Amaziah Reigns over Judah

14 (A)In the second year of Joash son of Joahaz king of Israel, (B)Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah became king. He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned for twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Jehoaddin of Jerusalem. He did what was right in the sight of the Lord, yet not like his father David; he acted in accordance with everything that his father Joash had done. Only (C)the high places were not eliminated; (D)the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places. Now it came about, as soon as the kingdom was firmly in his hand, that he [a](E)killed his servants who had [b]killed the king, his father. But he did not put the sons of [c]the murderers to death, in [d]obedience to what is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, as the Lord commanded, saying, “(F)The fathers shall not be put to death for the sons, nor the sons be put to death for the fathers; but (G)each shall be put to death for his own sin.”

He [e]killed ten thousand of the Edomites in (H)the Valley of Salt, and took (I)Sela by war, and named it (J)Joktheel, as it is to this day.

(K)Then Amaziah sent messengers to [f]Jehoash, the son of Jehoahaz son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, “(L)Come, let’s face each other in combat.” But Jehoash king of Israel sent messengers to Amaziah king of Judah, saying, “(M)The thorn bush that was in Lebanon sent word to the cedar that was in Lebanon, saying, ‘Give your daughter to my son [g]in marriage.’ But a wild animal that was in Lebanon passed by and trampled the thorn bush. 10 (N)You have indeed [h]defeated Edom, and (O)your heart [i]is elated. Enjoy the glory and stay home; for why should you get involved in trouble so that you would fall, you and Judah with you?”

11 But Amaziah would not listen. So Jehoash king of Israel went up; and they faced each other, he and Amaziah king of Judah, at (P)Beth-shemesh, which belongs to Judah. 12 And Judah was defeated by Israel, and (Q)they fled, every man to his tent. 13 Then Jehoash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Jehoash the son of Ahaziah, at Beth-shemesh, and came to Jerusalem and tore down the wall of Jerusalem from (R)the Gate of Ephraim to (S)the Corner Gate, [j]four hundred cubits. 14 And (T)he took all the gold and silver and all the utensils which were found in the house of the Lord, and in the treasuries of the king’s house, the hostages as well, and returned to Samaria.

Jeroboam II Succeeds Jehoash (Joash) in Israel

15 (U)Now as for the rest of the acts of Jehoash that he did, and his might and how he fought with Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 16 So Jehoash [k]lay down with his fathers and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel; and his son Jeroboam became king in his place.

Azariah (Uzziah) Succeeds Amaziah in Judah

17 (V)Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah lived for fifteen years after the death of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel. 18 Now as for the rest of the acts of Amaziah, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 19 They formed a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem, and he fled to (W)Lachish; but they sent men to Lachish after him and they killed him there. 20 Then they carried him on horses, and he was buried in Jerusalem with his fathers in the city of David. 21 And all the people of Judah took [l]Azariah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in place of his father Amaziah. 22 (X)He built Elath and restored it to Judah after the king [m]lay down with his fathers.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 14:5 Lit struck
  2. 2 Kings 14:5 Lit struck
  3. 2 Kings 14:6 Lit those who struck
  4. 2 Kings 14:6 Lit accordance with what
  5. 2 Kings 14:7 Lit struck
  6. 2 Kings 14:8 In Heb Jehoash is another spelling of Joash
  7. 2 Kings 14:9 Lit as a wife
  8. 2 Kings 14:10 Lit struck
  9. 2 Kings 14:10 Lit has lifted you up
  10. 2 Kings 14:13 About 600 ft. or 183 m
  11. 2 Kings 14:16 I.e., died
  12. 2 Kings 14:21 In 2 Chr 26:1, Uzziah
  13. 2 Kings 14:22 I.e., died

14 In the second year of Joash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel reigned Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah.

He was twenty and five years old when he began to reign, and reigned twenty and nine years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Jehoaddan of Jerusalem.

And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, yet not like David his father: he did according to all things as Joash his father did.

Howbeit the high places were not taken away: as yet the people did sacrifice and burnt incense on the high places.

And it came to pass, as soon as the kingdom was confirmed in his hand, that he slew his servants which had slain the king his father.

But the children of the murderers he slew not: according unto that which is written in the book of the law of Moses, wherein the Lord commanded, saying, The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, nor the children be put to death for the fathers; but every man shall be put to death for his own sin.

He slew of Edom in the valley of salt ten thousand, and took Selah by war, and called the name of it Joktheel unto this day.

Then Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash, the son of Jehoahaz son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, Come, let us look one another in the face.

And Jehoash the 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 thy daughter to my son to wife: and there passed by a wild beast that was in Lebanon, and trode down the thistle.

10 Thou hast indeed smitten Edom, and thine heart hath lifted thee up: glory of this, and tarry at home: for why shouldest thou meddle to thy hurt, that thou shouldest fall, even thou, and Judah with thee?

11 But Amaziah would not hear. Therefore Jehoash king of Israel went up; and he and Amaziah king of Judah looked one another in the face at Bethshemesh, which belongeth to Judah.

12 And Judah was put to the worse before Israel; and they fled every man to their tents.

13 And Jehoash king of Israel took Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Jehoash the son of Ahaziah, at Bethshemesh, and came to Jerusalem, and brake down the wall of Jerusalem from the gate of Ephraim unto the corner gate, four hundred cubits.

14 And he took all the gold and silver, and all the vessels that were found in the house of the Lord, and in the treasures of the king's house, and hostages, and returned to Samaria.

15 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoash which he did, and his might, and how he fought with Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

16 And Jehoash slept with his fathers, and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel; and Jeroboam his son reigned in his stead.

17 And Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah lived after the death of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel fifteen years.

18 And the rest of the acts of Amaziah, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

19 Now they made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem: and he fled to Lachish; but they sent after him to Lachish, and slew him there.

20 And they brought him on horses: and he was buried at Jerusalem with his fathers in the city of David.

21 And all the people of Judah took Azariah, which was sixteen years old, and made him king instead of his father Amaziah.

22 He built Elath, and restored it to Judah, after that the king slept with his fathers.

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14 During the second year of the reign of King Joash of Israel, King Amaziah began his reign over Judah. Amaziah was twenty-five years old at the time, and he reigned in Jerusalem for twenty-nine years. (His mother was Jehoaddin, a native of Jerusalem.) He was a good king in the Lord’s sight, though not quite like his ancestor David; but he was as good a king as his father Joash. However, he didn’t destroy the shrines on the hills, so the people still sacrificed and burned incense there.

As soon as he had a firm grip on the kingdom, he killed the men who had assassinated his father; but he didn’t kill their children, for the Lord had commanded through the law of Moses that fathers shall not be killed for their children, nor children for the sins of their fathers: everyone must pay the penalty for his own sins. Once Amaziah killed ten thousand Edomites in Salt Valley; he also conquered Sela and changed its name to Joktheel, as it is called to this day.

One day he sent a message to King Joash of Israel (the son of Jehoahaz and the grandson of Jehu), daring him to mobilize his army and come out and fight.

But King Joash replied, “The thistle of Lebanon demanded of the mighty cedar tree, ‘Give your daughter to be a wife for my son.’ But just then a wild animal passed by and stepped on the thistle and trod it into the ground! 10 You have destroyed Edom and are very proud about it; but my advice to you is, be content with your glory and stay home! Why provoke disaster for both yourself and Judah?”

11 But Amaziah refused to listen, so King Joash of Israel mustered his army. The battle began at Beth-shemesh, one of the cities of Judah, 12 and Judah was defeated and the army fled home. 13 King Amaziah was captured, and the army of Israel marched on Jerusalem and broke down its wall from the Gate of Ephraim to the Corner Gate, a distance of about six hundred feet. 14 King Joash took many hostages and all the gold and silver from the Temple and palace treasury, also the gold cups. Then he returned to Samaria.

15 The rest of the history of Joash and his war with King Amaziah of Judah are recorded in The Annals of the Kings of Israel. 16 When Joash died, he was buried in Samaria with the other kings of Israel. And his son Jeroboam became the new king.

17 Amaziah lived fifteen years longer than Joash, 18 and the rest of his biography is recorded in The Annals of the Kings of Judah. 19 There was a plot against his life in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish; but his enemies sent assassins and killed him there. 20 His body was returned on horses, and he was buried in the royal cemetery, in the City of David section of Jerusalem.

21 Then his son Azariah became the new king at the age of sixteen. 22 After his father’s death, he built Elath and restored it to Judah.

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