the fierce wrath of the Lord is upon you.” 2 Chronicles 28, verse 12. Then 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 came from the war 2 Chronicles 28, verse 13. and said to them, “You shall not bring the captives here to us, for we have already offended the Lord. You intend to add to our sins and to our guilt, for our guilt is great and there is fierce wrath against Israel.” 2 Chronicles 28, verse 14. So the armed men left the captives and the spoil before the leaders and all the assembly. 2 Chronicles 28, verse 15. And the men who were designated by name rose up and took the captives. From the spoil they clothed all who were naked among them, dressed them and gave them sandals, gave them food and drink, and anointed them. They let all the feeble ones ride on donkeys. So they brought them to their brethren at Jericho, the city of palm trees. Then they returned to Samaria.
Assyria Will Not Help Judah
2 Chronicles 28, verse 16. At that time King Ahaz sent to the kings of Assyria to help him. 2 Chronicles 28, verse 17. For again the Edomites had come and attacked Judah and carried away captives. 2 Chronicles 28, verse 18. The foreigners had also invaded the cities of the lowland and the South of Judah and had taken Beth Shemesh, Aijalon, Gederoth, Sochoh with its villages, Timnah with its villages, and Gimzo with its villages, and settled there. 2 Chronicles 28, verse 19. For the Lord brought Judah low because of Ahaz king of Judah, for he had rebelled against the Lord. 2 Chronicles 28, verse 20. Also Tiglath-Pileser, king of Assyria, came to him and struck him. 2 Chronicles 28, verse 21. For Ahaz took what was in the house of the Lord and the house of the king and the leaders, and gave it to the king of Assyria, and he did not help him.
Sins and Death of Ahaz
2 Chronicles 28, verse 22. Now in the time of his distress, King Ahaz became increasingly unfaithful to the Lord. And the king said, 2 Chronicles 28, verse 23. “I shall seek the gods of Damascus, who defeated me.” And he said, “Because the gods of the king of Syria help them, I will sacrifice to them and they will help me.” But they were the ruin of him and of all Israel. 2 Chronicles 28, verse 24. So Ahaz gathered the articles of the house of God, cut the articles of the house of God in pieces, shut the doors of the house of the Lord, and made altars for himself in every corner of Jerusalem. 2 Chronicles 28, verse 25. And in every single city of Judah he made high places to burn incense to foreign gods, and provoked the Lord God of his fathers to anger. 2 Chronicles 28, verse 26. Now the rest of his acts and all his deeds, from first to last, indeed they are written in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel. 2 Chronicles 28, verse 27. So Ahaz rested with his fathers, and they buried him in the city, in Jerusalem. But they did not place him in the tombs of the kings of Israel. Then Hezekiah his son reigned in his place.