2 Chronicles 25
Complete Jewish Bible
25 Amatzyahu was twenty-five years old when he began his reign, and he ruled for twenty-nine years in Yerushalayim. His mother’s name was Y’ho‘adan, from Yerushalayim. 2 He did what was right from Adonai’s perspective, but not wholeheartedly.
3 As soon as he had the kingdom firmly in his control, he put to death the servants of his who had assassinated the king his father. 4 But he did not put their children to death; rather, he acted according to what is written in the Torah, in the scroll of Moshe, as Adonai ordered when he said, “Fathers are not to die for the children, nor are the children to die for the fathers; every person will die for his own sin.”
5 Amatzyahu assembled Y’hudah together and put them in order by clans under captains of thousands and captains of hundreds — all Y’hudah and Binyamin. He registered everyone twenty years old and older, and found that there were 300,000 select troops able to go to war, capable of using spears and shields. 6 He also hired 100,000 strong, brave men from Isra’el for three-and-a-third tons of silver. 7 But a man of God came to him and said, “King, don’t let the army of Isra’el go with you; because Adonai is not with Isra’el or with any of the people of Efrayim. 8 And if you do go, then no matter how fiercely you fight, God will cause you to fail before the enemy. For God has the power to help and to cause failure.” 9 Amatzyahu said to the man of God, “But what do we do about the three-and-a-third tons [of silver] I paid for Isra’el’s army?” The man of God answered, “Adonai can give you far more than that!” 10 Then Amatzyahu separated out the battalion that had come to him from Efrayim and told them to go back home — which made their anger burn hotly against Y’hudah, and they returned home enraged.
11 Amatzyahu took courage, led his people out and went to the Salt Valley, where he killed 10,000 of the people of Se‘ir. 12 The people of Y’hudah took another 10,000 away alive, brought them to the top of the Rock and threw them off the top of the Rock, so that they were all dashed to pieces.
13 Meanwhile, the men in the army that Amatzyahu had sent back and hadn’t allowed to join him in battle fell on the cities of Y’hudah, all the way from Shomron to Beit-Horon, killed 3,000 of them and took much spoil.
14 After Amatzyahu returned from the slaughter of the people from Edom, he brought the gods of the people of Se‘ir and set them up as his own gods, prostrating himself before them and offering incense to them. 15 As a result, the anger of Adonai blazed up against Amatzyah, and he sent him a prophet, who said to him, “Why have you sought out the gods of those people, when they couldn’t even rescue their own people from you?” 16 But as [the prophet] was speaking to him, he interrupted him: “Were you made an adviser to the king? You had better stop before you get yourself killed!” So the prophet stopped, but he added, “I know that God is planning to destroy you for having done this and for refusing to listen to my advice.”
17 Then, after taking counsel, Amatzyah king of Y’hudah sent a challenge to Yo’ash the son of Y’ho’achaz, the son of Yehu, king of Isra’el: “Come on, let’s have it out face-to-face.” 18 Yo’ash the king of Isra’el sent this reply to Amatzyah king of Y’hudah: “Once, in the L’vanon, the thistle sent a message to the cedar: ‘Give your daughter to my son in marriage.’ But a wild animal passed by the thistle and squashed it. 19 You say you defeated Edom, which is true; so you’re excited and itching for more glory. But now, stay home! Why provoke calamity, to your own ruin, yours and Y’hudah’s too?” 20 But Amatzyah wouldn’t listen. And this was from God, so that he could hand them over [to their enemies], because they had sought the gods of Edom. 21 So Yo’ash king of Isra’el went up; and he and Amatzyah king of Y’hudah had it out face-to-face at Beit-Shemesh, which belongs to Y’hudah. 22 Y’hudah was defeated by Isra’el, and every man fled to his tent. 23 Yo’ash king of Isra’el took Amatzyah king of Y’hudah, the son of Yo’ash the son of Y’ho’achaz, prisoner at Beit-Shemesh. Then he brought him to Yerushalayim and demolished the wall of Yerushalayim between the Gate of Efrayim and the Corner Gate, a section 600 feet long. 24 [He took] all the gold and silver, all the articles he could find in the house of God, with ‘Oved-Edom, and the treasures of the royal palace, together with hostages; then he returned to Shomron.
25 Amatzyahu the son of Yo’ash, king of Y’hudah, lived another fifteen years after the death of Yo’ash son of Y’ho’achaz king of Isra’el. 26 Other activities of Amatzyah, from beginning to end, are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Y’hudah and Isra’el.
27 From the time that Amatzyahu turned away from following Adonai, they formed a conspiracy against him in Yerushalayim. So he fled to Lakhish; but they followed him to Lakhish and killed him there. 28 They brought his body back on horses and buried him with his ancestors in the City of Y’hudah.
2 Chronicles 25
World English Bible
25 Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jehoaddan, of Jerusalem. 2 He did that which was right in Yahweh’s eyes, but not with a perfect heart. 3 Now when the kingdom was established to him, he killed his servants who had killed his father the king. 4 But he didn’t put their children to death, but did according to that which is written in the law in the book of Moses, as Yahweh commanded, saying, “The fathers shall not die for the children, neither shall the children die for the fathers; but every man shall die for his own sin.”
5 Moreover Amaziah gathered Judah together and ordered them according to their fathers’ houses, under captains of thousands and captains of hundreds, even all Judah and Benjamin. He counted them from twenty years old and upward, and found that there were three hundred thousand chosen men, able to go out to war, who could handle spear and shield. 6 He also hired one hundred thousand mighty men of valor out of Israel for one hundred talents[a] of silver. 7 A man of God came to him, saying, “O king, don’t let the army of Israel go with you, for Yahweh is not with Israel, with all the children of Ephraim. 8 But if you will go, take action, and be strong for the battle. God will overthrow you before the enemy; for God has power to help, and to overthrow.”
9 Amaziah said to the man of God, “But what shall we do for the hundred talents[b] which I have given to the army of Israel?”
The man of God answered, “Yahweh is able to give you much more than this.”
10 Then Amaziah separated them, the army that had come to him out of Ephraim, to go home again. Therefore their anger was greatly kindled against Judah, and they returned home in fierce anger.
11 Amaziah took courage, and led his people out and went to the Valley of Salt, and struck ten thousand of the children of Seir. 12 The children of Judah carried away ten thousand alive, and brought them to the top of the rock, and threw them down from the top of the rock, so that they all were broken in pieces. 13 But the men of the army whom Amaziah sent back, that they should not go with him to battle, fell on the cities of Judah from Samaria even to Beth Horon, and struck of them three thousand, and took much plunder.
14 Now after Amaziah had come from the slaughter of the Edomites, 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 to them. 15 Therefore Yahweh’s anger burned against Amaziah, and he sent to him a prophet who said to him, “Why have you sought after the gods of the people, which have not delivered their own people out of your hand?”
16 As he talked with him, the king said to him, “Have we made you one of the king’s counselors? Stop! Why should you be struck down?”
Then the prophet stopped, and said, “I know that God has determined to destroy you, because you have done this and have not listened to my counsel.”
17 Then Amaziah king of Judah consulted his advisers, and sent to Joash, the son of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, “Come! Let’s look one another in the face.”
18 Joash 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 your daughter to my son as his wife. Then a wild animal that was in Lebanon passed by and trampled down the thistle. 19 You say to yourself that you have struck Edom; and your heart lifts you up to boast. Now stay at home. Why should you meddle with trouble, that you should fall, even you and Judah with you?’”
20 But Amaziah would not listen; for it was of God, that he might deliver them into the hand of their enemies, because they had sought after the gods of Edom. 21 So Joash king of Israel went up, and he and Amaziah king of Judah looked one another in the face at Beth Shemesh, which belongs to Judah. 22 Judah was defeated by Israel; so every man fled to his tent.
23 Joash king of Israel took Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Joash the son of Jehoahaz, at Beth Shemesh and brought him to Jerusalem, and broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the gate of Ephraim to the corner gate, four hundred cubits.[c] 24 He took all the gold and silver, and all the vessels that were found in God’s house with Obed-Edom, and the treasures of the king’s house, and the hostages, and returned to Samaria.
25 Amaziah the son of Joash, king of Judah, lived for fifteen years after the death of Joash, son of Jehoahaz, king of Israel. 26 Now the rest of the acts of Amaziah, first and last, behold, aren’t they written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel? 27 Now from the time that Amaziah turned away from following Yahweh, they made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem. He fled to Lachish, but they sent after him to Lachish and killed him there. 28 They brought him on horses and buried him with his fathers in the City of Judah.
Copyright © 1998 by David H. Stern. All rights reserved.
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