King Ahaz of Judah
(2 Kings 16.1-4)1 Ahaz became king at the age of twenty, and he ruled in Jerusalem for sixteen years. He did not follow the good example of his ancestor King David; instead, he did what was not pleasing to the Lord 2 and followed the example of the kings of Israel. He had metal images of Baal made, 3 burned incense in Hinnom Valley, and even sacrificed his own sons as burnt offerings to idols, imitating the disgusting practice of the people whom the Lord had driven out of the land as the Israelites advanced. 4 At the pagan places of worship, on the hills, and under every shady tree Ahaz offered sacrifices and burned incense.
War with Syria and Israel
(2 Kings 16.5)5-6 Because King Ahaz sinned, the Lord his God let the king of Syria defeat him and take a large number of Judeans back to Damascus as prisoners. The Lord also let the king of Israel, Pekah son of Remaliah, defeat Ahaz and kill 120,000 of the bravest Judean soldiers in one day. The Lord, the God of their ancestors, permitted this to happen, because the people of Judah had abandoned him. 7 An Israelite soldier named Zichri killed King Ahaz' son Maaseiah, the palace administrator Azrikam, and Elkanah, who was second in command to the king. 8 Even though the Judeans were their own relatives, the Israelite army captured 200,000 women and children as prisoners and took them back to Samaria, along with large amounts of loot.
The Prophet Oded
9 A man named Oded, a prophet of the Lord, lived in the city of Samaria. He met the returning Israelite army with its Judean prisoners as it was about to enter the city, and he said, “The Lord God of your ancestors was angry with Judah and let you defeat them, but now he has heard of the vicious way you slaughtered them. 10 And now you intend to make the men and women of Jerusalem and Judah your slaves. Don't you know that you also have committed sins against the Lord your God? 11 Listen to me! These prisoners are your brothers and sisters. Let them go, or the Lord will punish you in his anger.”
12 Four of the leading men of the Northern Kingdom, Azariah son of Jehohanan, Berechiah son of Meshillemoth, Jehizkiah son of Shallum, and Amasa son of Hadlai also opposed the actions of the army. 13 They said, “Don't bring those prisoners here! We have already sinned against the Lord and made him angry enough to punish us. Now you want to do something that will increase our guilt.” 14 So then the army handed the prisoners and the loot over to the people and their leaders, 15 and the four men were appointed to provide the prisoners with clothing from the captured loot. They gave them clothes and sandals to wear, gave them enough to eat and drink, and put olive oil on their wounds. Those who were too weak to walk were put on donkeys, and all the prisoners were taken back to Judean territory at Jericho, the city of palm trees. Then the Israelites returned home to Samaria.
Ahaz Asks Assyria for Help
(2 Kings 16.7-9)16-17 The Edomites began to raid Judah again and captured many prisoners, so King Ahaz asked Tiglath Pileser, the emperor of Assyria, to send help. 18 At this same time the Philistines were raiding the towns in the western foothills and in southern Judah. They captured the cities of Beth Shemesh, Aijalon, and Gederoth, and the cities of Soco, Timnah, and Gimzo with their villages, and settled there permanently. 19 Because King Ahaz of Judah had violated the rights of his people and had defied the Lord, the Lord brought troubles on Judah. 20 The Assyrian emperor, instead of helping Ahaz, opposed him and caused him trouble. 21 So Ahaz took the gold from the Temple, the palace, and the homes of the leaders of the people, and gave it to the emperor, but even this did not help.
The Sins of Ahaz
22 When his troubles were at their worst, that man Ahaz sinned against the Lord more than ever. 23 He offered sacrifices to the gods of the Syrians, who had defeated him. He said, “The Syrian gods helped the kings of Syria, so if I sacrifice to them, they may help me too.” This brought disaster on him and on his nation. 24 In addition, he took all the Temple equipment and broke it in pieces. He closed the Temple and set up altars in every part of Jerusalem. 25 In every city and town in Judah he built pagan places of worship, where incense was to be burned to foreign gods. In this way he brought on himself the anger of the Lord, the God of his ancestors.
26 All the other events of his reign, from beginning to end, are recorded in The History of the Kings of Judah and Israel. 27 King Ahaz died and was buried in Jerusalem, but not in the royal tombs. His son Hezekiah succeeded him as king.
Āhāza valdīšana
(2Ķēn 16:1–4)1 Āhāzam bija divdesmit gadu, kad viņš sāka valdīt, un viņš valdīja Jeruzālemē sešpadsmit gadus, bet nedarīja to, kas tīkams Kungam, kā viņa tēvs Dāvids. 2 Viņš staigāja Israēla ķēniņu ceļus un turklāt vēl darināja tēlus baāliem. 3 Viņš kvēpināja Ben-Hinnomas ielejā un dedzināja ugunī pat savus dēlus kā tās pretīgās tautas, kuras Kungs padzina, Israēla dēliem ienākot. 4 Viņš upurēja un kvēpināja uz katras augstienes un katra pakalna un zem katra zaļoksna koka.
Aramieši un israēlieši sakauj Jūdu
(2Ķēn 16:5–6Jes 7:1)5 Tad Kungs, viņa Dievs, atdeva viņu Arāmas ķēniņam – tas viņu sakāva, ņēma gūstā daudz ļaužu un aizveda uz Damasku. Kungs viņu atdeva arī Israēla ķēniņam, un tas viņu pilnīgi sakāva. 6 Pekahs, Remaljāhu dēls, vienā dienā nokāva simts divdesmit tūkstošus Jūdas vīru – visi tie bija karavīri! – jo viņi bija pametuši Kungu, savu tēvu Dievu. 7 Efraima spēkavīrs Zihrī nokāva ķēniņa dēlu Maasejāhu, nama pārvaldnieku Azrīkāmu un Elkānu, kas bija otrais aiz ķēniņa.
Israēlieši atlaiž gūstekņus
8 Israēla dēli no savu brāļu cilts saņēma gūstā divi simti tūkstošus sievu, dēlu un meitu, un tie guva arī lielu laupījumu, ko aizveda uz Samariju.
9 Tur bija Kunga pravietis Odēds. Viņš izgāja pretī karaspēkam, kas nāca uz Samariju, un sacīja: “Redzi, pār Jūdu nākusi Kunga, jūsu tēvu Dieva, dusmu versme! Viņš tos atdeva jums, bet jūs tos trakumā kāvāt – tas nu sasniedzis debesis! 10 Vai jūs domājat Jūdas dēlus un Jeruzālemi pakļaut kā vergus un verdzenes? Vai tad paši neesat grēkojuši pret Kungu, savu Dievu! 11 Tad jel klausiet mani un sūtiet atpakaļ gūstekņus, ko sagūstījāt pie saviem brāļiem, jo pār jums nāk Kunga dusmas!”
12 Tad pret tiem, kas nāca no kara, cēlās vīri no Efraima vadoņiem – Azarja, Jehohānāna dēls, Berehja, Mešillēmota dēls, Jehizkijāhu, Šallūma dēls, Amāsa, Hadlaja dēls – 13 un sacīja: “Nevediet šurp gūstekņus, jo mēs esam noziegušies pret Kungu! Vai gribat vēl ko pielikt mūsu grēkiem un vainām? Liels ir mūsu noziegums – pret Israēlu deg dusmu kvēle!”
14 Tad bruņotie vīri atstāja gūstekņus un laupījumu augstmaņu un visas sapulces priekšā. 15 Tika izvēlēti vīri, tie cēlās, ņēma gūstekņus un apģērba ar salaupīto visus, kas bija kaili, – apģērba tos, deva sandales, paēdināja un padzirdīja, svaidīja ar eļļu un visus izvārgušos cēla uz ēzeļiem. Viņi tos aizveda uz Jēriku, palmu pilsētu pie brāļu robežas, bet paši atgriezās Samarijā.
Asīrija atsakās palīdzēt Jūdai
(2Ķēn 16:7–9)16 Tolaik ķēniņš Āhāzs sūtīja pie Asīrijas ķēniņiem pēc palīdzības, 17 jo atkal bija nākuši edomieši, kāvuši Jūdas ļaudis un saņēmuši gūstekņus, 18 bet filistieši izlaupījuši pilsētas – Šefelu un Negebu, kas Jūdā, – un ieņēmuši Bēt-Šemešu, Ajalonu, Gedērotu un Soho ar tās ciemiem, Timnu ar tās ciemiem un Gimzo ar tās ciemiem un palikuši tur. 19 Tā Kungs pazemoja Jūdu Israēla ķēniņa Āhāza dēļ, jo viņš bija Jūdas posts un Kunga nodevējs! 20 Asīrijas ķēniņš Tiglat-Pilēsers gan atnāca, bet nepalīdzēja, tikai apspieda. 21 Tad Āhāzs ņēma mantu no Kunga nama, arī no ķēniņa un augstmaņu namiem, un deva Asīrijas ķēniņam, bet arī tas viņam nepalīdzēja.
Āhāza elkdievība un nāve
(2Ķēn 16:12–20)22 Būdams apspiests, viņš kļuva vēl nodevīgāks pret Kungu – tāds bija ķēniņš Āhāzs! 23 Viņš upurēja Damaskas dieviem, kas viņu sita, sacīdams: “Tāpēc ka Arāmas ķēniņu dievi palīdz, es viņiem upurēšu, un tie man palīdzēs!” Bet tie viņam un visam Israēlam bija par klupšanu! 24 Āhāzs savāca visus Dieva nama traukus, viņš sadauzīja visus šos traukus gabalos, aizdarīja Kunga nama durvis un Jeruzālemē uz katra stūra ierīkoja altārus. 25 Un visās pilsētās, katrā Jūdas pilsētā, viņš uzcēla augstieņu altārus, lai kvēpinātu citiem dieviem, tā sadusmodams Kungu, savu tēvu Dievu.
26 Pārējie viņa darbi un visas viņa gaitas no pirmās līdz pēdējai – redzi, tās ir aprakstītas Jūdas un Israēla ķēniņu grāmatā. 27 Āhāzs apgūlās pie tēviem, un viņu apbedīja Jeruzālemē, taču ne Israēla ķēniņu kapenēs. Pēc tam sāka valdīt viņa dēls Hizkija.
