n the [other] garrisons, and the Jews in their neighborhood, and
had driven away much prey, he returned with his army back to Damascus.
Now when the king of Jerusalem knew that the Syrians were returned home,
he, supposing himself a match for the king of Israel, drew out his army
against him, and joining battle with him was beaten; and this happened
because God was angry with him, on account of his many and great
enormities. Accordingly there were slain by the Israelites one hundred
and twenty thousand of his men that day, whose general, Amaziah by name,
slew Zechariah the king's son, in his conflict with Ahaz, as well as
the governor of the kingdom, whose name was Azricam. He also carried
Elkanah, the general of the troops of the tribe of Judah, into
captivity. They also carried the women and children of the tribe of
Benjamin captives; and when they had gotten a great deal of prey, they
returned to Samaria.

2. Now there was one Obed, who was a prophet at that time in Samaria; he
met the army before the city walls, and with a loud voice told them that
they had gotten the victory not by their own strength, but by reason of
the anger God had against king Ahaz. And he complained that they were
not satisfied with the good success they had had against him, but were
so bold as to make captives out of their kinsmen the tribes of Judah and
Benjamin. He also gave them counsel to let them go home without doing
them any harm, for that if they did not obey God herein, they should be
punished. So the people of Israel came together to their assembly, and
considered of these matters, when a man whose name was Berechiah, and
who was one of chief reputation in the government, stood up, and the
others with him, and said, "We will not suffer the citizens to bring
these prisoners into the city, lest we be all destroyed by God; we
have sins enough of our own that we have committed against him, as the
prophets assure us; nor ought we therefore to introduce the practice
of new crimes." When the soldiers heard that, they permitted them to do
what they thought best. So the forenamed men took the captives, and let
them go, and took care of them, and gave them provisions, and sent them
to their own country, without doing them any harm. However, these four
went along with them, and conducted them as far as Jericho, which is not
far from Jerusalem, and returned to Samaria.

3. Hereupon king Ahaz, having been so thoroughly beaten by the
Israelites