2 Kings 16

In the seventeenth year of Pekah the son of Remaliah Ahaz the son of Jotham king of Judah began to reign.

1Pekah son of Remaliah was king of Israel. In Pekah's seventeenth year, Ahaz became king of Judah. Ahaz was the son of Jotham.

2Twenty years old was Ahaz when he began to reign, and reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem, and did not that which was right in the sight of the LORD his God, like David his father.

2Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king. He ruled sixteen years in Jerusalem. He did not do what was right to the LORD his God. His ancestor David had done right, but Ahaz did not.

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 heathen, whom the LORD cast out from before the children of Israel.

3Ahaz lived the way the kings of Israel lived. He even burned his own son as an offering. Other nations did such terrible things. The LORD had driven those nations out to make room for Israel.

4And he sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places, and on the hills, and under every green tree.

4He killed animals as offerings and burned sweet-smelling incense at the high places. He did this on the hills and under every green tree.

Note"High places" were worship spots built on hilltops, away from the LORD's house in Jerusalem.

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.

5Then Rezin king of Syria and Pekah king of Israel came to fight Jerusalem. They surrounded the city where Ahaz was. But they could not beat him.

6At that time Rezin king of Syria recovered Elath to Syria, and drave the Jews from Elath: and the Syrians came to Elath, and dwelt there unto this day.

6At that time Rezin took back the town of Elath for Syria. He drove the men of Judah out of it. Other people moved into Elath. They still live there today.

7So Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglathpileser 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, which rise up against me.

7So Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglath-pileser, the king of Assyria. He said, "I am your servant and your son. Please come and save me. The king of Syria and the king of Israel are attacking me."

8And Ahaz took the silver and gold that was found in the house of the LORD, and in the treasures of the king’s house, and sent it for a present to the king of Assyria.

8Ahaz took the silver and gold from the LORD's house. He took more from the treasure rooms of his own palace. He sent it all as a gift to the king of Assyria.

9And the king of Assyria hearkened unto him: for the king of Assyria went up against Damascus, and took it, and carried the people of it captive to Kir, and slew Rezin.

9The king of Assyria listened to him. He marched to the city of Damascus and captured it. He carried its people away to a place called Kir. And he killed Rezin.

10And king Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglathpileser king of Assyria, and saw an 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.

10King Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglath-pileser. There he saw an altar, a table where offerings were burned. Ahaz sent a model of it to Urijah the priest, the man who led worship at God's house. He sent full plans showing how it was built.

11And Urijah the priest built an altar according to all that king Ahaz had sent from Damascus: so Urijah the priest made it against king Ahaz came from Damascus.

11So Urijah the priest built an altar just like the plans. He finished the work before King Ahaz came home from Damascus.

12And when the king was come from Damascus, the king saw the altar: and the king approached to the altar, and offered thereon.

12When the king came back, he saw the new altar. He walked up to it and gave offerings on it.

13And he burnt his burnt offering and his meat offering, and poured his drink offering, and sprinkled the blood of his peace offerings, upon the altar.

13He burned his burnt offering and his grain offering there. He poured out his drink offering. He sprinkled the blood of his peace offerings on the altar.

NoteThe KJV calls this a "meat offering," but no meat was in it. In 1611 "meat" meant any food. This offering was made of grain.

14And he brought also the brasen altar, which was before the LORD, from the forefront of the house, from between the altar and the house of the LORD, and put it on the north side of the altar.

14The bronze altar for the LORD stood in front of the temple. It sat between the new altar and the LORD's house. Ahaz moved it away and set it on the north side of the new altar.

15And king Ahaz commanded Urijah the priest, saying, Upon the great altar burn the morning burnt offering, and the evening meat offering, and the king’s burnt sacrifice, and his meat offering, with the burnt offering of all the people of the land, and their meat offering, and their drink offerings; and sprinkle upon it all the blood of the burnt offering, and all the blood of the sacrifice: and the brasen altar shall be for me to enquire by.

15King Ahaz gave an order to Urijah the priest. He said, "Use the big new altar for the offerings. Burn the morning burnt offering and the evening grain offering there. Burn my own offerings there too. Burn all the offerings of the people and pour out their drink offerings. Sprinkle all the blood from the offerings on that altar. I will use the bronze altar to ask God questions."

16Thus did Urijah the priest, according to all that king Ahaz commanded.

16Urijah the priest did everything that King Ahaz told him to do.

17And king Ahaz cut off the borders of the bases, and removed the laver from off them; and took down the sea from off the brasen oxen that were under it, and put it upon a pavement of stones.

17King Ahaz cut the side panels off the rolling stands in the temple. He took the washing bowls off those stands. He lifted the huge bowl called the Sea off the bronze oxen holding it. He set the Sea on a floor of stones.

NoteThe "Sea" was a giant bronze bowl of water in the temple courtyard. Priests used its water to wash.

18And the covert for the sabbath that they had built in the house, and the king’s entry without, turned he from the house of the LORD for the king of Assyria.

18There was a covered place in the temple built for the Sabbath, the weekly rest day. Ahaz took it away. He also closed the king's outside doorway into the LORD's house. He did these things 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?

19The other things Ahaz did were written down. You can read them in the history book about 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.

20Ahaz died and was buried with his family in the City of David. His son Hezekiah became king after him.