2 Kings 16:1–9

Ahaz Reigns over Judah

1 In the seventeenth year of Pekah the son of Remaliah, aAhaz the son of Jotham, king of Judah, became king.

2 aAhaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem; and he did not do what was right in the sight of the Lord his God, as his father David had done.

3 But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, aand even made his son pass through the fire, baccording to the abominations of the nations whom the Lord had 1driven out from before the sons of Israel.

4 He asacrificed and burned incense on the high places and on the hills and under every green tree.

5 Then aRezin king of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah, king of Israel, came up to Jerusalem to wage war; and they besieged Ahaz, bbut could not 1overcome him.

6 At that time Rezin king of Aram recovered aElath for Aram, and cleared the Judeans out of 1Elath entirely; and the 2Arameans came to Elath and have lived there to this day.

Ahaz Seeks Help of Aram

7 aSo Ahaz sent messengers to bTiglath-pileser king of Assyria, saying, “I am your servant and your son; come up and deliver me from the 1hand of the king of Aram and from the 1hand of the king of Israel, who are rising up against me.”

8 aAhaz took the silver and gold that was found in the house of the Lord and in the treasuries of the king’s house, and sent a present to the king of Assyria.

9 aSo the king of Assyria listened to him; and the king of Assyria went up against Damascus and bcaptured it, and carried the people of it away into exile to cKir, and put Rezin to death.