The In-Dept Study of the Bible
Chronicles 28
1 Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years
in Jerusalem. He didn’t do that which
was right in Yahweh’s eyes, like David his
father,
2 but he walked in the ways of the kings
of Israel, and also made molten images for
the Baals.
3 Moreover he burned incense in the valley of the son of Hinnom, and burned his
children in the fire, according to the abominations of the nations whom Yahweh cast
out before the children of Israel.
4 He sacrificed and burned incense inthe
high places, and on the hills, and under
every green tree.
5 Therefore Yahweh his God delivered
him into the hand ofthe king of Syria. They
struck him, and carried away from him a
great multitude of captives, and brought
them to Damascus. He was also delivered
into the hand of the king of Israel, who
struck him with a great slaughter.
6 For Pekah the son of Remaliah killed
in Judah one hundred twenty thousand in
one day, all of them valiant men, because
theyhadforsakenYahweh,the Godoftheir
fathers.
7 Zichri, a mighty man of Ephraim, killed
Maaseiah the king’s son, Azrikam the ruler
of the house, and Elkanah who was next to
the king.
8 The childrenofIsrael carried away captive of their brothers two hundred
thousand women, sons, and daughters, and
also took away much plunder from them,
and brought the plunder to Samaria.
9 But a prophet of Yahweh was there,
whose name was Oded; and he went out to
meet the army that came to Samaria, and
said to them, “Behold, because Yahweh,
the God of your fathers, was angry with
Judah, he has delivered them into your
hand, and you have slain them in a rage
which has reached up to heaven.
10 Now you intend to degrade the children of Judah and Jerusalem as male and
female slaves for yourselves. Aren’t there
even with you trespasses of your own
against Yahweh your God?
11 Now hear me therefore, and send back
the captives that you have taken captive from your brothers, for the fierce wrath of
Yahweh is on you.”
12 Then some of the heads of the children of Ephraim, Azariah the son of Johanan, Berechiahthe sonofMeshillemoth,
Jehizkiah the son of Shallum, and Amasa
the son of Hadlai, stood up against those
who came from the war,
13 and said to them, “You must not bring
in the captives here, for you intend that
which will bring on us a trespass against
Yahweh, to add to our sins and to our guilt;
for our guilt is great, and there is fierce
wrath against Israel.”
14 So the armed men leftthe captives and
the plunder before the princes and all the
assembly.
15 The men who have been mentioned
by name rose up and took the captives,
and with the plunder clothed all who were
naked among them, dressed them, gave
them sandals, gave them something to eat
andtodrink, anointedthem, carriedallthe
feeble of them on donkeys, and brought
them to Jericho, the city of palm trees,
to their brothers. Then they returned to
Samaria.
16 Atthattime King Ahaz sentto the kings
of Assyria to help him.
17 For again the Edomites had come and
struck Judah, and carried away captives.
18 The Philistines also had invaded the
cities of the lowland and of the South of Judah, and had taken Beth Shemesh, Aijalon,
Gederoth, Soco with its villages, Timnah
with its villages, and also Gimzo and its
villages; and they lived there.
19 For Yahweh brought Judah low because of Ahaz king of Israel, because he
acted without restraint in Judah and trespassed severely against Yahweh.
20 Tilgath-pilneser king of Assyria came
to him and gave him trouble, but didn’t
strengthen him.
21 For Ahaz took away a portion out of
Yahweh’s house, and out of the house of
the king and of the princes, and gave it to
the king of Assyria; but it didn’t help him.
22 In the time of his distress, he trespassedyet more against Yahweh,this same
King Ahaz.
23 For he sacrificed to the gods of Damascus which had defeated him. He said,
“Because the gods of the kings of Syria
helped them, I will sacrifice to them, that
they may help me.” But they were the ruin
of him and of all Israel.
24 Ahaz gathered together the vessels of
God’s house, cut the vessels of God’s house
in pieces, and shut up the doors of Yahweh’s house; and he made himself altars in
every corner of Jerusalem.
25 In every city of Judah he made high
places to burn incense to other gods, and
provoked Yahweh, the God of his fathers,
to anger.
26 Now the rest of his acts, and all his
ways, first and last, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Judah and
Israel.
27 Ahaz slept with his fathers, and they
buried him in the city, even in Jerusalem,
because they didn’t bring him into the
tombs of the kings of Israel; and Hezekiah
his son reigned in his place.