[1] Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he was
ruling in Jerusalem for twenty-nine years; his mother's name was Jehoaddan
of Jerusalem. [2] He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, but his
heart was not completely true to the Lord. [3] Now when he became strong in
the kingdom, he put to death those men who had taken the life of the king
his father. [4] But he did not put their children to death, for he kept the
orders of the Lord recorded in the book of the law of Moses, saying, The
fathers are not to be put to death for their children or the children for
their fathers, but a man is to be put to death for the sin which he himself
has done. [5] Then Amaziah got all Judah together and put them in order by
their families, even all Judah and Benjamin, under captains of thousands
and captains of hundreds: and he had those of twenty years old and over
numbered, and they came to three hundred thousand of the best fighting-men,
trained for war and in the use of the spear and the body-cover. [6] And for
a hundred talents of silver, he got a hundred thousand fighting-men from
Israel. [7] But a man of God came to him, saying, O king, let not the army
of Israel go with you; for the Lord is not with Israel, that is, the
children of Ephraim. [8] But go yourself, and be strong in war; God will
not let you go down before those who are fighting against you; for God has
power to give help or to send you down before your attackers. [9] Then
Amaziah said to the man of God, But what is to be done about the hundred
talents which I have given for the armed band of Israel? And the man of God
in answer said, God is able to give you much more than this. [10] So
Amaziah, separating the armed band which had come to him from Ephraim, sent
them back again; which made them very angry with Judah, and they went back
burning with wrath. [11] Then Amaziah took heart, and went out at the head
of his people and came to the Valley of Salt, where he put to death ten
thousand of the children of Seir; [12] And ten thousand more the children
of Israel took living, and made them go up to the top of the rock, pushing
them down from the top of the rock so that their bodies were broken by the
fall. [13] But the men of the band which Amaziah sent back and did not take
with him to the fight, made attacks on the towns of Judah from Samaria to
Beth-horon, putting to death three thousand of their people and taking away
a great store of their goods. [14] Now when Amaziah came back from the
destruction of the Edomites, he took the gods of the children of Seir and
made them his gods, worshipping them and burning offerings before them.
[15] And so the wrath of the Lord was moved against Amaziah, and he sent a
prophet to him, who said, Why have you gone after the gods of the people
who have not given their people salvation from your hands? [16] But while
he was talking to him the king said to him, Have we made you one of the
king's government? say no more, or it will be the cause of your death. Then
the prophet gave up protesting, and said, It is clear to me that God's
purpose is your destruction, because you have done this and have not given
ear to my words. [17] Then Amaziah, king of Judah, acting on the suggestion
of his servants, sent to Joash, the son of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu, king
of Israel, saying, Come, let us have a meeting face to face. [18] And
Joash, king of Israel, sent to Amaziah, king of Judah, saying, The
thorn-tree in Lebanon sent to the cedar in Lebanon, saying, Give your
daughter to my son for a wife: and a beast from the woodland in Lebanon
went by, crushing the thorn under his feet. [19] You say, See, I have
overcome Edom; and your heart is lifted up with pride: now keep in your
country; why do you make causes of trouble, putting yourself, and Judah
with you, in danger of downfall? [20] But Amaziah gave no attention; and
this was the purpose of God, so that he might give them up into the hands
of Joash, because they had gone after the gods of Edom. [21] And so Joash,
king of Israel, went up; and he and Amaziah, king of Judah, came face to
face at Beth-shemesh in Judah. [22] And Judah was overcome before Israel,
and they went in flight, every man to his tent. [23] And Joash, king of
Israel, made Amaziah, king of Judah, the son of Joash, the son of Jehoahaz,
prisoner at Beth-shemesh, and took him to Jerusalem; and he had the wall of
Jerusalem pulled down from the doorway of Ephraim to the doorway in the
angle, four hundred cubits. [24] And he took all the gold and silver and
all the vessels which were in the house of the Lord, under the care of
Obed-edom, and all the wealth from the king's house, as well as those whose
lives would be the price of broken faith, and went back to Samaria. [25]
Amaziah, son of Joash, king of Judah, went on living for fifteen years
after the death of Joash, the son of Jehoahaz, king of Israel. [26] Now the
rest of the acts of Amaziah, first and last, are they not recorded in the
book of the kings of Judah and Israel? [27] Now from the time when Amaziah
gave up worshipping the Lord, they made secret designs against him in
Jerusalem; and he went in flight to Lachish: but they sent to Lachish after
him and put him to death there. [28] And they took his body on horseback
and put it into the earth with his fathers in the town of David.
