1
Amaziah was twenty and fiveyearsold when he began to reign, and he reignedtwenty and nineyears in Jerusalem. And his mother'sname was Jehoaddan of Jerusalem.
2
And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, but not with a perfectheart.
3
Now it came to pass, when the kingdom was established[a] to him, that he slew his servants that had killed the king his father.
4
But he slew not their children, but did as it is written in the law in the book of Moses, where the LORDcommanded, saying, The fathers shall not die for the children, neither shall the childrendie for the fathers, but every man shall die for his own sin.
5
Moreover AmaziahgatheredJudahtogether, and made them captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, according to the houses of their fathers, throughout all Judah and Benjamin: and he numbered them from twentyyearsold and above, and found them threehundredthousandchoice men, able to go forth to war, that could handlespear and shield.
6
He hired also an hundredthousandmighty men of valour out of Israel for an hundredtalents of silver.
7
But there came a man of God to him, saying, O king, let not the army of Israelgo with thee; for the LORD is not with Israel, to wit, with all the children of Ephraim.
8
But if thou wilt go, do it, be strong for the battle:God shall make thee fallbefore the enemy: for Godhathpower to help, and to cast down.
9
And Amaziahsaid to the man of God, But what shall we do for the hundredtalents which I have given to the army[b] of Israel? And the man of Godanswered, The LORDis able to give thee much more than this.
10
Then Amaziahseparated them, to wit, the army that was come to him out of Ephraim, to gohomeagain:[c] wherefore their anger was greatlykindled against Judah, and they returnedhome in greatanger.
11
And Amaziahstrengthened himself, and led forth his people, and went to the valley of salt, and smote of the children of Seirtenthousand.
12
And other tenthousand left alive did the children of Judah carry away captive, and brought them unto the top of the rock, and cast them down from the top of the rock, that they all were broken in pieces.
13
But the soldiers[d] of the army which Amaziah sent back, that they should not go with him to battle,fell upon the cities of Judah, from Samaria even unto Bethhoron, and smotethreethousand of them, and tookmuchspoil.
14
Now it came to pass, after that Amaziah was come from the slaughter of the Edomites, that he brought the gods of the children of Seir, and set them up to be his gods, and bowed down himself before them, and burned incense unto them.
15
Wherefore the anger of the LORD was kindled against Amaziah, and he sent unto him a prophet, which said unto him, Why hast thou sought after the gods of the people, which could not deliver their own people out of thine hand?
16
And it came to pass, as he talked with him, that the king said unto him, Art thou made of the king'scounsel? forbear; why shouldest thou be smitten? Then the prophetforbare, and said, I know that God hath determined[e] to destroy thee, because thou hast done this, and hast not hearkened unto my counsel.
17
Then Amaziahking of Judah took advice, and sent to Joash, the son of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu,king of Israel,saying, Come, let us see one another in the face.
18
And Joashking of Israelsent to Amaziahking of Judah,saying, The thistle[f] that was in Lebanonsent to the cedar that was in Lebanon,saying, Give thy daughter to my son to wife: and there passed by a wildbeast that was in Lebanon, and trode down the thistle.
19
Thou sayest, Lo, thou hast smitten the Edomites; and thine heart lifteth thee up to boast: abide now at home; why shouldest thou meddle to thine hurt, that thou shouldest fall, even thou, and Judah with thee?
20
But Amaziah would not hear; for it came of God, that he might deliver them into the hand of their enemies, because they sought after the gods of Edom.
21
So Joash the king of Israel went up; and they saw one another in the face, both he and Amaziahking of Judah, at Bethshemesh, which belongeth to Judah.
22
And Judah was put to the worsebeforeIsrael, and they fled every man to his tent.
23
And Joash the king of IsraeltookAmaziahking of Judah, the son of Joash, the son of Jehoahaz, at Bethshemesh, and brought him to Jerusalem, and brake down the wall of Jerusalem from the gate of Ephraim to the corner[g]gate,fourhundredcubits.
24
And he took all the gold and the silver, and all the vessels that were found in the house of God with Obededom, and the treasures of the king'shouse, the hostagesalso, and returned to Samaria.
25
And Amaziah the son of Joashking of Judahlivedafter the death of Joashson of Jehoahazking of Israelfifteen*years.
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 after the time that Amaziah did turn away from following the LORD they made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem; and he fled to Lachish: but they sent to Lachishafter him, and slew him there.
28
And they brought him upon horses, and buried him with his fathers in the city of Judah.[h]