King Ahaz of Judah
(2 Kings 16.1-4)1 Ahaz became king at the age of twenty, and he ruled in Jerusalem for sixteen years. He did not follow the good example of his ancestor King David; instead, he did what was not pleasing to the Lord 2 and followed the example of the kings of Israel. He had metal images of Baal made, 3 burned incense in Hinnom Valley, and even sacrificed his own sons as burnt offerings to idols, imitating the disgusting practice of the people whom the Lord had driven out of the land as the Israelites advanced. 4 At the pagan places of worship, on the hills, and under every shady tree Ahaz offered sacrifices and burned incense.
War with Syria and Israel
(2 Kings 16.5)5-6 Because King Ahaz sinned, the Lord his God let the king of Syria defeat him and take a large number of Judeans back to Damascus as prisoners. The Lord also let the king of Israel, Pekah son of Remaliah, defeat Ahaz and kill 120,000 of the bravest Judean soldiers in one day. The Lord, the God of their ancestors, permitted this to happen, because the people of Judah had abandoned him. 7 An Israelite soldier named Zichri killed King Ahaz' son Maaseiah, the palace administrator Azrikam, and Elkanah, who was second in command to the king. 8 Even though the Judeans were their own relatives, the Israelite army captured 200,000 women and children as prisoners and took them back to Samaria, along with large amounts of loot.
The Prophet Oded
9 A man named Oded, a prophet of the Lord, lived in the city of Samaria. He met the returning Israelite army with its Judean prisoners as it was about to enter the city, and he said, “The Lord God of your ancestors was angry with Judah and let you defeat them, but now he has heard of the vicious way you slaughtered them. 10 And now you intend to make the men and women of Jerusalem and Judah your slaves. Don't you know that you also have committed sins against the Lord your God? 11 Listen to me! These prisoners are your brothers and sisters. Let them go, or the Lord will punish you in his anger.”
12 Four of the leading men of the Northern Kingdom, Azariah son of Jehohanan, Berechiah son of Meshillemoth, Jehizkiah son of Shallum, and Amasa son of Hadlai also opposed the actions of the army. 13 They said, “Don't bring those prisoners here! We have already sinned against the Lord and made him angry enough to punish us. Now you want to do something that will increase our guilt.” 14 So then the army handed the prisoners and the loot over to the people and their leaders, 15 and the four men were appointed to provide the prisoners with clothing from the captured loot. They gave them clothes and sandals to wear, gave them enough to eat and drink, and put olive oil on their wounds. Those who were too weak to walk were put on donkeys, and all the prisoners were taken back to Judean territory at Jericho, the city of palm trees. Then the Israelites returned home to Samaria.
Ahaz Asks Assyria for Help
(2 Kings 16.7-9)16-17 The Edomites began to raid Judah again and captured many prisoners, so King Ahaz asked Tiglath Pileser, the emperor of Assyria, to send help. 18 At this same time the Philistines were raiding the towns in the western foothills and in southern Judah. They captured the cities of Beth Shemesh, Aijalon, and Gederoth, and the cities of Soco, Timnah, and Gimzo with their villages, and settled there permanently. 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.
The Sins of Ahaz
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 burned 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.
Ahaza 'Bädri'ba Yuda ro
(2 'Bädri'bai 16:1-4)1 Ahaza ka a'do 'bädri'ba ro oko ndroa ndaro te 'buteritu, ago nda mirivote ndroa 'butealo fonjidrialo Yerusalema ya. Nda so kote taoye kado zutu ndaro 'Bädri'ba Dawidi ro voro; oko nda go yete tase kusi OPI ko 'do ayani 2 ago sote taoye 'bädri'ba Yisaraele ro ro voro. Nda ede beti Bala rote logo alaalaro si; 3 za ŋga tägyi tagyiriro te Vodelero Inoma roya, ago za ŋgwàagoro ndaro kpate tori ro lu awi ri, oso taoye se undiro tu'dei se OPI konjabe ni mile lidri Yisaraele ro ro yasi kai kayibe oyena ana ronye. 4 Ahaza lo tori te ago za ŋga tägyi tagyiriro te vo mätu ro Lu uniako'bai ro yasi, ago lutuŋwai drisi, ago ice kundru ro cini zelesi.
Kyila Siria be ago Yisaraele be
(2 'Bädri'bai 16:5)5 Tana ta takozi se 'Bädri'ba Ahaza koyebe ana rota, OPI Lu ndaro 'ba 'bädri'ba Siria rote nda opene ṛe ago ru lidri Yuda rote amba ago gote sina kamba'bai ro Damaseka ya. 6 OPI 'ba 'bädri'ba Yisaraele ro, Peka ŋgwa Remalia ro, pe Ahaza kpate ṛe ago tufu kyila'bai turiako Yuda rote kutu kama alo 'buteritu (120,000) tu alodi si. OPI, Lu zutui ànyaro ro 'ba tase ono te a'done inye, tana lidri Yuda ro e'beyi nda te. 7 Kyila'ba aza Yisaraele ro se äzibe Zikeri fu ŋgwaago 'Bädri'ba Ahaza ro, Maseya, Azerikama dri'ba zo'desi miri ro ro, ndi Elekana kundueŋga'ba 'bädri'ba robe te. 8 Lidri Yuda ro gica 'bädri'ba azi ànyaro oko, kyila'bai Yisaraele ro ruyi 'ditoko ndi ŋgàga ànyaro be te cini kutu kama ritu (200,000) egoyite sina Samaria ya kamba'bai ro tro ŋgaamba se otopabe ana be.
Nebi Odeda
9 Manoaza ävuruna Odeda, nebi OPI ro yi, nda rite 'bakici Samaria roya. Nda utudri kyila'bai Yisaraele ro se kayibe ego kamba'bai lidri Yuda ro robe ana te 'dooko ànya te ti ocine 'bakici ya, nda atate ànyari ekye: “Tana OPI Lu zutui amiro ro orivoya kyilaro Yuda be, 'bani mi'de gwo ànya opene ṛe, oko yauono nda eri ta tufu se nyutufu ànya be siomba si ono rote. 10 Ago yauono nyà tausu manoàgo ndi 'ditoko Yerusalema ndi Yuda robe o'bane iyeäṛi ro ämiri. Inye'do mini ṛo ko miye takozi kpate OPI Lu amiro riya? 11 Nyeri ta maro! Kamba'bai kwoi orivoya ädrupii ago endreŋwai amiro. Nyè'be ànya koyiyi robe, Lu ezana ami ndi kyila ndaro si.”
12 Ago dri'bai lidri ro azaka su ni 'Bädri Mä'dudrisi yasi, Azaria ŋgwa Jonana ro, Berekia ŋgwa Mesilemota ro, Jehizekia ŋgwa Saluma ro, ndi Amasa ŋgwa Adelai robe leyi taoye kyila'bai ro ono kpa ko. 13 Ànya atate ekye: “Nyèzi kamba'bai kai ko noŋwa! Tana màye takozi ṛote nja OPI ri ago mà'ba nda te a'done kyilaro ama ezane. Ago yauono mile te ŋgase o'bana taenji amaro ndi a'done ndra driya ono oyene.” 14 'Dooko kyila'bai e'beyi kamba'bai ndi ŋgase otopabe be te lidri ndi dri'bai ànyaro be rigye, 15 ndi anji lidri su te boŋgo ozone kamba'bai ri ni ŋgase otopabe yasi. Ànya ozoyi boŋgo ndi katala be te ànyari osone, ozoyi ŋgate amba ànyari onyane ago umvune, ago 'bayi ido ice ido ro rote laza ànyaro yasi. Ŋgyiyi ànya se pari mbaraako abane iyi te doŋgyi si, ago ologo kamba'bai cini te kovole Yuda ya wari Yeriko ro, 'bakici ndiro robe ana ya. 'Dooko Yisaraele'bai goyite 'bäru Samaria ya.
Ahaza ka Asaria'bai Eji ta Ŋgaopa rota
(2 'Bädri'bai 16:7-9)16 Ago Edoma'bai goyi etoyi kyila oye kpate Yuda be ago ruyi kamba'bai amba te, 17 ta'dota 'Bädri'ba Ahaza eji Tigelata Pilesera, 'Bädri'ba Asaria rote ŋgaopa ezone. 18 Ago tu gi alo ono ya Felesete'bai kayi kpa kyila oye 'ba'desii Yuda ro se lutu pasi aŋgoyasi ndi se ŋgäṛiŋwadrisi ana be. Ànya ruyi 'bakicii Beta Semesa, Ajalona, ndi Gederota be, ago 'bakicii Soko, Timena, ago Gimezo ndi 'baŋwai ànyaro be te, ago riyite 'du kigye lau. 19 OPI ezi rriti te Yuda dri, tana Ahaza 'bädri'ba Yuda ro enji taŋgye lidri ndaro rote ago ro OPI kote. 20 'Bädri'ba Asaria ro ri Ahaza opane ayani, go ga nda ṛo zo ago ezi ṛo rriti ayani nda dri. 21 Ta'dota Ahaza ru logo läguläguro teni Yekalu yasi, zo'desi miri ro yasi, ago ni 'ba dri'bai lidri ro ro yasi, ago ozote 'bädri'ba Asaria ro ri, caoko ono pa nda kote.
Takozi Ahaza ro
22 Ondro rriti ndaro ka'dote kozipara ndra oko, mano gi Ahaza ono ye takozi te OPI ri ndra driya. 23 Nda lo tori te lu Siria'bai se kope nda be ṛe ono ro ri. Nda atate ekye: Lui Siria ro kani 'bädri'ba Siria ro opana, ondro ka'do malo tori te ànyari, ànya opanayi ma kpa. Oko ono ezi ṛo odra ayani nda dri ago tu'de ndaro dri. 24 Ago nda ru lakazà yekalu rote ago tufute jinyijinyi, nda se kala Yekalu rote; be vo tori oloro te vo cini Yerusalema ro yasi. 25 Nda be vo mätu ro Lu uniako'bai rote, 'bakici cini ndi 'ba'desii cini se Yuda ya yasi, nda be vo mätu ro Lu uniako'bai rote, ŋga tägyi tagyiri ro ozazana lu atrai ro ri. Nda ezi kyila OPI, Lu zutui ndaro rote andivo ndaro dri liti ono yasi.
26 Ruka taoye ndaro ro ni etovona ya le ondevona ya, egyi tana te Buku Ambâ ro 'Bädri'bai Yuda ro ndi Yisaraele robe ya. 27 'Bädri'ba Ahaza drate, ago asete Yerusalema ya, oko ko vo 'bädri'bai osero ya. Ago ŋgwa ndaro Ezekia gorite 'bädri'ba ro vo ndaro ya.