Ahaz Closes The Temple

[16] At that time did king Ahaz send unto the kings of Assyria to help him. [17] For again the Edomites had come and smitten Judah, and carried away captives. [18] The Philistines also had invaded the cities of the low country, and of the south of Judah, and had taken Bethshemesh, and Ajalon, and Gederoth, and Shocho with the villages thereof, and Timnah with the villages thereof, Gimzo also and the villages thereof: and they dwelt there. [19] For the LORD brought Judah low because of Ahaz king of Israel; for he made Judah naked, and transgressed sore against the LORD. [20] And Tilgathpilneser king of Assyria came unto him, and distressed him, but strengthened him not. [21] For Ahaz took away a portion out of the house of the LORD, and out of the house of the king, and of the princes, and gave it unto the king of Assyria: but he helped him not. [22] And in the time of his distress did he trespass yet more against the LORD: this is that king Ahaz. [23] For he sacrificed unto the gods of Damascus, which smote him: and he said, Because the gods of the kings of Syria help them, therefore will I sacrifice to them, that they may help me. But they were the ruin of him, and of all Israel. [24] And Ahaz gathered together the vessels of the house of God, and cut in pieces the vessels of the house of God, and shut up the doors of the house of the LORD, and he made him altars in every corner of Jerusalem. [25] And in every several city of Judah he made high places to burn incense unto other gods, and provoked to anger the LORD God of his fathers. [26] Now the rest of his acts and of all his ways, first and last, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel. [27] And Ahaz slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city, even in Jerusalem: but they brought him not into the sepulchres of the kings of Israel: and Hezekiah his son reigned in his stead.

• Sacrilege

And Ahaz gathered together the vessels of the house of God, and cut in pieces the vessels of the house of God, and shut up the doors of the house of the LORD, and he made him altars in every corner of Jerusalem.

And king Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglathpileser king of Assyria, and saw an altar that was at Damascus: and king Ahaz sent to Urijah the priest the fashion of the altar, and the pattern of it, according to all the workmanship thereof.

And in the time of his distress did he trespass yet more against the LORD: this is that king Ahaz.

He in the first year of his reign, in the first month, opened the doors of the house of the LORD, and repaired them.

And king Ahaz cut off the borders of the bases, and removed the laver from off them; and took down the sea from off the brasen oxen that were under it, and put it upon a pavement of stones.

• Temple

Also they have shut up the doors of the porch, and put out the lamps, and have not burned incense nor offered burnt offerings in the holy place unto the God of Israel.

Moreover all the vessels, which king Ahaz in his reign did cast away in his transgression, have we prepared and sanctified, and, behold, they are before the altar of the LORD.

Now the rest of the acts of Ahaz which he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?