Ahaz was twentyyears old when he began to reign, and he reignedsixteenyears in Jerusalem: but he did not thatwhich was right in the sight of the LORD, likeDavid his father:
Moreover he burntincense in the valley of the son of Hinnom, and burnt his children in the fire, after the abominations of the heathenwhom the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel.
Wherefore the LORD his God delivered him into the hand of the king of Syria; and theysmote him, and carriedaway a greatmultitude of themcaptives, and broughtthem to Damascus. And he was alsodeliveredinto the hand of the king of Israel, who smote him with a greatslaughter.
For Pekah the son of Remaliahslew in Judah an hundred and twentythousand in one day, whichwere all valiant men; becausethey had forsaken the LORD God of theirfathers.
And the children of Israelcarriedawaycaptive of theirbrethren two hundredthousand, women, sons, and daughters, and tookalsoawaymuchspoilfromthem, and brought the spoil to Samaria.
But a prophet of the LORD was there, whosename was Oded: and he went out before the hostthatcame to Samaria, and saiduntothem, Behold, because the LORD God of yourfathers was wrothwithJudah, he hathdeliveredthemintoyourhand, and ye haveslainthem in a ragethatreacheth up untoheaven.
And now ye purpose to keepunder the children of Judah and Jerusalem for bondmen and bondwomenunto you: but are there not with you, evenwith you, sinsagainst the LORDyour God?
Thencertain of the heads of the children of Ephraim, Azariah the son of Johanan, Berechiah the son of Meshillemoth, and Jehizkiah the son of Shallum, and Amasa the son of Hadlai, stood up againstthemthatcamefrom the war,
And saiduntothem, Ye shall not bring in the captiveshither: for whereas we haveoffendedagainst the LORDalready, ye intend to add more to our sins and to our trespass: for our trespass is great, and there is fiercewrathagainstIsrael.
And the men whichwereexpressed by namerose up, and took the captives, and with the spoilclothed all thatwerenakedamongthem, and arrayedthem, and shodthem, and gavethem to eat and to drink, and anointedthem, and carried all the feeble of themuponasses, and broughtthem to Jericho, the city of palmtrees, to theirbrethren: thentheyreturned to Samaria.
The Philistinesalso had invaded the cities of the low country, and of the south of Judah, and had takenBethshemesh, and Ajalon, and Gederoth, and Shochowith the villagesthereof, and Timnahwith the villagesthereof, Gimzoalso and the villagesthereof: and theydweltthere.
For Ahaztookaway a portion out of the house of the LORD, and out of the house of the king, and of the princes, and gave it unto the king of Assyria: but he helped him not.
For he sacrificedunto the gods of Damascus, whichsmote him: and he said, Because the gods of the kings of Syriahelpthem, thereforewill I sacrifice to them, thatthey may help me. But theywere the ruin of him, and of all Israel.
And Ahazgatheredtogether the vessels of the house of God, and cut in pieces the vessels of the house of God, and shut up the doors of the house of the LORD, and he made him altars in everycorner of Jerusalem.
And Ahazsleptwith his fathers, and theyburied him in the city, even in Jerusalem: but theybrought him not into the sepulchres of the kings of Israel: and Hezekiah his son reigned in his stead.