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.
犹大王亚哈斯
1亚哈斯二十岁登基，在耶路撒冷执政十六年。他没有效法他祖先大卫做耶和华视为正的事， 2反而步以色列诸王的后尘，又铸造巴力神像。 3他不但在欣嫩子谷烧香，还效法耶和华在以色列人面前赶走的外族人的可憎行径，把自己的儿女焚烧献作祭物。 4他还在丘坛、山冈和绿树下献祭烧香。
与亚兰和以色列交战
5因此，他的上帝耶和华把他交在亚兰王手中，亚兰王就打败他，把他的许多人民掳到大马士革。他也被交在以色列王手中，损失惨重。 6利玛利的儿子比加一天之内杀了犹大十二万勇士，因为他们背弃了他们祖先的上帝耶和华。 7以法莲的勇士细基利杀了王子玛西雅、宫廷总管押斯利甘和宰相以利加拿。 8以色列军队从他们的犹大同胞中掳走了二十万妇孺，同时也将大量战利品带回撒玛利亚。
俄德先知
9撒玛利亚有一位耶和华的先知名叫俄德，他出城去迎接班师回来的军队，说：“看啊，你们祖先的上帝耶和华向犹大发怒，才将他们交在你们手中。你们竟怒气冲天，对他们大加杀戮。 10现在你们竟还想让犹大和耶路撒冷的男女做你们的仆婢。你们岂不也得罪你们的上帝耶和华吗？ 11你们还是听我的，释放你们掳来的同胞，让他们回去吧！因为耶和华的烈怒已经临到你们了。”
12约哈难的儿子亚撒利雅、米实利末的儿子比利迦、沙龙的儿子耶希西迦和哈得莱的儿子亚玛撒四位以法莲族长，起来阻挡从战场回来的军队， 13说：“你们不可把这些俘虏带进来，我们的罪已经够重了，耶和华的烈怒已经临到以色列人，不要再得罪耶和华，加重我们的罪恶了。” 14于是，士兵们便把俘虏和战利品交给众首领和民众。 15那些以法莲族长就上前照顾俘虏，从战利品中拿出衣服和鞋给那些赤身露体的俘虏穿上，供应他们吃喝，又给他们的伤口抹上油，让软弱的骑驴。他们把所有的俘虏送到棕树城耶利哥他们的亲族那里，随后返回撒玛利亚。
亚哈斯向亚述王求援
16那时，亚哈斯王派人到亚述王那里求援。 17原来以东人又来攻打犹大，掳掠民众。 18非利士人也入侵犹大丘陵和南地的城镇，攻占了伯·示麦、亚雅仑、基低罗和梭哥、亭拿、瑾锁及这三城周围的村庄，并住在那里。 19耶和华使犹大衰微，因为以色列王28:19 “以色列王”这里可能指统治犹大的王，而非统治北国以色列的王。亚哈斯在犹大肆无忌惮，悖逆耶和华。 20亚述王提革拉·毗列色来到犹大后，不但不救他，反而压迫他。 21亚哈斯从耶和华的殿里、王宫和官员家中取财宝送给亚述王，但无济于事。
亚哈斯的恶行
22亚哈斯王在患难时越发悖逆耶和华， 23竟去祭拜打败他的大马士革人的神明，说：“既然亚兰王的神明帮助了亚兰人，我要向这些神明献祭，好让它们帮助我。”但那些神明导致了他和全体以色列人的灭亡。 24亚哈斯将耶和华上帝殿里的器皿收集起来打碎，封锁殿门，并在耶路撒冷的每个角落为自己设立祭坛。 25他还在犹大各城建立丘坛，向其他神明烧香，惹他祖先的上帝耶和华发怒。 26亚哈斯其他的事及一切所为自始至终都记在《犹大和以色列列王史》上。 27亚哈斯与祖先同眠后，葬在耶路撒冷城中，但没有葬在以色列的王陵。他儿子希西迦继位。
