2 Kings 16
16
King Ahaz of Judah
(2 Chr 28.1–27)
1In the seventeenth year of the reign of Pekah son of Remaliah as king of Israel, Ahaz son of Jotham became king of Judah 2at the age of twenty, and he ruled in Jerusalem for sixteen years. He did not follow the good example of his ancestor King David; instead, he did what was not pleasing to the LORD his God 3#Deut 12.31and followed the example of the kings of Israel. He even sacrificed his own son as a burnt offering to idols, imitating the disgusting practice of the people whom the LORD had driven out of the land as the Israelites advanced. 4At the pagan places of worship, on the hills, and under every shady tree, Ahaz offered sacrifices and burnt incense.
5 #
Is 7.1
King Rezin of Syria and King Pekah of Israel attacked Jerusalem and besieged it, but could not defeat Ahaz. 6(At the same time, the king of Edom#16.6 Probable text the king of Edom; Hebrew King Rezin of Syria. regained control of the city of Elath, and drove out the Judeans who lived there. The Edomites settled in Elath, and still live there.) 7Ahaz sent men to Tiglath Pileser, the emperor of Assyria, with this message: “I am your devoted servant. Come and rescue me from the kings of Syria and of Israel, who are attacking me.” 8Ahaz took the silver and gold from the Temple and the palace treasury and sent it as a present to the emperor. 9Tiglath Pileser, in answer to Ahaz' plea, marched out with his army against Damascus, captured it, killed King Rezin, and took the people to Kir as prisoners.
10When King Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Emperor Tiglath Pileser, he saw the altar there and sent back to Uriah the priest an exact model of it, down to the smallest details. 11So Uriah built an altar just like it, and finished it before Ahaz returned. 12On his return from Damascus, Ahaz saw that the altar was finished, 13so he burnt animal sacrifices and grain offerings on it, and poured a wine offering and the blood of a fellowship offering on it. 14#Ex 27.1–2; 2 Chr 4.1The bronze altar dedicated to the LORD was between the new altar and the Temple, so Ahaz moved it to the north side of his new altar. 15Then he ordered Uriah: “Use this large altar of mine for the morning burnt offerings and the evening grain offerings, for the burnt offerings and grain offerings of the king and the people, and for the people's wine offerings. Pour on it the blood of all the animals that are sacrificed. But keep the bronze altar for me to use for divination.” 16Uriah did as the king commanded.
17 #
1 Kgs 7.23–39; 2 Chr 4.2–6 King Ahaz took apart the bronze carts used in the Temple and removed the basins that were on them; he also took the bronze tank from the backs of the twelve bronze bulls, and placed it on a stone foundation. 18And in order to please the Assyrian emperor, Ahaz also removed from the Temple the platform for the royal throne and closed up the king's private entrance to the Temple.#16.18 Verse 18 in Hebrew is unclear.
19Everything else that King Ahaz did is recorded in The History of the Kings of Judah. 20#Is 14.28Ahaz died and was buried in the royal tombs in David's City, and his son Hezekiah succeeded him as king.
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Good News Bible. Scripture taken from the Good News Bible (r) (Today's English Version Second Edition, UK/British Edition). Copyright © 1992 British & Foreign Bible Society. Used by permission.
2 Kings 16
16
King Ahaz of Judah
(2 Chronicles 28.1-27)
1Ahaz son of Jotham became king of Judah in the seventeenth year of Pekah's rule in Israel. 2He was 20 years old at the time, and he ruled from Jerusalem for 16 years.
Ahaz wasn't like his ancestor David. Instead, he disobeyed the Lord 3#Dt 12.31. and was even more sinful than the kings of Israel. He sacrificed his own son, which was a disgusting custom of the nations that the Lord had forced out of Israel. 4Ahaz offered sacrifices at the local shrines, as well as on every hill and in the shade of large trees.
5-6 #
Is 7.1. While Ahaz was ruling Judah, the king of Edom recaptured the town of Elath from Judah and forced out the people of Judah. Edomites#16.5,6 the king of Edom … Edomites: The Hebrew text has “King Rezin of Syria … Syrians”; in Hebrew, there is only one letter difference between “Edom” and “Aram,” which is the usual Hebrew name for Syria in the Bible (see also 2 Chronicles 28.17). then moved into Elath, and they still live there.
About the same time, King Rezin of Syria and King Pekah of Israel marched to Jerusalem and attacked, but they could not capture it.
7Ahaz sent a message to King Tiglath Pileser of Assyria that said, “Your Majesty, King Rezin and King Pekah are attacking me, your loyal servant. Please come and rescue me.” 8Along with the message, Ahaz sent silver and gold from the Lord's temple and from the palace treasury as a gift for the Assyrian king.
9As soon as Tiglath Pileser received the message, he and his troops marched to Syria. He captured the capital city of Damascus, then he took the people living there to the town of Kir as prisoners and killed King Rezin.#16.9 King Rezin: This probably took place around 734 b.c., before the events in 15.29.
10Later, Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglath Pileser. And while Ahaz was there, he saw an altar and sent a model of it back to Uriah the priest, along with the plans for building one. 11Uriah followed the plans and built an altar exactly like the one in Damascus, finishing it just before Ahaz came back.
12When Ahaz returned, he went to see the altar and to offer sacrifices on it. He walked up to the altar 13and poured wine over it. Then he offered sacrifices to please the Lord, to give him thanks, and to ask for his blessings.#16.13 offered … blessings: In traditional translations, these sacrifices are usually called “whole burnt offerings,” “grain offerings,” and “peace offerings.” These are described in Leviticus 1–3. 14#Ex 27.1,2; 2 Ch 4.1. After that, he had the bronze altar moved aside,#16.14 aside: Hebrew “to the north.” so his new altar would be right in front of the Lord's temple. 15He told Uriah the priest:
From now on, the morning and evening sacrifices as well as all gifts of grain and wine are to be offered on this altar. The sacrifices for the people and for the king must also be offered here. Sprinkle the blood from all the sacrifices on it, but leave the bronze altar for me to use for prayer and finding out what God wants me to do.
16Uriah did everything Ahaz told him.
17 #
1 K 7.23-39; 2 Ch 4.2-6. Ahaz also had the side panels and the small bowls taken off the movable stands in the Lord's temple. He had the large bronze bowl, called the Sea, removed from the bronze bulls on which it rested and had it placed on a stand made of stone. 18He took down the special tent that was used for worship on the Sabbath#16.18 the special tent … Sabbath: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text. and closed up the private entrance that the kings of Judah used for going into the temple. He did all these things to please Tiglath Pileser.
19Everything else Ahaz did while he was king is written in The History of the Kings of Judah. 20#Is 14.28. Ahaz died and was buried beside his ancestors in Jerusalem,#16.20 Jerusalem: See the note at 8.24. and his son Hezekiah became king.
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