Achaz was twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem: he did not that which was right in the sight of the Lord as David his father had done,

Viginti annorum erat Achaz cum regnare cœpisset, et sedecim annis regnavit in Jerusalem. Non fecit rectum in conspectu Domini sicut David pater ejus,

This Achaz was twenty years old when he came to the throne, and his reign at Jerusalem lasted sixteen years. He did not obey the Lord’s will like his father David before him;

But walked in the ways of the kings of Israel; moreover also he cast statues for Baalim.

sed ambulavit in viis regum Israël, insuper et statuas fudit Baalim.

he followed the example of the Israelite kings, casting images of the countryside gods.

It was he that burnt incense in the valley of Benennom, and consecrated his sons in the fire according to the manner of the nations, which the Lord slew at the coming of the children of Israel.

Ipse est qui adolevit incensum in valle Benennom, et lustravit filios suos in igne juxta ritum gentium quas interfecit Dominus in adventu filiorum Israël.

He it was that burnt incense in the ravine of Benennom, and consecrated his sons by passage through the fire, after the wont of those nations which the Lord overthrew to make room for Israel.

He sacrificed also, and burnt incense in the high places, and on the hills, and under every green tree.

Sacrificabat quoque, et thymiama succendebat in excelsis, et in collibus, et sub omni ligno frondoso.

Never a high hill or a mountain slope or a leafy wood but Achaz must do sacrifice and offer incense there.

And the Lord his God delivered him into the hands of the king of Syria, who defeated him, and took a great booty out of his kingdom, and carried it to Damascus: he was also delivered into the hands of the king of Israel, who overthrew him with a great slaughter.

Tradiditque eum Dominus Deus ejus in manu regis Syriæ, qui percussit eum, magnamque prædam cepit de ejus imperio, et adduxit in Damascum: manibus quoque regis Israël traditus est, et percussus plaga grandi.

So the Lord his God left him at the mercy of the king of Syria, who defeated him, and robbed his kingdom of rich spoils, which he carried off to Damascus. The king of Israel, too, had the mastery of him, and inflicted grievous loss;

For Phacee the son of Romelia slew of Juda a hundred and twenty thousand in one day, all valiant men: because they had forsaken the Lord the God of their fathers.

Occiditque Phacee filius Romeliæ, de Juda centum viginti millia in die uno, omnes viros bellatores: eo quod reliquissent Dominum Deum patrum suorum.

a hundred and twenty thousand men of Juda, all tried warriors, did Phacee son of Romelia slay in one day’s space, and all because they had forsaken the Lord, the God of their fathers.

At the same time Zechri a powerful man of Ephraim, slew Maasias the king’s son, and Ezricam the governor of his house, and Elcana who was next to the king.

Eodem tempore occidit Zechri, vir potens ex Ephraim, Maasiam filium regis, et Ezricam ducem domus ejus, Elcanam quoque secundum a rege.

At the same time Maasias, a royal prince, and Ezrica, the controller of the household, and Elcana, that was the king’s chief minister, were put to death by Zechri, one of the great warriors of Ephraim.

And the children of Israel carried away of their brethren two hundred thousand women, boys, and girls, and an immense booty: and they brought it to Samaria.

Ceperuntque filii Israël de fratribus suis ducenta millia mulierum, puerorum, et puellarum, et infinitam prædam: pertuleruntque eam in Samariam.

Two hundred thousand captives the men of Israel took, women, and boys, and girls, their own flesh and blood, with much booty besides, and conveyed them to Samaria.

At that time there was a prophet of the Lord there, whose name was Oded: and he went out to meet the army that came to Samaria, and said to them: Behold the Lord the God of your fathers being angry with Juda, hath delivered them into your hands, and you have butchered them cruelly, so that your cruelty hath reached up to heaven.

Ea tempestate erat ibi propheta Domini, nomine Oded: qui egressus obviam exercitui venienti in Samariam, dixit eis: Ecce iratus Dominus Deus patrum vestrorum contra Juda, tradidit eos in manibus vestris, et occidistis eos atrociter, ita ut ad cælum pertingeret vestra crudelitas.

But there was a prophet of the Lord dwelling there at this time, Oded by name, who went out to meet the army on their way into the city, and expostulated with them. Here are the men of Juda, said he, left at your mercy, only because the Lord, the God of your fathers, is angry with them; and you have made murderous use of your victory; the tale of your cruelties mounts up to heaven.

Moreover you have a mind to keep under the children of Juda and Jerusalem for your bondmen and bondwomen, which ought not to be done: for you have sinned in this against the Lord your God.

Insuper filios Juda et Jerusalem vultis vobis subjicere in servos et ancillas: quod nequaquam facto opus est: peccastis enim super hoc Domino Deo vestro.

That is not enough for you; against all right, you would seize bondmen and bondwomen from Juda and Jerusalem. What, have you no sins of your own to account for?

But hear ye my counsel, and release the captives that you have brought of your brethren, because a great indignation of the Lord hangeth over you.

Sed audite consilium meum, et reducite captivos quos adduxistis de fratribus vestris, quia magnus furor Domini imminet vobis.

Be guided by me; take the captives home, that are your own flesh and blood; if not, a bitter punishment from the Lord awaits you.

Then some of the chief men of the sons of Ephraim, Azarias the son of Johanan, Barachias the son of Mosollamoth, Ezechias the son of Sellum, and Amasa the son of Adali, stood up against them that came from the war.

Steterunt itaque viri de principibus filiorum Ephraim, Azarias filius Johanan, Barachias filius Mosollamoth, Ezechias filius Sellum, et Amasa filius Adali, contra eos qui veniebant de prælio,

And now four of Ephraim’s chieftains barred the way against the returning army; Azarias son of Johanan, Barachias son of Mosollamoth, Ezechias son of Sellum, and Amasa son of Adali.

And they said to them: You shall not bring in the captives hither, lest we sin against the Lord. Why will you add to our sins, and heap up upon our former offences? for the sin is great, and the fierce anger of the Lord hangeth over Israel.

et dixerunt eis: Non introducetis huc captivos, ne peccemus Domino. Quare vultis adjicere super peccata nostra, et vetera cumulare delicta? grande quippe peccatum est, et ira furoris Domini imminet super Israël.

Never offend the Lord, they cried, by bringing in these captives with you! Would you add sin to sin, crown the guilt that long stands at our door? Here is grievous wrong; here is a bitter punishment from the Lord threatening Israel!

So the soldiers left the spoils, and all that they had taken, before the princes and all the multitude.

Dimiseruntque viri bellatores prædam, et universa quæ ceperant, coram principibus, et omni multitudine.

So, before their chieftains and before all the multitude assembled, the warriors gave up their booty and their prey.

And the men, whom we mentioned above, rose up and took the captives, and with the spoils clothed all them that were naked: and when they had clothed and shod them, and refreshed them with meat and drink, and anointed them because of their labour, and had taken care of them, they set such of them as could not walk, and were feeble, upon beasts, and brought them to Jericho the city of palm trees to their brethren, and they returned to Samaria.

Steteruntque viri quos supra memoravimus, et apprehendentes captivos, omnesque qui nudi erant, vestierunt de spoliis: cumque vestissent eos, et calceassent, et refecissent cibo ac potu, unxissentque propter laborem, et adhibuissent eis curam: quicumque ambulare non poterant, et erant imbecillo corpore, imposuerunt eos jumentis, et adduxerunt Jericho civitatem palmarum ad fratres eorum, ipsique reversi sunt in Samariam.

And the four men we have named stood there befriending the captives; those that went naked must be clothed out of the spoils; then, clothed and shod, they must be refreshed with food and drink, must be anointed after their journey. No care was wanting; some, that could not walk, or were of feeble age, must ride on asses. And so they escorted them to Jericho, the city of palm trees, and restored them to their kindred, and themselves went back to Samaria.

At that time king Achaz sent to the king of the Assyrians asking help.

Tempore illo misit rex Achaz ad regem Assyriorum, postulans auxilium.

So evil were those times, that Achaz must send to the king of the Assyrians to beg for aid.

And the Edomites came and slew many of Juda, and took a great booty.

Veneruntque Idumæi, et percusserunt multos ex Juda, et ceperunt prædam magnam.

The Edomites came in and slew many of Juda’s folk, taking rich spoils besides,

The Philistines also spread themselves among the cities of the plains, and to the south of Juda: and they took Bethsames, and Aialon, and Gaderoth, and Socho, and Thamnan, and Gamzo, with their villages, and they dwelt in them.

Philisthiim quoque diffusi sunt per urbes campestres, et ad meridiem Juda: ceperuntque Bethsames, et Ajalon, et Gaderoth, Socho quoque, et Thamnan, et Gamzo, cum viculis suis, et habitaverunt in eis.

and the Philistines spread out their forces among the cities of the plain, and over the southern part of Juda, taking Bethsames, Aialon, Gaderoth, Socho, Thamnan, Gamzo and their daughter townships to settle in.

For the Lord had humbled Juda because of Achaz the king of Juda, for he had stripped it of help, and had contemned the Lord.

Humiliaverat enim Dominus Judam propter Achaz regem Juda, eo quod nudasset eum auxilio, et contemptui habuisset Dominum.

Thus did the Lord humble Juda, to shew how Achaz had robbed them of all aid, by slighting the divine will.

And he brought against him Thelgathphalnasar king of the Assyrians, who also afflicted him, and plundered him without any resistance.

Adduxitque contra eum Thelgathphalnasar regem Assyriorum, qui et afflixit eum, et nullo resistente vastavit.

As for the king of the Assyrians, Thelgath-Phalnasar, the Lord made him an enemy, not an ally, to Juda, which he oppressed and plundered, with none to oppose him,

And Achaz stripped the house of the Lord, and the house of the kings, and of the princes, and gave gifts to the king of the Assyrians, and yet it availed him nothing.

Igitur Achaz, spoliata domo Domini, et domo regum ac principum, dedit regi Assyriorum munera, et tamen nihil ei profuit.

till Achaz was fain to court his favour with gifts, stripping temple and royal palace and princely palace of their treasures, but no help did he win thereby.

Moreover also in the time of his distress he increased contempt against the Lord: king Achaz himself by himself,

Insuper et tempore angustiæ suæ auxit contemptum in Dominum, ipse per se rex Achaz,

Such a man was this Achaz, that times of adversity did but minister to the contempt he shewed for the Lord;

Sacrificed victims to the gods of Damascus that struck him, and he said: The gods of the kings of Syria help them, and I will appease them with victims, and they will help me; whereas on the contrary they were the ruin of him, and of all Israel.

immolavit diis Damasci victimas percussoribus suis, et dixit: Dii regum Syriæ auxiliantur eis, quos ego placabo hostiis, et aderunt mihi: cum e contrario ipsi fuerint ruinæ ei, et universo Israël.

he would even offer victims to the gods of Damascus, that were his enemies; These Syrian gods, thought he, help their own country now, they will be on my side instead, if I win them over with gifts. But in truth these gods were his ruin, and all Israel’s.

Then Achaz having taken away all the vessels of the house of God, and broken them, shut up the doors of the temple of God, and made himself altars in all the corners of Jerusalem.

Direptis itaque Achaz omnibus vasis domus Dei, atque confractis, clausit januas templi Dei, et fecit sibi altaria in universis angulis Jerusalem.

All the ornaments of the Lord’s house he had already taken away and broken up; now he closed the temple doors, and built altars of his own in every corner of Jerusalem;

And in all the cities of Juda he built altars to burn frankincense, and he provoked the Lord the God of his fathers to wrath.

In omnibus quoque urbibus Juda exstruxit aras ad cremandum thus, atque ad iracundiam provocavit Dominum Deum patrum suorum.

altars, too, in every city of Juda, the smoke of whose incense enraged the Lord, the God of his fathers.

But the rest of his acts, and all his works first and last are written in the book of the kings of Juda and Israel.

Reliqua autem sermonum ejus, et omnium operum suorum priorum et novissimorum, scripta sunt in libro regum Juda et Israël.

What else he did, all his history, first and last, may be found in the Record of the kings of Juda and Israel.

And Achaz slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of Jerusalem: for they received him not into the sepulchres of the kings of Israel. And Ezechias his son reigned in his stead.

Dormivitque Achaz cum patribus suis, et sepelierunt eum in civitate Jerusalem: neque enim receperunt eum in sepulchra regum Israël. Regnavitque Ezechias filius ejus pro eo.

So Achaz was laid to rest with his fathers, with the city of Jerusalem for his burying-place; but among the tombs of Israel’s kings they would not lay him. And the throne passed to his son Ezechias.