2 Kings 16

Ahaz Reigns in Judah

1In the seventeenth year of Pekah son of Remaliah, Ahaz son of Jotham king of Judah became king. 2Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. He did not do what was right in the eyes of the LORD his God like David his ancestor. 3Instead he walked in the way of the kings of Israel and even made his son pass through the fire, according to the detestable practices of the nations whom the LORD had dispossessed before the children of Israel. 4He sacrificed and burned incense on the high places, on the hills, and under every flourishing tree.

Aram and Israel Attack Jerusalem

5Then Rezin king of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel came up to Jerusalem for war. They besieged Ahaz but were not able to conquer him. 6At that time Rezin king of Aram restored Elath to Aram and drove the Judeans from Elath. The Edomites came to Elath and have lived there to this day.

Ahaz Appeals to Assyria

7Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria, saying, “I am your servant and your son. Come up and save me from the hand of the king of Aram and from the hand of the king of Israel, who are rising against me.” 8Ahaz took the silver and gold found in the house of the LORD and in the treasuries of the king’s house and sent it as a gift to the king of Assyria. 9The king of Assyria listened to him. The king of Assyria went up against Damascus, captured it, carried its people captive to Kir, and put Rezin to death.

Ahaz Copies an Altar from Damascus

10King Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria. He saw the altar that was in Damascus, and King Ahaz sent to Uriah the priest the pattern of the altar and its design according to all its workmanship. 11Uriah the priest built the altar according to all that King Ahaz had sent from Damascus. Thus Uriah the priest made it before King Ahaz came from Damascus. 12When the king came from Damascus, the king saw the altar. The king approached the altar and went up upon it. 13He burned his burnt offering and grain offering, poured his drink offering, and threw the blood of his offerings of well-being against the altar. 14The bronze altar that was before the LORD he brought near from before the house, from between the new altar and the house of the LORD, and put it on the north side of the new altar.

Ahaz Reorders Temple Worship

15King Ahaz commanded Uriah the priest, saying, “Upon the great altar burn the morning burnt offering and the evening grain offering, the king’s burnt offering and his grain offering, and the burnt offering of all the people of the land, their grain offering, and their drink offerings. Throw upon it all the blood of burnt offering and all the blood of sacrifice. But the bronze altar shall be for me to inquire by.” 16Uriah the priest did according to all that King Ahaz commanded. 17King Ahaz cut off the frames of the stands and removed the basins from upon them. He took down the Sea from the bronze cattle that were under it and put it upon a stone pavement. 18The covered Sabbath structure that they had built in the house and the king’s outer entrance he turned around at the house of the LORD because of the king of Assyria.

Ahaz Dies

19Now the rest of the acts of Ahaz that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? 20Ahaz lay down with his ancestors and was buried with his ancestors in the city of David. Hezekiah his son became king in his place.