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Summary

Ahaz takes to the throne at the age of 20 and reigns 16 years (36 when he dies). He goes the way of the kings of Israel. He sets up Baals, he sacrifices his sons as burnt offerings, and sets up places for idolatory under every green tree. He is defeated first by Syria who take away captives to Damascus, then by Israel who kill the next in line to the throne, the man who is second in command in the kingdom as well as 120,000 of Judah's fighting troops. They carry away 200,000 people as captives (wives, sons and daughters of the slain). Oded the prophet warns the soldiers that they have gone too far. God gave Judah into their hand in battle but that should have been the extent of it. He said they were not to make slaves of their brothers, that Israel has sins of its own. The soldiers ignore Oded and carry on to Samaria. After this certain chiefs in Israel oppose the soldiers taking the people captive saying that they must not bring this guilt on Israel. The soldiers listen to the chiefs and leave the captives with them. The chiefs clothe the naked, look after the people's needs and return them to Jericho. Ahaz asks Tiglath-Pileser King of Assyria for help and pays him tribute but Tiglath-Pileser attacks Ahaz instead of helping him. Ahaz responds by worshipping the gods of the Syrians because he thinks they helped them to defeat him and maybe they will help him, this makes God angry. When he dies he is buried in Jerusalem, not with the Kings of Israel.