2 Chronicles 25

1 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.

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.

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

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

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

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.

4 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.”

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.

5 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.

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.

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

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

7 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.

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.

8 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.”

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.

9 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.”

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.

10 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.

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.

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

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].

12 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.

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.

13 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.

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.

14 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.

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.

15 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?”

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?

16 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.”

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.

17 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.”

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.

18 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.

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.

19 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?”

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?

20 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.

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.

21 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.

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.

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

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

23 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.

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.

24 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.

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.

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

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.

26 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?

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.

27 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.

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.

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

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