2 Chronicles 25

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

2 And he did that which was right in the eyes of Jehovah, but not with a perfect heart.

3 Now it came to pass, when the kingdom was established to him, that he killed his servants who had killed the king his father.

4 But he did not put their sons to death, but did according to that which is written in the law in the book of Moses, as Jehovah commanded, saying, The fathers shall not die for the sons, neither shall the sons die for the fathers, but every man shall die for his own sin.

5 Moreover Amaziah gathered Judah together, and appointed them according to their fathers' houses, for heads of thousands and heads of hundreds, even all Judah and Benjamin. And he numbered them from twenty years old and upward, and found them three hundred thousand chosen men, able to go forth to war, who could handle spear and shield.

6 He also hired a hundred thousand mighty men of valor out of Israel for a hundred talents of silver.

7 But there came a man of God to him, saying, O king, let not the army of Israel go with thee. For Jehovah is not with Israel, namely, with all the sons of Ephraim.

8 But if thou are going, do it. Be strong for the battle, because God will cast thee down before the enemy, for God has power to help, and to cast down.

9 And 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? And the man of God answered, Jehovah is able to give thee much more than this.

10 Then Amaziah separated them, namely, the army that came 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 And Amaziah took courage, and led forth his people, and went to the Valley of Salt, and smote ten thousand of the sons of Seir.

12 And the sons of Judah carried away ten thousand alive, and brought them to the top of the rock, and cast 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 upon the cities of Judah, from Samaria even to Beth-horon, and smote three thousand of them, and took much spoil.

14 Now it came to pass, after Amaziah came from the slaughter of the Edomites, that he brought the gods of the sons of Seir, and set them up to be his gods, and bowed down himself before them, and burned incense to them.

15 Therefore the anger of Jehovah was kindled against Amaziah. And he sent a prophet to him, who said to him, Why have thou sought after the gods of the people, which have not delivered their own people out of thy hand?

16 And it came to pass, as he talked with him, that the king said to him, Have we made thee of the king's counsel? Cease. Why should thou be smitten? Then the prophet ceased, and said, I know that God has determined to destroy thee, because thou have done this, and have not hearkened to my counsel.

17 Then Amaziah king of Judah took advice, and sent to Joash, the son of Jehoahaz the son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, Come, let us look each other in the face.

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

19 Thou say, Lo, I have smitten Edom. And thy heart lifts thee up to boast. Remain now at home. Why should thou meddle to thy hurt, that thou should fall, even thou, and Judah with thee?

20 But Amaziah would not hear, 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 each other in the face at Beth-shemesh, which belongs to Judah.

22 And Judah was put to the worse before Israel, and they fled every man to his tent.

23 And 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 And he took all the gold and silver, and all the vessels that were found in the house of God with Obed-edom, and the treasures of the king's house, also the hostages, and returned to Samaria.

25 And Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah lived 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, are they not written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel?

27 Now from the time that Amaziah turned away from following Jehovah they made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish. But they sent after him to Lachish, and killed him there.

28 And they brought him upon horses, and buried him with his fathers in the city of Judah.