Ahaz Becomes King of Judah

16 During the seventeenth year of the reign of^[a] Remaliah’s son Pekah, Jotham’s son Ahaz became king of Judah. ² Ahaz was 20 years old when he became king, and he ruled in Jerusalem for sixteen years. He did not practice what the Lord considered to be right, as had his ancestor David. ³ Instead, he behaved like the kings of Israel did by making his son pass through fire, the very same abomination that the heathen practiced, whom the Lord evicted from the land right in front of the Israelis. ⁴ Furthermore, Ahaz^[b] sacrificed and burned incense on the high places, on top of hills, and under every green tree.