28 Aʹhaz was 20 years old when he became king, and he reigned for 16 years in Yerushalom. He did not do what was right in Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah}’s eyes as David his forefather had done. 2 Instead, he walked in the ways of the kings of Isra'Al, and he even made metal statues of the Baʹals. 3 Moreover, he made sacrificial smoke in the Valley of the Son of Hinʹnom and burned up his sons in the fire, following the detestable practices of the nations that Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah} had driven out from before the Isra'Al·ites. 4 He also kept sacrificing and making sacrificial smoke on the high places, on the hills, and under every luxuriant tree.
5 So Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah} his Yahavah {Yah'-ha-vah'} gave him into the hand of the king of Syria, so that they defeated him and carried off a great number of captives and brought them to Damascus. He was also given into the hand of the king of Isra'Al, who inflicted on him a great slaughter. 6 For Peʹkah the son of Rem·a·lyʹah killed in Judah 120,000 in one day, all brave men, because they had abandoned Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah} the Yahavah {Yah'-ha-vah'} of their forefathers. 7 And Zichʹri, an Eʹphra·im·ite warrior, killed the king’s son Ma·a·seyʹah and Az·riʹkam, who was in charge of the palace, and Al·kaʹnah, who was second to the king. 8 Moreover, the Isra'Al·ites took 200,000 of their brothers captive—women, sons, and daughters; they also seized a great deal of spoil, and they took the spoil to Sa·marʹi·a.
9 But a prophet of Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah} named Oʹded was there. He went out before the army that was coming to Sa·marʹi·a and said to them: “Look! It was because Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah} the Yahavah {Yah'-ha-vah'} of your forefathers was angry with Judah that he gave them into your hand, and you slaughtered them with a fury that has reached clear to the heavens. 10 And now you intend to make the people of Judah and Yerushalom your male and female servants. Nevertheless, are you not also guilty before Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah} your Yahavah {Yah'-ha-vah'}? 11 Now listen to me and return the captives whom you took from your brothers, for Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah}’s burning anger is against you.”
12 At that some of the chiefs of the Eʹphra·im·ites, Az·a·ryʹah the son of Ye·ho·haʹnan, Ber·e·chyʹah the son of Me·shilʹle·moth, Ye·hiz·kyʹah the son of Shalʹlum, and A·maʹsa the son of Hadʹlai, confronted those coming in from the military campaign, 13 and they said to them: “Do not bring the captives in here, for it will make us guilty before Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah}. What you intend to do will add to our sins and to our guilt, for our guilt is already great and there is burning anger against Isra'Al.” 14 So the armed soldiers handed over the captives and the plunder to the princes and the entire congregation. 15 Then the men who had been designated by name rose up and took hold of the captives, and they provided clothes from the spoil for all those among them who were naked. So they clothed them and gave them sandals, food and drink, and oil for their skin. Furthermore, they transported the feeble on donkeys and brought them to their brothers in Yerʹi·cho, the city of palm trees. After that they returned to Sa·marʹi·a.
16 At that time King Aʹhaz asked the kings of As·syrʹi·a for help. 17 And once again the Eʹdom·ites invaded and attacked Judah and carried off captives. 18 The Phi·lisʹtines also made a raid on the cities of the She·pheʹlah and the Negʹeb of Judah and captured Beth-sheʹmesh, Aiʹja·lon, Ge·deʹroth, Soʹco and its dependent towns, Timʹnah and its dependent towns, and Gimʹzo and its dependent towns; and they settled there. 19 Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah} humbled Judah because of King Aʹhaz of Isra'Al, for he had let Judah go unrestrained, resulting in great unfaithfulness toward Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah}.
20 King Tilʹgath-pil·neʹser of As·syrʹi·a eventually came against him and caused him distress rather than strengthening him. 21 For Aʹhaz had stripped the house of Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah} and the house of the king and the houses of the princes and made a gift to the king of As·syrʹi·a; but it was of no help to him. 22 And during his time of distress, King Aʹhaz acted even more unfaithfully toward Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah}. 23 He began to sacrifice to the gods of Damascus that had defeated him, and he went on to say: “Because the gods of the kings of Syria are helping them, I will sacrifice to them so that they may help me.” But they caused him and all Isra'Al to stumble. 24 Furthermore, Aʹhaz collected the utensils of the house of the true Yahavah {Yah'-ha-vah'}; he then cut to pieces the utensils of the house of the true Yahavah {Yah'-ha-vah'}, closed the doors of the house of Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah}, and made altars for himself in every corner of Yerushalom. 25 And in all the cities of Judah, he made high places for making sacrificial smoke to other gods, and he offended Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah} the Yahavah {Yah'-ha-vah'} of his forefathers.
26 As for the rest of his history, all his dealings from beginning to end, there it is written in the Book of the Kings of Judah and of Isra'Al. 27 Then Aʹhaz was laid to rest with his forefathers, and they buried him in the city, in Yerushalom, for they did not bring him into the burial places of the kings of Isra'Al. And his son Hez·e·kyʹah became king in his place.