1 Acaz tinha a idade de vinte anos, quando começou a reinar. Reinou dezesseis anos em Jerusalém. Não fez o bem aos olhos do Senhor, como havia feito Davi, seu pai,2 mas trilhou as pegadas dos reis de Israel. Fez até imagens de metal fundido aos Baal.3 Queimou perfumes no vale de Beninon e fez passar seus filhos pelo fogo, segundo o abominável costume das nações que o Senhor tinha afastado de diante dos israelitas.4 Oferecia sacrifícios e perfumes nos lugares altos, nas colinas e debaixo de toda árvore verdejante.5 O Senhor, seu Deus, entregou-o às mãos do rei da Síria. Os sírios derrotaram-no e fizeram um grande número de prisioneiros que foram deportados para Damasco. Ele também foi entregue às mãos do rei de Israel, que lhe infligiu grande derrota.6 Pecá, filho de Romelia, matou, num só dia, cento e vinte mil homens de Judá, todos aguerridos, porque tinham abandonado o Senhor, Deus de seus pais.7 Zecri, um guerreiro de Efraim, matou Maasias, de estirpe real, e Ezrica, chefe do palácio, assim como Elcana, o segundo depois do rei.8 Os israelitas fizeram dentre seus irmãos duzentos mil prisioneiros, mulheres, jovens e donzelas; fizeram também um imenso despojo, que levaram para Samaria.9 Ora, havia ali um profeta do Senhor, chamado Oded, o qual saiu ao encontro do exército que entrava em Samaria e lhes disse: Vede: na sua ira contra Judá, o Senhor, Deus de vossos pais, vo-los entregou, e vós os matastes com uma fúria tal, que subiu até o céu.10 E agora quereis oprimir os homens de Judá e de Jerusalém até fazer deles vossos escravos e escravas. Mas, entre vós não há também prevaricações contra o Senhor, vosso Deus?11 Escutai-me: mandai de volta os cativos que fizestes entre vossos irmãos, pois a ira do Senhor vos ameaça.12 Levantaram-se então alguns dos chefes dos efraimitas. Eram eles Azarias, filho de Joanã, Baraquias, filho de Mosolamot, Ezequias, filho de Selum e Amassa, filho de Adali. Eles se opuseram aos que voltavam do exército.13 Não introduzireis aqui esses cativos, disseram-lhes eles. Quereis que nos tornemos culpados contra o Senhor, e que aumentemos assim as nossas faltas que já são suficientemente numerosas? A ira do Senhor já ameaça Israel.14 Então, na presença dos chefes e da multidão, os soldados soltaram os presos e abandonaram os despojos.15 Em seguida, os homens, cujos nomes acabam de ser citados, acolheram os cativos. Revestiram, com vestes tiradas dos despojos, aqueles que estavam nus, e os calçaram; deram-lhes comida e bebida, ungiram-nos e mandaram-nos a Jericó, a cidade das palmeiras, junto de seus irmãos, tendo colocado sobre jumentos todos os que se achavam extenuados. Depois disso, voltaram para Samaria.16 Naquele tempo o rei Acaz mandou pedir socorro aos reis da Assíria,17 pois os edomitas tinham voltado para combater os judeus e levá-los prisioneiros.18 Os filisteus tinham também invadido as cidades da planície e do Negeb, de Judá; tinham tomado Betsames, Aialon, Gaderot, Soco e as cidades que delas dependiam, Tamna e seus arrabaldes, Gamzo e seus arrabaldes, e nelas se estabeleceram.19 O Senhor humilhava Judá por causa de Acaz, rei de Israel, que tinha soltado os freios em Judá e cometido graves delitos contra o Senhor.20 Teglat-Falasar, rei da Assíria, em vez de dar-lhe apoio, atacou-o e oprimiu-o.21 Em vão Acaz tinha despojado o templo do Senhor, o palácio real e os príncipes para fazer presentes ao rei da Assíria. Tudo isso de nada lhe valeu.22 Embora estivesse angustiado, o rei Acaz continuou seus crimes contra o Senhor.23 Oferecia sacrifícios aos deuses de Damasco, que o tinham derrotado: São, dizia ele, os deuses dos reis da Síria que lhes vêm em auxílio; oferecer-lhes-ei, portanto, sacrifícios para que me ajudem igualmente. Mas foram a causa de sua queda e de todo o Israel.24 Acaz juntou todos os utensílios do templo e os fez em pedaços. Cerrou as portas do templo do Senhor, fabricou altares em todos os cantos de Jerusalém,25 assim como lugares altos em cada uma das cidades de Judá para neles oferecer incenso aos deuses falsos. Assim ele exasperava o Senhor, Deus de seus pais.26 Seus outros atos, seus feitos e façanhas, dos primeiros aos últimos, tudo isso está relatado nos livros dos reis de Judá e de Israel.27 Adormeceu com seus pais e foi sepultado na cidade, em Jerusalém, pois não o colocaram nos sepulcros dos reis de Israel. Seu filho Ezequias sucedeu-lhe no trono.

1 Twenty years old was Achaz when he became king, and sixteen years did he reign in Jerusalem; and he did not what is right in the eyes of the Lord, like David his father;2 But he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, and made also molten images for the Be’alim.3 And he also burnt incense in the valley of the son of Hinnom, and burnt his sons in the fire, after the abominable acts of the nations that the Lord had driven out from before the children of Israel.4 And he sacrificed and burnt incense on the high–places, and on the hills, and under every green tree.5 Wherefore the Lord his God gave him up into the hand of the king of Syria; and they defeated his people, and carried away a great multitude of them captives, and brought them to Damascus. And also into the hand of the king of Israel was he given up, and he defeated his people with a great slaughter.6 And Pekach the son of Remalyahu slew in Judah one hundred and twenty thousand in one day, all being valiant men; because they had forsaken the Lord, the God of their fathers.7 And Zichri, a mighty man of Ephraim, slew Ma’asseyahu the king’s son, and ‘Azrikam the governor of the house, and Elkanah the second in rank to the king.8 And the children of Israel led away captive from their brethren two hundred thousand, women, sons, and daughters, and also much booty did they plunder from them, and they brought the booty to Samaria.9 But there was a prophet of the Lord, ‘Oded was his name; and he went out to meet the host that was coming to Samaria, and said unto them, Behold, because of the fury of the Lord the God of your fathers against Judah, hath he given them up into your hand, and ye have slain among them in a rage that reacheth as far as the heavens.10 And now ye think to force the children of Judah and Jerusalem to become bond–men and bond–women unto you; but surely are there not with you, even with you, trespasses against the Lord your God?11 And now hear me, and restore the captives, whom ye have taken captive from your brethren; for the fierce wrath of the Lord is over you.12 Then arose certain men of the heads of the children of Ephraim, ‘Azaryahu the son of Jehochanan, Berechyahu the son of Meshillemoth, and Jechizkiyahu the son of Shallum, and ‘Amassa the son of Chadlai, against those that were come from the army.13 And they said unto them, Ye shall not bring in the captives hither; for in addition to the guiltiness against the Lord resting on us, ye think to add unto our sins and unto our guiltiness; for great is the guiltiness resting on us, and there is fierce wrath over Israel.14 So the armed men abandoned the captives and the spoil before the princes and all the assembly.15 And then arose the men who have been expressed by name, and took hold of the captives, and all that were naked among them they clothed from the booty; and they gave them garments and shoes, and gave them to eat and to drink, and anointed them, and carried all the feeble of them upon asses, and brought them to Jericho, the city of palm–trees, near their brethren; and then did they return to Samaria.16 At that time sent king Achaz unto the kings of Assyria to help him.17 Moreover the Edomites came again and defeated the men of Judah, and carried away captives.18 And the Philistines invaded the cities of the lowlands, and of the south of Judah, and captured Beth–shemesh, and Ayalon, and Gederoth, and Socho with its villages, and Thimnah with its villages, and Gimzo with its villages; and they dwelt there.19 For the Lord humbled Judah on account of Achaz the king of Israel; for he made Judah unruly, and acted very faithlessly against the Lord.20 Then came against him Tilgath–pilneesser the king of Assyria, and distressed him, but strengthened him not.21 Although Achaz 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: he yet gave him no assistance.22 And in the time that he distressed him, became he yet more faithless against the Lord,––yea, he, king Achaz;23 And he sacrificed unto the gods of the people of Damascus, who had smitten him; and he said, Because the gods of the kings of Syria do help them, therefore will I sacrifice unto them, that they may help me. But they only became to him a stumbling–block for him and for all Israel.24 And Achaz gathered up the vessels of the house of God, and cut in pieces the vessels of the house of God, and locked up the doors of the house of the Lord, and he made for himself altars in every corner of Jerusalem.25 And in each and every city of Judah made he high–places to burn incense unto other gods; and he provoked to anger the Lord the God of his fathers.26 And the rest of his acts and of all his ways, the first and the last, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.27 And Achaz slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city, in Jerusalem; for they brought him not into the sepulchres of the kings of Israel: and Hezekiah his son became king in his stead.