19. Because King Ahaz of Judah had violated the rights of his people and had defied the Lord, the Lord brought troubles on Judah.
20. The Assyrian emperor, instead of helping Ahaz, opposed him and caused him trouble.
21. So Ahaz took the gold from the Temple, the palace, and the homes of the leaders of the people, and gave it to the emperor, but even this did not help.
22. When his troubles were at their worst, that man Ahaz sinned against the Lord more than ever.
23. He offered sacrifices to the gods of the Syrians, who had defeated him. He said, “The Syrian gods helped the kings of Syria, so if I sacrifice to them, they may help me too.” This brought disaster on him and on his nation.
24. In addition, he took all the temple equipment and broke it in pieces. He closed the Temple and set up altars in every part of Jerusalem.
25. In every city and town in Judah, he built pagan places of worship, where incense was to be burnt to foreign gods. In this way he brought on himself the anger of the Lord, the God of his ancestors.
26. All the other events of his reign, from beginning to end, are recorded in The History of the Kings of Judah and Israel.
27. King Ahaz died and was buried in Jerusalem, but not in the royal tombs. His son Hezekiah succeeded him as king.