1In the seventeenth year of Pekah the son of Remaliah Ahaz the son of Jotham king of Judah began to reign . 2Twenty years old was Ahaz when he began to reign ; and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem : and he did not that which was right in the eyes of Jehovah his God , like David his father . 3But 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 nations , whom Jehovah cast out from before the children of Israel . 4And he sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places , and on the hills , and under every green tree .
Alliance with Assyria
5Then 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 . 6At that time Rezin king of Syria recovered Elath to Syria, and drove the Jews from Elath; and the Syrians came to Elath, and dwelt there , unto this day . 7So Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglath-pileser 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 , who rise up against me . 8And Ahaz took the silver and gold that was found in the house of Jehovah , and in the treasures of the king ’s house , and sent it for a present to the king of Assyria. 9And the king of Assyria hearkened unto him ; and the king of Assyria went up against Damascus , and took it , and carried the people of it captive to Kir , and slew Rezin .
Idolatry and the Alter of Damascus
10And king Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, and saw the 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 . 11And Urijah the priest built an altar : according to all that king Ahaz had sent from Damascus , so did Urijah the priest make it against the coming of king Ahaz from Damascus . 12And when the king was come from Damascus , the king saw the altar : and the king drew near unto the altar , and offered thereon . 13And he burnt his burnt-offering and his meal-offering, and poured his drink-offering, and sprinkled the blood of his peace-offerings, upon the altar . 14And the brazen altar , which was before Jehovah , he brought from the forefront of the house , from between his altar and the house of Jehovah , and put it on the north side of his altar . 15And king Ahaz commanded Urijah the priest , saying, Upon the great altar burn the morning burnt-offering, and the evening meal-offering, and the king ’s burnt-offering, and his meal-offering, with the burnt-offering of all the people of the land, and their meal-offering, and their drink-offerings; and sprinkle upon it all the blood of the burnt-offering, and all the blood of the sacrifice : but the brazen altar shall be for me to inquire by . 16Thus did Urijah the priest , according to all that king Ahaz commanded .
The End of Ahaz's Reign
17And king Ahaz cut off the panels of the bases , and removed the laver from off them , and took down the sea from off the brazen oxen that were under it , and put it upon a pavement of stone. 18And the covered way for the sabbath that they had built in the house , and the king ’s entry without , turned he unto the house of Jehovah , because of the king of Assyria. 19Now 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 ? 20And Ahaz slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David : and Hezekiah his son reigned in his stead .