2 Kings 16
Ahaz’s Reign over Judah
16:1 In the seventeenth year of the reign of Pekah son of Remaliah, Jotham’s son Ahaz became king over Judah.
16:2 Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned for sixteen years in Jerusalem.1 He did not do what pleased the
16:5 At that time King Rezin of Syria and King Pekah son of Remaliah of Israel attacked Jerusalem.6 They besieged Ahaz,7 but were unable to conquer him.8
16:6 (At that time King Rezin of Syria9 recovered Elat for Syria; he drove the Judahites from there.10 Syrians11 arrived in Elat and live there to this very day.)
16:7 Ahaz sent messengers to King Tiglath-pileser of Assyria, saying, “I am your servant and your dependent.12 March up and rescue me from the power13 of the king of Syria and the king of Israel, who have attacked14 me.”
16:8 Then Ahaz took the silver and gold that were15 in the
16:10 When King Ahaz went to meet with King Tiglath-pileser of Assyria in Damascus, he saw the altar there.20 King Ahaz sent to Uriah the priest a drawing of the altar and a blueprint for its design.21
16:11 Uriah the priest built an altar in conformity to the plans King Ahaz had sent from Damascus.22 Uriah the priest finished it before King Ahaz arrived back from Damascus.23
16:12 When the king arrived back from Damascus and24 saw the altar, he approached it25 and offered a sacrifice on it.26
16:13 He offered his burnt sacrifice and his grain offering. He poured out his libation and sprinkled the blood from his peace offerings on the altar.
16:14 He moved the bronze altar that stood in the
16:17 King Ahaz took off the frames of the movable stands, and removed the basins from them. He took “The Sea”31 down from the bronze bulls that supported it32 and put it on the pavement. 16:18 He also removed the Sabbath awning33 that had been built34 in the temple and the king’s outer entranceway, on account of the king of Assyria.35
16:19 The rest of the events of Ahaz’s reign, including his accomplishments, are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Judah.36 16:20 Ahaz passed away37 and was buried with his ancestors in the city of David. His son Hezekiah replaced him as king.