2 Chronicles 25

1 When twenty and five years old did Amazyahu become king, and twenty and nine years did he reign in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Yeho'addan of Jerusalem.

Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he had begun to reign. And he reigned for twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. The name of his mother was Jehoaddan, from Jerusalem.

2 And he did what is right in the eyes of the Lord, yet not with an entire heart.

And he accomplished good in the sight of the Lord. Yet truly, not with a perfect heart.

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

And when he saw himself to be strengthened in his rule, he cut the throats of the servants who had killed his father, the king.

4 But their children he put not to death; but [did] as it is written in the law in the book of Moses, that the Lord had commanded, saying, The fathers shall not die for the children, nor shall the children die for the fathers, but every man shall die for his own sin.

But he did not put to death their sons, just as it was written in the book of the law of Moses, where the Lord instructed, saying: “The fathers shall not be slain because of the sons, nor the sons because of their fathers. Instead, each one shall die for his own sin.”

5 And Amazyahu gathered Judah together, and stationed them after the family divisions, after the captains over the thousands, and after the captains over the hundreds, of all Judah and Benjamin; and he numbered them from twenty years old and upward, and found them [to be] three hundred thousand chosen men, able to go forth to the army, that could handle spear and shield.

And then Amaziah gathered together Judah, and he organized them by families, and tribunes, and centurions, throughout all of Judah and Benjamin. And he numbered them from twenty years old and upward. And he found three hundred thousand young men, who could go forth to battle, and who could hold spear and shield.

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

Also, he hired for pay from Israel one hundred thousand experienced men, for one hundred talents of silver.

7 But a man of God came unto him, saying, O king, let not the army of Israel go with thee; for the Lord is not with Israel, [with] all the children of Ephraim.

Then a man of God came to him, and he said: “O king, let not the army of Israel go forth with you. For the Lord is not with Israel, nor with all the sons of Ephraim.

8 But if thou wilt go, [and be ever so] active [and] strong for the battle: God will cause thee to stumble before the enemy; for there is power with God to help, and to cause to stumble.

But if you think that a war stands by the strength of the army, God will cause you to be overwhelmed by the enemies. For indeed, it belongs to God to assist, and to put to flight.”

9 Then said Amazyahu to the man of God, But what is it to be done for the hundred talents which I have given to the band of Israel? And the man of God said, The Lord hath [enough in his power] to give thee much more than this.

And Amaziah said to the man of God, “Then what will become of the one hundred talents, which I gave to the soldiers of Israel?” And the man of God responded to him, “The Lord has that from which he is able to give much more than this to you.”

10 Then did Amazyahu separate them, [to wit, ] the band that was come to him out of Ephraim, that they might go to their place: wherefore their anger was greatly kindled against Judah, and they returned to their home in burning anger.

And so, Amaziah separated the army, which had come to him from Ephraim, so that they would return to their place. But having become very angry against Judah, they returned to their own region.

11 And Amazyahu strengthened himself, and led forth his people, and went to the Valley of Salt, and smote of the children of Se'ir ten thousand [men].

Then Amaziah confidently led forth his people. And he went away to the Valley of the Salt Pits, and he struck down ten thousand of the sons of Seir.

12 And ten thousand did the children of Judah take captive 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 crushed.

And the sons of Judah captured another ten thousand of the men. And they led them to the precipice of a certain rock. And they threw them from the summit, and they were all broken apart.

13 But the men of the band whom Amazyahu had sent back, that they should not go with him to battle, spread themselves about in the cities of Judah, from Samaria even unto Beth-choron, and smote of them three thousand [persons], and plundered much spoil.

But the army that Amaziah had sent away, so that they would not go with him into battle, spread out among the cities of Judah, from Samaria as far as Beth-horon. And having killed three thousand, they took away much plunder.

14 And it came to pass, after Amazyahu was come home from smiting the Edomites, that he brought the gods of the children of Se'ir, and set them up unto himself as gods, and before them he used to prostrate himself and unto them he used to burn incense.

Truly, after the slaughter of the Edomites, and when the gods of the sons of Seir were brought, Amaziah chose them as gods for himself. And he was adoring them, and burning incense to them.

15 Wherefore the anger of the Lord was kindled against Amazyahu, and he sent unto him a prophet, who said unto him, Why hast thou sought after the gods of the people, that have not delivered their own people out of thy hand?

For this reason, the Lord became angry against Amaziah, and he sent a prophet to him, who would say to him, “Why have you adored gods who did not free their own people from your hand?”

16 And it came to pass, as he was speaking unto him, that he said unto him, Have we ever appointed thee as a counsellor to the king? forbear this: why shouldst thou be smitten? Then did the prophet forbear; and he said, I know that God hath resolved to destroy thee, because thou hast done this, and hast not hearkened unto my counsel.

And after he spoke these things, he responded to him: “Are you the counselor of the king? Be quiet! Otherwise I will put you to death.” And departing, the prophet said, “I know that God has decided to kill you, because you have done this evil, and also because you have not agreed to my counsel.”

17 Then held Amazyahu the king of Judah a council, and sent to Joash, the son of Jehoachaz, the son of Jehu, the king of Israel, saying, Come, let us look one another in the face.

And so Amaziah, the king of Judah, undertaking a very wicked counsel, sent to Joash, the son of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu, the king of Israel, saying: “Come, let us see one another.”

18 And Joash the king of Israel sent to Amazyahu the king of Judah, saying, The thorn-bush that was in the Lebanon sent to the cedar that was in the Lebanon, saying, Give thy daughter to my son for wife. And there passed along the wild beasts that were in the Lebanon, and trod down the thorn-bush.

But he sent back messengers, saying: “The thistle which is in Lebanon sent to the cedar of Lebanon, saying: ‘Give your daughter to my son as wife.’ And behold, the beasts that were in the forest of Lebanon passed through, and they trampled the thistle.

19 Thou hast thought, Lo, thou hast smitten Edom; and thy heart hath lifted thee up to acquire much glory: now stay in thy house; why wilt thou meddle with misfortune, that thou mayest fall, thou, and Judah with thee?

You said, ‘I struck down Edom.’ And for this reason, your heart is lifted up with pride. Settle in your own house. Why do you provoke evil against yourself, so that you may fall, and then Judah with you?”

20 But Amazyahu would not hear; for it was [ordained] by God, in order to deliver them into the hand [of Joash]; because they had sought after the gods of Edom.

Amaziah was not willing to listen to him, because it was the will of the Lord that he be delivered into the hands of the enemies, because of the gods of Edom.

21 Thereupon did Joash the king of Israel go up: and they looked one another in the face, he and Amazyahu the king of Judah, at Beth-shemesh, which belongeth to Judah.

And so Joash, the king of Israel, ascended, and they presented themselves within the sight of one another. Now Amaziah, the king of Judah, was in Beth-shemesh of Judah.

22 And Judah was defeated before Israel, and they fled every man to his tents.

And Judah fell before Israel. And each one fled to his own tent.

23 And Joash the king of Israel caught Amazyahu the king of Judah, the son of Joash, the son of Jehoachaz, at Beth-shemesh; and he brought him to Jerusalem, and made a breach in the wall of Jerusalem, from the gate of Ephraim unto the corner-gate, four hundred cubits.

Then Joash, the king of Israel, captured Amaziah, the king of Judah, the son of Joash, the son of Jehoahaz, at Beth-shemesh, and he led him to Jerusalem. And he destroyed its walls, from the gate of Ephraim as far as the gate of the corner, four hundred cubits.

24 And [taking] all the gold and the silver, and all the vessels that were found in the house of God with 'Obed-edom, and the treasures of the king's house, and the children of the chiefs as hostages, he returned to Samaria.

Also, he brought back to Samaria all the gold and silver, and all the vessels, which he had found in the house of God, and with Obededom in the treasuries of the king’s house, as well as sons for hostages.

25 And Amazyahu the son of Joash the king of Judah lived after the death of Joash the son of Jehoachaz the king of Israel fifteen years.

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

26 And the rest of the acts of Amazyahu the first and the last, behold, they are fully written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.

Now the rest of the words of Amaziah, the first and the last, have been written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.

27 Now from the time that Amazyahu departed from following the Lord, they raised a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem: wherefore he fled to Lachish; but they sent after him to Lachish, and slew him there.

And after he withdrew from the Lord, they set up an ambush against him in Jerusalem. But since he had fled into Lachish, they sent and killed him in that place.

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

And having carried him back upon horses, they buried him with his fathers in the City of David.