King Ahaz of Judah
(2 Chronicles 28.1-27)1 In the seventeenth year of the reign of Pekah son of Remaliah as king of Israel, Ahaz son of Jotham became king of Judah 2 at the age of twenty, and he ruled in Jerusalem for sixteen years. He did not follow the good example of his ancestor King David; instead, he did what was not pleasing to the Lord his God 3 and followed the example of the kings of Israel. He even sacrificed his own son as a burnt offering to idols, imitating the disgusting practice of the people whom the Lord had driven out of the land as the Israelites advanced. 4 At the pagan places of worship, on the hills, and under every shady tree, Ahaz offered sacrifices and burned incense.
5 King Rezin of Syria and King Pekah of Israel attacked Jerusalem and besieged it, but could not defeat Ahaz. ( 6 At the same time the king of Edom regained control of the city of Elath and drove out the Judeans who lived there. The Edomites settled in Elath and still live there.) 7 Ahaz sent men to Tiglath Pileser, the emperor of Assyria, with this message: “I am your devoted servant. Come and rescue me from the kings of Syria and of Israel, who are attacking me.” 8 Ahaz took the silver and gold from the Temple and the palace treasury, and sent it as a present to the emperor. 9 Tiglath Pileser, in answer to Ahaz' plea, marched out with his army against Damascus, captured it, killed King Rezin, and took the people to Kir as prisoners.
10 When King Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Emperor Tiglath Pileser, he saw the altar there and sent back to Uriah the priest an exact model of it, down to the smallest details. 11 So Uriah built an altar just like it and finished it before Ahaz returned. 12 On his return from Damascus, Ahaz saw that the altar was finished, 13 so he burned animal sacrifices and grain offerings on it and poured a wine offering and the blood of a fellowship offering on it. 14 The bronze altar dedicated to the Lord was between the new altar and the Temple, so Ahaz moved it to the north side of his new altar. 15 Then he ordered Uriah: “Use this large altar of mine for the morning burnt offerings and the evening grain offerings, for the burnt offerings and grain offerings of the king and the people, and for the people's wine offerings. Pour on it the blood of all the animals that are sacrificed. But keep the bronze altar for me to use for divination.” 16 Uriah did as the king commanded.
17 King Ahaz took apart the bronze carts used in the Temple and removed the basins that were on them. He also took the bronze tank from the backs of the twelve bronze bulls and placed it on a stone foundation. 18 And in order to please the Assyrian emperor, Ahaz also removed from the Temple the platform for the royal throne and closed up the king's private entrance to the Temple.
19 Everything else that King Ahaz did is recorded in The History of the Kings of Judah. 20 Ahaz died and was buried in the royal tombs in David's City, and his son Hezekiah succeeded him as king.
Ahas ohamba yaJuda
1 Momudo omutimulongo nomutiheyali waPeka yaRemalja, Ahas yaJotam a ninga ohamba yaJuda. 2 Omido daAhas da li omilongo mbali, ye eshi a ninga ohamba, nokwa pangela omido omulongo nahamano muJerusalem, ndele ina ninga osho sha yuka momesho Omwene Kalunga kaye, ngaashi xe David, 3 ndelenee okwa enda nondjila yeehamba daIsrael. Heeno, ye mwene okwa endifila omona waye momundilo paififahoni yoiwana oyo Omwene e i taataa komesho yaIsrael. 4 Nokwa twimina yo koikulundu nokomitune nopomuti keshe mutalala.
5 Opo nee Resin, ohamba yaAram, naPeka yaRemalja, ohamba yaIsrael, da ya kuJerusalem di ka lwe, Ndele da fitikinina Ahas. Ndelenee da nyengwa oku shi nangala. 6 Pomafiku tuu enya Resin, ohamba yaAram, ya alulila Aram Elat, ndele ya taataa mo Ovajuda muElat, nOvaedom ve uya muElat eshi omo va kala fiyo onena eli. 7 Opo nee Ahas ta tumu ovatumwa kuTiglat-Pileser, ohamba yaAsiria va tye: “Aame omupiya woye nomumwoye. Ila u mangulule nge momake ohamba yaAram nomomake ohamba yaIsrael, odo tadi lwifa nge.” 8 Ndele Ahas okwa kufa oshisiliveli noshingoldo osho sha monika mongulu yOmwene nomomalimba emona ongulu yohamba, ndele e shi tuma omulongelo kohamba yaAsiria. 9 Nohamba yaAsiria ye mu uda. Nohamba yaAsiria ya ya kuDamaskus ndele ye shi nangala ndele ye va twala moukwatwa kuKir, ndele ya dipaa Resin.
10 Opo nee Ahas a ya kuDamaskus a ka shakene naTiglat-Pileser, ohamba yaAsiria. Ndele eshi a mona oaltari ya li muDamaskus, ohamba Ahas ya tuma kuUria, omupristeli, efano noshihongwafano shoaltari pakuyeleka kwayo. 11 Nomupristeli Uria okwa tunga oaltari naanaa palombwelo lohamba Ahas yokuDamaskus. Osho ngaha omupristeli Uria a ninga, fimbo Ahas ina aluka kuDamaskus. 12 Nohamba eshi ya dja kuDamaskus ndele tai mono oaltari, yo ya ehena popepi noaltari ndele tai londo kuyo. 13 Ndele ya xwikila po exwikiloyambo layo neendjayambo dayo ndele ya tila ko epanduloyambo layo, nohonde yomapanduloyambo ayo vene ye i tila koaltari. 14 Ndelenee oaltari yoshikushu, oyo ya li koshipala shOmwene, yo ye i lundulula po kombinga yokomesho yongulu, pokati koaltari yayo nongulu yOmwene, ndele ye i tula kombinga yokoumbangalanhu woaltari yayo. 15 Nohamba Ahas ya lombwela omupristeli Uria ndele tai ti: “Xwikila moaltari inene exwikiloyambo longula neendjayambo donguloshi nexwikiloyambo lohamba neendjayambo dayo nexwikiloyambo loshiwana ashishe shoshilongo neendjayambo dasho, noikunwayambo yasho. Nohonde aishe yomatomenoyambo i tila kusho. Ndelenee handi ka diladila nhumbi oaltari yoshikushu tai ka ningwa.” 16 Nomupristeli Uria osho a ninga ngaashi ohamba Ahas ye mu lombwela. 17 Nohamba Ahas ya tetifa eembinga doweendifotemba voshikushu ndele ya kufa muwo eembalisha. Nefuta yo ye li yelulifa po keengobe doshikushu da li koshi yalo, ndele ye li tula kolupanda lomamanya. 18 Epandavanda lefiku lEshabata la li li nonduda, lo la ningwa potembeli, noshivelo shopondje sha dikilwa ohamba, yo ye shi ehenifa ko kule ongulu yOmwene omolwohamba yaAsiria. 19 Noinima imwe tai hepaulula Ahas, oyo e i ninga, inai shangelwa mbela membo lomafimbo eehamba daJuda? 20 Ndele Ahas okwa ka nangala pooxe nokwa pakwa pooxe moshilando shaDavid, nomona waye Hiskia a ninga ohamba ponhele yaye.
