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.
Ahazi Mfumu ya Yuda
1Ahazi anali ndi zaka makumi awiri pamene anakhala mfumu ndipo analamulira mu Yerusalemu kwa zaka 16. Iye sanachite zolungama pamaso pa Yehova, monga momwe anachitira Davide kholo lake. 2Iye anayenda mʼnjira za mafumu a Israeli ndipo anawumbanso mafano a chipembedzo cha Abaala. 3Iye amapsereza nsembe ku chigwa cha Hinomu, ndipo anaperekanso ana ake aamuna ngati nsembe yopsereza kutsatira njira zonyansa za mitundu imene Yehova anayithamangitsa pamaso pa Aisraeli. 4Iyeyo ankapereka nsembe ndi kufukiza lubani pa malo opembedzerapo mafano, pamwamba pa mapiri ndi pansi pa mtengo uliwonse waukulu.
5Nʼchifukwa chake Yehova Mulungu wake anamupereka mʼmanja mwa mfumu ya Aramu. Aaramu anamugonjetsa ndipo anagwira ukapolo anthu ake ambiri napita nawo ku Damasiko.
Yehova anamuperekanso mʼmanja mwa mfumu ya Israeli, imene inamuzunza ndi kumuphera anthu ake ambiri. 6Pa tsiku limodzi, Peka mwana wa Remaliya anapha asilikali 120,000 mu Yuda chifukwa Yuda anasiya Yehova, Mulungu wa makolo awo. 7Zikiri msilikali wa ku Efereimu, anapha Maaseya mwana wa mfumu, Azirikamu woyangʼanira nyumba yaufumu, ndi Elikana wachiwiri kwa mfumu. 8Aisraeli anagwira ukapolo abale awo, akazi, ana aamuna ndi ana aakazi okwanira 200,000. Iwo anafunkhanso katundu wambiri amene anapita naye ku Samariya.
9Koma kumeneko kunali mneneri wa Yehova dzina lake Odedi, ndipo anapita kukakumana ndi gulu lankhondo pamene linabwerera ku Samariya. Iye anawawuza kuti, “Chifukwa Yehova, Mulungu wa makolo anu anakwiyira Ayuda, Iye anawapereka mʼdzanja lanu. Koma inu mwawapha mwaukali, ukali wake wofika mpaka kumwamba. 10Ndipo tsopano mukufuna kuti amuna ndi akazi a ku Yuda ndi ku Yerusalemu akhale akapolo anu. 11Tsono mvereni! Abwezeni abale anu amene mwawagwira ukapolo, pakuti mkwiyo wa Yehova uli pa inu.”
12Tsono atsogoleri ena a ku Efereimu, Azariya mwana wa Yehohanani, Berekiya mwana wa Mesilemoti, Yehizikiya mwana wa Salumu, ndi Amasa mwana wa Hadilayi anatsutsana nawo amene ankachokera ku nkhondo kuja. 13Iwo anati, “Musabweretse akapolowo kuno, pakuti ife tidzakhala olakwa pamaso pa Yehova. Kodi mukufuna kuwonjezera pa machimo athu ndi kulakwa kwathu? Pakuti zolakwa zathu ndi zambiri kale ndipo mkwiyo wake woopsa uli pa Israeli.”
14Kotero asilikali aja anawasiya akapolowo pamodzi ndi katundu amene analanda ku nkhondo pamaso pa akuluakulu ndi gulu lonse la anthu. 15Anthu amene atchulidwa mayina aja anatenga akapolowo, ndipo kuchokera pa zolanda ku nkhondo, anawaveka onse amene anali maliseche. Anawapatsa zovala ndi nsapato, chakudya ndi chakumwa ndi mankhwala. Onse amene anali ofowoka anawakweza pa abulu. Choncho anabwera nawo kwa abale awo ku Yeriko, Mzinda wa Migwalangwa, ndipo kenaka anawabweza ku Samariya.
16Pa nthawi imeneyo mfumu Ahazi inatumiza mawu kwa mfumu ya ku Asiriya kupempha chithandizo. 17Ankhondo a ku Edomu anabweranso ndi kuthira nkhondo Yuda ndi kugwira akapolo. 18Pamenepo nʼkuti Afilisti atathira nkhondo mizinda ya mʼmbali mwa phiri ndi ku Negevi ku Yuda. Iwo analanda mizindayo nakhala ku Beti-Semesi, Ayaloni ndi Gederoti, komanso Soko, Timna ndi Gimizo pamodzi ndi midzi yawo yozungulira. 19Yehova anapeputsa Yuda chifukwa cha mfumu Ahazi ya Israeli, pakuti analimbikitsa zoyipa ku Yuda ndipo anali munthu wosakhulupirika kwambiri pamaso pa Yehova. 20Tigilati-Pileseri mfumu ya ku Asiriya anabwera kwa iye, ndipo anabweretsa mavuto mʼmalo momuthandiza. 21Ahazi anatenga zinthu zochokera mʼNyumba ya Yehova ndi mʼnyumba yaufumu ndi kwa atsogoleri ndipo anazipereka kwa mfumu ya ku Asiriya, koma zimenezo sizinamuthandize.
22Pa nthawi yake yamavutoyi mfumu Ahazi inapitirira kukhalabe yosakhulupirika pamaso pa Yehova. 23Ahazi ankapereka nsembe kwa milungu ya ku Damasiko, imene inamugonjetsa. Iye ankaganiza kuti, “Popeza milungu ya mafumu a Aaramu yawathandiza, ine ndidzapereka nsembe kwa iyo kuti indithandize.” Koma iyoyo inakhala kugwa kwake ndi kugwa kwa Aisraeli onse.
24Ahazi anasonkhanitsa pamodzi zinthu zonse kuchokera mʼNyumba ya Mulungu ndipo anazitenga. Iye anatseka zitseko za Nyumba ya Yehova ndipo anayimika maguwa ansembe pa ngodya iliyonse ya msewu mu Yerusalemu. 25Mu mzinda uliwonse wa Yuda anamangamo malo achipembedzo, operekerapo nsembe zopsereza kwa milungu ina ndipo anaputa mkwiyo wa Yehova, Mulungu wa makolo ake.
26Zochitika zina pa ulamuliro wake ndi machitidwe ake onse, kuyambira pachiyambi mpaka pa mapeto, zalembedwa mʼbuku la mafumu a Yuda ndi Israeli. 27Ahazi anamwalira ndipo anayikidwa mu mzinda wa Yerusalemu, koma sanamuyike mʼmanda a mafumu a Israeli. Ndipo Hezekiya mwana wake analowa ufumu mʼmalo mwake.
