犹大王亚玛谢

25 亚玛谢二十五岁登基,在耶路撒冷执政二十九年。他母亲叫约耶但,是耶路撒冷人。 他做耶和华视为正的事,只是没有全心去做。 他巩固了王位后,立即处死了杀他父王的臣仆, 但没有处死他们的孩子,遵行了耶和华在摩西律法书中的吩咐:“不可因孩子犯罪而处死父亲,也不可因父亲犯罪而处死孩子。各人要自负罪责。”

与西珥人交战

亚玛谢召集犹大人,按着犹大和便雅悯宗族设立千夫长和百夫长,并数点二十岁以上、能使用盾牌矛枪且有作战能力的精兵,共有三十万人。 他又用三点四吨银子从以色列雇来十万精兵。 一位上帝的仆人来对他说:“王啊,不要让以色列的军队与你同去,因为耶和华不与以色列人——以法莲的子孙同在。 你若一定要去,即使你奋勇争战,上帝也必使你败在敌人面前,因为上帝有能力帮助,也有能力倾覆。” 亚玛谢问上帝的仆人:“我付给以色列军队的三点四吨银子怎么办?”上帝的仆人回答说:“耶和华能赐给你更多的银子。” 10 于是,亚玛谢解散从以法莲雇来的军队,让他们回家去。他们非常恼怒犹大人,怒气冲冲地回家去了。

11 亚玛谢鼓起勇气,率领本国军队去盐谷,杀了一万西珥人, 12 又把生擒的一万人推下山崖摔得粉身碎骨。 13 可是,那些被亚玛谢遣返、未能出征的以色列军队侵入从撒玛利亚到伯·和仑一带的犹大各城,杀了三千人,抢了大批财物。

14 亚玛谢杀败以东人[a]后,带回了他们的神像,立为自己的神明,向它们祭拜烧香。 15 因此,耶和华向亚玛谢发怒,祂派一个先知去见他,说:“这些神明既然不能从你手中救自己的人民,你为什么还要祭拜它们呢?” 16 先知的话还没有说完,王就打断他,说:“住口!谁立你做王的谋士了?你要自取灭亡吗?”先知停了一下,又说:“我知道上帝已定意要毁灭你,因为你做了这事,不听我的忠告。”

与以色列交战

17 犹大王亚玛谢与群臣商议后,就派人对耶户的孙子、约哈斯的儿子、以色列王约阿施说:“来,我们战场上见。” 18 以色列王约阿施派人回复犹大王亚玛谢说:“黎巴嫩的蒺藜派使者去对黎巴嫩的香柏树说,‘将你的女儿嫁给我儿子吧。’后来黎巴嫩的一只野兽经过,把那蒺藜践踏在脚下。 19 你打败了以东人就趾高气扬。你还是待在家里吧,何必惹祸上身,使你和犹大一同灭亡呢?”

20 但亚玛谢不理会他的劝告。原来这事出于上帝,要把他们交在约阿施手中,因为他们求告以东的神明。 21 于是,以色列王约阿施起兵攻打犹大王亚玛谢,两王会战于犹大的伯·示麦。 22 犹大人被以色列人打败,兵将都各自逃回家去了。 23 以色列王约阿施在伯·示麦擒获约哈斯的孙子、约阿施的儿子、犹大王亚玛谢,把他带到耶路撒冷,又拆毁从以法莲门到角门约一百八十米长的耶路撒冷城墙, 24 抢走俄别·以东在上帝殿中看守的所有金银和器皿以及王宫里的财宝,并带着人质返回撒玛利亚。

25 约哈斯的儿子以色列王约阿施死后,约阿施的儿子犹大王亚玛谢又活了十五年。 26 亚玛谢其他的事自始至终都记在犹大与以色列的列王史上。 27 亚玛谢背弃耶和华后,耶路撒冷有人谋反,他就逃到拉吉,但叛党派人追到那里杀了他。 28 有人用马将他的尸体驮回耶路撒冷,葬在犹大城他的祖坟里。

Footnotes

  1. 25:14 以东人又称西珥人。

25 Amatzyah was 25 old when he began to reign,and he reigned 29 shanah in Yerushalayim. And shem immo was Yehoadan of Yerushalayim.

And he did that which was yashar in the eyes of Hashem, but not with a levav shalem.

Now it came to pass, when the mamlachah was established under him, that he slaughtered his avadim that had murdered HaMelech Aviv.

But he slaughtered not their banim, but did as it is written in the Torah in the Sefer Moshe, where Hashem commanded, saying, The avot shall not die for the banim, neither shall the banim die for the avot, but every ish shall die for his own chet.

Moreover Amatzyahu gathered Yehudah together, and set them in order in Bais Avot by officers of thousands and officers of hundreds, throughout all Yehudah and Binyamin; and he mustered them from esrim shanah and above, and found them three hundred elef bachur, battleready choice men, that could handle spear and shield.

He hired also a hundred elef gibbor chayil out of Yisroel for a hundred talents of kesef.

But there came an Ish HaElohim to him, saying, O HaMelech, let not the Tzeva Yisroel go with thee; for Hashem is not with Yisroel, not with kol Bnei Ephrayim.

But if thou wilt go, do it; chazak (be strong) for the milchamah; HaElohim shall make thee fall before the enemy, for Elohim hath ko’ach to help, and to cast down.

And Amatzyahu said to the Ish HaElohim, But what shall we do for the hundred talents which I have paid for the army of Yisroel? And the Ish HaElohim answered, Hashem is able to give thee much more than this.

10 Then Amatzyahu separated them, the army that had come to him from Ephrayim, to go home again; therefore their anger was greatly kindled against Yehudah, and they returned home in chari af (great anger).

11 And Amatzyahu strengthened himself, led forth his army, went to the Gey HaMelach, struck down 10,000 of the Bnei Se’ir.

12 And another 10,000 left chayyim (alive) did the Bnei Yehudah carry away captive, and brought them unto the top of the cliff, and cast them down from the top of the cliff, that they all were dashed to pieces.

13 But the soldiers of the army which Amatzyahu sent back, that they should not go with him to milchamah, fell upon the cities of Yehudah, from Shomron even unto Beit-Choron, and struck down three thousand of them, and took much plunder.

14 Now it came to pass, after that Amatzyahu returned from the slaughter of the people of Edom, that he brought the elohei Bnei Se’ir, and set them up for him to be elohim, and bowed down himself before them, and burned ketoret unto them.

15 Therefore the Af Hashem was kindled against Amatzyahu, and he sent unto him a navi, which said unto him, Why hast thou sought after the elohei haAm, which could not deliver their own people out of thine yad?

16 And it came to pass, as he talked with him, that HaMelech said unto him, Art thou appointed the adviser to HaMelech? Forbear. Why shouldest thou be struck down? Then the navi forbore, and said, I know that Elohim hath determined to destroy thee, because thou hast done this, and hast not paid heed unto my etza (counsel).

17 Then Amatzyahu Melech Yehudah consulted, and sent to Yoash ben Yehoachaz ben Yehu, Melech Yisroel, saying, Come, let us meet face to face.

18 And Yoash Melech Yisroel sent to Amatzyahu Melech Yehudah, saying, The thistle that was in the Levanon sent to the cedar that was in the Levanon, saying, Give thy bat to beni (my son) as isha; then there passed by a chayyat hasadeh (wild beast) that was in the Levanon, and trode down the thistle.

19 Thou sayest, Hinei, thou hast struck down the people of Edom; and thine lev lifteth thee up to be proud. Abide now at home. Why shouldest thou meddle to thine hurt, that thou shouldest fall, even thou, and Yehudah with thee?

20 But Amatzyah would not hear, for it came from HaElohim, that He might deliver them into the yad of their enemies, because they sought after the elohei Edom.

21 So Yoash Melech Yisroel went up and they met face to face, both he and Amatzyahu Melech Yehudah, at Beit Shemesh, which belongeth to Yehudah.

22 And Yehudah was routed before Yisroel, and they fled every ish to his ohel.

23 And Yoash Melech Yisroel captured Amatzyahu Melech Yehudah ben Yoash ben Yehoachaz, at Beit Shemesh, and brought him to Yerushalayim, and broke down the Chomat Yerushalayim from the Sha’ar Ephrayim to the Sha’ar HaPinnah, a section the length of which was four hundred cubits.

24 And he took all the zahav and the kesef, and all the vessels that were found in the Beis HaElohim with Oved Edom, and the otzerot Bais HaMelech, the hostages also, and returned to Shomron.

25 And Amatzyahu ben Yoash Melech Yehudah lived after the mot Yoash ben Yehoachaz Melech Yisroel fifteen years.

26 Now the rest of the acts of Amatzyahu, harishonim and ha’acharonim, hinei, are they not written in the Sefer of the Melachim of Yehudah and Yisroel?

27 Now after the time that Amatzyah did turn away from following Hashem they made a kesher against him in Yerushalayim; and he fled to Lachish, but they sent to Lachish after him, and slaughtered him there.

28 And they brought him upon susim, and buried him with Avotav in Ir Yehudah.

Amaziah King of Judah(A)(B)(C)

25 Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother’s name was Jehoaddan; she was from Jerusalem. He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, but not wholeheartedly.(D) After the kingdom was firmly in his control, he executed the officials who had murdered his father the king. Yet he did not put their children to death, but acted in accordance with what is written in the Law, in the Book of Moses,(E) where the Lord commanded: “Parents shall not be put to death for their children, nor children be put to death for their parents; each will die for their own sin.”[a](F)

Amaziah called the people of Judah together and assigned them according to their families to commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds for all Judah and Benjamin. He then mustered(G) those twenty years old(H) or more and found that there were three hundred thousand men fit for military service,(I) able to handle the spear and shield. He also hired a hundred thousand fighting men from Israel for a hundred talents[b] of silver.

But a man of God came to him and said, “Your Majesty, these troops from Israel(J) must not march with you, for the Lord is not with Israel—not with any of the people of Ephraim. Even if you go and fight courageously in battle, God will overthrow you before the enemy, for God has the power to help or to overthrow.”(K)

Amaziah asked the man of God, “But what about the hundred talents I paid for these Israelite troops?”

The man of God replied, “The Lord can give you much more than that.”(L)

10 So Amaziah dismissed the troops who had come to him from Ephraim and sent them home. They were furious with Judah and left for home in a great rage.(M)

11 Amaziah then marshaled his strength and led his army to the Valley of Salt, where he killed ten thousand men of Seir. 12 The army of Judah also captured ten thousand men alive, took them to the top of a cliff and threw them down so that all were dashed to pieces.(N)

13 Meanwhile the troops that Amaziah had sent back and had not allowed to take part in the war raided towns belonging to Judah from Samaria to Beth Horon. They killed three thousand people and carried off great quantities of plunder.

14 When Amaziah returned from slaughtering the Edomites, he brought back the gods of the people of Seir. He set them up as his own gods,(O) bowed down to them and burned sacrifices to them. 15 The anger of the Lord burned against Amaziah, and he sent a prophet to him, who said, “Why do you consult this people’s gods, which could not save(P) their own people from your hand?”

16 While he was still speaking, the king said to him, “Have we appointed you an adviser to the king? Stop! Why be struck down?”

So the prophet stopped but said, “I know that God has determined to destroy you, because you have done this and have not listened to my counsel.”

17 After Amaziah king of Judah consulted his advisers, he sent this challenge to Jehoash[c] son of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu, king of Israel: “Come, let us face each other in battle.”

18 But Jehoash king of Israel replied to Amaziah king of Judah: “A thistle(Q) in Lebanon sent a message to a cedar in Lebanon, ‘Give your daughter to my son in marriage.’ Then a wild beast in Lebanon came along and trampled the thistle underfoot. 19 You say to yourself that you have defeated Edom, and now you are arrogant and proud. But stay at home! Why ask for trouble and cause your own downfall and that of Judah also?”

20 Amaziah, however, would not listen, for God so worked that he might deliver them into the hands of Jehoash, because they sought the gods of Edom.(R) 21 So Jehoash king of Israel attacked. He and Amaziah king of Judah faced each other at Beth Shemesh in Judah. 22 Judah was routed by Israel, and every man fled to his home. 23 Jehoash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Joash, the son of Ahaziah,[d] at Beth Shemesh. Then Jehoash brought him to Jerusalem and broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the Ephraim Gate(S) to the Corner Gate(T)—a section about four hundred cubits[e] long. 24 He took all the gold and silver and all the articles found in the temple of God that had been in the care of Obed-Edom,(U) together with the palace treasures and the hostages, and returned to Samaria.

25 Amaziah son of Joash king of Judah lived for fifteen years after the death of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel. 26 As for the other events of Amaziah’s reign, from beginning to end, 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(V), but they sent men after him to Lachish and killed him there. 28 He was brought back by horse and was buried with his ancestors in the City of Judah.[f]

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 25:4 Deut. 24:16
  2. 2 Chronicles 25:6 That is, about 3 3/4 tons or about 3.4 metric tons; also in verse 9
  3. 2 Chronicles 25:17 Hebrew Joash, a variant of Jehoash; also in verses 18, 21, 23 and 25
  4. 2 Chronicles 25:23 Hebrew Jehoahaz, a variant of Ahaziah
  5. 2 Chronicles 25:23 That is, about 600 feet or about 180 meters
  6. 2 Chronicles 25:28 Most Hebrew manuscripts; some Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, Vulgate and Syriac (see also 2 Kings 14:20) David