When Judah’s king faced invasion, he turned not to God but to Assyria. 2 Kings 16 records the reign of Ahaz, one of Judah’s most faithless kings, who stripped the temple treasury to fund a foreign alliance and replaced God’s altar with a pagan copy from Damascus.

Full sung version coming soon.

Lyrics

In the seventeenth year of Pekah the son of Remaliah Ahaz the son of Jotham king of Judah began to reign

Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign He reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem He didn’t do that which was right in the LORD his God’s eyes Like David his father

But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel And even made his son to pass through the fire According to the abominations of the nations whom the LORD cast out He sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places on the hills

Under every green tree Then Rezin king of Syria and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel Came up to Jerusalem to wage war They besieged Ahaz but could not overcome him

At that time Rezin king of Syria recovered Elath to Syria And drove the Jews from Elath The Syrians came to Elath and lived there to this day So Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglath Pileser king of Assyria

I am your servant and your son Come up and save me out of the hand of the king of Syria And out of the hand of the king of Israel Who rise up against me

Ahaz took the silver and gold that was found in the LORD’s house And in the treasures of the king’s house And sent it for a present to the king of Assyria The king of Assyria listened to him

And the king of Assyria went up against Damascus and took it King Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglath Pileser And saw the altar that was at Damascus King Ahaz sent to Urijah the priest a drawing of the altar

Listen

2 Kings 16 sung by Psalm Selah. The whole Bible, one chapter at a time.

Published 2026-05-22 · Last updated 2026-06-06
Written by Reid Wender, Editorial Director at Psalmody Press