2 Kings 16:1-20
16 * In the year seventeen of Pekah the son of Remaliah, Ahaz the son of King Jotham of Judah became king;
2 Ahaz was twenty years old at his accession to the throne, and reigned sixteen years at Jerusalem. And he did not do what his God Jehovah approved as his father David had,
3 but followed the path of the kings of Israel, and sent his son over through the fire besides, in accordance with the detestable ways of the nations Jehovah dispossessed before the sons of Israel,
4 and sacrificed and made burnings at the heights and on the hills and under every verdant tree.
5 Then King Rason of Syria and King Pekah the son of Remaliah of Israel came up to Jerusalem to attack it, and beleaguered Ahaz but could not attack.
6 * (At that time the king of Edom reannexed Elath to Edom and cleared the Judahites out of Elath, and Edomites came into Elath and lived there, and are there to this day.)
7 And Ahaz sent envoys to King Tiglath-Pileser of Assyria with the message “I am your subject and your son; come up and save me out of the hands of the king of Syria and of the king of Israel, who have come out against me”;
8 and Ahaz took the silver and gold that was found in Jehovah’s house and in the palace treasuries and sent it to the king of Assyria as a present.
9 * And the king of Assyria listened to him, and came up to Damascus and captured it and deported it to Kir, and put Rason to death.
10 * And King Ahaz went to Damascus to meet King Tiglath-Pileser of Assyria, and saw the altar at Damascus; and King Ahaz sent to Priest Urijah the measurements and design of the altar, the complete specifications,
11 and Priest Urijah built the altar: as King Ahaz had sent from Damascus, just so Priest Urijah did, till King Ahaz came from Damascus.
12 And the king came from Damascus, and the king saw the altar, and the king approached the altar and went up it,
13 and burned his burnt-offering and grain-offering and poured his libations, an threw his welfare-sacrifice blood against the altar.
14 * And the bronze altar that was before Jehovah he brought on from in front of the house, from between the altar and Jehovah’s house, and put it by the northwest corner of the altar;
15 * and King Ahaz gave order to Priest Urijah “On the large altar burn the morning burnt-offering and the evening grain-offering, and the king’s burnt-offering and grain-offering, and the burnt-offerings of all the people and their grain-offerings and libations, and throw against it all burnt-offering blood and sacrifice blood; and the bronze altar shall be for my inspecting,”
16 and Priest Urijah did just as King Ahaz ordered.
17 ** And the king mutilated the stands and took the borders off them, and the laver; and the sea he took down off the cattle that had been under it and put it on a stone pavement;
18 * and the sabbath canopy that they had built in the house, and the king’s outer entrance, he brought round to Jehovah’s house, because of the king of Assyria.
19 And as to the rest of the history of Ahaz, and all that he did, it is recorded in the chronicles of the kings of Judah.
20 And Ahaz went to rest with his fathers, and was buried in David’s City; and his son Hezekiah succeeded him.
Footnotes
^ 16:1 Conj. year one
^ 16:6 Codd. King Rason of Syria reannexed Elath to Syria
^ 16:9 Var. omits to Kir
^ 16:10 Var. sent to Priest Urijah a model and the design
^ 16:14 Lit. brought near from in front
^ 16:15 Var. gave him, Priest Urijah, order Conj. gave him order
^ 16:17 (borders) Or strips or panels
^ 16:17 Codd. mutilated the borders, the stands, and took off from them, and the laver (var. took off from them the laver) Conj. mutilated the stands and took off from them the laver
^ 16:18 (canopy) Unc.
