1. Ahaz was 20 years old when he became king. He ruled in Jerusalem for 16 years. He didn't do what was right in the eyes of the Lord. He didn't do what King David had done.
2. He followed the ways of the kings of Israel. He also made metal statues of gods that were named after Baal.
3. He burned sacrifices in the Valley of Ben Hinnom. He sacrificed his children in the fire to other gods. He followed the practices of the nations. The Lord hated those practices. He had driven out those nations to make room for the people of Israel.
4. Ahaz offered sacrifices and burned incense at the high places. He also did it on the tops of hills and under every green tree.
5. So the Lord his God handed him over to the king of Aram. The men of Aram won the battle over him. They took many of his people as prisoners. They brought them to Damascus. God also handed Ahaz over to Pekah. His army wounded or killed many of the troops of Ahaz. Pekah was king of Israel.
6. In one day Pekah killed 120,000 soldiers in Judah. That's because Judah had deserted the Lord, the God of their people. Pekah was the son of Remaliah.