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He did the same bad things the kings of Israel had done. He even burned his son as a sacrifice. He copied the terrible sins of the nations that the Lord had forced to leave the country when the Israelites came.

Ahaz burned his burnt offerings and grain offerings on it. He poured his drink offering and sprinkled the blood of his fellowship offerings on this altar.

Ahaz took the bronze altar that was before the Lord from the front of the Temple. This bronze altar was between Ahaz's altar and the Temple of the Lord . Ahaz put the bronze altar on the north side of his own altar.

Ahaz died and was buried with his ancestors in the City of David. Ahaz's son Hezekiah became the new king after him.

They refused to follow his laws and the agreement he made with their ancestors. They would not listen to his warnings. They worshiped idols that were worth nothing and they themselves became worth nothing. The Lord had warned them not to do the evil things that the people in the nations around them did. But they lived the same way those people lived.

So the Lord became very angry with Israel and removed them from his sight. There were no Israelites left, except the tribe of Judah.

The Lord rejected all the Israelites. He brought them many troubles. He let people destroy them. Finally, he threw them away and removed them from his sight.

until the Lord took Israel away from his sight. And he said this would happen. He sent his prophets to tell the people this would happen. So the Israelites were taken out of their country into Assyria. And they have been there to this day.

But you must follow the Lord , who brought you out of Egypt. He used his great power to save you. You must worship him and make sacrifices to him.

Hezekiah was 25 years old when he began to rule. He ruled 29 years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Abi, the daughter of Zechariah.

Hezekiah did what the Lord said was right, just as David his ancestor had done.

King Shalmaneser of Assyria went to fight against Samaria. His army surrounded the city. This happened during the fourth year that Hezekiah was king of Judah. (This was also the seventh year that Hoshea son of Elah was king of Israel.)

This happened because the Israelites did not obey the Lord their God. They broke his agreement and did not obey everything that Moses, the Lord 's servant, had commanded. The Israelites would not listen to the Lord's agreement, or do what it taught them to do.

The king of Assyria sent his three most important officers with a large army to King Hezekiah in Jerusalem. They left Lachish and went to Jerusalem. They stood near the aqueduct by the Upper Pool, on the street that leads up to Laundryman's Field.

When King Hezekiah heard this, he tore his clothes to show he was upset. Then he put on sackcloth and went to the Lord 's Temple.

Look, I will send a spirit against the king of Assyria. He will get a report warning him about a danger, so he will return to his own country. And I will cut him down with a sword in his own country.'"

"So the Lord says this about the king of Assyria: ‘He will not come into this city or shoot an arrow at this city. He will not bring his shields up against this city or build up a hill of dirt to attack its walls.

One day Sennacherib was in the temple of his god Nisroch, worshiping him. His sons Adrammelech and Sharezer killed him with a sword and ran away to Ararat. So his son Esarhaddon became the new king of Assyria.

Hezekiah turned his face to the wall that faced the Temple and began praying to the Lord .

Hezekiah listened to the messengers and then showed them all the valuable things he owned. He showed them the silver, the gold, the spices, the expensive perfume, and the building where he stored the weapons. He showed them everything in his treasuries, in his palace, and in his kingdom.