Amaziah Rules Judah

25 Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he became king. And he ruled for twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jehoaddan of Jerusalem. ² Amaziah did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, but not with a whole heart. ³ As soon as the nation was under his rule, he killed his servants who had killed his father the king. ⁴ But he did not kill their children. He did what is written in the Law in the book of Moses. The Lord had said in this Law, “Fathers must not be put to death for the children. And children must not be put to death for the fathers. Each must be put to death for his own sin.” ^(A)

The War against Edom

⁵ Then Amaziah gathered the men of Judah together. He put them, by their fathers’ houses, under the rule of captains of thousands and of hundreds for all Judah and Benjamin. He numbered those who were twenty years old and older. And he found that they were 300,000 chosen men, able to go to war and fight with spear and battle-covering. ⁶ He also asked for the help of 100,000 powerful soldiers from Israel and paid them with silver weighing as much as 100 men. ⁷ But 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. He is not with all these sons of Ephraim. ⁸ But if you think that in this way you will be strong in war, God will destroy you in front of those who fight you. For God has power to help and to destroy.” ⁹ Amaziah said to the man of God, “But what should I do about the silver weighing as much as 100 men, which I have given to the army of Israel?” The man of God answered, “The Lord has much more to give you than this.” ¹⁰ Then Amaziah sent the army home which had come to him from Ephraim. These hired soldiers were angry at the people of Judah. As they returned home they were very angry.

¹¹ Now Amaziah made himself strong of heart, and he led his people to the Valley of Salt and killed 10,000 men of Seir. ¹² The men of Judah also took 10,000 men alive. They brought them to the top of a high rock and threw them down from it, so they were all crushed to pieces. ¹³ But the soldiers from Israel whom Amaziah had sent back from going with him to battle came and fought against the cities of Judah. They fought cities from Samaria to Beth-horon, and killed 3,000 people living in them. And they took many things which had belonged to the people in these cities.

¹⁴ After Amaziah came from killing the Edomites, he brought the gods of the men of Seir. He set them up as his gods. He bowed down in front of them, and burned special perfume to them. ¹⁵ Then the Lord was angry with Amaziah and sent a man who speaks for God to him, saying, “Why have you worshiped the gods of the people? These gods have not saved their own people from your hand.” ¹⁶ But as he was speaking the king said to him, “Have we chosen you to give words of wisdom to the king? Stop! Or I will have you put to death.” So the man who spoke for God stopped, but said, “I know that God has planned to destroy you because you have done this. And you have not listened to what I have said.”

Israel Wins over Judah

¹⁷ Then King Amaziah of Judah spoke with his wise men, and sent word to Joash the son of Jehoahaz the son of Jehu, the king of Israel, saying, “Come, let us face each other.” ¹⁸ King Joash of Israel sent an answer to King Amaziah of Judah, saying, “The thorn bush in Lebanon sent word to the cedar in Lebanon, saying, ‘Give your daughter to my son for a wife.’ But a wild animal of Lebanon passed by and crushed the thorn bush under its feet. ¹⁹ You say, ‘See, I have destroyed Edom.’ And your heart has become proud by what you say. Now stay at home. Why should you bring trouble so you will fall, and Judah with you?” ²⁰ But Amaziah would not listen. God had planned that He would give Judah into the hand of Joash because Judah had worshiped the gods of Edom. ²¹ So King Joash of Israel met King Amaziah of Judah in battle at Beth-shemesh of Judah. ²² And Judah lost the battle to Israel. Each man ran away to his home. ²³ King Joash of Israel took King Amaziah of Judah, the son of Joash, son of Jehoahaz, at Beth-shemesh, and brought him to Jerusalem. He tore down the wall of Jerusalem from the Gate of Ephraim to the Corner Gate, as much wall as 200 long steps. ²⁴ And he took all the gold and silver, and all the objects found in the house of God with Obed-edom. He took the riches of the king’s house, and people also, and returned to Samaria.

The Death of Amaziah

²⁵ Amaziah, the son of King Joash of Judah, lived fifteen years after the death of Joash, the son of King Jehoahaz of Israel. ²⁶ Now the rest of the acts of Amaziah, from first to last, are written in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel. ²⁷ After Amaziah turned away from the Lord, they made plans against him in Jerusalem, and he ran away to Lachish. But they sent men after him to Lachish, and killed him there. ²⁸ Then they brought him on horses and buried him with his fathers in the city of Judah.