1 I n the seventeenth year of Pekah the son of Remaliah, Ahaz the son of Jotham began to rule as the king of Judah.

¶ In the year seventeen of Pekah, the son of Remaliah, Ahaz, the son of Jotham, king of Judah, began to reign.

2 A haz was twenty years old when he became king. And he ruled for sixteen years in Jerusalem. He did not do what was right in the eyes of the Lord his God, as his father David had done.

Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign and reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem and did not do that which was right in the sight of the LORD his God like David, his father.

3 B ut he walked in the way of the kings of Israel. He even gave his sons as a burnt gift. This was very sinful and was done by the nations which the Lord had driven out from the people of Israel.

But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel and even made his son pass through the fire, according to the abominations of the Gentiles, whom the LORD cast out from before the sons of Israel.

4 A nd Ahaz gave gifts in worship and burned special perfume on the high places, on the hills, and under every green tree.

Likewise he sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places and on the hills and under every green tree.

5 T hen King Rezin of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, came up to Jerusalem to fight a war. Their armies closed in around Ahaz, but they could not win the battle against him.

¶ Then Rezin, king of Syria, and Pekah, son of Remaliah, king of Israel, came up to Jerusalem to war; and they besieged Ahaz but could not overcome him.

6 A t that time King Rezin of Syria took back Elath for Syria. And he drove all the men of Judah out of Elath. The Syrians came to Elath, and have lived there to this day.

At that time Rezin, king of Syria, recovered Elath to Syria and drove the Jews from Elath; and the Syrians came to Elath and dwelt there unto this day.

7 S o Ahaz sent men with news to King Tiglath-pileser of Assyria, saying, “I am your servant and your son. Come up and save me from the king of Syria and the king of Israel. They are fighting against me.”

So Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglathpileser, king of Assyria, saying, I am thy slave and thy son; come up and save me out of the hand of the king of Syria and out of the hand of the king of Israel, who have risen up against me.

8 A nd Ahaz took the silver and gold from the house of the Lord and the storerooms of the king’s house, and sent a gift to the king of Assyria.

And Ahaz took the silver and gold that was found in the house of the LORD and in the treasury of the king’s house and sent it for a bribe to the king of Assyria.

9 S o the king of Assyria listened to him and went up against Damascus. He took it in battle, and took its people away against their will to Kir. And he put Rezin to death.

And the king of Assyria hearkened unto him, for the king of Assyria went up against Damascus and took it and carried the people of it captive to Kir and slew Rezin.

10 K ing Ahaz went to Damascus to meet King Tiglath-pileser of Assyria. He saw the altar at Damascus. And King Ahaz sent to Urijah the religious leader the plans of the altar and a small object made to look just like it.

¶ And King Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglathpileser, King of Assyria, and saw the altar that was at Damascus; and king Ahaz sent to Urijah, the priest, the fashion of the altar and the pattern of it, according to all the workmanship of it.

11 S o Urijah the religious leader built an altar, following all the plans King Ahaz had sent from Damascus. Urijah made it before King Ahaz came from Damascus.

And Urijah, the priest, built an altar according to all that King Ahaz had sent from Damascus; so Urijah, the priest, made it while King Ahaz returned from Damascus.

12 W hen the king came from Damascus, he saw the altar and went up to it.

And when the king was come from Damascus, the king saw the altar; and the king came near to the altar and offered upon it.

13 T here he burned his burnt gift and his grain gift. He poured his drink gift and put the blood of his peace gift on the altar.

And he burnt his burnt offering and his present and poured his drink offering and sprinkled the blood of his peace offerings, next to the altar.

14 H e took the brass altar which was before the Lord in front of the house, between his altar and the Lord’s house, and he put it on the north side of his altar.

And the brasen altar which had been before the LORD, he caused to be moved in front of the forefront of the house, from between the altar and the house of the LORD, and he put it beside the altar towards the Aquilon.

15 T hen King Ahaz told Urijah the religious leader, “Upon the large altar, give the morning burnt gift, the evening grain gift, and the king’s burnt gift and his grain gift. Give them with the burnt gifts of all the people of the land and their grain gifts and drink gifts. Put on it all the blood of the burnt gifts given in worship. But the brass altar will be for me to go to when I ask the Lord what should be done.”

And King Ahaz commanded Urijah, the priest, saying, Upon the great altar burn the morning burnt offering and the evening present and the king’s burnt sacrifice and his present, and likewise the burnt offering of all the people of the land and their present and their drink offerings, and sprinkle upon it all the blood of the burnt offering and all the blood of the sacrifice; and the brasen altar shall be mine to enquire by.

16 U rijah the religious leader did all that King Ahaz told him.

Thus did Urijah, the priest, according to all that King Ahaz commanded him.

17 T hen King Ahaz cut off the pillars and took the water pots away from them. He took the big brass pool off of the brass bulls, and put it down on stone.

¶ And King Ahaz cut off the borders of the bases and removed the lavers from off them and took down the sea from off the brasen oxen that were under it and put it upon a pavement of stones.

18 H e took from the house of the Lord the covered way they had built in the house, and the king’s gate because of the king of Assyria.

And the covert for the sabbath that they had built in the house and the king’s entry outside, he moved behind the house of the LORD, for the sake of the king of Assyria.

19 N ow the rest of the acts of Ahaz are written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah.

Now the rest of the acts of Ahaz which he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

20 A haz died, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David. And his son Hezekiah ruled in his place.

And Ahaz slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David; and Hezekiah, his son, reigned in his stead.