2 Kings 14
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Chapter 14
Reign of Amaziah of Judah. 1 In the second year[a] of Joash, son of Jehoahaz, king of Israel, Amaziah, son of Joash, king of Judah, became king. 2 He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jehoaddin, from Jerusalem.
3 He did what was right in the Lord’s eyes, though not like David his father. He did just as his father Joash had done, 4 though the high places did not disappear, and the people continued to sacrifice and to burn incense on the high places.
5 When Amaziah had the kingdom firmly in hand, he struck down the officials who had struck down the king, his father. 6 But their children he did not put to death, according to what is written in the book of the law of Moses, which the Lord commanded: “Parents shall not be put to death for their children, nor shall children be put to death for their parents; only for one’s own crimes shall a person be put to death.”(A)
7 Amaziah struck down ten thousand Edomites in the Salt Valley. He took Sela in battle and renamed it Joktheel, the name it has to this day.(B)
8 Then Amaziah sent messengers to Joash, son of Jehoahaz, son of Jehu, king of Israel, with this message: “Come, let us meet face to face.” 9 Joash, king of Israel, sent this reply to Amaziah, king of Judah: “A thistle of Lebanon sent word to a cedar of Lebanon, ‘Give your daughter to my son in marriage,’ but an animal of Lebanon passed by and trampled the thistle underfoot.(C) 10 You have indeed struck down Edom, and your heart is lifted up; enjoy your glory, but stay home! Why bring misfortune and failure on yourself and on Judah with you?” 11 But Amaziah did not listen. So Joash, king of Israel, advanced, and he and Amaziah, king of Judah, met face to face at Beth-shemesh of Judah, 12 and Judah was defeated by Israel, and all fled to their tents. 13 But Amaziah, king of Judah, son of Joash, son of Ahaziah, was captured by Joash, king of Israel, at Beth-shemesh. When they came to Jerusalem Joash tore down the wall of Jerusalem, from the Gate of Ephraim to the Corner Gate, four hundred cubits. 14 He took all the gold and silver and all the vessels found in the house of the Lord and in the treasuries of the king’s house, and hostages as well. Then he returned to Samaria.
15 [b]The rest of the acts of Joash, what he did and his valor, and how he made war against Amaziah, king of Judah, are recorded in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel. 16 Joash rested with his ancestors; he was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel, and his son Jeroboam succeeded him as king.
17 [c]Amaziah, son of Joash, king of Judah, survived Joash, son of Jehoahaz, king of Israel, by fifteen years. 18 The rest of the acts of Amaziah are recorded in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah. 19 When a conspiracy was formed against him in Jerusalem, he fled to Lachish. But he was pursued to Lachish and killed there. 20 He was brought back on horses and was buried in Jerusalem with his ancestors in the City of David. 21 Thereupon all the people of Judah[d] took Azariah, who was only sixteen years old, and made him king to succeed Amaziah, his father. 22 It was he who rebuilt Elath and restored it to Judah, after the king rested with his ancestors.
Reign of Jeroboam II of Israel. 23 In the fifteenth year of Amaziah, son of Joash, king of Judah, Jeroboam, son of Joash, king of Israel, became king in Samaria for forty-one years.
24 He did evil in the Lord’s sight; he did not desist from any of the sins that Jeroboam, son of Nebat, had caused Israel to commit. 25 He restored the boundaries of Israel from Lebo-hamath to the sea of the Arabah,[e] as the Lord, the God of Israel, had foretold through his servant, the prophet Jonah, son of Amittai, from Gath-hepher. 26 For the Lord saw the very bitter affliction of Israel, where there was neither bond nor free, no one at all to help Israel. 27 Since the Lord had not resolved to wipe out the name of Israel from under the heavens, he saved them through Jeroboam, son of Joash.
28 The rest of the acts of Jeroboam, with all that he did and his valor, how he fought, and how he regained Damascus and Hamath for Israel, are recorded in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel. 29 Jeroboam rested with his ancestors, the kings of Israel, and his son Zechariah succeeded him as king.
Footnotes
- 14:1–2 In the second year…twenty-nine years in Jerusalem: as they stand, the chronological data in the introductions to the reigns of the kings of Judah and Israel are incompatible with one another. The kings of Judah between Athaliah and Ahaz are assigned too many years in all to correspond to the reigns in Israel from Jehu to the fall of Samaria. Various theories have been proposed in an attempt to explain the discrepancy, such as co-regencies, or textual corruption in the process of transmission.
- 14:15–16 See note on 13:12–13.
- 14:17 See note on vv. 1–2.
- 14:21 All the people of Judah: this phrase may refer to the army (compare, for example, “all Israel” in 1 Kgs 16:16–17). If this is its meaning here, then Amaziah’s assassination and Azariah’s succession are owing to a military coup. Azariah: also called Uzziah in many texts.
- 14:25 Sea of the Arabah: the Dead Sea. Jonah, son of Amittai: see note on Jon 1:1.
2 Kings 14
Expanded Bible
Amaziah King of Judah(A)
14 Amaziah son of Joash became king of Judah during the second year Jehoash son of Jehoahaz was king of Israel. 2 Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he ·ruled [reigned] twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother was named Jehoaddin, and she was from Jerusalem. 3 Amaziah did ·what the Lord said was right [L right in the eyes/sight of the Lord]. He did everything his father Joash had done, but he did not do as his ·ancestor [father] David had done. 4 The ·places where gods were worshiped [L high places; 12:3] were not removed, so the people still sacrificed and burned incense there.
5 As soon as Amaziah took control of the kingdom, he executed the ·officers [officials] who had ·murdered [assassinated] his father the king. 6 But he did not put to death the ·children [sons] of the ·murderers [assassins] because of the rule written in the Book of the ·Teachings [Law; L torah] of Moses. The Lord had commanded: “·Parents [Fathers] must not be put to death ·when their children do wrong [L for their sons], and ·children [sons] must not be put to death ·when their parents do wrong [L for their fathers]. Each must ·die [put to death] for his own sins [Deut. 24:16].”
7 In battle Amaziah killed ten thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt. He also took the city of Sela. He called it Joktheel, as it is still called today.
8 Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash son of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu, king of Israel. They said, “Come, let’s meet face to face [C either a call for negotiations or a challenge to battle, but taken by Jehoash as the latter].”
9 Then Jehoash king of Israel answered Amaziah king of Judah, “A thornbush in Lebanon sent a message to a cedar tree in Lebanon. It said, ‘Let your daughter marry my son.’ But then a wild ·animal [beast] from Lebanon came by, ·walking [trampling] on and crushing the thornbush. 10 You have defeated Edom, ·but [and now] you have become ·proud [arrogant]. Stay at home and ·brag [or enjoy your victory/glory]. Don’t ·ask for [stir up] trouble, or you and Judah will ·be defeated [fall].”
11 But Amaziah would not listen, so Jehoash king of Israel went ·to attack [L up]. He and Amaziah king of Judah faced each other in battle at Beth Shemesh in Judah. 12 Israel ·defeated [routed] Judah, and every man of Judah ·ran away [fled] to his ·home [L tent]. 13 At Beth Shemesh Jehoash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah. (Amaziah was the son of Joash, who was the son of Ahaziah.) Jehoash went up to Jerusalem and ·broke down [demolished] the wall of Jerusalem from the Gate of Ephraim to the Corner Gate, which was about ·six hundred feet [L four hundred cubits]. 14 He took all the gold and silver and all the utensils found in the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord, and he took the treasuries of the ·palace [L king’s house] and some hostages. Then he returned to Samaria.
15 The other acts of Jehoash and his ·victories [achievements; power], including his war against Amaziah king of Judah, ·are [L are they not…?] written in the book of the ·history [chronicles; annals; 1:18] of the kings of Israel. 16 Jehoash ·died [L lay down/T slept with his fathers/ancestors] and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel, and his son Jeroboam became king in his place.
17 Amaziah son of Joash, the king of Judah, lived fifteen years after the death of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz, the king of Israel. 18 The other things Amaziah did ·are [L are they not…?] written in the book of the ·history [chronicles; annals; 1:18] of the kings of Judah. 19 The people in Jerusalem ·made plans [conspired; plotted] against him. So he ·ran away [fled] to the town of Lachish, but they sent men after him to Lachish and killed him. 20 They brought his body back on horses, and he was buried with his ·ancestors [fathers] in Jerusalem, in the city of David.
Uzziah Becomes King(B)
21 Then all the people of Judah made Uzziah [C also called Azariah] king in place of his father Amaziah. Uzziah was sixteen years old. 22 He rebuilt the town of Elath and ·made it part of [restored it to] Judah again after Amaziah ·died [L lay down/T slept with his fathers/ancestors].
Jeroboam King of Israel
23 Jeroboam son of Jehoash became king of Israel in Samaria during the fifteenth year Amaziah was king of Judah. (Amaziah was the son of Joash.) Jeroboam ·ruled [reigned] forty-one years, 24 and he did ·what the Lord said was wrong [L evil in the eyes/sight of the Lord]. Jeroboam son of Nebat had led Israel to sin, and Jeroboam son of Jehoash did not ·stop doing [depart/turn away from] the same sins. 25 Jeroboam ·won back [restored] Israel’s border from Lebo Hamath to the ·Dead Sea [L Sea of Arabah]. This happened ·as [L in accordance with the word of] the Lord, the God of Israel, ·had said [spoken] through his servant Jonah son of Amittai, the prophet from Gath Hepher. 26 The Lord had seen how the Israelites suffered bitterly, and no one, slave or free, could help them. 27 The Lord had not said he would ·completely destroy [blot out; eradicate] Israel from the world, so he ·saved [rescued; T delivered] the Israelites through Jeroboam son of Jehoash.
28 Everything else Jeroboam did—all his ·victories [achievements; power] and how he ·won back [recovered] from Judah the towns of Damascus and Hamath for Israel—·is [L Is not all this…?] written in the book of the ·history [chronicles; annals; 1:18] of the kings of Israel. 29 Jeroboam ·died and was buried with his ancestors [L lay down/T slept with his fathers/ancestors], the kings of Israel. Jeroboam’s son Zechariah became king in his place.
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