2 Chronicles 25:1-28

25  Twenty-five years old was Amaziah when he began to reign, and twenty-nine years reigned he in Jerusalem,—and the name of his mother was Jehoaddan of Jerusalem.  And he did that which was right in the eyes of Yahweh,—only not with a whole heart.  And it came to pass when the kingdom was confirmed unto him that he slew his servants who had smitten the king his father;  but their sons he put not to death,—but as it is written in the law—in the book of Moses—how that Yahweh commanded, saying—Fathers shall not die for sons and Sons shall not die for fathers, but Each man for his own sin shall die.  And Amaziah gathered Judah together, and appointed them by their ancestral houses as rulers of thousands and as rulers of hundreds, for all Judah and Benjamin,—and he numbered them from twenty years old and upwards, and found them three hundred thousand choice men able to go forth to war, who could grasp spear and shield.  And he hired out of Israel a hundred thousand heroes of valour for a hundred talents of silver.  But a man of God came unto him, saying, O king! let not the host of Israel come with thee,—for Yahweh is not with Israel, [with] any of the sons of Ephraim.  But if thou art going do be strong for the battle,—God will cause thee to fall before the enemy, for there is strength in God to help or to cause to fall.  And Amaziah said unto the man of God, What then shall be done as to the hundred talents, which I have given to the company of Israel? Then said the man of God, Yahweh is able to give thee much more than this. 10  So Amaziah separated them, [appointing] unto the company which had come unto him out of Ephraim, to depart unto their own place,—wherefore their anger was greatly kindled against Judah, so they returned to their own place in a heat of anger. 11  And Amaziah took courage, and led forth his people and went to the valley of salt,—and smote of the sons of Seir ten thousand; 12  and the sons of Judah took captive ten thousand alive, and brought to the top of the crag,—and cast them down from the top of the crag and all of them were torn asunder. 13  But as for the sons of the company which Amaziah sent back from going with him to the war they spread themselves out against the cities of Judah, from Samaria even unto Beth-horon,—and smote of them three thousand, and took great plunder. 14  And so it was after Amaziah came in from smiting the Edomites that he brought in the gods of the sons of Seir, and set them up for himself as gods,—and before them used he to bow himself down and unto them used he to burn a perfume. 15  Then was kindled the anger of Yahweh against Amaziah,—and he sent unto him a prophet, and said unto him, Wherefore hast thou sought the gods of the people, which delivered not their own people out of thy hand? 16  And it came to pass as he spake unto him that he said to him, To be counsellor to the king have we appointed thee? forbear thou, wherefore should they smite thee? So the prophet forbare and said—I know that God hath determined to destroy thee, because thou hast done this and hast not hearkened unto my counsel. 17  Then Amaziah king of Judah took counsel, and sent unto Joash son of Jehoahaz son of Jehu king of Israel, saying,—Come, let us look one another in the face! 18  And Joash king of Israel sent unto Amaziah king of Judah, saying, A thistle that was in Lebanon sent unto a cedar that was in Lebanon, saying, Come! give thy daughter unto my son to wife,—but there passed by a beast of the field that was in Lebanon, and trampled down the thistle. 19  Thou hast said—Lo! thou hast smitten the Edomites, and thy heart hath lifted thee up to display honour,—Now abide in thine own house, wherefore shouldst thou engage in strife with Misfortune, and fall thou and Judah with thee? 20  But Amaziah hearkened not, because from God it was, to the end he might deliver them up into [their enemies’] hand,—because they had sought the gods of Edom. 21  So Joash king of Israel came up and they looked one another in the face, he and Amaziah king of Judah,—in Beth-shemesh which belongeth unto Judah. 22  Then was Judah defeated before Israel,—and they fled every man to his own home; 23  and Amaziah king of Judah son of Joash son of Jehoahaz was taken by Joash king of Israel in Beth-shemesh,—and he brought him to Jerusalem, and brake down the wall of Jerusalem from the gate of Ephraim as far as the corner-gate, four hundred cubits; 24  and all the gold and the silver and all the utensils that were found in the house of God with Obed-edom and the treasures of the house of the king, and hostages [he took],—and returned to Samaria. 25  And Amaziah son of Joash king of Judah lived, after the death of Joash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel,—fifteen years. 26  Now the rest of the story of Amaziah, first and last lo! it is written in the book of the Kings of Judah and Israel. 27  And after the time that Amaziah turned away from following Yahweh they made against him a conspiracy in Jerusalem and he fled to Lachish,—but they sent after him to Lachish, and slew him there. 28  And they brought him on horses,—and buried him with his fathers in the city of Judah.

Footnotes