English / ERV
2 Kings 16
Easy-to-Read Version, 2006
- 1Ahaz son of Jotham became king of Judah during the 17th year that Pekah son of Remaliah was king of Israel.
- 2Ahaz was 20 years old when he became king. He ruled 16 years in Jerusalem. Unlike his ancestor David, Ahaz did not do what the LORD said was right.
- 3He did the same bad things the kings of Israel had done. He even burned his son as a sacrifice.[1] He copied the terrible sins of the nations that the LORD had forced to leave the country when the Israelites came.
- 4Ahaz made sacrifices and burned incense at the high places and on the hills and under every green tree.
- 5King Rezin of Aram and King Pekah son of Remaliah of Israel came to fight against Jerusalem. Rezin and Pekah surrounded Ahaz, but could not defeat him.
- 6At that time King Rezin of Aram took back Elath for Aram. Rezin took all the people of Judah who were living in Elath. The Arameans settled in Elath, and they still live there today.
- 7Ahaz sent messengers to King Tiglath Pileser of Assyria with this message: “I am your servant. I am like a son to you. Come and save me from the king of Aram and the king of Israel. They have come to fight me.”
- 8Ahaz also took the silver and gold that was in the Temple of the LORD and in the treasuries of the king’s palace. Then Ahaz sent a gift to the king of Assyria.
- 9The king of Assyria listened to Ahaz and went to fight against Damascus. The king captured that city and took the people from Damascus as prisoners to Kir. He also killed Rezin.
- 10King Ahaz went to Damascus to meet King Tiglath Pileser of Assyria. Ahaz saw the altar at Damascus. He sent a model and pattern of this altar to Uriah the priest.
- 11Then Uriah the priest built an altar just like the model King Ahaz had sent him from Damascus. Uriah the priest built the altar this way before King Ahaz came back from Damascus.