12. Then certain of the heads of the sons of Ephraim, Azariah, the son of Johanan, Berechiah, the son of Meshillemoth, and Jehizkiah, the son of Shallum, and Amasa, the son of Hadlai, stood up against those that came from the war
13. and said unto them, Ye shall not bring in the captives here, for the sin against the Lord shall be upon us. Ye intend to add more to our sins and to our guilt, for our guilt 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 were 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, to their brethren; then they returned to Samaria.
16. At that time King Ahaz sent unto the kings of Assyria to help him.
17. For in addition to this, the Edomites had come and smitten Judah and carried away captives.
18. The Philistines also had invaded the cities of the low country and towards the Negev of Judah and had taken Bethshemesh and Ajalon and Gederoth and Shocho with its villages and Timnah with its villages, Gimzo also and its villages, and they dwelt in them.
19. For the Lord brought Judah low because of Ahaz king of Israel, for he had made Judah naked and had completely rebelled against the Lord.
20. And Tilgathpilneser, king of Assyria, came unto him, and distressed him but did not strengthen him.
21. For even though 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, he did not help him.
22. Furthermore, king Ahaz in the time of his distress trespassed even more against the Lord,
23. for he sacrificed unto the gods of Damascus, who had smitten him, and he said, Because the gods of the kings of Syria help them; therefore, I will also 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 himself altars in every corner of Jerusalem.
25. And in all the cities of Judah he made high places to burn incense unto other gods, and provoked to anger the Lord God of his fathers.