Kong Ahaz af Juda
1I kong Peka af Israels 17. regeringsår blev Ahaz, Jotams søn, konge i Juda. 2Han var 20 år gammel, og han regerede i Jerusalem i 16 år.
I modsætning til sin forfar David gjorde han ikke, hvad der var ret i Herrens øjne. 3Han var ikke bedre end Israels onde konger, ja, han gik tilmed så vidt, at han ofrede sin egen søn på bålet. Derved fulgte han de afskyelige skikke, som fandtes hos de folk, Herren i sin tid jog ud af landet for at lade israelitterne bosætte sig der. 4Han bragte slagtofre og røgelsesofre til afguderne på offerstederne rundt omkring i landet, både på højene og under de store træer.
5Kong Retzin af Aram og kong Peka af Israel gik nu til angreb på Ahaz. De belejrede Jerusalem, men de måtte opgive at indtage byen. 6Samtidig tilbageerobrede Edoms konge Eilat og fordrev Judas folk fra byen, hvorefter edomitterne flyttede ind igen, og der bor de den dag i dag.
7Kong Ahaz sendte bud til kong Tiglat-Pileser af Assyrien og bad ham om hjælp mod Arams og Israels konger. 8Ahaz tog alt det guld og sølv, som var tilbage i templets og paladsets skatkamre, og sendte det som gave til den assyriske konge. 9Assyrerkongen opfyldte hans ønske, gik til angreb på Damaskus og indtog byen. Indbyggerne blev taget til fange og bortført til Kir, og kong Retzin selv blev dræbt.
10Kong Ahaz tog nu til Damaskus for at møde kong Tiglat-Pileser. Under sit ophold i byen bemærkede Ahaz et usædvanligt imponerende alter i et hedensk tempel, og han lavede en tegning af alteret og sendte tegningen til præsten Urija med en detaljeret beskrivelse af dets dimensioner. 11-12Urija sørgede straks for at bygge et alter i overensstemmelse med Ahaz’ beskrivelse. Da kongen kom tilbage fra Damaskus, stod alteret klar til indvielsen og den første offerceremoni. 13Kongen foretog indvielsen ved først at ofre et brændoffer og dernæst et afgrødeoffer. Han bragte også et drikoffer og et takoffer, hvor offerdyrets blod blev stænket på alteret. 14Så fjernede han det gamle bronzealter, der hidtil havde stået foran templet (mellem indgangen og det nye alter), og anbragte det i stedet nord for det nye alter. 15For fremtiden skulle præsten Urija bruge det nye alter til følgende ofre: Brændofferet om morgenen, afgrødeofferet om aftenen, kongens og folkets egne brændofre og afgrødeofre, og endelig folkets drikofre. Blodet fra offerdyrene skulle stænkes på det nye alter. „Det gamle bronzealter må jeg overveje, hvad jeg skal gøre ved,” sagde kongen.
16Præsten Urija gjorde, som kongen havde befalet. 17Så tog kongen pladerne af rullebordene, som stod ved templets langsider, og han fjernede de store bronzebaljer fra dem. Han fjernede også bronzehavet, der hvilede oven på de 12 okser af bronze, og satte det på et fundament af sten på jorden. 18I sit forsøg på at behage den assyriske konge fjernede Ahaz tilmed sabbatsbaldakinen i templets forgård samt den kongelige indgang til templet.
19Resten af Ahaz’ liv og virke er beskrevet i Judas kongers krønikebog. 20Da Ahaz døde, blev han begravet blandt sine forfædre i Davidsbyen. Hans søn Hizkija blev konge efter ham.
1In the seventeenth year of Pekah the son of Remaliah Ahaz the son of Jotham king of Judah began to reign. 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. 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. 4And he sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places, and on the hills, and under every green tree.
5¶ Then 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. 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.16.6 from Elath: Heb. from Eloth 7So Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglath-pileser 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. 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. 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.16.9 Damascus: Heb. Dammesek
10¶ And king Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglath-pileser 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.16.10 Damascus: Heb. Dammesek 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. 12And when the king was come from Damascus, the king saw the altar: and the king approached to the altar, and offered thereon. 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.16.13 his peace offerings: Heb. the peace offerings which were his 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. 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. 16Thus did Urijah the priest, according to all that king Ahaz commanded.
17¶ And 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. 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.
19¶ Now 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? 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.
