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Jehoahaz Rules in Israel

13 Jehoahaz son of Jehu began to rule over Israel in the twenty-third year of King Joash’s reign in Judah. He reigned in Samaria seventeen years. But he did what was evil in the Lord’s sight. He followed the example of Jeroboam son of Nebat, continuing the sins that Jeroboam had led Israel to commit. So the Lord was very angry with Israel, and he allowed King Hazael of Aram and his son Ben-hadad to defeat them repeatedly.

Then Jehoahaz prayed for the Lord’s help, and the Lord heard his prayer, for he could see how severely the king of Aram was oppressing Israel. So the Lord provided someone to rescue the Israelites from the tyranny of the Arameans. Then Israel lived in safety again as they had in former days.

But they continued to sin, following the evil example of Jeroboam. They also allowed the Asherah pole in Samaria to remain standing. Finally, Jehoahaz’s army was reduced to 50 charioteers, 10 chariots, and 10,000 foot soldiers. The king of Aram had killed the others, trampling them like dust under his feet.

The rest of the events in Jehoahaz’s reign—everything he did and the extent of his power—are recorded in The Book of the History of the Kings of Israel. When Jehoahaz died, he was buried in Samaria. Then his son Jehoash[a] became the next king.

Jehoash Rules in Israel

10 Jehoash son of Jehoahaz began to rule over Israel in the thirty-seventh year of King Joash’s reign in Judah. He reigned in Samaria sixteen years. 11 But he did what was evil in the Lord’s sight. He refused to turn from the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had led Israel to commit.

12 The rest of the events in Jehoash’s reign and everything he did, including the extent of his power and his war with King Amaziah of Judah, are recorded in The Book of the History of the Kings of Israel. 13 When Jehoash died, he was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel. Then his son Jeroboam II became the next king.

Elisha’s Final Prophecy

14 When Elisha was in his last illness, King Jehoash of Israel visited him and wept over him. “My father! My father! I see the chariots and charioteers of Israel!” he cried.

15 Elisha told him, “Get a bow and some arrows.” And the king did as he was told. 16 Elisha told him, “Put your hand on the bow,” and Elisha laid his own hands on the king’s hands.

17 Then he commanded, “Open that eastern window,” and he opened it. Then he said, “Shoot!” So he shot an arrow. Elisha proclaimed, “This is the Lord’s arrow, an arrow of victory over Aram, for you will completely conquer the Arameans at Aphek.”

18 Then he said, “Now pick up the other arrows and strike them against the ground.” So the king picked them up and struck the ground three times. 19 But the man of God was angry with him. “You should have struck the ground five or six times!” he exclaimed. “Then you would have beaten Aram until it was entirely destroyed. Now you will be victorious only three times.”

20 Then Elisha died and was buried.

Groups of Moabite raiders used to invade the land each spring. 21 Once when some Israelites were burying a man, they spied a band of these raiders. So they hastily threw the corpse into the tomb of Elisha and fled. But as soon as the body touched Elisha’s bones, the dead man revived and jumped to his feet!

22 King Hazael of Aram had oppressed Israel during the entire reign of King Jehoahaz. 23 But the Lord was gracious and merciful to the people of Israel, and they were not totally destroyed. He pitied them because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And to this day he still has not completely destroyed them or banished them from his presence.

24 King Hazael of Aram died, and his son Ben-hadad became the next king. 25 Then Jehoash son of Jehoahaz recaptured from Ben-hadad son of Hazael the towns that had been taken from Jehoash’s father, Jehoahaz. Jehoash defeated Ben-hadad on three occasions, and he recovered the Israelite towns.

Amaziah Rules in Judah

14 Amaziah son of Joash began to rule over Judah in the second year of the reign of King Jehoash[b] of Israel. Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother was Jehoaddin from Jerusalem. Amaziah did what was pleasing in the Lord’s sight, but not like his ancestor David. Instead, he followed the example of his father, Joash. Amaziah did not destroy the pagan shrines, and the people still offered sacrifices and burned incense there.

When Amaziah was well established as king, he executed the officials who had assassinated his father. However, he did not kill the children of the assassins, for he obeyed the command of the Lord as written by Moses in the Book of the Law: “Parents must not be put to death for the sins of their children, nor children for the sins of their parents. Those deserving to die must be put to death for their own crimes.”[c]

Amaziah also killed 10,000 Edomites in the Valley of Salt. He also conquered Sela and changed its name to Joktheel, as it is called to this day.

One day Amaziah sent messengers with this challenge to Israel’s king Jehoash, the son of Jehoahaz and grandson of Jehu: “Come and meet me in battle!”[d]

But King Jehoash of Israel replied to King Amaziah of Judah with this story: “Out in the Lebanon mountains, a thistle sent a message to a mighty cedar tree: ‘Give your daughter in marriage to my son.’ But just then a wild animal of Lebanon came by and stepped on the thistle, crushing it!

10 “You have indeed defeated Edom, and you are proud of it. But be content with your victory and stay at home! Why stir up trouble that will only bring disaster on you and the people of Judah?”

11 But Amaziah refused to listen, so King Jehoash of Israel mobilized his army against King Amaziah of Judah. The two armies drew up their battle lines at Beth-shemesh in Judah. 12 Judah was routed by the army of Israel, and its army scattered and fled for home. 13 King Jehoash of Israel captured Judah’s king, Amaziah son of Joash and grandson of Ahaziah, at Beth-shemesh. Then he marched to Jerusalem, where he demolished 600 feet[e] of Jerusalem’s wall, from the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate. 14 He carried off all the gold and silver and all the articles from the Temple of the Lord. He also seized the treasures from the royal palace, along with hostages, and then returned to Samaria.

15 The rest of the events in Jehoash’s reign and everything he did, including the extent of his power and his war with King Amaziah of Judah, are recorded in The Book of the History of the Kings of Israel. 16 When Jehoash died, he was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel. And his son Jeroboam II became the next king.

17 King Amaziah of Judah lived for fifteen years after the death of King Jehoash of Israel. 18 The rest of the events in Amaziah’s reign are recorded in The Book of the History of the Kings of Judah.

19 There was a conspiracy against Amaziah’s life in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish. But his enemies sent assassins after him, and they killed him there. 20 They brought his body back to Jerusalem on a horse, and he was buried with his ancestors in the City of David.

21 All the people of Judah had crowned Amaziah’s sixteen-year-old son, Uzziah,[f] as king in place of his father, Amaziah. 22 After his father’s death, Uzziah rebuilt the town of Elath and restored it to Judah.

Jeroboam II Rules in Israel

23 Jeroboam II, the son of Jehoash, began to rule over Israel in the fifteenth year of King Amaziah’s reign in Judah. He reigned in Samaria forty-one years. 24 He did what was evil in the Lord’s sight. He refused to turn from the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had led Israel to commit. 25 Jeroboam II recovered the territories of Israel between Lebo-hamath and the Dead Sea,[g] just as the Lord, the God of Israel, had promised through Jonah son of Amittai, the prophet from Gath-hepher.

26 For the Lord saw the bitter suffering of everyone in Israel, and that there was no one in Israel, slave or free, to help them. 27 And because the Lord had not said he would blot out the name of Israel completely, he used Jeroboam II, the son of Jehoash, to save them.

28 The rest of the events in the reign of Jeroboam II and everything he did—including the extent of his power, his wars, and how he recovered for Israel both Damascus and Hamath, which had belonged to Judah[h]—are recorded in The Book of the History of the Kings of Israel. 29 When Jeroboam II died, he was buried in Samaria[i] with the kings of Israel. Then his son Zechariah became the next king.

Footnotes

  1. 13:9 Hebrew Joash, a variant spelling of Jehoash; also in 13:10, 12, 13, 14, 25.
  2. 14:1 Hebrew Joash, a variant spelling of Jehoash; also in 14:13, 23, 27.
  3. 14:6 Deut 24:16.
  4. 14:8 Hebrew Come, let us look one another in the face.
  5. 14:13 Hebrew 400 cubits [180 meters].
  6. 14:21 Hebrew Azariah, a variant spelling of Uzziah.
  7. 14:25 Hebrew the sea of the Arabah.
  8. 14:28 Or to Yaudi. The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.
  9. 14:29 As in some Greek manuscripts; Hebrew lacks he was buried in Samaria.

Kings of Israel: Jehoahaz and Jehoash

13 In the twenty-third year of Joash the son of Ahaziah, king of Judah, Jehoahaz the son of Jehu became king over Israel at Samaria, and he reigned for seventeen years. He did evil in the sight of the Lord, and followed the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, (A)into which he misled Israel; he did not turn from them. (B)So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and He continually handed them over to (C)Hazael king of Aram, and to (D)Ben-hadad, the son of Hazael. Then (E)Jehoahaz appeased the Lord, and the Lord listened to him; for (F)He saw the oppression of Israel, how the king of Aram oppressed them. And the Lord gave Israel a [a](G)savior, so that they [b]escaped from under the hand of the Arameans; and the sons of Israel lived in their tents as previously. Nevertheless they did not abandon the sins of the house of Jeroboam, (H)into which he misled Israel; rather, they walked in [c]them; and (I)the [d]Asherah also remained standing in Samaria. For he left to Jehoahaz no more of the [e]army than fifty horsemen, ten chariots, and ten thousand infantry, because the king of Aram had eliminated them and (J)made them like the dust at threshing. Now as for the rest of the acts of Jehoahaz, and all that he did and his might, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? And Jehoahaz [f]lay down with his fathers, and they buried him in Samaria; and his son Joash became king in his place.

10 In the thirty-seventh year of Joash king of Judah, [g]Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz became king over Israel in Samaria, and he reigned for sixteen years. 11 He did evil in the sight of the Lord; he did not turn away from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, into which he misled Israel; rather, he walked in [h]them. 12 (K)Now as for the rest of the acts of Joash and all that he did, and his might with which he fought against Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 13 So Joash [i]lay down with his fathers, and Jeroboam sat on his throne; and Joash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel.

Death of Elisha

14 When Elisha [j]became sick with the illness of which he was to die, Joash the king of Israel came down to him, and wept over [k]him and said, “(L)My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” 15 And Elisha said to him, “Take a bow and arrows.” So he [l]took a bow and arrows. 16 Then Elisha said to the king of Israel, “Lay your hand on the bow.” And he laid his hand on it, then Elisha put his hands on the king’s hands. 17 And he said, “Open the window toward the east,” and he opened it. Then Elisha said, “Shoot!” So he shot. And he said, “The Lords arrow of victory, and the arrow of victory over Aram; for you will [m]defeat the Arameans at (M)Aphek until you have put an end to them.” 18 Then he said, “Take the arrows,” and he took them. And he said to the king of Israel, “Strike the ground,” and he struck it three times and [n]stopped. 19 Then (N)the man of God became angry at him and said, “You should have struck five or six times, then you would have struck Aram until you put an end to it. But now you shall strike Aram (O)only three times.”

20 And Elisha died, and they buried him. Now (P)the marauding bands of the Moabites would invade the land [o]in the spring of the year. 21 And as they were burying a man, behold, they saw a marauding band; and they threw the man into the grave of Elisha. And when the man [p]touched the bones of Elisha he (Q)revived and stood up on his feet.

22 Now (R)Hazael king of Aram had oppressed Israel all the days of Jehoahaz. 23 But the (S)Lord was gracious to them and (T)had compassion on them and turned to them because of (U)His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and He was unwilling to eliminate them or cast them away from His presence until now.

24 When Hazael king of Aram died, his son Ben-hadad became king in his place. 25 Then (V)Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz again took from the hand of Ben-hadad the son of Hazael the cities which he had taken in war from the hand of his father Jehoahaz. (W)Three times Joash [q]defeated him and recovered the cities of Israel.

Amaziah Reigns over Judah

14 (X)In the second year of Joash son of Joahaz king of Israel, (Y)Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah became king. He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned for twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Jehoaddin of Jerusalem. He did what was right in the sight of the Lord, yet not like his father David; he acted in accordance with everything that his father Joash had done. Only (Z)the high places were not eliminated; (AA)the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places. Now it came about, as soon as the kingdom was firmly in his hand, that he [r](AB)killed his servants who had [s]killed the king, his father. But he did not put the sons of [t]the murderers to death, in [u]obedience to what is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, as the Lord commanded, saying, “(AC)The fathers shall not be put to death for the sons, nor the sons be put to death for the fathers; but (AD)each shall be put to death for his own sin.”

He [v]killed ten thousand of the Edomites in (AE)the Valley of Salt, and took (AF)Sela by war, and named it (AG)Joktheel, as it is to this day.

(AH)Then Amaziah sent messengers to [w]Jehoash, the son of Jehoahaz son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, “(AI)Come, let’s face each other in combat.” But Jehoash king of Israel sent messengers to Amaziah king of Judah, saying, “(AJ)The thorn bush that was in Lebanon sent word to the cedar that was in Lebanon, saying, ‘Give your daughter to my son [x]in marriage.’ But a wild animal that was in Lebanon passed by and trampled the thorn bush. 10 (AK)You have indeed [y]defeated Edom, and (AL)your heart [z]is elated. Enjoy the glory and stay home; for why should you get involved in trouble so that you would fall, you and Judah with you?”

11 But Amaziah would not listen. So Jehoash king of Israel went up; and they faced each other, he and Amaziah king of Judah, at (AM)Beth-shemesh, which belongs to Judah. 12 And Judah was defeated by Israel, and (AN)they fled, every man to his tent. 13 Then Jehoash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Jehoash the son of Ahaziah, at Beth-shemesh, and came to Jerusalem and tore down the wall of Jerusalem from (AO)the Gate of Ephraim to (AP)the Corner Gate, [aa]four hundred cubits. 14 And (AQ)he took all the gold and silver and all the utensils which were found in the house of the Lord, and in the treasuries of the king’s house, the hostages as well, and returned to Samaria.

Jeroboam II Succeeds Jehoash (Joash) in Israel

15 (AR)Now as for the rest of the acts of Jehoash that he did, and his might and how he fought with Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 16 So Jehoash [ab]lay down with his fathers and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel; and his son Jeroboam became king in his place.

Azariah (Uzziah) Succeeds Amaziah in Judah

17 (AS)Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah lived for fifteen years after the death of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel. 18 Now as for the rest of the acts of Amaziah, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 19 They formed a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem, and he fled to (AT)Lachish; but they sent men to Lachish after him and they killed him there. 20 Then they carried him on horses, and he was buried in Jerusalem with his fathers in the city of David. 21 And all the people of Judah took [ac]Azariah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in place of his father Amaziah. 22 (AU)He built Elath and restored it to Judah after the king [ad]lay down with his fathers.

23 In the fifteenth year of Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah, Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israel became king in Samaria, and reigned for forty-one years. 24 He did evil in the sight of the Lord; he did not abandon all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, into which he misled Israel. 25 (AV)He restored the border of Israel from (AW)the entrance of Hamath as far as (AX)the Sea of the Arabah, in accordance with the word of the Lord, the God of Israel, which He spoke [ae]through His servant (AY)Jonah the son of Amittai, the prophet, who was from (AZ)Gath-hepher. 26 For the (BA)Lord saw the misery of Israel, which was very bitter; for (BB)there was neither [af]bond nor free spared, nor was there any helper for Israel. 27 Yet the (BC)Lord did not say that He would wipe out the name of Israel from under heaven, but He saved them by the hand of Jeroboam the son of Joash.

Zechariah Reigns over Israel

28 Now as for the rest of the acts of Jeroboam and all that he did and his might, how he fought and how he recovered for Israel (BD)Damascus and (BE)Hamath, which had belonged to Judah, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 29 And Jeroboam [ag]lay down with his fathers, with the kings of Israel, and his son Zechariah became king in his place.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 13:5 Or deliverer
  2. 2 Kings 13:5 Lit went out
  3. 2 Kings 13:6 Lit it
  4. 2 Kings 13:6 I.e., wooden symbol of a female deity
  5. 2 Kings 13:7 Lit people
  6. 2 Kings 13:9 I.e., died
  7. 2 Kings 13:10 In Heb Jehoash is another spelling of Joash
  8. 2 Kings 13:11 Lit it
  9. 2 Kings 13:13 I.e., died
  10. 2 Kings 13:14 Lit was sick with his sickness
  11. 2 Kings 13:14 Lit his face
  12. 2 Kings 13:15 Lit took to himself
  13. 2 Kings 13:17 Lit strike
  14. 2 Kings 13:18 Lit stood still
  15. 2 Kings 13:20 Lit at the coming of
  16. 2 Kings 13:21 Lit went and touched
  17. 2 Kings 13:25 Lit struck
  18. 2 Kings 14:5 Lit struck
  19. 2 Kings 14:5 Lit struck
  20. 2 Kings 14:6 Lit those who struck
  21. 2 Kings 14:6 Lit accordance with what
  22. 2 Kings 14:7 Lit struck
  23. 2 Kings 14:8 In Heb Jehoash is another spelling of Joash
  24. 2 Kings 14:9 Lit as a wife
  25. 2 Kings 14:10 Lit struck
  26. 2 Kings 14:10 Lit has lifted you up
  27. 2 Kings 14:13 About 600 ft. or 183 m
  28. 2 Kings 14:16 I.e., died
  29. 2 Kings 14:21 In 2 Chr 26:1, Uzziah
  30. 2 Kings 14:22 I.e., died
  31. 2 Kings 14:25 Lit by the hand of
  32. 2 Kings 14:26 Or child nor adult
  33. 2 Kings 14:29 I.e., died

Amaziah Rules in Judah

25 Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother was Jehoaddin[a] from Jerusalem. Amaziah did what was pleasing in the Lord’s sight, but not wholeheartedly.

When Amaziah was well established as king, he executed the officials who had assassinated his father. However, he did not kill the children of the assassins, for he obeyed the command of the Lord as written by Moses in the Book of the Law: “Parents must not be put to death for the sins of their children, nor children for the sins of their parents. Those deserving to die must be put to death for their own crimes.”[b]

Then Amaziah organized the army, assigning generals and captains[c] for all Judah and Benjamin. He took a census and found that he had an army of 300,000 select troops, twenty years old and older, all trained in the use of spear and shield. He also paid about 7,500 pounds[d] of silver to hire 100,000 experienced fighting men from Israel.

But a man of God came to him and said, “Your Majesty, do not hire troops from Israel, for the Lord is not with Israel. He will not help those people of Ephraim! If you let them go with your troops into battle, you will be defeated by the enemy no matter how well you fight. God will overthrow you, for he has the power to help you or to trip you up.”

Amaziah asked the man of God, “But what about all that silver I paid to hire the army of Israel?”

The man of God replied, “The Lord is able to give you much more than this!” 10 So Amaziah discharged the hired troops and sent them back to Ephraim. This made them very angry with Judah, and they returned home in a great rage.

11 Then Amaziah summoned his courage and led his army to the Valley of Salt, where they killed 10,000 Edomite troops from Seir. 12 They captured another 10,000 and took them to the top of a cliff and threw them off, dashing them to pieces on the rocks below.

13 Meanwhile, the hired troops that Amaziah had sent home raided several of the towns of Judah between Samaria and Beth-horon. They killed 3,000 people and carried off great quantities of plunder.

14 When King Amaziah returned from slaughtering the Edomites, he brought with him idols taken from the people of Seir. He set them up as his own gods, bowed down in front of them, and offered sacrifices to them! 15 This made the Lord very angry, and he sent a prophet to ask, “Why do you turn to gods who could not even save their own people from you?”

16 But the king interrupted him and said, “Since when have I made you the king’s counselor? Be quiet now before I have you killed!”

So the prophet stopped with this warning: “I know that God has determined to destroy you because you have done this and have refused to accept my counsel.”

17 After consulting with his advisers, King Amaziah of Judah sent this challenge to Israel’s king Jehoash,[e] the son of Jehoahaz and grandson of Jehu: “Come and meet me in battle!”[f]

18 But King Jehoash of Israel replied to King Amaziah of Judah with this story: “Out in the Lebanon mountains, a thistle sent a message to a mighty cedar tree: ‘Give your daughter in marriage to my son.’ But just then a wild animal of Lebanon came by and stepped on the thistle, crushing it!

19 “You are saying, ‘I have defeated Edom,’ and you are very proud of it. But my advice is to stay at home. Why stir up trouble that will only bring disaster on you and the people of Judah?”

20 But Amaziah refused to listen, for God was determined to destroy him for turning to the gods of Edom. 21 So King Jehoash of Israel mobilized his army against King Amaziah of Judah. The two armies drew up their battle lines at Beth-shemesh in Judah. 22 Judah was routed by the army of Israel, and its army scattered and fled for home. 23 King Jehoash of Israel captured Judah’s king, Amaziah son of Joash and grandson of Ahaziah, at Beth-shemesh. Then he brought him to Jerusalem, where he demolished 600 feet[g] of Jerusalem’s wall, from the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate. 24 He carried off all the gold and silver and all the articles from the Temple of God that had been in the care of Obed-edom. He also seized the treasures of the royal palace, along with hostages, and then returned to Samaria.

25 King Amaziah of Judah lived for fifteen years after the death of King Jehoash of Israel. 26 The rest of the events in Amaziah’s reign, from beginning to end, are recorded in The Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel.

27 After Amaziah turned away from the Lord, there was a conspiracy against his life in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish. But his enemies sent assassins after him, and they killed him there. 28 They brought his body back on a horse, and he was buried with his ancestors in the City of David.[h]

Footnotes

  1. 25:1 As in parallel text at 2 Kgs 14:2; Hebrew reads Jehoaddan, a variant spelling of Jehoaddin.
  2. 25:4 Deut 24:16.
  3. 25:5 Hebrew commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds.
  4. 25:6 Hebrew 100 talents [3,400 kilograms].
  5. 25:17a Hebrew Joash, a variant spelling of Jehoash; also in 25:18, 21, 23, 25.
  6. 25:17b Hebrew Come, let us look one another in the face.
  7. 25:23 Hebrew 400 cubits [180 meters].
  8. 25:28 As in some Hebrew manuscripts and other ancient versions (see also 2 Kgs 14:20); most Hebrew manuscripts read the city of Judah.

Amaziah Succeeds Joash in Judah

25 (A)Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned for twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Jehoaddan of Jerusalem. He did what was right in the sight of the Lord, (B)only not wholeheartedly. Now (C)it came about, as soon as the kingdom was [a]firmly in his grasp, that he killed his servants who had killed his father the king. However, he did not put their children to death, but did as it is written in the Law in the Book of Moses, which the Lord commanded, saying, “(D)Fathers shall not be put to death for sons, nor sons be put to death for fathers; but each shall be put to death for his own sin.”

Amaziah Defeats Edomites

Moreover, Amaziah assembled Judah and appointed them according to their fathers’ households under commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds throughout Judah and Benjamin; and he [b]took a census of those (E)from twenty years old and upward and found them to be (F)three hundred thousand choice men, able to go to war and handle spear and shield. He also hired a hundred thousand valiant warriors from Israel for [c]a hundred talents of silver. But (G)a man of God came to him saying, “O king, do not let the army of Israel come with you, for the Lord is not with Israel nor with any of the sons of Ephraim. But if you do go, do it, be strong for the battle; yet God will [d]bring you down before the enemy, (H)for God has the power to help and to [e]bring down.” Amaziah said to the man of God, “But what are we to do about the [f]hundred talents which I have given to the troops of Israel?” And the man of God answered, “(I)The Lord has much more to give you than this.” 10 Then Amaziah [g]dismissed the troops which came to him from Ephraim, to go home; so their anger burned against Judah, and they returned [h]home in fierce anger.

11 Now Amaziah gathered his courage and led his people out, and went to (J)the Valley of Salt, and struck and killed ten thousand of the sons of Seir. 12 The sons of Judah also captured ten thousand alive and brought them to the top of the cliff, and threw them down from the top of the cliff so that they were all dashed to pieces. 13 But the [i]troops whom Amaziah sent back, those not going with him to battle, raided the cities of Judah from Samaria to Beth-horon, and struck and killed three thousand of them, and plundered a large amount of spoils.

Amaziah Rebuked for Idolatry

14 Now after Amaziah came from slaughtering the Edomites, (K)he brought the gods of the sons of Seir and set them up as his gods. Then he bowed down before them and burned incense to them. 15 So the anger of the Lord burned against Amaziah, and He sent him a prophet who said to him, “Why have you sought the gods of the people (L)who have not saved their own people from your hand?” 16 As he was talking with him, [j]the king said to him, “Have we appointed you to be a royal counselor? Stop! Why should [k]you be put to death?” Then the prophet stopped and said, “I know that God has planned to destroy you, because you have done this and have not listened to my counsel.”

Amaziah Defeated by Joash of Israel

17 (M)Then Amaziah king of Judah took counsel and sent word to Joash the son of Jehoahaz the son of Jehu, the king of Israel, saying, “Come, let’s face each other.” 18 But Joash the king of Israel sent a reply to Amaziah king of Judah, saying, “(N)The thorn bush that was in Lebanon sent word to the cedar that was in Lebanon, saying, ‘Give your daughter to my son in marriage.’ But a wild beast that was in Lebanon passed by and trampled the thorn bush. 19 You said, ‘Behold, you have [l]defeated Edom.’ And (O)your heart has lifted you up in boasting. Now stay home; why should you provoke trouble so that you, would fall, you and Judah with you?”

20 But Amaziah would not listen, for it was from God, so that He might hand them over to Joash, because they had sought the gods of Edom. 21 So Joash king of Israel went up, and he and Amaziah king of Judah faced each other at Beth-shemesh, which belonged to Judah. 22 And Judah was defeated [m]by Israel, and they fled, every man to his tent. 23 Then Joash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Joash the son of (P)Jehoahaz, at Beth-shemesh, and brought him to Jerusalem and tore down the wall of Jerusalem from the Gate of Ephraim to the Corner Gate, [n]four hundred cubits. 24 He took all the gold and silver and all the utensils which were found in the house of God with (Q)Obed-edom, and the treasures of the king’s house, the hostages too, and returned to Samaria.

25 (R)And Amaziah, the son of Joash king of Judah, lived fifteen years after the death of Joash, son of Jehoahaz, king of Israel. 26 Now the rest of the acts of Amaziah, from the first to the last, behold, are they not written in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel? 27 From the time that Amaziah turned away from following the Lord they conspired against him in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish; but they sent men after him to Lachish, and they killed him there. 28 Then they brought him on horses and buried him with his fathers in the city of Judah.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 25:3 Lit firm upon him
  2. 2 Chronicles 25:5 Lit mustered
  3. 2 Chronicles 25:6 About 3.75 tons or 3.4 metric tons
  4. 2 Chronicles 25:8 Lit cause you to stumble
  5. 2 Chronicles 25:8 Lit cause to stumble
  6. 2 Chronicles 25:9 About 3.75 tons or 3.4 metric tons
  7. 2 Chronicles 25:10 Lit separated
  8. 2 Chronicles 25:10 Lit to their own place
  9. 2 Chronicles 25:13 Lit sons of the troops
  10. 2 Chronicles 25:16 Lit he
  11. 2 Chronicles 25:16 Lit they strike and kill you
  12. 2 Chronicles 25:19 Lit struck
  13. 2 Chronicles 25:22 Lit before
  14. 2 Chronicles 25:23 About 600 ft. or 183 m

The Dangers of the Last Days

You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that!

They are the kind who work their way into people’s homes and win the confidence of[a] vulnerable women who are burdened with the guilt of sin and controlled by various desires. (Such women are forever following new teachings, but they are never able to understand the truth.) These teachers oppose the truth just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses. They have depraved minds and a counterfeit faith. But they won’t get away with this for long. Someday everyone will recognize what fools they are, just as with Jannes and Jambres.

Paul’s Charge to Timothy

10 But you, Timothy, certainly know what I teach, and how I live, and what my purpose in life is. You know my faith, my patience, my love, and my endurance. 11 You know how much persecution and suffering I have endured. You know all about how I was persecuted in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra—but the Lord rescued me from all of it. 12 Yes, and everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. 13 But evil people and impostors will flourish. They will deceive others and will themselves be deceived.

14 But you must remain faithful to the things you have been taught. You know they are true, for you know you can trust those who taught you. 15 You have been taught the holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. 17 God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.

Footnotes

  1. 3:6 Greek and take captive.

Difficult Times Will Come

But realize this, that (A)in the last days difficult times will come. For people will be (B)lovers of self, (C)lovers of money, (D)boastful, (E)arrogant, (F)slanderers, (G)disobedient to parents, (H)ungrateful, (I)unholy, (J)unloving, irreconcilable, (K)malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, [a](L)haters of good, (M)treacherous, (N)reckless, (O)conceited, (P)lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of [b](Q)godliness although they have (R)denied its power; (S)avoid such people as these. For among them are those who [c](T)slip into households and captivate [d](U)weak women weighed down with sins, led on by (V)various impulses, always learning and never able to (W)come to the [e]knowledge of the truth. Just as (X)Jannes and Jambres (Y)opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, (Z)men of depraved mind, [f]worthless in regard to the faith. But they will not make further progress; for their (AA)foolishness will be obvious to all, just (AB)as was that also of [g]Jannes and Jambres.

10 Now you (AC)followed my teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, patience, (AD)love, [h]perseverance, 11 (AE)persecutions, and (AF)sufferings, such as happened to me at (AG)Antioch, at (AH)Iconium, and at (AI)Lystra; what (AJ)persecutions I endured, and out of them all (AK)the Lord rescued me! 12 Indeed, all who want to live in a godly way in Christ Jesus (AL)will be persecuted. 13 But evil people and impostors (AM)will proceed from bad to worse, (AN)deceiving and being deceived. 14 You, however, (AO)continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them, 15 and that (AP)from childhood you have known (AQ)the sacred writings which are able to (AR)give you the wisdom that leads to (AS)salvation through faith which is in (AT)Christ Jesus. 16 (AU)All Scripture is [i]inspired by God and beneficial for teaching, for [j]rebuke, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17 so that (AV)the man or woman of God may be [k]fully capable, (AW)equipped for every good work.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Timothy 3:3 Lit not loving good
  2. 2 Timothy 3:5 Or religion
  3. 2 Timothy 3:6 Or creep into
  4. 2 Timothy 3:6 Or idle
  5. 2 Timothy 3:7 Or recognition
  6. 2 Timothy 3:8 Or unfit
  7. 2 Timothy 3:9 Lit those
  8. 2 Timothy 3:10 Or steadfastness
  9. 2 Timothy 3:16 Lit God-breathed
  10. 2 Timothy 3:16 Or reprimand
  11. 2 Timothy 3:17 Or proficient