2 Chronicles 25
Expanded Bible
Amaziah King of Judah(A)
25 Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he ·ruled [reigned] for twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jehoaddin, and she was from Jerusalem. 2 Amaziah did what ·the Lord said was right [L was pleasing/proper in the eyes/sight of the Lord], but ·he did not really want to obey him [not wholeheartedly]. 3 As soon as Amaziah ·took strong [secured; established] control of the kingdom, he executed the officers who had ·murdered [assassinated] his father the king. 4 But Amaziah did not put to death their children. He obeyed what was written in the law in the ·Book [scroll] of Moses, where the Lord commanded, “·Parents [Fathers] must not be put to death ·when their children do wrong [for sons], and ·children [sons] must not be put to death ·when their parents do wrong [for fathers]. Each must die for his own sins [Deut. 24:16].”
5 Amaziah ·gathered [summoned; assembled] the people of Judah together. He ·grouped [assigned] all the people of Judah and Benjamin by ·families [clans], and he put commanders over groups of a thousand and over groups of a hundred. He ·counted [took a census of] the men who were twenty years old and older. In all there were three hundred thousand soldiers ready to fight and ·skilled [trained] with spears and shields. 6 Amaziah also hired one hundred thousand skilled soldiers from Israel for ·about seventy-five hundred pounds [L one hundred talents] of silver. 7 But a man of God [C prophet] came to Amaziah and said, “My king, don’t let the army of Israel go with you. The Lord is not with Israel or any of the people from the tribe of Ephraim. 8 You can ·make yourself strong for war [fight bravely/well], but God will ·defeat you [L cause you to stumble before the enemy]. He has the power to help you or to ·defeat you [L cause you to stumble].”
9 Amaziah said to the man of God, “But what about the ·seventy-five hundred pounds [L one hundred talents] of silver I paid to the Israelite army?”
The man of God answered, “The Lord can give you much more than that.”
10 So Amaziah ·sent the Israelite [discharged/dismissed the] army back home to Ephraim. ·They were very angry with [L Their anger burned against] the people of Judah and went home ·angry [incensed; in a rage].
11 Then Amaziah ·became very brave [summoned his courage] and led his army to the Valley of Salt in the country of Edom. There Amaziah’s army killed ten thousand ·Edomites [L sons of Seir]. 12 The army of Judah also captured ten thousand alive and took them to the top of a cliff and threw them off so that they ·split open [were dashed to pieces].
13 At the same time the Israelite troops that Amaziah had not let fight in the war ·were robbing [raided] towns in Judah. From Samaria to Beth Horon they killed three thousand people and took ·many valuable things [much plunder/spoil/booty].
14 When Amaziah came home after ·defeating [slaughtering] the Edomites, he brought back the ·idols they worshiped [L gods of the sons of Seir] and ·started to worship them himself [set them up as his own gods]. He bowed down to them and ·offered sacrifices [burned incense] to them. 15 The ·Lord was very angry with [L Lord’s anger burned against] Amaziah, ·so [and] he sent a prophet to him who said, “Why have you asked their gods for help? They could not even ·save [rescue; T deliver] their own people from ·you [L your hand]!”
16 As the prophet spoke, Amaziah said to him, “·We never gave you the job of advising the king [L Who made you the royal counselor?]. Stop, or you will be killed.”
The prophet stopped speaking except to say, “I know that God has ·decided [advised/counseled himself; C a play on words since the king had rejected God’s counsel through the prophet] to destroy you because you have done this. You did not listen to my ·advice [counsel].”
17 Amaziah king of Judah ·talked with those who advised him [took counsel; sought advice]. Then he sent a message to Jehoash son of Jehoahaz, who was the son of Jehu king of Israel. Amaziah said to Jehoash, “Come, let’s meet face to face [C possibly a call to negotiate, but more likely a challenge to battle].”
18 Then Jehoash king of Israel answered Amaziah king of Judah, “A ·thornbush [thistle] in Lebanon sent a message to a cedar tree in Lebanon. It said, ‘Let your daughter marry my son.’ But then a wild animal from Lebanon came by, ·walking on and crushing [trampling] the ·thornbush [thistle]. 19 You say to yourself that you have defeated Edom, but ·you have become proud [L your heart is lifted up], and you brag. But you stay at home! Don’t ask for trouble, or you and Judah will ·be defeated [L fall].”
20 But Amaziah would not listen. God caused this to happen so that Jehoash would defeat Judah, because Judah ·asked for help from [sought; followed] the gods of Edom. 21 So Jehoash king of Israel went to attack. He and Amaziah king of Judah faced each other at Beth Shemesh in Judah. 22 Israel defeated Judah, and every man of Judah ran away to his ·home [L tent]. 23 At Beth Shemesh Jehoash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah. (Amaziah was the son of Joash, who was the son of Ahaziah.) Then Jehoash brought him to Jerusalem. Jehoash broke down the wall of Jerusalem, from the Gate of Ephraim to the Corner Gate, ·about six hundred feet [L four hundred cubits]. 24 He took all the gold and silver and all the ·utensils [articles] from the ·Temple [L house] of God that Obed-Edom had taken care of. He also took the treasures from the ·palace [L house] and some hostages. Then he returned to Samaria.
25 Amaziah son of Joash, the king of Judah, lived fifteen years after the death of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz, the king of Israel. 26 The ·other things Amaziah did as king [rest of the events/acts/history of Amaziah], from ·the beginning to the end [first to last], ·are [L are they not…?] written in the ·book [scroll] of the kings of Judah and Israel. 27 When Amaziah ·stopped obeying [turned away from] the Lord, 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 there. 28 They brought his body back on horses, and he was buried with his ·ancestors [fathers] in the city of ·Judah [or David; C see 2 Kin. 14:20].
2 Chronicles 25
New American Standard Bible
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. 2 He did what was right in the sight of the Lord, (B)only not wholeheartedly. 3 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. 4 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
5 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. 6 He also hired a hundred thousand valiant warriors from Israel for [c]a hundred talents of silver. 7 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. 8 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.” 9 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
- 2 Chronicles 25:3 Lit firm upon him
- 2 Chronicles 25:5 Lit mustered
- 2 Chronicles 25:6 About 3.75 tons or 3.4 metric tons
- 2 Chronicles 25:8 Lit cause you to stumble
- 2 Chronicles 25:8 Lit cause to stumble
- 2 Chronicles 25:9 About 3.75 tons or 3.4 metric tons
- 2 Chronicles 25:10 Lit separated
- 2 Chronicles 25:10 Lit to their own place
- 2 Chronicles 25:13 Lit sons of the troops
- 2 Chronicles 25:16 Lit he
- 2 Chronicles 25:16 Lit they strike and kill you
- 2 Chronicles 25:19 Lit struck
- 2 Chronicles 25:22 Lit before
- 2 Chronicles 25:23 About 600 ft. or 183 m
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