10. So now, you yourselves plan to subdue people of Judah and Jerusalem as slaves and female servants for yourselves. Is there not also guilt on your part against Yahweh your God?
11. So now, listen to me and return the captives of your brothers whom you have taken captive, for the fierce anger of Yahweh is against you.”
12. Then men from the heads of Ephraim—Azariah the son of Jehohanan, Berekiah the son of Meshillemoth, Hezekiah the son of Shallum, and Amasa the son of Hadlai—stood against those returning from the fight.
13. And they said to them, “You shall not bring the captives here, for it is as guilt against Yahweh upon us. You yourselves plan to add to our sins and to our guilt, but our guilt is very great, and there is great anger against Israel.”
14. So the soldiers left the captives and the plunder before the commanders and all the assembly.
15. Then the men designated by name arose and took the captives and from the plunder clothed all their nakedness. So they clothed them, gave them sandals, gave them food to eat, gave them water to drink, anointed them, and guided them with the donkeys provided for all those who stumbled, and brought them to Jericho, the city of the palm trees, next to their brothers. Then they returned to Samaria.
16. At that time King Ahaz sent to the king of Assyria to help him,
17. since again the Edomites came and struck against Judah and took captives.
18. And the Philistines sent raids into the cities of the Shephelah and the Negeb of Judah. And they captured Beth-Shemesh, Aijalon, Gederoth, Socoh with its villages, Timnah with its villages, and Gimzo with its villages. And they settled there.
19. For Yahweh subdued Judah for the sake of Ahaz, king of Israel, for he created disorder in Judah and acted unfaithfully against Yahweh.
20. Then Tiglath-Pileser the king of Assyria came against him and brought trouble for him, instead of helping him,
21. for Ahaz took a portion from the house of Yahweh and the house of the king and the princes, and he gave it to the king of Assyria, but it was no help to him.
22. And in the time of his distress, King Ahaz continued to act unfaithfully against Yahweh.
23. He sacrificed to the gods of Damascus that had defeated him and said, “Because the gods of the king of Aram helped them, I will sacrifice to them so that they will help me.” But they were a disaster to him and to all Israel.
24. Then Ahaz gathered the objects of the house of God, and he cut the objects of the house of God to pieces. And he shut the doors of the house of Yahweh and made for himself altars in every corner of Jerusalem.
25. And in every city of Judah he made high places to burn incense to other gods, and he provoked Yahweh, the God of his ancestors, to anger.
26. Now the remainder of his words and all his ways, from the first to the last, behold, they are written upon the scroll of the kings of Judah and Israel.
27. And Ahaz slept with his ancestors, and they buried him in the city, in Jerusalem, for they did not bring him to the burial site of the kings of Israel. And Hezekiah his son became king in his place.