2 Chronicles 28
28
Ahaz King of Judah
1Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. Unlike David his father, he did not do what was right in the eyes of the Lord. 2He followed the ways of the kings of Israel and also made idols for worshiping the Baals. 3He burned sacrifices in the Valley of Ben Hinnom and sacrificed his children in the fire, engaging in the detestable practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before the Israelites. 4He offered sacrifices and burned incense at the high places, on the hilltops and under every spreading tree.
5Therefore the Lord his God delivered him into the hands of the king of Aram. The Arameans defeated him and took many of his people as prisoners and brought them to Damascus.
He was also given into the hands of the king of Israel, who inflicted heavy casualties on him. 6In one day Pekah son of Remaliah killed a hundred and twenty thousand soldiers in Judah—because Judah had forsaken the Lord, the God of their ancestors. 7Zikri, an Ephraimite warrior, killed Maaseiah the king’s son, Azrikam the officer in charge of the palace, and Elkanah, second to the king. 8The men of Israel took captive from their fellow Israelites who were from Judah two hundred thousand wives, sons and daughters. They also took a great deal of plunder, which they carried back to Samaria.
9But a prophet of the Lord named Oded was there, and he went out to meet the army when it returned to Samaria. He said to them, “Because the Lord, the God of your ancestors, was angry with Judah, he gave them into your hand. But you have slaughtered them in a rage that reaches to heaven. 10And now you intend to make the men and women of Judah and Jerusalem your slaves. But aren’t you also guilty of sins against the Lord your God? 11Now listen to me! Send back your fellow Israelites you have taken as prisoners, for the Lord’s fierce anger rests on you.”
12Then some of the leaders in Ephraim—Azariah son of Jehohanan, Berekiah son of Meshillemoth, Jehizkiah son of Shallum, and Amasa son of Hadlai—confronted those who were arriving from the war. 13“You must not bring those prisoners here,” they said, “or we will be guilty before the Lord. Do you intend to add to our sin and guilt? For our guilt is already great, and his fierce anger rests on Israel.”
14So the soldiers gave up the prisoners and plunder in the presence of the officials and all the assembly. 15The men designated by name took the prisoners, and from the plunder they clothed all who were naked. They provided them with clothes and sandals, food and drink, and healing balm. All those who were weak they put on donkeys. So they took them back to their fellow Israelites at Jericho, the City of Palms, and returned to Samaria.
16At that time King Ahaz sent to the kings#28:16 Most Hebrew manuscripts; one Hebrew manuscript, Septuagint and Vulgate (see also 2 Kings 16:7) king of Assyria for help. 17The Edomites had again come and attacked Judah and carried away prisoners, 18while the Philistines had raided towns in the foothills and in the Negev of Judah. They captured and occupied Beth Shemesh, Aijalon and Gederoth, as well as Soko, Timnah and Gimzo, with their surrounding villages. 19The Lord had humbled Judah because of Ahaz king of Israel,#28:19 That is, Judah, as frequently in 2 Chronicles for he had promoted wickedness in Judah and had been most unfaithful to the Lord. 20Tiglath-Pileser#28:20 Hebrew Tilgath-Pilneser, a variant of Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria came to him, but he gave him trouble instead of help. 21Ahaz took some of the things from the temple of the Lord and from the royal palace and from the officials and presented them to the king of Assyria, but that did not help him.
22In his time of trouble King Ahaz became even more unfaithful to the Lord. 23He offered sacrifices to the gods of Damascus, who had defeated him; for he thought, “Since the gods of the kings of Aram have helped them, I will sacrifice to them so they will help me.” But they were his downfall and the downfall of all Israel.
24Ahaz gathered together the furnishings from the temple of God and cut them in pieces. He shut the doors of the Lord’s temple and set up altars at every street corner in Jerusalem. 25In every town in Judah he built high places to burn sacrifices to other gods and aroused the anger of the Lord, the God of his ancestors.
26The other events of his reign and all his ways, from beginning to end, are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel. 27Ahaz rested with his ancestors and was buried in the city of Jerusalem, but he was not placed in the tombs of the kings of Israel. And Hezekiah his son succeeded him as king.
Currently Selected:
2 Chronicles 28: NIV
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.®
Used by Permission of Biblica, Inc.® All rights reserved worldwide.
2 Chronicles 28
28
Ahaz’s Reign
1 Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned for sixteen years in Jerusalem.#map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4. He did not do what pleased the Lord, in contrast to his ancestor David.#tn Heb “and he did not do what was proper in the eyes of the Lord, like David his father.” 2 He followed in the footsteps of#tn Heb “he walked in the ways of.” the kings of Israel; he also made images of the Baals. 3 He offered sacrifices in the Valley of Ben-Hinnom and passed his sons through the fire,#sn This may refer to child sacrifice, though some interpret it as a less drastic cultic practice (NEB “burnt his sons in the fire”; NASB “burned his sons in the fire”; NIV “sacrificed his sons in the fire”; NRSV “made his sons pass through fire”). For discussion see M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 266-67. a horrible sin practiced by the nations#tn Heb “like the abominable practices of the nations.” whom the Lord drove out before the Israelites. 4 He offered sacrifices and burned incense on the high places, on the hills, and under every green tree.
5 The Lord his God handed him over to the king of Syria. The Syrians#tn Heb “they”; the referent (the Syrians) has been specified in the translation for clarity. defeated him and deported many captives to Damascus.#tn Heb “and took captive from him a great captivity and brought [them] to Damascus.” He was also handed over to the king of Israel, who thoroughly defeated him.#tn Heb “who struck him down with a great striking.” 6 In one day King Pekah son of Remaliah of Israel killed 120,000 warriors in Judah, because they had abandoned the Lord God of their ancestors.#tn Heb “fathers” (also in vv. 9, 25). 7 Zikri, an Ephraimite warrior, killed the king’s son Maaseiah, Azrikam, the supervisor of the palace, and Elkanah, the king’s second-in-command. 8 The Israelites seized from their brothers 200,000 wives, sons, and daughters. They also carried off a huge amount of plunder and took it#tn Heb “the loot.” The pronoun (“it”) has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons, to avoid redundancy. back to Samaria.#map For location see Map2-B1; Map4-D3; Map5-E2; Map6-A4; Map7-C1.
9 Oded, a prophet of the Lord, was there. He went to meet the army as they arrived in Samaria and said to them: “Look, because the Lord God of your ancestors was angry with Judah he handed them over to you. You have killed them so mercilessly that God has taken notice.#tn Heb “and you killed them with anger [that] reaches as far as heaven.” 10 And now you are planning#tn Heb “saying.” to enslave#tn Heb “to enslave as male servants and female servants.” the people#tn Heb “sons.” of Judah and Jerusalem. Yet are you not also guilty before the Lord your God? 11 Now listen to me! Send back those you have seized from your brothers, for the Lord is very angry at you!”#tn Heb “for the rage of the anger of the Lord is upon you.” 12 So some of#tn Heb “men from.” the Ephraimite family leaders, Azariah son of Jehochanan, Berechiah son of Meshillemoth, Jechizkiah son of Shallum, and Amasa son of Hadlai confronted#tn Heb “arose against.” those returning from the battle. 13 They said to them, “Don’t bring those captives here! Are you planning on making us even more sinful and guilty before the Lord?#tn Heb “for to the guilt of the Lord upon us you are saying to add to our sins and our guilty deeds.” Our guilt is already great and the Lord is very angry at Israel.”#tn Heb “for great is [the] guilt to us and rage of anger is upon Israel.” 14 So the soldiers released the captives and the plunder before the officials and the entire assembly. 15 Men were assigned to take the prisoners and find clothes among the plunder for those who were naked.#tn Heb “and the men who were designated by names arose and took the captives and all their naked ones they clothed from the loot.” So they clothed them, supplied them with sandals, gave them food and drink, and provided them with oil to rub on their skin.#tn Heb “and poured oil on them.” They put the ones who couldn’t walk on donkeys.#tn Heb “and they led them on donkeys, with respect to everyone stumbling.” They brought them back to their brothers at Jericho,#map For location see Map5-B2; Map6-E1; Map7-E1; Map8-E3; Map10-A2; Map11-A1. the city of the date palm trees, and then returned to Samaria.
16 At that time King Ahaz asked the king#tc Most Hebrew mss read the plural, “kings,” but one Hebrew ms, the LXX and Vulgate read the singular “king.” Note the singular in v. 20. of Assyria for help. 17 The Edomites had again invaded and defeated Judah and carried off captives. 18 The Philistines had raided the cities of Judah in the lowlands#tn Heb “Shephelah.” and the Negev. They captured and settled in Beth Shemesh, Aijalon, Gederoth, Soco and its surrounding villages, Timnah and its surrounding villages, and Gimzo and its surrounding villages. 19 The Lord humiliated#tn Or “subdued.” Judah because of King Ahaz of Israel,#sn That is, “of Judah.” Frequently in 2 Chronicles “Israel” is substituted for “Judah.” for he encouraged Judah to sin and was very#tn The infinitive absolute precedes the finite verbal form to emphasize the degree of Ahaz’s unfaithfulness. unfaithful to the Lord. 20 King Tiglath-pileser#tn Heb “Tilgath-pilneser,” a variant spelling of Tiglath-pileser. of Assyria came, but he gave him more trouble than support.#tn Heb “and he caused him distress and did not strengthen him.” 21 Ahaz gathered riches#tn Heb “divided up,” but some read חִלֵּץ (khillets, “despoiled”). from the Lord’s temple, the royal palace, and the officials and gave them to the king of Assyria, but that did not help.
22 During his time of trouble King Ahaz was even more unfaithful to the Lord. 23 He offered sacrifices to the gods of Damascus whom he thought had defeated him.#tn Heb “the gods of Damascus, the ones who had defeated him.” The words “he thought” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The perspective is that of Ahaz, not the narrator! Another option is that “the kings” has been accidentally omitted after “gods of.” See v. 23b. He reasoned,#tn Heb “said.” “Since the gods of the kings of Damascus helped them, I will sacrifice to them so they will help me.” But they caused him and all Israel to stumble. 24 Ahaz gathered the items in God’s temple and removed them. He shut the doors of the Lord’s temple and erected altars on every street corner in Jerusalem. 25 In every city throughout Judah he set up high places to offer sacrifices to other gods. He angered the Lord God of his ancestors.
26 The rest of the events of Ahaz’s reign, including his accomplishments from start to finish, are recorded in the Scroll of the Kings of Judah and Israel.#tn Heb “As for the rest of his events, and all his ways, the former and the latter, look, they are written on the scroll of the kings of Judah and Israel.” 27 Ahaz passed away#tn Heb “lay down with his fathers.” and was buried in the City of David;#sn The phrase the City of David refers here to the fortress of Zion in Jerusalem, not to Bethlehem. See 2 Sam 5:7. they did not bring him to the tombs of the kings of Israel. His son Hezekiah replaced him as king.
Currently Selected:
:
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
1996 - 2007 by Biblical Studies Press, LLC