2 Kings 16 - International Standard Version (ISV)

Ahaz Becomes King of Judah

16 During the seventeenth year of the reign of[a] Remaliah’s son Pekah, Jotham’s son Ahaz became king of Judah. 2 Ahaz was 20 years old when he became king, and he ruled in Jerusalem for sixteen years. He did not practice what the Lord considered to be right, as had his ancestor David. 3 Instead, he behaved like the kings of Israel did by making his son pass through fire, the very same abomination that the heathen practiced, whom the Lord evicted from the land right in front of the Israelis. 4 Furthermore, Ahaz[b] sacrificed and burned incense on the high places, on top of hills, and under every green tree.

Ahaz Seeks Help from Assyria(A)

5 Later, King Rezin of Aram and Remaliah’s son Pekah, king of Israel, approached Jerusalem to attack it. They besieged Ahaz but could not conquer him. 6 But at that time, King Rezin of Aram recovered Elath for Aram, completely removing the Judeans from Elath. Then the Arameans returned to Elath and have remained there to this day. 7 So Ahaz sent envoys to Tiglath-pileser, king of Assyria, to tell him, “I am your servant and son. Save me from the king of Aram and the king of Israel, who are attacking me.” 8 Then Ahaz took the silver and gold that was in the Lord’s Temple and in the palace treasuries and sent them as a gift to the king of Assyria, 9 so the king of Assyria listened to Ahaz. He attacked Damascus, captured it, sent its people away into exile to Kir, and executed Rezin.

King Ahaz Constructs a Pagan Altar(B)

10 King Ahaz traveled to Damascus and met with King Tiglath-pileser of Assyria, where he observed the altar at Damascus. So King Ahaz sent a set of construction patterns of this altar to Uriah the priest. 11 Uriah the priest built an altar, following the plans that King Ahaz had sent him from Damascus and finishing the altar before King Ahaz returned from Damascus. 12 When the king returned from Damascus, as soon as he saw the altar, he[c] approached it and offered sacrifices on it. 13 He presented a burnt offering, a meat offering, poured out a drink offering, and sprinkled the blood of a peace offering on his altar. 14 Then he took the bronze altar that stood in the Lord’s presence from in front of the Temple, moved it to the north side of his altar, 15 and issued these orders to Uriah the priest:

“Burn the morning burnt offering, the evening grain offering, the king’s burnt offering and grain offering, the whole burnt offering, the grain offering, and the drink offering on behalf of all the people of the land on the large altar. And sprinkle all the blood from the burnt offering and from the sacrifice. But I will use the bronze altar to ask God questions.”

16 So Uriah the priest did precisely what King Ahaz ordered. 17 Later, King Ahaz ordered the side panels removed from the bases, along with the washing bowls that had stood on top of the bases. He also removed the large bowl that was called the Sea from on top of the bronze bulls that supported it, and put it on a stone base. 18 Then Ahaz removed the covered walkway for use on the Sabbath that they had built in the Temple. Because of the king of Assyria, he also removed the outside entrance from the Lord’s Temple that had been built exclusively[d] for the king.

19 Now the rest of Ahaz’s activities are recorded in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah, are they not? 20 Later, Ahaz died, as did[e] his ancestors, and was buried alongside his ancestors in the City of David. His son Hezekiah reigned in his place.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 16:1 The Heb. lacks the reign of
  2. 2 Kings 16:4 Lit. he
  3. 2 Kings 16:12 Lit. altar, the king
  4. 2 Kings 16:18 The Heb. lacks that had been built exclusively
  5. 2 Kings 16:20 Lit. Ahaz slept with

Cross references

  1. 2 Kings 16:5 : 2 Chronicles 28:16-21; Isaiah 7:1-16
  2. 2 Kings 16:10 : 2 Chronicles 28:22-25

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2 Kings 16 - Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

16 In the seventeenth year of Pekah son of Remaliah reigned hath Ahaz son of Jotham king of Judah. 2 A son of twenty years [is] Ahaz in his reigning, and sixteen years he hath reigned in Jerusalem, and he hath not done that which [is] right in the eyes of Jehovah his God, like David his father, 3 an...
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2 Kings 16 - Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

16 In the seventeenth year of Pekah, the son of Remaliah, Ahaz, the son of Jotham, king of Judah, reigned (began to reign). 2 Ahaz was of twenty years, when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem; he did not that, that was pleasant in the sight of his Lord God, as David, his fa...
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2 Kings 16 - World English Bible (WEB)

16 In the seventeenth year of Pekah the son of Remaliah, Ahaz the son of Jotham king of Judah began to reign. 2 Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. He didn’t do that which was right in Yahweh his God’s eyes, like David his father. 3 But he w...
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2 Kings 16 - The Voice (VOICE)

16 During the 17th year of the reign of Pekah (Remaliah’s son) as king of Israel, Ahaz (Jotham’s son) inherited the throne in Judah. 2 Ahaz was 20 years old when he inherited the throne, and his reign in Jerusalem lasted 16 years. He did not do what was good in the eyes of the Eternal, his True God...
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2 Kings 16 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

16 In the seventeenth year of Pekah son of Remaliah, Ahaz son of King Jotham of Judah, began to reign. 2 Ahaz was 20 years old when he began to reign, and he reigned 16 years in Jerusalem. But he did not do what was right in the eyes of Adonai his God, as his father David had done. 3 Instead he wa...
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2 Kings 16 - Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)

Ahaz Reigns over Judah16 In the seventeenth year of Pekah the son of Remali′ah, Ahaz the son of Jotham, king of Judah, began to reign. 2 Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. And he did not do what was right in the eyes of the Lord his God, as ...
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2 Kings 16 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

Ahaz Reigns over Judah16 In the seventeenth year of Pekah the son of Remali′ah, Ahaz the son of Jotham, king of Judah, began to reign. 2 Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. And he did not do what was right in the eyes of the Lord his God, as ...
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2 Kings 16 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

Ahaz Reigns over Judah16 In the seventeenth year of Pekah son of Remaliah, King Ahaz son of Jotham of Judah began to reign. 2 Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign; he reigned for sixteen years in Jerusalem. He did not do what was right in the sight of the Lord his God, as his ancestor D...
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2 Kings 16 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

Ahaz Reigns over Judah16 In the seventeenth year of Pekah son of Remaliah, King Ahaz son of Jotham of Judah began to reign.(A)2 Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign; he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. He did not do what was right in the sight of the Lord his God, as his ancestor Davi...
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2 Kings 16 - New Living Translation (NLT)

Ahaz Rules in Judah16 Ahaz son of Jotham began to rule over Judah in the seventeenth year of King Pekah’s reign in Israel. 2 Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. He did not do what was pleasing in the sight of the Lord his God, as his ancestor Dav...
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2 Kings 16 - New Life Version (NLV)

Ahaz Rules Judah16 In the seventeenth year of Pekah the son of Remaliah, Ahaz the son of Jotham began to rule as the king of Judah. 2 Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king. And he ruled for sixteen years in Jerusalem. He did not do what was right in the eyes of the Lord his God, as his fath...
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2 Kings 16 - New King James Version (NKJV)

Ahaz Reigns in Judah(A)16 In the seventeenth year of Pekah the son of Remaliah, Ahaz the son of Jotham, king of Judah, began to reign. 2 Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem; and he did not do what was right in the sight of the Lord his God, as hi...
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2 Kings 16 - New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

Ahaz king of Judah16 In the seventeenth year of Pekah son of Remaliah, Ahaz son of Jotham king of Judah began to reign. 2 Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem for sixteen years. Unlike David his father, he did not do what was right in the eyes of the Lord his G...
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2 Kings 16 - New International Version (NIV)

Ahaz King of Judah(A)16 In the seventeenth year of Pekah son of Remaliah, Ahaz(B) son of Jotham king of Judah began to reign. 2 Ahaz 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(C) in the eyes of the Lord h...
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2 Kings 16 - New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

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2 Kings 16 - New English Translation (NET)

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