13. and said to them, “Do not bring the captives in here, for that would cause us to trespass against Adonai. Do you intend to add to our sins and our guilt? For our guilt is already great, and his fierce anger is already against Israel.”
14. So the soldiers released the captives and the plunder in the presence of the chieftains and the entire congregation.
15. Then the men designated by name stood up and took the captives, and they clothed all who were naked from the plunder. They gave them clothes and sandals, food and drink, anointed them, led all the feeble ones on donkeys, and brought them back to their kinsmen at Jericho, the city of palm trees. Then they returned to Samaria.
16. About that time King Ahaz sent to the kings of Assyria for help.
17. Once again the Edomites had come and invaded Judah and taken captives,
18. while the Philistines had raided the towns in the foothills and in the South of Judah. They captured and occupied Beth-shemesh, Aijalon and Gederot, as well as Soho, Timnah and Gimzo with their villages.
19. For Adonai humbled Judah because of Ahaz king of Israel, for he threw off restraint in Judah and trespassed against Adonai.
20. Tilgat-pilneser king of Assyria came against him and afflicted him instead of strengthening him—
21. even though Ahaz plundered the House of Adonai, the house of the king and the princes, and gave it to the king of Assyria—it did not help him.
22. In his time of distress, this same King Ahaz acted even more unfaithfully to Adonai.
23. He even sacrificed to the gods of Damascus after he had been defeated, for he said, “Because the gods of the kings of Aram helped them, I will sacrifice to them and they will help me.” But they caused the downfall of him and all Israel.
24. Ahaz even collected the utensils of the House of God and cut the utensils of the House of God into pieces. He shut the doors of the House of Adonai and made himself altars in every corner of Jerusalem.
25. In every town of Judah he made high places to burn incense to other gods—provoking Adonai, the God of his fathers.
26. Now the rest of his acts and all his ways, the first and the last, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.
27. Then Ahaz slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of Jerusalem, but he was not brought into the tombs of the kings of Israel. Hezekiah his son became king in his place.