2 Kings 16
An Altar Copied from the Gods of Damascus
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Ahaz King of Judah
16:1In the seventeenth year of Phakee son of Romelias, Ahaz son of Jotham, king of Judah, became king.
16:2Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. He did not faithfully do what was right in the eyes of the Lord his God, as his father David had done.
16:3He walked in the way of Jeroboam son of Nebat, king of Israel. He even led his son through fire, according to the abominations of the nations whom the Lord removed before the Israelites.
16:4He sacrificed and burned incense at the high places, on the hills, and under every leafy tree.
The Siege by Raasson and Phakee
16:5Then Raasson king of Syria and Phakee son of Romelias, king of Israel, went up to Jerusalem for war. They besieged Ahaz but could not wage the battle successfully.
16:6At that time Raasson king of Syria restored Ailath to Syria and expelled the Judeans from Ailath. Idumeans came to Ailath and lived there to this day.
16:7Ahaz sent messengers to Thaglathphellasar king of the Assyrians, saying, ‘I am your slave and your son. Come up and save me from the hand of the king of Syria and the hand of the king of Israel, who are rising against me.’
16:8Ahaz took the silver and gold found in the treasuries of the Lord’s house and the king’s house, and sent gifts to the king.
16:9The king of the Assyrians listened to him. The king of the Assyrians went up against Damascus, captured it, deported it, and put Raasson to death.
The Altar Copied from Damascus
16:10King Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Thaglathphellasar king of the Assyrians. He saw the altar in Damascus, and King Ahaz sent Uriah the priest the altar’s likeness and design for all its construction.
16:11Uriah the priest built the altar in accordance with everything King Ahaz sent from Damascus.
16:12The king saw the altar and went up onto it.
16:13He burned his whole burnt offering, his sacrifice, and his drink offering, and poured the blood of his peace offerings against the altar.
16:14He moved the bronze altar that stood before the Lord from the front of the Lord’s house, from between the altar and the Lord’s house, and placed it at the altar’s north side.
16:15King Ahaz commanded Uriah the priest: ‘On the great altar offer the morning whole burnt offering and evening sacrifice, the king’s whole burnt offering and sacrifice, and the whole burnt offering of all the people, their sacrifice, and their drink offering. Pour all blood of whole burnt offering and all blood of sacrifice against it. The bronze altar shall be for me for the morning.’
16:16Uriah the priest did in accordance with everything King Ahaz commanded him.
16:17King Ahaz cut apart the enclosures of the mechonoth and removed the basin from them. He took the Sea down from the bronze oxen beneath it and placed it on a stone base.
16:18He built the foundation of the seat in the Lord’s house, and he turned the king’s outer entrance into the Lord’s house because of the king of the Assyrians.
The Death of Ahaz
16:19The rest of Ahaz’s deeds, what he did—are these not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?
16:20Ahaz lay down with his fathers and was buried in David’s city. His son Hezekiah became king in his place.
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Saints Translation · Liturgical reading edition · V1 · working draft awaiting specialist review.