2 Chronicles 25

1 Amaziah was twenty-five when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem for twenty-nine years. His mother's name was Jehoaddan and she came from Jerusalem.

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

2 He did what was right in the Lord's sight but not with complete commitment.

He did what was right in the eyes of Yahweh, but not with a whole heart.

3 After he had made sure his rule was secure, he executed the officers who had murdered his father the king.

It came about that as soon as his rule was well established, he killed the servants who had murdered his father, the king.

4 However, he did not kill their sons, as is written in the Law, in the book of Moses, where the Lord commanded: “Fathers must not be executed for their children, and children must not be executed for their fathers. Everyone is to die for their own sin.”

But he did not put the children of the murderers to death, but acted according to what was written in the law, in the Book of Moses, as Yahweh had commanded, “The fathers must not die for the children, nor must the children die for the fathers. Instead, every person must die for his own sin.”

5 Then Amaziah called up the people of Judah for military service, and assigned them by families to commanders of thousands and of hundreds. He also took a census of those twenty years of age and older throughout Judah and Benjamin, and found there was 300,000 first-rate fighting men who could use spear and shield.

Moreover, Amaziah gathered Judah together, and registered them by their ancestors' houses, under commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds—all of Judah and Benjamin. He numbered them from twenty years old and upward, and found them to be 300,000 chosen men, able to go to war, who could handle spear and shield.

6 He also hired 100,000 battle-ready fighting men from Israel for a hundred talents of silver.

He hired also 100,000 fighting men from Israel for one hundred talents of silver.

7 But a man of God came to him and said, “Your Majesty, don't let this army of Israel join you, for the Lord is not with Israel, with these sons of Ephraim!

But a man of God came to him and said, “King, do not let the army of Israel go with you, for Yahweh is not with Israel—none of the people of Ephraim.

8 Even if you fight bravely, God will let you stumble and fall before the enemy, for God has the power to help you or let you fall.”

But even if you do go and are courageous and strong in battle, God will throw you down before the enemy, for God has power to help, and power to throw down.”

9 Amaziah asked the man of God, “But what about the hundred talents of silver I paid the army of Israel?” “The Lord can give you much more than that!” replied the man of God.

Amaziah said to the man of God, “But what will we do about the one hundred talents that I have given to the army of Israel?” The man of God answered, “Yahweh is able to give you much more than that.”

10 So Amaziah dismissed the army he'd hired from Ephraim and sent them home. They became very angry with Judah, and returned home furious.

So Amaziah separated the army that had come to him from Ephraim; he sent them home again. So their anger was greatly kindled against Judah, and they returned home in fierce anger.

11 Amaziah then bravely led his army to the Valley of Salt, where they attacked the Edomite army from Seir, and killed ten thousand of them.

Amaziah took courage and led his people to go out to the Valley of Salt; there he defeated ten thousand men of Seir.

12 The army of Judah also captured another ten thousand, took them to the top of a cliff and threw them off, killing them all.

The army of Judah carried away alive another ten thousand. They took them to the top of the cliff and threw them down from there, so that they were all broken in pieces.

13 But the men of the army Amaziah sent home, refusing to let them go with him to battle, raided the towns of Judah, from Samaria to Beth-horon They killed 3,000 of their inhabitants and took a great deal of plunder.

But the men of the army which Amaziah sent back, so that they should not go with him to battle, attacked the cities of Judah from Samaria to Beth Horon. They struck down three thousand of the people and took much plunder.

14 When Amaziah returned from killing the Edomites, he brought back the gods of the people of Seir and set them up as his own gods, worshiped them, and offered sacrifices to them.

Now it came about, after that Amaziah had returned from the slaughter of the Edomites, that he brought the gods of the people of Seir, and set them up to be his own gods. He bowed down before them and burned incense to them.

15 The Lord became angry with Amaziah and he sent a prophet to him, who said to him, “Why would you worship the gods of a people who couldn't even save their own people from you?”

So Yahweh's anger was kindled against Amaziah. He sent a prophet to him, who said, “Why have you sought after the gods of a people who did not even save their own people from your hand?”

16 But while he was still speaking, the king said to him, “Have we made you a counselor to the king? Stop right now! Do you want to be struck down?” So the prophet stopped, but said, “I know that God has decided to destroy you, because you have acted like this and have refused to listen to my advice.”

It came about that as the prophet was speaking with him, the king said to him, “Have we made you an advisor to the king? Stop! Why should you be killed?” Then the prophet stopped and said, “I know that God has decided to destroy you because you have done this deed and have not listened to my advice.”

17 Then Amaziah, king of Judah, took advice from his counselors and sent a message to the king of Israel, Jehoash, son of Jehoahaz, son of Jehu. “Come and face me in battle,” he challenged.

Then Amaziah king of Judah consulted with advisors and sent messengers to Jehoash son of Jehoahaz son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, “Come, let us meet each other face to face in battle.”

18 Joash, king of Israel, replied to Amaziah, king of Judah, “A thistle on Lebanon sent a message to a cedar on Lebanon, saying, ‘Give your daughter to my son for a wife,’ but a wild animal of Lebanon passed by and trampled down the thistle.

But Jehoash the king of Israel sent messengers back to Amaziah king of Judah, saying, “A thistle that was in Lebanon sent a message to a cedar in Lebanon, saying, 'Give your daughter to my son for a wife,' but a wild beast in Lebanon walked by and trampled down the thistle.

19 You're telling yourself how great you are for defeating Edom, boasting about it. But just stay at home. Why should you stir up trouble that will bring you down, and Judah with you?”

You have said, 'See, I have struck down Edom,' and your heart has lifted you up. Take pride in your victory, but stay at home, for why should you cause yourself trouble and fall, both you and Judah with you?”

20 But Amaziah didn't listen, for God was going to hand him over to his enemies because he had chosen to worship the gods of Edom.

But Amaziah would not listen, because this event was from God, so he might put the people of Judah into the hand of their enemies, because they had sought advice from the gods of Edom.

21 So Joash king of Israel prepared for battle. He and Amaziah, king of Judah, faced one another at Beth-shemesh in Judah.

So Jehoash, king of Israel, attacked; he and Amaziah, king of Judah, met each other face to face at Beth Shemesh, which belongs to Judah.

22 Judah was defeated by Israel—they all ran away home.

Judah was struck down before Israel, and every man fled home.

23 Joash, king of Israel, captured Amaziah, king of Judah, son of Joash, son of Ahaziah, at Beth-shemesh. He took him to Jerusalem, and demolished the wall of Jerusalem for 400 cubits, from the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate.

Jehoash, king of Israel, captured Amaziah son of Jehoash son of Ahaziah, king of Judah, at Beth Shemesh. He brought him to Jerusalem and tore down the wall of Jerusalem from the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate, four hundred cubits in distance.

24 He carried away all the gold and silver, and all the articles found in God's Temple that had been looked after by Obed-edom and in the treasuries of the king's palace, as well as some hostages, and then returned to Samaria.

He took all the gold and silver, all the objects that were found in the house of God with Obed Edom, and the valuable things in the king's house, with hostages also, and returned to Samaria.

25 Amaziah, son of Joash, king of Judah, lived for fifteen years after the death of Joash, son of Jehoahaz, king of Israel.

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

26 The rest of what Amaziah did, from beginning to end, is written down in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel.

As for the other matters concerning Amaziah, first and last, behold, are they not written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel?

27 After Amaziah gave up following the Lord, a plot was hatched against him in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish. But the plotters sent men to Lachish to hunt him down, and they killed him there.

Now from the time that Amaziah turned away from following Yahweh, they began to make a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem. He fled to Lachish, but they sent men after him to Lachish and killed him there.

28 They brought him back by horse and buried him with his fathers in the city of Judah.

They brought him back on horses and buried him with his ancestors in the city of Judah.