2 Kings 16

All 20 verses in the Clear Bible Translation. Tap a verse to compare the KJV and read what it means.

Read 2 Kings 16 in the Bible reader, with audio →

1. 1Ahaz son of Jotham became king of Judah during the 17th year of King Pekah son of Remaliah's reign.
2. 2Ahaz was 20 years old when he became king, and he ruled in Jerusalem for 16 years. He did not do what was right in the sight of the LORD his God, unlike his ancestor David.
3. 3But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, and even made his son pass through the fire, following the abominations of the nations whom the LORD cast out from before the children of Israel.
4. 4He offered sacrifices and burned incense at the high places, on the hills, and under every green tree.
5. 5Then King Rezin of Syria and King Pekah son of Remaliah of Israel marched against Jerusalem to wage war. They besieged Ahaz but could not defeat him.
6. 6At that time, King Rezin of Syria recaptured the city of Elath for Syria, driving the Jews out of Elath. The Syrians moved in and have lived there to this day.
7. 7Ahaz sent messengers to King Tiglathpileser of Assyria, saying, "I am your servant and your son. Come up and save me from the hand of the king of Syria and the hand of the king of Israel, who have risen up against me."
8. 8Ahaz took the silver and gold from the house of the LORD and the king's treasury and sent it as a gift to the king of Assyria.
9. 9The king of Assyria agreed. He marched against Damascus, captured it, deported its people to Kir, and killed King Rezin.
10. 10King Ahaz traveled to Damascus to meet Tiglathpileser, the king of Assyria. While there, he saw an altar and sent Urijah the priest the design and pattern of the altar, along with all its details.
11. 11Urijah the priest built an altar following all the instructions King Ahaz had sent from Damascus, completing it before King Ahaz returned from Damascus.
12. 12When the king arrived back from Damascus and saw the altar, he walked up to it and made offerings on it.
13. 13He burned his burnt offering and his grain offering, poured out his drink offering, and splashed the blood of his peace offerings on the altar.
14. 14He moved the bronze altar, which was before the LORD, from the front of the temple, from between the altar and the house of the LORD, and placed it on the north side of the altar.
15. 15Then King Ahaz instructed Urijah the priest, saying, 'Use the great altar for the morning burnt offering, the evening grain offering, the king’s burnt sacrifice, and his grain offering, along with all the burnt offerings, grain offerings, and drink offerings of the people. Sprinkle all the blood of the burnt offerings and sacrifices on it. The bronze altar will be for me to inquire by.'
16. 16Urijah the priest carried out every instruction King Ahaz gave him.
17. 17King Ahaz cut off the borders of the bases and removed the laver from them. He took down the sea from the bronze oxen that were under it and placed it on a pavement of stones.
18. 18He removed the covered structure for the Sabbath that had been built in the temple, along with the king's outer entrance, from the house of the LORD for the king of Assyria.
19. 19Now, aren't the rest of Ahaz's acts, everything he did, written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?
20. 20Ahaz died and was buried with his ancestors in the city of David. His son Hezekiah became the next king.