17. The men of Edom had come again and attacked Judah. They had carried prisoners away.
18. At the same time the Philistines had attacked towns in the western hills and in the Negev Desert of Judah. They had captured Beth Shemesh, Aijalon and Gederoth. They had also captured Soco, Timnah and Gimzo and the villages that were around them. They had settled down in all of them.
19. The Lord had brought Judah down because of Ahaz, their king. Ahaz had stirred up the people of Judah to do evil things. He hadn't been faithful to the Lord at all.
20. Tiglath-Pileser came to Ahaz. But he gave Ahaz trouble instead of help. Tiglath-Pileser was king of Assyria.
21. Ahaz took some things from the Lord's temple. He also took some from the royal palace and from the princes. He gave all of them to the king of Assyria. But that didn't help him.
22. When King Ahaz was in trouble, he became even more unfaithful to the Lord.