Chapter 16

In the seventeenth ⁶²⁴⁰ year of Pekah the son of Remaliah Ahaz the son of Jotham king of Judah began to reign.¹

Twenty years old [was] Ahaz when he began to reign,² and reigned¹ sixteen ⁶²⁴⁰ years in Jerusalem, and did¹ not [that which was] right in the sight of the LORD his God, like David his father.

But he walked⁴ in the way of the kings of Israel, yea, and made his son to pass⁵² through the fire, according to the abominations of the heathen, whom the LORD cast out⁵² from before the children of Israel.

And he sacrificed¹⁷ and burnt incense¹⁷ in the high places, and on the hills, and under every green tree.

Then Rezin king of Syria and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel came up⁴ to Jerusalem to war: and they besieged⁴ Ahaz, but could¹ not overcome⁹ [him].

At that time Rezin king of Syria recovered⁵² Elath to Syria, and drave¹⁷ the Jews from Elath: and the Syrians came¹ to Elath, and dwelt⁴ there unto this day.

So Ahaz sent⁴ messengers to Tiglathpileser king of Assyria, saying,² I [am] thy servant and thy son: come up,³ and save⁵⁴ me out of the hand of the king of Syria, and out of the hand of the king of Israel, which rise up⁵ against me.

And Ahaz took⁴ the silver and gold that was found¹² in the house of the LORD, and in the treasures of the king's house, and sent⁴ [it for] a present to the king of Assyria.

And the king of Assyria hearkened⁴ unto him: for the king of Assyria went up⁴ against Damascus, and took⁴ it, and carried [the people of] it captive⁵⁵ to Kir, and slew⁵² Rezin.

And king Ahaz went⁴ to Damascus to meet² Tiglathpileser king of Assyria, and saw⁴ an altar that [was] at Damascus: and king Ahaz sent⁴ to Urijah the priest the fashion of the altar, and the pattern of it, according to all the workmanship thereof.

And Urijah the priest built⁴ an altar according to all that king Ahaz had sent¹ from Damascus: so Urijah the priest made¹ [it] against king Ahaz came² from Damascus.

And when the king was come⁴ from Damascus, the king saw⁴ the altar: and the king approached⁴ to the altar, and offered⁵⁵ thereon.

And he burnt⁵⁵ his burnt offering and his meat offering, and poured⁵⁵ his drink offering, and sprinkled⁴ the blood of his peace offerings, upon the altar.

And he brought⁵⁵ also the brasen altar, which [was] before the LORD, from the forefront of the house, from between the altar and the house of the LORD, and put⁴ it on the north side of the altar.

And king Ahaz commanded¹⁷ Urijah the priest, saying,² Upon the great altar burn⁵⁴ the morning burnt offering, and the evening meat offering, and the king's burnt sacrifice, and his meat offering, with the burnt offering of all the people of the land, and their meat offering, and their drink offerings; and sprinkle⁴ upon it all the blood of the burnt offering, and all the blood of the sacrifice: and the brasen altar shall be for me to enquire¹⁵ [by].

Thus did⁴ Urijah the priest, according to all that king Ahaz commanded.¹⁴

And king Ahaz cut off¹⁷ the borders of the bases, and removed⁵⁵ the laver from off them; and took down⁵² the sea from off the brasen oxen that [were] under it, and put⁴ it upon a pavement of stones.

And the covert ⁴³²⁹ for the sabbath that they had built¹ in the house, and the king's entry without, turned⁵² he from the house of the LORD for the king of Assyria.

Now the rest of the acts of Ahaz which he did,¹ [are] they not written⁷ in the book of the chronicles ³¹¹⁷ of the kings of Judah?

And Ahaz slept⁴ with his fathers, and was buried¹¹ with his fathers in the city of David: and Hezekiah his son reigned⁴ in his stead.