1Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem for twenty-nine years. His mother’s name was Jehoaddan; she was from Jerusalem.2He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, but not wholeheartedly.3After the kingdom was firmly in his control, he executed the officials who had murdered his father the king.4Yet he did not put their children to death, but acted in accordance with what is written in the Law, in the Book of Moses, where the Lord commanded: ‘Parents shall not be put to death for their children, nor children be put to death for their parents; each will die for their own sin.’ (De 24:16)5Amaziah called the people of Judah together and assigned them according to their families to commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds for all Judah and Benjamin. He then mustered those twenty years old or more and found that there were three hundred thousand men fit for military service, able to handle the spear and shield.6He also hired a hundred thousand fighting men from Israel for a hundred talents[1] of silver.7But a man of God came to him and said, ‘Your Majesty, these troops from Israel must not march with you, for the Lord is not with Israel – not with any of the people of Ephraim.8Even if you go and fight courageously in battle, God will overthrow you before the enemy, for God has the power to help or to overthrow.’9Amaziah asked the man of God, ‘But what about the hundred talents I paid for these Israelite troops?’ The man of God replied, ‘The Lord can give you much more than that.’10So Amaziah dismissed the troops who had come to him from Ephraim and sent them home. They were furious with Judah and left for home in a great rage.11Amaziah then marshalled his strength and led his army to the Valley of Salt, where he killed ten thousand men of Seir.12The army of Judah also captured ten thousand men alive, took them to the top of a cliff and threw them down so that all were dashed to pieces.13Meanwhile the troops that Amaziah had sent back and had not allowed to take part in the war raided towns belonging to Judah from Samaria to Beth Horon. They killed three thousand people and carried off great quantities of plunder.14When Amaziah returned from slaughtering the Edomites, he brought back the gods of the people of Seir. He set them up as his own gods, bowed down to them and burned sacrifices to them.15The anger of the Lord burned against Amaziah, and he sent a prophet to him, who said, ‘Why do you consult this people’s gods, which could not save their own people from your hand?’16While he was still speaking, the king said to him, ‘Have we appointed you an advisor to the king? Stop! Why be struck down?’ So the prophet stopped but said, ‘I know that God has determined to destroy you, because you have done this and have not listened to my counsel.’17After Amaziah king of Judah consulted his advisors, he sent this challenge to Jehoash[2] son of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu, king of Israel: ‘Come, let us face each other in battle.’18But Jehoash king of Israel replied to Amaziah king of Judah, ‘A thistle in Lebanon sent a message to a cedar in Lebanon, “Give your daughter to my son in marriage.” Then a wild beast in Lebanon came along and trampled the thistle underfoot.19You say to yourself that you have defeated Edom, and now you are arrogant and proud. But stay at home! Why ask for trouble and cause your own downfall and that of Judah also?’20Amaziah, however, would not listen, for God so worked that he might deliver them into the hands of Jehoash, because they sought the gods of Edom.21So Jehoash king of Israel attacked. He and Amaziah king of Judah faced each other at Beth Shemesh in Judah.22Judah was routed by Israel, and every man fled to his home.23Jehoash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Joash, the son of Ahaziah,[3] at Beth Shemesh. Then Jehoash brought him to Jerusalem and broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate – a section about four hundred cubits[4] long.24He took all the gold and silver and all the articles found in the temple of God that had been in the care of Obed-Edom, together with the palace treasures and the hostages, and returned to Samaria.25Amaziah son of Joash king of Judah lived for fifteen years after the death of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel.26As for the other events of Amaziah’s reign, from beginning to end, are they not written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel?27From the time that Amaziah turned away from following the Lord, they conspired against him in Jerusalem and he fled to Lachish, but they sent men after him to Lachish and killed him there.28He was brought back by horse and was buried with his ancestors in the City of Judah.[5] (2Ki 14:20)
2 Chronicles 25
English Standard Version
Amaziah Reigns in Judah
1Amaziah 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. (2Ki 14:1)2And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, yet not with a whole heart. (2Ch 25:14)3And as soon as the royal power was firmly his, he killed his servants who had struck down the king his father.4But he did not put their children to death, according to what is written in the Law, in the Book of Moses, where the Lord commanded, “Fathers shall not die because of their children, nor children die because of their fathers, but each one shall die for his own sin.” (De 24:16; Jer 31:30; Eze 18:20)
Amaziah’s Victories
5Then Amaziah assembled the men of Judah and set them by fathers’ houses under commanders of thousands and of hundreds for all Judah and Benjamin. He mustered those twenty years old and upward, and found that they were 300,000 choice men, fit for war, able to handle spear and shield. (Nu 1:3; 1Ch 12:8; 2Ch 11:1; 2Ch 13:3; 2Ch 17:14; 2Ch 26:13)6He hired also 100,000 mighty men of valor from Israel for 100 talents[1] of silver.7But a man of God came to him and said, “O king, do not let the army of Israel go with you, for the Lord is not with Israel, with all these Ephraimites. (De 33:1)8But go, act, be strong for the battle. Why should you suppose that God will cast you down before the enemy? For God has power to help or to cast down.” (2Ch 20:6)9And Amaziah said to the man of God, “But what shall we do about the hundred talents that I have given to the army of Israel?” The man of God answered, “The Lord is able to give you much more than this.”10Then Amaziah discharged the army that had come to him from Ephraim to go home again. And they became very angry with Judah and returned home in fierce anger.11But Amaziah took courage and led out his people and went to the Valley of Salt and struck down 10,000 men of Seir. (2Ki 14:7; 2Ch 20:10)12The men of Judah captured another 10,000 alive and took them to the top of a rock and threw them down from the top of the rock, and they were all dashed to pieces.13But the men of the army whom Amaziah sent back, not letting them go with him to battle, raided the cities of Judah, from Samaria to Beth-horon, and struck down 3,000 people in them and took much spoil. (2Ch 15:8; 2Ch 19:4)
Amaziah’s Idolatry
14After Amaziah came from striking down the Edomites, he brought the gods of the men of Seir and set them up as his gods and worshiped them, making offerings to them. (2Ch 25:11; 2Ch 28:23)15Therefore the Lord was angry with Amaziah and sent to him a prophet, who said to him, “Why have you sought the gods of a people who did not deliver their own people from your hand?” (2Ch 25:11)16But as he was speaking, the king said to him, “Have we made you a royal counselor? Stop! Why should you be struck down?” So the prophet stopped, but said, “I know that God has determined to destroy you, because you have done this and have not listened to my counsel.” (Jos 11:20)
Israel Defeats Amaziah
17Then Amaziah king of Judah took counsel and sent to Joash the son of Jehoahaz, son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, “Come, let us look one another in the face.” (2Ki 14:8)18And Joash the king of Israel sent word to Amaziah king of Judah, “A thistle on Lebanon sent to a cedar on Lebanon, saying, ‘Give your daughter to my son for a wife,’ and a wild beast of Lebanon passed by and trampled down the thistle. (Jud 9:8)19You say, ‘See, I[2] have struck down Edom,’ and your heart has lifted you up in boastfulness. But now stay at home. Why should you provoke trouble so that you fall, you and Judah with you?” (2Ch 26:16)20But Amaziah would not listen, for it was of God, in order that he might give them into the hand of their enemies, because they had sought the gods of Edom. (2Ch 25:14)21So Joash king of Israel went up, and he and Amaziah king of Judah faced one another in battle at Beth-shemesh, which belongs to Judah.22And Judah was defeated by Israel, and every man fled to his home.23And Joash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Joash, son of Ahaziah, at Beth-shemesh, and brought him to Jerusalem and broke down the wall of Jerusalem for 400 cubits,[3] from the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate. (2Ch 21:17; Ne 8:16)24And he seized all the gold and silver, and all the vessels that were found in the house of God, in the care of Obed-edom. He seized also the treasuries of the king’s house, also hostages, and he returned to Samaria. (1Ch 26:15)25Amaziah the son of Joash, king of Judah, lived fifteen years after the death of Joash the son of Jehoahaz, king of Israel. (2Ki 14:17)26Now the rest of the deeds of Amaziah, from first to last, are they not written in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel?27From the time when he turned away from the Lord they made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish. But they sent after him to Lachish and put him to death there.28And they brought him upon horses, and he was buried with his fathers in the city of David.[4]