Ahaz of Judah follows pagan practices, even sacrificing his son. When attacked by Syria and Israel, he appeals to Assyria, sending temple silver, and installs a copy of a Damascus altar in the temple.
1 In the seventeenth year of Pekah the son of Remaliah Ahaz the son of Jotham king of Judah began to reign .
2 Twenty years old was Ahaz when he began to reign , and reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem , and did not that which was right in the sight of the LORD his God , like David his father .
3 But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel , yea, and made his son to pass through the fire , according to the abominations of the heathen , whom the LORD cast out from before the children of Israel .
4 And he sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places , and on the hills , and under every green tree .
5 Then Rezin king of Syria and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel came up to Jerusalem to war : and they besieged Ahaz , but could not overcome him.
6 At that time Rezin king of Syria recovered Elath to Syria , and drave the Jews from Elath : and the Syrians came to Elath , and dwelt there unto this day .
7 So Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglathpileser king of Assyria , saying , I am thy servant and thy son : come up , and save me out of the hand of the king of Syria , and out of the hand of the king of Israel , which rise up against me.
8 And Ahaz took the silver and gold that was found in the house of the LORD , and in the treasures of the king's house , and sent it for a present to the king of Assyria .
9 And the king of Assyria hearkened unto him: for the king of Assyria went up against Damascus , and took it, and carried the people of it captive to Kir , and slew Rezin .
10 And king Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglathpileser king of Assyria , and saw an altar that was at Damascus : and king Ahaz sent to Urijah the priest the fashion of the altar , and the pattern of it, according to all the workmanship thereof.
11 And Urijah the priest built an altar according to all that king Ahaz had sent from Damascus : so Urijah the priest made it against king Ahaz came from Damascus .
12 And when the king was come from Damascus , the king saw the altar : and the king approached to the altar , and offered thereon.
13 And he burnt his burnt offering and his meat offering , and poured his drink offering , and sprinkled the blood of his peace offerings , upon the altar .
14 And he brought also the brasen altar , which was before the LORD , from the forefront of the house , from between the altar and the house of the LORD , and put it on the north side of the altar .
15 And king Ahaz commanded Urijah the priest , saying , Upon the great altar burn the morning burnt offering , and the evening meat offering , and the king's burnt sacrifice , and his meat offering , with the burnt offering of all the people of the land , and their meat offering , and their drink offerings ; and sprinkle upon it all the blood of the burnt offering , and all the blood of the sacrifice : and the brasen altar shall be for me to enquire by.
16 Thus did Urijah the priest , according to all that king Ahaz commanded .
17 And king Ahaz cut off the borders of the bases , and removed the laver from off them; and took down the sea from off the brasen oxen that were under it, and put it upon a pavement of stones .
18 And the covert for the sabbath that they had built in the house , and the king's entry without , turned he from the house of the LORD for the king of Assyria .
19 Now the rest of the acts of Ahaz which he did , are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah ?
20 And Ahaz slept with his fathers , and was buried with his fathers in the city of David : and Hezekiah his son reigned in his stead.