Ahaz King of Judah
1Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. Unlike David his father, he did not do what was right in the eyes of the Lord. 2He followed the ways of the kings of Israel and also made idols for worshiping the Baals. 3He burned sacrifices in the Valley of Ben Hinnom and sacrificed his children in the fire, engaging in the detestable practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before the Israelites. 4He offered sacrifices and burned incense at the high places, on the hilltops and under every spreading tree.
5Therefore the Lord his God delivered him into the hands of the king of Aram. The Arameans defeated him and took many of his people as prisoners and brought them to Damascus.
He was also given into the hands of the king of Israel, who inflicted heavy casualties on him. 6In one day Pekah son of Remaliah killed a hundred and twenty thousand soldiers in Judah—because Judah had forsaken the Lord, the God of their ancestors. 7Zikri, an Ephraimite warrior, killed Maaseiah the king’s son, Azrikam the officer in charge of the palace, and Elkanah, second to the king. 8The men of Israel took captive from their fellow Israelites who were from Judah two hundred thousand wives, sons and daughters. They also took a great deal of plunder, which they carried back to Samaria.
9But a prophet of the Lord named Oded was there, and he went out to meet the army when it returned to Samaria. He said to them, “Because the Lord, the God of your ancestors, was angry with Judah, he gave them into your hand. But you have slaughtered them in a rage that reaches to heaven. 10And now you intend to make the men and women of Judah and Jerusalem your slaves. But aren’t you also guilty of sins against the Lord your God? 11Now listen to me! Send back your fellow Israelites you have taken as prisoners, for the Lord’s fierce anger rests on you.”
12Then some of the leaders in Ephraim—Azariah son of Jehohanan, Berekiah son of Meshillemoth, Jehizkiah son of Shallum, and Amasa son of Hadlai—confronted those who were arriving from the war. 13“You must not bring those prisoners here,” they said, “or we will be guilty before the Lord. Do you intend to add to our sin and guilt? For our guilt is already great, and his fierce anger rests on Israel.”
14So the soldiers gave up the prisoners and plunder in the presence of the officials and all the assembly. 15The men designated by name took the prisoners, and from the plunder they clothed all who were naked. They provided them with clothes and sandals, food and drink, and healing balm. All those who were weak they put on donkeys. So they took them back to their fellow Israelites at Jericho, the City of Palms, and returned to Samaria.
16At that time King Ahaz sent to the kings28:16 Most Hebrew manuscripts; one Hebrew manuscript, Septuagint and Vulgate (see also 2 Kings 16:7) king of Assyria for help. 17The Edomites had again come and attacked Judah and carried away prisoners, 18while the Philistines had raided towns in the foothills and in the Negev of Judah. They captured and occupied Beth Shemesh, Aijalon and Gederoth, as well as Soko, Timnah and Gimzo, with their surrounding villages. 19The Lord had humbled Judah because of Ahaz king of Israel,28:19 That is, Judah, as frequently in 2 Chronicles for he had promoted wickedness in Judah and had been most unfaithful to the Lord. 20Tiglath-Pileser28:20 Hebrew Tilgath-Pilneser, a variant of Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria came to him, but he gave him trouble instead of help. 21Ahaz took some of the things from the temple of the Lord and from the royal palace and from the officials and presented them to the king of Assyria, but that did not help him.
22In his time of trouble King Ahaz became even more unfaithful to the Lord. 23He offered sacrifices to the gods of Damascus, who had defeated him; for he thought, “Since the gods of the kings of Aram have helped them, I will sacrifice to them so they will help me.” But they were his downfall and the downfall of all Israel.
24Ahaz gathered together the furnishings from the temple of God and cut them in pieces. He shut the doors of the Lord’s temple and set up altars at every street corner in Jerusalem. 25In every town in Judah he built high places to burn sacrifices to other gods and aroused the anger of the Lord, the God of his ancestors.
26The other events of his reign and all his ways, from beginning to end, are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel. 27Ahaz rested with his ancestors and was buried in the city of Jerusalem, but he was not placed in the tombs of the kings of Israel. And Hezekiah his son succeeded him as king.
Kong Ahaz af Juda
2.Kong. 16,1-20
1Ahaz var 20 år28,1 Nogle hebraiske og græske håndskrifter siger 25 år, hvilket lyder mere sandsynligt, da han ellers døde som 36-årig, og hans 25-årige søn overtog magten ifølge 29,1. gammel, da han blev konge, og han regerede i Jerusalem i 16 år. I modsætning til sin forfar David gjorde han ikke, hvad der var ret i Herrens øjne. 2Han var ikke bedre end Israels onde konger, for han støbte afgudsbilleder og dyrkede Ba’al. 3Han gik endda ud til offerstedet i Hinnoms dal for at ofre sine egne børn på bålet.28,3 Jf. Jer. 7,31 og Ez. 16,21. 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.
5Derfor tillod hans Gud, Herren, at den aramæiske konge besejrede ham og deporterede et stort antal judæere til Damaskus. Samtidig gjorde Israels hær et stort indhug i hans tropper. 6På en enkelt dag dræbte kong Peka af Israel 120.000 af hans dygtigste krigere, fordi de havde vendt sig fra Herren, deres fædres Gud. 7En soldat fra Efraim ved navn Zikri dræbte Ahaz’ søn Ma’aseja, hofchefen Azrikam og Elkana, der var nummer to i landets styre efter kongen. 8Den israelitiske hær tog desuden 200.000 judæiske kvinder og børn til fange og slæbte et mægtigt krigsbytte med sig til Samaria.
9Men profeten Oded, som boede i Samaria, gik den hjemvendende hær i møde uden for byen med følgende budskab: „Herren, jeres fædres Gud, ønskede at straffe Judas folk, og derfor lod han jer sejre over dem. Men I gik for langt i jeres hensynsløse nedslagtning, som råber til himlen. 10Nu vil I tilmed gøre disse mennesker fra Juda og Jerusalem til slaver. Ved I da ikke, at I selv har syndet lige så groft imod Herren, jeres Gud? 11Gør derfor som jeg siger og send fangerne hjem, så Herren ikke skal straffe jer. De hører trods alt til det samme folk som jer.”
12Oded fik støtte fra flere af Efraims ledende mænd, blandt andet Azarja, søn af Johanan; Berekja, søn af Meshillemot; Hizkija, søn af Shallum; og Amasa, søn af Hadlaj. De sagde nu til de hjemvendte krigere: 13„I må ikke bringe jeres fanger herhen! Gør I det, vil Herrens vrede ramme os. Vi har synd nok på samvittigheden i forvejen, og Herren er allerede vred på os.”
14Derfor efterlod officererne fangerne og krigsbyttet hos folkets ledere, så de kunne afgøre, hvad der skulle ske med dem. 15De fire førnævnte mænd fik til opgave at fordele tøjet fra krigsbyttet til de fanger, som manglede tøj. De gav dem også sko og noget at spise og drikke. De rensede deres sår med olivenolie og skaffede æsler til dem, der ikke kunne gå selv. Så førte de dem hen til deres landsmænd i palmebyen Jeriko, hvorefter de selv vendte tilbage til Samaria.
16-17Omkring den tid begyndte edomitterne at plyndre i Juda og tage fanger med sig tilbage. Derfor henvendte kong Ahaz sig til assyrerkongen Tiglat-Pileser for at få hans hjælp mod alle fjenderne. 18Filistrene havde nemlig også gjort indfald på de vestlige bakkeskråninger og i Negev mod syd. De havde allerede erobret byerne Bet-Shemesh, Ajjalon og Gederot samt Soko, Timna og Gimzo med omliggende landsbyer. 19Det var Herrens straf, fordi kong Ahaz så troløst havde ført folket på afveje. 20Men da assyrerkongen Tiglat-Pileser ankom, blev han til større besvær end hjælp, 21og det på trods af, at Ahaz gav ham en masse kostbarheder fra templet og paladset og fra ledernes hjem.
22Midt i ulykken blev Ahaz endnu mere utro mod Herren. 23Han begyndte at ofre til aramæernes afguder, for han tænkte, at hvis de guder kunne hjælpe aramæerne til sejr, kunne de vel også hjælpe ham! Men Ahaz tog gruelig fejl, og med sin utroskab førte han sig selv og hele sit folk i ulykke. 24Det blev ikke bedre af, at han ødelagde alt udstyret, der blev brugt ved ofringerne i templet, hvorpå han barrikaderede tempeldøren, så ingen mere kunne bringe ofre til Herren. I stedet opstillede han afgudsaltre på hvert gadehjørne i Jerusalem. 25Det samme gjorde han i resten af Judas byer, hvorved han yderligere pådrog sig Herrens vrede.
26Resten af Ahaz’ liv og virke er beskrevet i Judas og Israels kongers krønikebog. 27Da Ahaz døde, blev han begravet i Davidsbyen i Jerusalem, men ikke i det kongelige gravsted. Hans søn Hizkija blev konge efter ham.
