25
1 Amaziah
was twenty-five
years old when
he began to reign,
and he reigned
twenty-nine years
in Jerusalem.
His mother’s name
was Jehoaddan, of
Jerusalem.
2 He
did that which
was right in
the LORD’s eyes,
but not with
a perfect heart.
3 Now
when the kingdom
was established to
him, he killed
his servants who
had killed
his father the
king.
4 But
he didn’t put
their children to
death, but did
according to that
which is written
in the law
in the book
of Moses, as
the LORD commanded,
saying, “The fathers shall
not die for
the children,
neither shall the
children die for
the fathers; but
every man shall
die for his own
sin.”
5 Moreover Amaziah
gathered Judah
together and
ordered them according
to their fathers’
houses, under
captains of thousands
and captains of
hundreds, even all
Judah and Benjamin.
He counted them
from twenty years
old and upward,
and found that
there were three
hundred thousand chosen men, able
to go out
to war, who could
handle spear and
shield.
6 He
also hired one
hundred thousand mighty
men of valor
out of Israel
for one hundred
talents
of silver.
7 A
man of God
came to him,
saying, “O king, don’t let
the army of
Israel go with
you, for the
LORD is not
with Israel, with
all the children
of Ephraim.
8 But
if you will go,
take action, and
be strong for
the battle. God
will overthrow you
before the enemy;
for God has power
to help, and
to overthrow.”
9 Amaziah said
to the man
of God, “But
what shall we
do for the
hundred talents
which I have
given to the
army of Israel?”
The man of
God answered, “The
LORD is able to
give you much
more than this.”
10 Then Amaziah
separated them, the
army that had
come to him
out of Ephraim, to
go home again.
Therefore their anger was
greatly kindled
against Judah, and
they returned home
in fierce anger.
11 Amaziah
took courage, and
led his people
out and went
to the Valley
of Salt, and
struck ten thousand
of the children
of Seir.
12 The
children of Judah
carried away
ten thousand alive,
and brought them
to the top
of the rock,
and threw them
down from the
top of the
rock, so that they
all were broken
in pieces.
13 But
the men of
the army
whom Amaziah sent
back, that they
should not go
with him to
battle, fell on
the cities of
Judah from Samaria
even to Beth Horon,
and struck of
them three thousand,
and took
much plunder.
14 Now
after Amaziah had
come from the
slaughter of the
Edomites, he
brought the gods
of the children
of Seir, and
set them up
to be his gods,
and bowed down
himself before
them and burned
incense to them.
15 Therefore
the LORD’s anger
burned against Amaziah,
and he sent
to him a
prophet who said
to him, “Why
have you sought
after the gods of
the people, which
have not delivered
their own people
out of your
hand?”
16 As
he talked with
him, the king
said to him, “Have
we made you
one of the
king’s counselors?
Stop! Why should
you be struck
down?”
Then the prophet
stopped, and said,
“I know that
God has determined
to destroy you,
because you have
done this and
have not listened
to my counsel.”
17 Then
Amaziah king of
Judah consulted
his advisers, and
sent to Joash,
the son of
Jehoahaz, the son
of Jehu, king
of Israel, saying, “Come! Let’s look one
another in the
face.”
18 Joash
king of Israel
sent to Amaziah
king of Judah,
saying, “The thistle
that was in
Lebanon sent to
the cedar that was
in Lebanon, saying, ‘Give
your daughter to
my son as
his wife. Then
a wild animal
that was in
Lebanon passed by
and trampled down
the thistle.
19 You say
to yourself that
you have
struck Edom; and
your heart lifts
you up to
boast. Now stay
at home. Why
should you meddle
with trouble, that
you should fall,
even you and Judah
with you?’ ”
20 But Amaziah
would not listen;
for it was
of God, that
he might deliver
them into the
hand of their
enemies, because
they had sought
after the gods
of Edom.
21 So
Joash king of
Israel went up,
and he and Amaziah
king of Judah
looked one another
in the face
at Beth Shemesh, which belongs
to Judah.
22 Judah
was defeated by
Israel; so every
man fled to
his tent.
23 Joash
king of Israel
took Amaziah king
of Judah, the
son of Joash
the son of
Jehoahaz, at Beth Shemesh
and brought him
to Jerusalem, and
broke down the
wall of Jerusalem
from the gate
of Ephraim to the
corner gate, four
hundred cubits.
24 He
took all the
gold and silver,
and all the
vessels that were
found in God’s
house with
Obed-Edom, and
the treasures of
the king’s house,
and the hostages,
and returned to
Samaria.
25 Amaziah the
son of Joash,
king of Judah,
lived for fifteen
years after the
death of Joash,
son of Jehoahaz,
king of Israel.
26 Now
the rest of
the acts
of Amaziah, first
and last, behold, aren’t
they written in
the book of
the kings of
Judah and Israel?
27 Now
from the time
that Amaziah turned
away from following
the LORD, they
made a conspiracy
against him in
Jerusalem. He fled
to Lachish, but
they sent after
him to Lachish
and killed him
there.
28 They
brought him on
horses and buried
him with
his fathers in the
City of Judah.