28:16 At that time King Ahaz asked the king 1 of Assyria for help. 28:17 The Edomites had again invaded and defeated Judah and carried off captives. 28:18 The Philistines had raided the cities of Judah in the lowlands 2 and the Negev. They captured and settled in Beth Shemesh, Aijalon, Gederoth, Soco and its surrounding villages, Timnah and its surrounding villages, and Gimzo and its surrounding villages. 28:19 The Lord humiliated 3 Judah because of King Ahaz of Israel, 4 for he encouraged Judah to sin and was very 5 unfaithful to the Lord. 28:20 King Tiglath-pileser 6 of Assyria came, but he gave him more trouble than support. 7 28:21 Ahaz gathered riches 8 from the Lord’s temple, the royal palace, and the officials and gave them to the king of Assyria, but that did not help.
28:22 During his time of trouble King Ahaz was even more unfaithful to the Lord.
1 tc Most Hebrew
2 tn Heb “Shephelah.”
3 tn Or “subdued.”
4 sn That is, “of Judah.” Frequently in 2 Chronicles “Israel” is substituted for “Judah.”
5 tn The infinitive absolute precedes the finite verbal form to emphasize the degree of Ahaz’s unfaithfulness.
6 tn Heb “Tilgath-pilneser,” a variant spelling of Tiglath-pileser.
7 tn Heb “and he caused him distress and did not strengthen him.”
8 tn Heb “divided up,” but some read חִלֵּץ (khillets, “despoiled”).