亚玛谢做犹大王

14 以色列王约哈斯的儿子约阿施执政第二年,犹大王约阿施的儿子亚玛谢登基。 他二十五岁登基,在耶路撒冷执政二十九年。他母亲叫约耶但,是耶路撒冷人。 亚玛谢做耶和华视为正的事,虽不如他祖先大卫,但事事效法他父亲约阿施。 然而,他没有拆毁丘坛,人们仍在那里献祭烧香。 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,遵照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。” 亚玛谢曾在盐谷杀了一万以东人,攻占了西拉,把西拉改名为约帖,沿用至今。

后来,亚玛谢差遣使者对耶户的孙子、约哈斯的儿子、以色列王约阿施说:“来,我们战场上见。” 以色列王约阿施派人对犹大王亚玛谢说:“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。 10 你打败了以东人就趾高气扬,还是待在家里庆祝胜利吧,何必惹祸上身,使你和犹大一同灭亡呢?”

11 但亚玛谢不理会他的劝告。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。 12 犹大人被以色列人打败,兵将都各自逃回家去了。 13 约阿施在伯·示麦擒获亚玛谢,然后前往耶路撒冷,拆毁从以法莲门到角门约一百八十米长的耶路撒冷城墙, 14 抢走耶和华殿里和王宫库房里的所有金银和器皿,并带着人质返回撒玛利亚。 15 约阿施其他的事,包括他怎样英勇对抗犹大王亚玛谢,都记在以色列的列王史上。 16 约阿施与祖先同眠后,葬在撒玛利亚的以色列王陵。他儿子耶罗波安继位。

17 以色列王约哈斯的儿子约阿施死后,犹大王约阿施的儿子亚玛谢又活了十五年。 18 亚玛谢其他的事都记在犹大的列王史上。 19 耶路撒冷有人谋反,亚玛谢就逃到拉吉,叛党派人追到那里杀了他。 20 有人用马将他的尸体驮回耶路撒冷,葬在大卫城他的祖坟里。 21 犹大民众拥立亚玛谢十六岁的儿子亚撒利雅[a]为王。 22 亚玛谢与祖先同眠后,亚撒利雅为犹大收回了以拉他,并重新修建。

耶罗波安二世

23 犹大王亚玛谢执政第十五年,以色列王约阿施的儿子耶罗波安在撒玛利亚登基,执政四十一年。 24 他做耶和华视为恶的事,没有离开尼八的儿子耶罗波安使以色列人犯的那些罪。 25 他收复了从哈马口到死海[b]一带的以色列边境,正如以色列的上帝耶和华借祂仆人迦特希弗人亚米太的儿子约拿先知所言。 26 因为耶和华看见以色列人,无论自由人还是奴隶都十分痛苦,没有人帮助他们。 27 耶和华没有说要从世上抹去以色列的名,因此他借着约阿施的儿子耶罗波安拯救他们。 28 耶罗波安其他的事及其一切所作所为,包括他怎样英勇收复大马士革和一度属犹大国的哈马,都记在以色列的列王史上。 29 耶罗波安与祖先——以色列的先王们同眠后,他儿子撒迦利雅继位。

Footnotes

  1. 14:21 “亚撒利雅”即乌西雅。
  2. 14:25 死海”希伯来文是“亚拉巴海”。

King Amaziah of Judah

(2 Chronicles 25.1-24)

14 Amaziah son of Joash became king of Judah in the second year of Jehoash's rule in Israel. Amaziah was 25 years old when he became king, and he ruled 29 years from Jerusalem, which was also the hometown of his mother Jehoaddin.

Amaziah followed the example of his father Joash by obeying the Lord and doing right. But he was not as faithful as his ancestor David. Amaziah did not destroy the local shrines, and they were still used as places for offering sacrifices.

As soon as Amaziah had control of Judah, he arrested and killed the officers who had murdered his father. (A) But the children of those officers were not killed. The Lord had commanded in the Law of Moses that only the people who sinned were to be punished, not their parents or children.[a]

While Amaziah was king, he killed 10,000 Edomite soldiers in Salt Valley. He captured the town of Sela and renamed it Joktheel, which is still its name.

One day, Amaziah sent a message to King Jehoash of Israel: “Come out and face me in battle!”

Jehoash sent back this reply:

Once upon a time, a small thornbush in Lebanon announced that his son was going to marry the daughter of a large cedar tree. But a wild animal came along and trampled the small bush.

10 Amaziah, you think you're so powerful because you defeated Edom. Go ahead and celebrate—but stay at home. If you cause any trouble, both you and your kingdom of Judah will be destroyed.

11 But Amaziah refused to listen. So Jehoash and his troops marched to the town of Beth-Shemesh in Judah to attack Amaziah and his troops. 12 During the battle, Judah's army was crushed. Every soldier from Judah ran back home, 13 and Jehoash captured Amaziah.

Jehoash then marched to Jerusalem and broke down the city wall from Ephraim Gate to Corner Gate, a section nearly 200 meters long. 14 He took the gold and silver, as well as everything of value from the Lord's temple and the king's treasury. He took hostages, then returned to Samaria.

15 Everything else Jehoash did while he was king, including his brave deeds and how he defeated King Amaziah of Judah, is written in The History of the Kings of Israel. 16 Jehoash died and was buried in Samaria beside the other Israelite kings. His son Jeroboam then became king.

17 Fifteen years after Jehoash died, 18-20 some people in Jerusalem plotted against Amaziah. He was able to escape to the town of Lachish, but another group of people caught him and killed him there. His body was taken back to Jerusalem on horseback and buried beside his ancestors.

Everything else Amaziah did while he was king is written in The History of the Kings of Judah. 21 After his death the people of Judah made his son Azariah king, even though he was only 16 at the time. 22 Azariah was the one who later recaptured and rebuilt the town of Elath.

King Jeroboam the Second of Israel

23 Jeroboam son of Jehoash became king of Israel in the fifteenth year of Amaziah's rule in Judah. Jeroboam ruled 41 years from Samaria. 24 He disobeyed the Lord by following the evil example of Jeroboam son of Nebat, who had caused the Israelites to sin.

25 (B) Jeroboam extended the boundaries of Israel from Lebo-Hamath in the north to the Dead Sea in the south, just as the Lord had promised his servant Jonah son of Amittai, who was a prophet from Gath-Hepher. 26 The Lord helped Jeroboam do this because he had seen how terribly the Israelites were suffering, whether slave or free, and no one was left to help them. 27 And since the Lord had promised that he would not let Israel be completely destroyed, he helped Jeroboam rescue them.

28 Everything else Jeroboam did while he was king, including his brave deeds and how he recaptured the towns of Damascus and Hamath,[b] is written in The History of the Kings of Israel. 29 Jeroboam died and was buried, and his son Zechariah became king.

Footnotes

  1. 14.6 The Lord had commanded … children: See Deuteronomy 24.16.
  2. 14.28 how he recaptured … Hamath: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.

14 In the second year of Joash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel reigned Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah.

He was twenty and five years old when he began to reign, and reigned twenty and nine years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Jehoaddan of Jerusalem.

And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, yet not like David his father: he did according to all things as Joash his father did.

Howbeit the high places were not taken away: as yet the people did sacrifice and burnt incense on the high places.

And it came to pass, as soon as the kingdom was confirmed in his hand, that he slew his servants which had slain the king his father.

But the children of the murderers he slew not: according unto that which is written in the book of the law of Moses, wherein the Lord commanded, saying, The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, nor the children be put to death for the fathers; but every man shall be put to death for his own sin.

He slew of Edom in the valley of salt ten thousand, and took Selah by war, and called the name of it Joktheel unto this day.

Then Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash, the son of Jehoahaz son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, Come, let us look one another in the face.

And Jehoash the king of Israel sent to Amaziah king of Judah, saying, The thistle that was in Lebanon sent to the cedar that was in Lebanon, saying, Give thy daughter to my son to wife: and there passed by a wild beast that was in Lebanon, and trode down the thistle.

10 Thou hast indeed smitten Edom, and thine heart hath lifted thee up: glory of this, and tarry at home: for why shouldest thou meddle to thy hurt, that thou shouldest fall, even thou, and Judah with thee?

11 But Amaziah would not hear. Therefore Jehoash king of Israel went up; and he and Amaziah king of Judah looked one another in the face at Bethshemesh, which belongeth to Judah.

12 And Judah was put to the worse before Israel; and they fled every man to their tents.

13 And Jehoash king of Israel took Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Jehoash the son of Ahaziah, at Bethshemesh, and came to Jerusalem, and brake down the wall of Jerusalem from the gate of Ephraim unto the corner gate, four hundred cubits.

14 And he took all the gold and silver, and all the vessels that were found in the house of the Lord, and in the treasures of the king's house, and hostages, and returned to Samaria.

15 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoash which 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 And Jehoash slept with his fathers, and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel; and Jeroboam his son reigned in his stead.

17 And Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah lived after the death of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel fifteen years.

18 And the rest of the acts of Amaziah, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

19 Now they made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem: and he fled to Lachish; but they sent after him to Lachish, and slew him there.

20 And they brought him on horses: and he was buried at Jerusalem with his fathers in the city of David.

21 And all the people of Judah took Azariah, which was sixteen years old, and made him king instead of his father Amaziah.

22 He built Elath, and restored it to Judah, after that the king slept 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 began to reign in Samaria, and reigned forty and one years.

24 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord: he departed not from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin.

25 He restored the coast of Israel from the entering of Hamath unto the sea of the plain, according to the word of the Lord God of Israel, which he spake by the hand of his servant Jonah, the son of Amittai, the prophet, which was of Gathhepher.

26 For the Lord saw the affliction of Israel, that it was very bitter: for there was not any shut up, nor any left, nor any helper for Israel.

27 And the Lord said not that he would blot out the name of Israel from under heaven: but he saved them by the hand of Jeroboam the son of Joash.

28 Now the rest of the acts of Jeroboam, and all that he did, and his might, how he warred, and how he recovered Damascus, and Hamath, which belonged to Judah, for Israel, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

29 And Jeroboam slept with his fathers, even with the kings of Israel; and Zachariah his son reigned in his stead.

Amaziah Reigns in Judah(A)

14 In (B)the second year of Joash the son of Jehoahaz, king of Israel, (C)Amaziah the son of Joash, king of Judah, became king. He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jehoaddan of Jerusalem. And he did what was right in the sight of the Lord, yet not like his father David; he did everything (D)as his father Joash had done. (E)However the [a]high places were not taken away, and the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places.

Now it happened, as soon as the kingdom was established in his hand, that he executed his servants (F)who had murdered his father the king. But the children of the murderers he did not execute, according to what is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, in which the Lord commanded, saying, (G)“Fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor shall children be put to death for their fathers; but a person shall be put to death for his own sin.”

(H)He killed ten thousand Edomites in (I)the Valley of Salt, and took [b]Sela by war, (J)and called its name Joktheel to this day.

(K)Then Amaziah sent messengers to [c]Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, “Come, let us face one another in battle. And Jehoash king of Israel sent to Amaziah king of Judah, saying, (L)“The thistle that was in Lebanon sent to the (M)cedar that was in Lebanon, saying, ‘Give your daughter to my son as wife’; and a wild beast that was in Lebanon passed by and trampled the thistle. 10 You have indeed defeated Edom, and (N)your heart has [d]lifted you up. Glory in that, and stay at home; for why should you meddle with trouble so that you fall—you and Judah with you?”

11 But Amaziah would not heed. Therefore Jehoash king of Israel went out; so he and Amaziah king of Judah faced one another at (O)Beth Shemesh, which belongs to Judah. 12 And Judah was defeated by Israel, and every man fled 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 he went to Jerusalem, and broke down the wall of Jerusalem from (P)the Gate of Ephraim to (Q)the Corner Gate—[e]four hundred cubits. 14 And he took all (R)the gold and silver, all the articles that were found in the house of the Lord and in the treasuries of the king’s house, and hostages, and returned to Samaria.

15 (S)Now the rest of the acts of Jehoash which he did—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 [f]rested with his fathers, and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel. Then Jeroboam his son reigned in his place.

17 (T)Amaziah the son of Joash, king of Judah, lived fifteen years after the death of Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz, king of Israel. 18 Now the rest of the acts of Amaziah, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? 19 And (U)they formed a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem, and he fled to (V)Lachish; but they sent after him to Lachish and killed him there. 20 Then they brought him on horses, and he was buried at Jerusalem with his fathers in the City of David.

21 And all the people of Judah took (W)Azariah,[g] who was sixteen years old, and made him king instead of his father Amaziah. 22 He built (X)Elath[h] and restored it to Judah, after [i]the king rested with his fathers.

Jeroboam II Reigns in Israel

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 forty-one years. 24 And he did evil in the sight of the Lord; he did not depart from all the (Y)sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who had made Israel sin. 25 He (Z)restored the [j]territory of Israel (AA)from the entrance of Hamath to (AB)the[k] Sea of the Arabah, according to the word of the Lord God of Israel, which He had spoken through His servant (AC)Jonah the son of Amittai, the prophet who was from (AD)Gath Hepher. 26 For the Lord (AE)saw that the affliction of Israel was very bitter; and whether bond or free, (AF)there was no helper for Israel. 27 (AG)And the Lord did not say that He would blot out the name of Israel from under heaven; but He saved them by the hand of Jeroboam the son of Joash.

28 Now the rest of the acts of Jeroboam, and all that he did—his might, how he made war, and how he recaptured for Israel, from (AH)Damascus and Hamath, (AI)what had belonged to Judah—are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? 29 So Jeroboam [l]rested with his fathers, the kings of Israel. Then (AJ)Zechariah his son reigned in his place.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 14:4 Places for pagan worship
  2. 2 Kings 14:7 Lit. The Rock; the city of Petra
  3. 2 Kings 14:8 Joash, 2 Kin. 13:9, 12–14, 25; 2 Chr. 25:17ff.
  4. 2 Kings 14:10 Made you proud
  5. 2 Kings 14:13 About 600 feet
  6. 2 Kings 14:16 Died and joined his ancestors
  7. 2 Kings 14:21 Uzziah, 2 Chr. 26:1ff.; Is. 6:1; etc.
  8. 2 Kings 14:22 Heb. Eloth
  9. 2 Kings 14:22 Amaziah died and joined his ancestors.
  10. 2 Kings 14:25 border
  11. 2 Kings 14:25 The Dead Sea
  12. 2 Kings 14:29 Died and joined his ancestors