Ahaz came a period of disaster for Judah. He was a thoroughly
depraved character; weak, vacillating, yet obstinate and perverse. He
accepted the old idol worship in all its hideous forms, even
sacrificing his own children, it is said, to the awful god of fire,
Moloch. During his reign the land was swept by waves of invasion, and
many people were killed or carried off captive to Damascus and
Samaria. He tried to make an alliance with Assyria, but this resulted
in his practically becoming a vassal king. He paid a great tribute and
stripped the temple bare of its ornamentation and its precious vessels
to satisfy the demand.)

Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign; and he reigned
sixteen years in Jerusalem: and he did not that which was right in the
eyes of the Lord, like David his father: but he walked in the ways of
the kings of Israel, and made also molten images for Baal. Moreover he
burnt incense in the valley of the son of Hinnom, and burnt his
children in the fire, according to the abominations of the heathen,
whom the Lord cast out before the children of Israel. And he
sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places, and on the hills, and
under every green tree.

Wherefore the Lord his God delivered him into the hand of the king of
Syria; and they smote him, and carried away of his a great multitude
of captives, and brought them to Damascus. And he was also delivered
into the hand of the king of Israel, who smote him with a great
slaughter.

For Pekah the son of Remaliah slew in Judah an {294} hundred and
twenty thousand in one day, all of them valiant men; because they had
forsaken the Lord, the God of their fathers. And Zichri, a mighty man
of Ephraim, slew Maaseiah the king's son, and Azrikam the ruler of the
house, and Elkanah that was next to the king.

And the children of Israel carried away captive of their brethren two
hundred thousand, women, sons, and daughters, and took also away much
spoil from them, and brought the spoil to Samaria.

But a prophet of the Lord was there, whose name was Oded: and he went
out to meet the host that came to Samaria, and said unto them,
"Behold, because the Lord, the God of your fathers, was wroth with
Judah, he hath delivered them into your hand, and ye have slain them
in a rage which hath reached up unto heaven. And now ye purpose to
keep under the children of Judah and Jerusalem for bondmen and
bondwomen unto you: but are there not even with you trespas