11. Now hear me therefore, and send back the captives, which ye have taken captive of your brethren: for the fierce wrath of the LORD is upon you.
12. Then certain of the heads of the children of Ephraim, Azariah the son Johanan, Berechiah the son of Meshillemoth, and Jehizkiah the son of Shallum, and Amasa the son of Hadlai, stood up against them that came from the war,
13. and said unto them, Ye shall not bring in the captives hither: for ye purpose that which will bring upon us a trespass against the LORD, to add unto our sins and to our trespass: for our trespass is great, and there is fierce wrath against Israel.
14. So the armed men left the captives and the spoil before the princes and all the congregation.
15. And the men which have been expressed by name rose up, and took the captives, and with the spoil clothed all that were naked among them, and arrayed them, and shod them, and gave them to eat and to drink, and anointed them, and carried all the feeble of them upon asses, and brought them to Jericho, the city of palm trees, unto their brethren: then they returned to Samaria.
16. At that time did king Ahaz send unto the kings of Assyria to help him.
17. For again the Edomites had come and smitten Judah, and carried away captives.
18. The Philistines also had invaded the cities of the lowland, and of the South of Judah, and had taken Beth-shemesh, and Aijalon, and Gederoth, and Soco with the towns thereof, and Timnah with the towns thereof, Gimzo also and the towns thereof: and they dwelt there.
19. For the LORD brought Judah low because of Ahaz king of Israel; for he had dealt wantonly in Judah, and trespassed sore against the LORD.
20. And Tilgath-pilneser king of Assyria came unto him, and distressed him, but strengthened him not.
21. For Ahaz took away a portion out of the house of the LORD, and out of the house of the king and of the princes, and gave it unto the king of Assyria: but it helped him not.
22. And in the time of his distress did he trespass yet more against the LORD, this same king Ahaz.
23. For he sacrificed unto the gods of Damascus, which smote him: and he said, Because the gods of the kings of Syria help them, therefore will I sacrifice to them, that they may help me. But they were the ruin of him, and of all Israel.
24. And Ahaz gathered together the vessels of the house of God, and cut in pieces the vessels of the house of God, and shut up the doors of the house of the LORD; and he made him altars in every corner of Jerusalem.
25. And in every several city of Judah he made high places to burn incense unto other gods, and provoked to anger the LORD, the God of his fathers.
26. Now the rest of his acts, and all his ways, first and last, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.
27. And Ahaz slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city, even in Jerusalem; for they brought him not into the sepulchres of the kings of Israel: and Hezekiah his son reigned in his stead.