Achaz.

1   Twentie yeares old was Achaz when he began to reigne, & he reigned sixtene yeares in Ierusalem: he did not right in the sight of our Lord as Dauid his father.

2   but walked in the wayes of the kinges of Israel, moreouer also he did cast statues to Baalim.

3   He it is that burnt incense to the Valebenennom, and he consecrated his sonnes in fire according to the rite of the nations, which our Lord slewe in the coming of the children of Israel.

4   He sacrified also, & burnt incense in the excelses, & on hilles, and vnder euerie tree ful of grene leaues.

5   And our Lord his God deliuered him into the handes of the king of Syria, who stroke him, and tooke a great praye out of his kingdom, & brought into Damascus: to the handes also of the king of Israel was he deliuered, and striken with a great plague.

6   And Phacee the sonne of Romelia slewe of Iuda an hundred twentie thousand in one day, al men of warre: for that they had forsaken our Lord the God of their fathers.

7   At that time Zechri a mightie man of Ephraim, slewe Maasias the kinges sonne, and Ezricam the gouernour of his house, Elcana also second from the king.

8   And the children of Israel tooke of their brethren two hundred thousand of wemen, of boyes, and of wenches, and an infinite praye: and they brought it into Samaria.

9   At that time there was a Prophete of our Lord, named Oded: who going forth to meete the armie coming into Samaria, sayd to them: Behold our Lord the God of your fathers being angrie against Iuda, hath deliuered them into your handes, and you haue slayne them cruelly, so that your crueltie did reach to heauen.

10   Moreouer the children of Iuda and Ierusalem you wil subdue vnto you for bondmen and bondwemen, which nedeth not to be done: for you haue sinned hereupon to our Lord your God.

11   But heare ye my counsel, and carie backe the captiues, that you haue brought of your brethren, because the great furie of our Lord hangeth ouer you.

12   There stood therfore princes of the children of Ephraim, Azarias the sonne of Iohanan, Barachias the sonne of Mosollomoth, Ezechias the sonne of Sellum, and Amasa the sonne of Hadali, against them that came out of the battel,

13   and they sayd to them: You shal not bring in the captiues hither, lest we sinne to our Lord. Why wil you adde vpon our sinnes, and heape vp old offences? for it is a great sinne, and the anger of the furie of our Lord hangeth ouer Israel.

Achaz.

14   And the men of warre dismist the pray, & al the thinges that they had taken, before the princes and al the multitude.

15   And the men, whom we mentioned aboue, stood and taking the captiues, and al that were naked they clothed and shod them, with the spoyles: and when they had clothed and refreshed them with meate and drinke, and annoynted them because of their labour, and had looked carefully to them: as manie as could not walke, and were of a weake bodie, they set on beastes, and brought them to Iericho the Citie of palme trees to their brethren, and themselues returned into Samaria.

16   At that time king Achaz sent to the king of the Assyrians asking helpe. And the Idumeans came and stroke manie of Iuda, and tooke a great praye.

18   The Philisthijms also were spred abroad by the cities of the champayne, and toward the South of Iuda: and they tooke Bethsames, & Aialon, and Gaderoth, Socho also, & Thamnan, and Gamzo, with their villages, and dwelt in them.

19   For our Lord had humbled Iuda because of Achaz the king of Iuda, for that he had made it naked of helpe, and had contemned our Lord.

20   And he brought agaynst him Theglathphalnasar the king of the Assyrians, who also afflicted him, and spoyled him no man resisting.

21   Therfore Achaz spoyling the house of our Lord, and the house of the kinges, and of the princes gaue giftes to the king of the Assyrians, and yet it did nothing profite him.

22   Moreouer also in the time of his distresse he increased contempte agaynst our Lord, king Achaz himself by himself,

23   immolated victimes to the goddes of Damascus that stroke him, and sayd: The goddes of the kinges of Syria doe helpe them, whom I wil pacifie with hostes, and they wil ayde me, wheras on the contrarie part they were his ruine, and al Israels. ^note

24   Achaz therfore hauing spoyled al the vessels of the house of God, and broken them shut the gates of the temple of God, and made him altars in al the corners of Ierusalem.

25   In al the cities also of Iuda he built altars to burne frankincense, and he prouoked to wrath our Lord the God of his fathers.

26   But the rest of his wordes, al his workes the first and the last are writen in the Booke of the kinges of Iuda and Israel.

27   And Achaz slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the Citie of Ierusalem: for they receiued him not into the sepulchres of the kinges of Israel. And Ezechias his sonne reigned for him.

Ezechias.

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