1. In the year seventeen of Pekah, the son of Remaliah, Ahaz, the son of Jotham, king of Judah, began to reign.
2. Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign and reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem and did not do 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 and even made his son pass through the fire, according to the abominations of the Gentiles, whom the Lord cast out from before the sons of Israel.
4. Likewise 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 drove 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 slave 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, who have risen up against me.
8. And Ahaz took the silver and gold that was found in the house of the Lord and in the treasury of the king’s house and sent it for a bribe to the king of Assyria.