1Aḥaz was twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Yerushalayim. And he did not do what was right in the eyes of יהוה, as his father Dawiḏ had done,

2and walked in the ways of the sovereigns of Yisra’ĕl, and made moulded images for the Ba‛als.

3And he himself burned incense in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, and burned his children in the fire, according to the abominations of the gentiles whom יהוה dispossessed from before the children of Yisra’ĕl,

4and slaughtered and burned incense on the high places, and on the hills, and under every green tree.

5Therefore יהוה his Elohim gave him into the hand of the sovereign of Aram, and they smote him, and took many of them away as captives, and brought them to Darmeseq. And he was also given into the hand of the sovereign of Yisra’ĕl, who smote him with a great slaughter.

6And Peqaḥ son of Remalyahu slew one hundred and twenty thousand in Yehuḏah in one day, all brave men, because they had forsaken יהוה Elohim of their fathers.

7And Ziḵri, a mighty man of Ephrayim, slew Ma‛asĕyahu son of the sovereign, and Azriqam the officer over the house, and Elqanah who was second to the sovereign.

8And the children of Yisra’ĕl took captive from their brothers two hundred thousand women, sons and daughters. And they also seized from them much spoil, and they brought the spoil to Shomeron.

9But a prophet of יהוה was there, whose name was Oḏĕḏ. And he went out before the army that came to Shomeron, and said to them, “See, because יהוה Elohim of your fathers was displeased with Yehuḏah, He has given them into your hand, and you have slain them in a rage that reaches up to the heavens.

10“And now you are planning to make the children of Yehuḏah and Yerushalayim your male and female slaves, but are you not also guilty before יהוה your Elohim?

11“Now therefore, listen to me, and return the captives whom you have taken captive from your brothers, for the heat of the wrath of יהוה is upon you.”

12And some of the heads of the children of Ephrayim: Azaryahu son of Yehoḥanan, Bereḵyahu son of Meshillĕmoth, and Yeḥizqiyahu son of Shallum, and Amasa son of Ḥaḏlai, stood up against those who came from the army,

13and said to them, “Do not bring the captives here, to bring on us guilt before יהוה. Are you planning to add to our sins and to our guilt? For our guilt is great, and burning is the wrath on Yisra’ĕl.”

14And the armed men left the captives and the spoil before the leaders and all the assembly.

15And the men who were designated by name rose up and took the captives, and from the spoil they put on all the naked among them, dressed them and gave them sandals, and gave them food and drink, and anointed them, and let all the weak ones ride on donkeys, and brought them to their brothers at Yeriḥo, the city of palm trees, then returned to Shomeron.

16At that time Sovereign Aḥaz sent to the sovereigns of Ashshur to help him.

17For the Eḏomites had come again, and smote Yehuḏah, and took away captives.

18And the Philistines invaded the cities of the low country and of the South of Yehuḏah, and captured Bĕyth Shemesh, and Ayalon, and Geḏĕroth, and Soḵo with its villages, and Timnah with its villages, and Gimzo with its villages, and dwelt there.

19For יהוה had brought Yehuḏah low because of Aḥaz sovereign of Yisra’ĕl, for he brought about a lack of restraint in Yehuḏah and trespassed against יהוה.

20And Tiglath-Pileser the sovereign of Ashshur came against him and distressed him, and did not help him,

21though Aḥaz had taken some of the treasures from the House of יהוה, from the house of the sovereign, and from the leaders, and he gave it to the sovereign of Ashshur, but he did not help him.

22And in the time of his distress Sovereign Aḥaz trespassed even more against יהוה – this Sovereign Aḥaz –

23and he slaughtered to the mighty ones of Darmeseq, those smiting him, saying, “Because the mighty ones of the sovereigns of Aram help them, I offer to them and they help me.” But they were to cause him and all Yisra’ĕl to stumble.

24And Aḥaz gathered the utensils of the House of Elohim, and cut in pieces the utensils of the House of Elohim, and shut the doors of the House of יהוה, and made for himself altars in every corner of Yerushalayim.

25And in every city, even the cities of Yehuḏah, he made high places to burn incense to other mighty ones, and provoked יהוה Elohim of his fathers.

26And the rest of his acts and all his ways, from first to last, see, they are written in the book of the sovereigns of Yehuḏah and Yisra’ĕl.

27So Aḥaz slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city, in Yerushalayim, but they did not bring him into the tombs of the sovereigns of Yisra’ĕl. And Ḥizqiyahu his son reigned in his place.