So Jotham became mighty, because he ordered his ways before the Lord his God. He was five and twenty years old when he began to reign, and reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. And Jotham died, and they buried him in the city of David: and Ahaz his son reigned in his stead.

[{293}]

AHAZ.

(With Ahaz came a period of disaster for Judah. He was a thoroughly depraved character; weak, vacillating, yet obstinate and perverse. He accepted the old idol worship in all its hideous forms, even sacrificing his own children, it is said, to the awful god of fire, Moloch. During his reign the land was swept by waves of invasion, and many people were killed or carried off captive to Damascus and Samaria. He tried to make an alliance with Assyria, but this resulted in his practically becoming a vassal king. He paid a great tribute and stripped the temple bare of its ornamentation and its precious vessels to satisfy the demand.)

Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign; and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem: and he did not that which was right in the eyes of the Lord, like David his father: but he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, and made also molten images for Baal. Moreover he burnt incense in the valley of the son of Hinnom, and burnt his children in the fire, according to the abominations of the heathen, whom the Lord cast out before the children of Israel. And he sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places, and on the hills, and under every green tree.

Wherefore the Lord his God delivered him into the hand of the king of Syria; and they smote him, and carried away of his a great multitude of captives, and brought them to Damascus. And he was also delivered into the hand of the king of Israel, who smote him with a great slaughter.

For Pekah the son of Remaliah slew in Judah an [{294}] hundred and twenty thousand in one day, all of them valiant men; because they had forsaken the Lord, the God of their fathers. And Zichri, a mighty man of Ephraim, slew Maaseiah the king's son, and Azrikam the ruler of the house, and Elkanah that was next to the king.

And the children of Israel carried away captive of their brethren two hundred thousand, women, sons, and daughters, and took also away much spoil from them, and brought the spoil to Samaria.

But a prophet of the Lord was there, whose name was Oded: and he went out to meet the host that came to Samaria, and said unto them, "Behold, because the Lord, the God of your fathers, was wroth with Judah, he hath delivered them into your hand, and ye have slain them in a rage which hath reached up unto heaven. And now ye purpose to keep under the children of Judah and Jerusalem for bondmen and bondwomen unto you: but are there not even with you trespasses of your own against the Lord your God? Now hear me therefore, and send back the captives, which ye have taken captive of your brethren: for the fierce wrath of the Lord is upon you."

Then certain of the heads of the children of Ephraim, Azariah the son of Johanan, Berechiah the son of Meshillemoth, and Jehizkiah the son of Shallum, and Amasa the son of Hadlai, stood up against them that came from the war, and said unto them, "Ye shall not bring in the captives hither: for ye purpose that which will bring upon us a trespass against the Lord, to add unto our sins and to our trespass: for our trespass is great, and there is fierce wrath against Israel."