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At the pagan places of worship, on the hills, and under every shady tree, Ahaz offered sacrifices and burned incense.
5
King Rezin of Syria and King Pekah of Israel attacked Jerusalem and besieged it, but could not defeat Ahaz.
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(At the same time the king of Edom regained control of the city of Elath and drove out the Judeans who lived there. The Edomites settled in Elath and still live there.)
7
Ahaz sent men to Tiglath Pileser, the emperor of Assyria, with this message: "I am your devoted servant. Come and rescue me from the kings of Syria and of Israel, who are attacking me."
8
Ahaz took the silver and gold from the Temple and the palace treasury, and sent it as a present to the emperor.
9
Tiglath Pileser, in answer to Ahaz' plea, marched out with his army against Damascus, captured it, killed King Rezin, and took the people to Kir as prisoners.
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When King Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Emperor Tiglath Pileser, he saw the altar there and sent back to Uriah the priest an exact model of it, down to the smallest details.
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So Uriah built an altar just like it and finished it before Ahaz returned.
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On his return from Damascus, Ahaz saw that the altar was finished,
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so he burned animal sacrifices and grain offerings on it and poured a wine offering and the blood of a fellowship offering on it.
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The bronze altar dedicated to the Lord was between the new altar and the Temple, so Ahaz moved it to the north side of his new altar.
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