2 Kings 16

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

1Ahaz, the son of Jotham, became the king of Judah during the seventeenth year of Pekah, the son of Remaliah.

2Twenty years old was Ahaz when he began to reign; and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem: and he did not that which was right in the eyes of Jehovah his God, like David his father.

2Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he ruled in Jerusalem for sixteen years. He did not do what was right in the eyes of the LORD his God, as his ancestor David had done.

3But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, yea, and made his son to pass through the fire, according to the abominations of the nations, whom Jehovah cast out from before the children of Israel.

3Instead, he followed the examples of the kings of Israel. He even sacrificed his own son in the fire, copying the disgusting practices of the nations that the LORD had driven out before the people of Israel.

4And he sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places, and on the hills, and under every green tree.

4He offered sacrifices and burned incense at the high shrines, on the hills, and under every green tree.

5Then 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.

5Then Rezin, the king of Syria, and Pekah, the son of Remaliah and king of Israel, marched up to attack Jerusalem. They trapped Ahaz in a siege, but they were not able to defeat him.

6At 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.

6At that time, King Rezin of Syria took the city of Elath back for Syria and drove the people of Judah out of it. The Syrians moved into Elath and have lived there to this day.

7So Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, saying, I am thy servant 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 rise up against me.

7Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglath-pileser, the king of Assyria, saying, 'I am your servant and like a son to you. Come up and save me from the king of Syria and the king of Israel, who are attacking me.'

8And Ahaz took the silver and gold that was found in the house of Jehovah, and in the treasures of the king’s house, and sent it for a present to the king of Assyria.

8Ahaz took the silver and gold found in the LORD’S temple and in the treasuries of the royal palace and sent it as a gift to the king of Assyria.

9And the king of Assyria hearkened unto him; and the king of Assyria went up against Damascus, and took it, and carried the people of it captive to Kir, and slew Rezin.

9The king of Assyria listened to his request. He attacked Damascus and captured it, taking its people away to Kir as prisoners; he also killed Rezin.

10And king Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglath-pileser 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 thereof.

10Then King Ahaz went to Damascus to meet King Tiglath-pileser of Assyria. While he was there, he saw an altar. King Ahaz sent a model and a detailed plan of this altar back to Urijah the priest.

11And Urijah the priest built an altar: according to all that king Ahaz had sent from Damascus, so did Urijah the priest make it against the coming of king Ahaz from Damascus.

11Urijah the priest built the altar according to all the instructions King Ahaz had sent from Damascus. He finished it before King Ahaz returned.

12And when the king was come from Damascus, the king saw the altar: and the king drew near unto the altar, and offered thereon.

12When the king arrived from Damascus, he saw the altar. He went up to it and presented offerings on it.

13And he burnt his burnt-offering and his meal-offering, and poured his drink-offering, and sprinkled the blood of his peace-offerings, upon the altar.

13He burned his burnt offering and his grain offering, poured out his drink offering, and splattered the blood of his peace offerings against the altar.

14And the brazen altar, which was before Jehovah, he brought from the forefront of the house, from between his altar and the house of Jehovah, and put it on the north side of his altar.

14He took the bronze altar that stood before the LORD and moved it from the front of the temple—from its place between the new altar and the temple—and put it on the north side of his new altar.

15And king Ahaz commanded Urijah the priest, saying, Upon the great altar burn the morning burnt-offering, and the evening meal-offering, and the king’s burnt-offering, and his meal-offering, with the burnt-offering of all the people of the land, and their meal-offering, and their drink-offerings; and sprinkle upon it all the blood of the burnt-offering, and all the blood of the sacrifice: but the brazen altar shall be for me to inquire by.

15King Ahaz gave these orders to Urijah the priest: 'Use the new large altar for the morning burnt offering, the evening grain offering, the king’s burnt offering and grain offering, and the offerings for all the people of the country. Sprinkle all the blood from the sacrifices on it. But I will use the bronze altar for seeking guidance.'

16Thus did Urijah the priest, according to all that king Ahaz commanded.

16Urijah the priest did everything just as King Ahaz commanded.

17And king Ahaz cut off the panels of the bases, and removed the laver from off them, and took down the sea from off the brazen oxen that were under it, and put it upon a pavement of stone.

17King Ahaz also cut off the side panels of the movable stands and removed the basins from them. He took the great bronze tank, called the Sea, off the bronze oxen that supported it and set it on a stone pavement.

18And the covered way for the sabbath that they had built in the house, and the king’s entry without, turned he unto the house of Jehovah, because of the king of Assyria.

18Because of the king of Assyria, he removed the covered walkway that had been built at the temple for the Sabbath and closed off the king's private outer entrance to the LORD’S temple.

19Now 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?

19The rest of the events of Ahaz’s reign and everything he did are written in the book of the history of the kings of Judah.

20And Ahaz slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David: and Hezekiah his son reigned in his stead.

20Ahaz died and was buried with his ancestors in the City of David. His son Hezekiah became the next king.