2 Kings 16

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

In the seventeenth year of Pekah's rule, Ahaz, son of Jotham, took over the throne of Judah.

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

Ahaz was just twenty when he became king, ruling Jerusalem for sixteen years. Unlike his father David, he failed to live a life pleasing to God.

But 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 heathen, whom the LORD cast out from before the children of Israel.

He followed the path of Israel's kings, even sacrificing his son in fire, mimicking the detestable practices of the pagans, whom God had expelled from Israel's land.

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

He passionately offered sacrifices and lit incense on mountaintops, hills, and beneath every lush tree.

Then 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.

The Syrian king Rezin and Pekah, the Israeli king, united to wage war on Jerusalem. They tried to conquer Ahaz but failed.

At that time Rezin king of Syria recovered Elath to Syria, and drave the Jews from Elath: and the Syrians came to Elath, and dwelt there unto this day.

During that period, Rezin, the Syrian king, reclaimed Elath for Syria. He forcefully expelled the Jews from Elath. The Syrians then moved into Elath, making it their home, where they continue to live to this day.

So Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglathpileser 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, which rise up against me.

In desperation, Ahaz reached out to Tiglathpileser, the Assyrian king, pleading, "I am your loyal servant, your son. Please, rescue me from the Syrian and Israeli kings who threaten me."

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

Ahaz, filled with desperation, seized the sacred gold and silver from God's house and the royal treasury. He then sent these precious items as a gift to the Assyrian king, hoping for mercy.

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

The Assyrian king listened and acted. He attacked and conquered Damascus, cruelly enslaving its people and taking them to Kir. He mercilessly killed Rezin.

And king Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglathpileser king of Assyria, and saw an 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.

King Ahaz journeyed to Damascus to meet the Assyrian King, Tiglathpileser. There, he was captivated by a magnificent altar. Overwhelmed by its beauty and craftsmanship, he sent its design and details to Urijah, the priest.

And Urijah the priest built an altar according to all that king Ahaz had sent from Damascus: so Urijah the priest made it against king Ahaz came from Damascus.

Urijah the priest, with great devotion, constructed an altar exactly as King Ahaz had instructed from Damascus. He completed it just in time for the King's return from Damascus.

And when the king was come from Damascus, the king saw the altar: and the king approached to the altar, and offered thereon.

When the king returned from Damascus, he was moved by the sight of the altar. Drawn to it, he made his offering there with reverence.

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

With deep reverence, he burned his burnt offering and his grain offering, poured out his drink offering, and sprinkled the blood of his peace offerings on the altar.

And he brought also the brasen altar, which was before the LORD, from the forefront of the house, from between the altar and the house of the LORD, and put it on the north side of the altar.

He also moved the bronze altar that stood before the Lord at the front of the house, from between the new altar and God's house, and put it on the north side of the new altar.

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

King Ahaz instructed Urijah, the priest, with a stern voice, "On the grand altar, light the morning and evening sacrifices, including mine and the people's. Pour out all the offerings and sprinkle the blood of the sacrifices. The bronze altar will be my place of inquiry."

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

Urijah the priest faithfully followed every command given by King Ahaz, with utmost devotion and obedience.

And king Ahaz cut off the borders of the bases, and removed the laver from off them; and took down the sea from off the brasen oxen that were under it, and put it upon the pavement of stones.

King Ahaz, in his reign, passionately dismantled the ornate edges of the pedestals, forcefully removed the basin from atop them, and with great effort, he lowered the sea from the bronze oxen that supported it, placing it instead on a simple stone pavement.

And the covert for the sabbath that they had built in the house, and the king’s entry without, turned he from the house of the LORD for the king of Assyria.

Because of the king of Assyria, he also removed from the Lord's house the covered place for the Sabbath that had been built there, and closed off the king's own entrance outside.

Now 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?

Isn't everything else that Ahaz did recorded in the history book of Judah's kings?

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

Ahaz joined his ancestors in eternal rest, laid to sleep in the city of David. His son, Hezekiah, bravely stepped up to take his father's throne.