19. For the Lord had brought Judah low because of Ahaz, king of Israel, who let Judah go its own way and committed treachery against the Lord.
20. Tiglath-pileser, king of Assyria, did indeed come to him, but to oppress him rather than to lend strength.
21. Though Ahaz plundered the Lord’s house and the houses of the king and the princes to pay off the king of Assyria, it was no help to him.
22. While he was already in distress, the same King Ahaz increased his treachery to the Lord.
23. He sacrificed to the gods of Damascus who had defeated him, saying, “Since it was the gods of the kings of Aram who helped them, I will sacrifice to them that they may help me also.” However, they only furthered his downfall and that of all Israel.
24. Ahaz gathered up the utensils of God’s house and broke them in pieces. He closed the doors of the Lord’s house and made altars for himself in every corner of Jerusalem.
25. In every city throughout Judah he set up high places to offer sacrifice to other gods. Thus he provoked the Lord, the God of his ancestors, to anger.
26. The rest of his words and his deeds, first and last, are recorded in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.
27. Ahaz rested with his ancestors and was buried in Jerusalem—in the city, for they did not bring him to the tombs of the kings of Israel. His son Hezekiah succeeded him as king.