2 Kings 16:6-14

Christian Standard Bible

⁶ At that time Aram’s King Rezin recovered Elath for Aram and expelled the Judahites from Elath.^(A) Then the Arameans came to Elath, and they still live there today.^(B)

⁷ So Ahaz sent messengers^(C) to King Tiglath-pileser^(D) of Assyria, saying, “I am your servant and your son. March up and save me from the grasp of the king of Aram and of the king of Israel, who are rising up against me.” ⁸ Ahaz also took the silver and gold found in the Lord’s temple and in the treasuries of the king’s palace and sent them to the king of Assyria as a bribe.^{(E) 9} So the king of Assyria listened to him^(F) and marched up to Damascus and captured it.^(G) He deported its people to Kir^(H) but put Rezin to death.

Ahaz’s Idolatry

¹⁰ King Ahaz went to Damascus to meet King Tiglath-pileser^(I) of Assyria. When he saw the altar that was in Damascus, King Ahaz sent a model of the altar and complete plans for its construction to the priest Uriah.^{(J) 11} Uriah built the altar according to all the instructions King Ahaz sent from Damascus. Therefore, by the time King Ahaz came back from Damascus, the priest Uriah had completed it. ¹² When the king came back from Damascus, he saw the altar. Then he approached the altar^(K) and ascended it.^{[a] 13} He offered his burnt offering^(L) and his grain offering, poured out his drink offering, and splattered the blood of his fellowship offerings^(M) on the altar. ¹⁴ He took the bronze altar^(N) that was before the Lord in front of the temple between his altar and the Lord’s temple, and put it on the north side of his altar.