Study Desk

Therefore ^(C1)the LORD his God handed him over to the king of Aram; and they ^(F1)defeated him and carried from him a great number of captives, and brought them to Damascus. And he was also handed over to the king of Israel, who struck him with heavy casualties.

For ^(C1)Pekah the son of Remaliah killed 120,000 in Judah in one day, all valiant men, because they had abandoned the LORD God of their fathers.

^(C1)The Philistines had also invaded the cities of the ^(F1)lowland and of the Negev of Judah, and had taken Beth-shemesh, Aijalon, Gederoth, and Soco with its villages, Timnah with its villages, and Gimzo with its villages; and they had settled there.

For the LORD had humbled Judah because of Ahaz king of ^(C1)Israel, for he had brought about a lack of restraint in Judah and was very unfaithful to the LORD.

So ^(C1)Tilgath-pilneser king of Assyria came against him and afflicted him instead of strengthening him.

^(C1)Although Ahaz took a portion out of the house of the LORD and out of the palace of the king and of the princes, and gave it to the king of Assyria, it did not help him.

Now during the time of his distress, this same King Ahaz ^(C1)became even more unfaithful to the LORD.

^(C1)For he sacrificed to the gods of Damascus who had ^(F1)defeated him, and said, "^(C2)Because the gods of the kings of Aram helped them, I will sacrifice to them so that they may help me." But they became the ^(F2)downfall of him and all Israel.