2 Kings 16:10–18

Ahaz’s Idolatry

¹⁰King Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglath-pileser ^cking of Assyria. When he saw the altar that was in Damascus, King Ahaz sent a model of the altar and complete plans for its construction to Uriah the priest. ^d11Uriah built the altar according to all the instructions King Ahaz sent from Damascus. Therefore, by the time King Ahaz came back from Damascus, Uriah the priest had completed it. ¹²When the king came back from Damascus, he saw the altar. Then he approached the altar ^eand ascended it. ¹³He offered his burnt offering ^fand his grain offering, poured out his drink offering, and sprinkled the blood of his fellowship offerings ^gon the altar. ¹⁴He took the bronze altar ^hthat was before the Lord in front of the temple between his altar and the Lord’s temple, and put it on the north side of his altar.

¹⁵Then King Ahaz commanded Uriah the priest, “Offer on the great altar the morning burnt offering, the evening grain offering, and the king’s burnt offering and his grain offering. Also offer the burnt offering of all the people of the land, their grain offering, and their drink offerings. Sprinkle on the altar all the blood of the burnt offering and all the blood of sacrifice. The bronze altar will be for me to seek guidance.” ⁱ¹⁶Uriah the priest did everything King Ahaz commanded.

¹⁷Then King Ahaz cut off the frames of the water carts ^jkand removed the bronze basin from each of them. He took the reservoir ^lmfrom the bronze oxen that were under it and put it on a stone pavement. ¹⁸To satisfy the king of Assyria, he removed from the Lord’s temple the Sabbath canopy they had built in the palace, and he closed the outer entrance for the king.