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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

  1. 2 Chronicles 25:3 Lit firm upon him
  2. 2 Chronicles 25:5 Lit mustered
  3. 2 Chronicles 25:6 About 3.75 tons or 3.4 metric tons
  4. 2 Chronicles 25:8 Lit cause you to stumble
  5. 2 Chronicles 25:8 Lit cause to stumble
  6. 2 Chronicles 25:9 About 3.75 tons or 3.4 metric tons
  7. 2 Chronicles 25:10 Lit separated
  8. 2 Chronicles 25:10 Lit to their own place
  9. 2 Chronicles 25:13 Lit sons of the troops
  10. 2 Chronicles 25:16 Lit he
  11. 2 Chronicles 25:16 Lit they strike and kill you
  12. 2 Chronicles 25:19 Lit struck
  13. 2 Chronicles 25:22 Lit before
  14. 2 Chronicles 25:23 About 600 ft. or 183 m
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2 Chronicles 25
International Standard Version

Amaziah Succeeds Joash(A)

25 Amaziah began his reign at the age of 25 years, and he reigned 29 years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jehoaddan. She was from Jerusalem. 2 He practiced what the Lord considered to be right, but not with a perfect heart. 3 As soon as he had consolidated his royal authority, he executed the servants who had killed his father, the king, 4 but he did not execute their children in obedience to what is written in the Law, the writings of Moses, where the Lord commanded, “Fathers are not to die because of what their children do, nor are children to die because of what their fathers do, but each person is to die for his own sins.”[a]

The Edomites are Defeated(B)

5 Amaziah gathered Judah together and organized them according to their ancestral households under commanders of thousands and hundreds throughout Judah and Benjamin. He then mustered an army from those who were 20 years old and older. He discovered that there were 300,000 elite soldiers qualified for war duty and capable of handling spears and shields. 6 He also hired 100,000 elite forces from Israel, paying 100 talents[b] of silver for their services.

7 A man came from God and warned him, “Your majesty, don’t let the army of Israel accompany you into battle, because the Lord isn’t with any of the descendants of Ephraim. 8 But if you do go, strengthen yourself for war. Do you think God will throw you down before the enemy, since God has the power both to help or to overthrow?”

9 Amaziah asked the man of God, “What are we to do about the 100 talents[c] that I have paid to the army of Israel?”

The man of God answered, “The Lord has a lot more than that to give you!” 10 So Amaziah sent the troops home who had arrived from Ephraim. They flew into a rage against Judah but left for home very angry.

11 But Amaziah encouraged himself and led his army out to the Salt Valley to kill 10,000 soldiers from Seir. 12 The army of Judah captured another 10,000 prisoners and took them to the top of a cliff and threw them down from there where they all were dashed to pieces. 13 Meanwhile, the troops that Amaziah had sent home from the battle raided the cities of Judah from Samaria to Beth-horon, killing 3,000 people and taking a large amount of war booty.

14 Later, Amaziah returned from slaughtering the Edomites, but he brought back the gods that had belonged to the men of Seir, set them up as his own gods, worshipped them, and sacrificed offerings to them. 15 As a result, the Lord became angry with Amaziah and sent a prophet to him, who asked him, “Why did you seek the gods of a people who were unable to deliver their own nation from you?”

16 But even while the prophet[d] was speaking, the king asked him, “Did we appoint you to be a royal counselor? Stop! Why should you be struck down?”

So the prophet stopped speaking, but he also said, “I know God has determined to destroy you, because you’ve done all this and ignored my counsel.”

Israel Defeats Judah(C)

17 After this, King Amaziah of Judah sought some advice and then challenged Jehoahaz’ son King Joash of Israel, the grandson of Jehu, telling him, “Come out and let’s fight each other!”

18 But King Joash of Israel replied to King Amaziah of Judah, “There once was a thorn bush in Lebanon that sent an invitation to the cedar of Lebanon that read ‘Give your daughter to my son in marriage.’ Right about then, a wild animal in Lebanon passed by and trampled the thorn bush. 19 You claim you’ve defeated Edom, but you’re really only puffed up with arrogant boasting. So stay home. Why stir up trouble so you die, and the rest of Judah with you?”

20 But Amaziah refused to listen, because the situation was being orchestrated by God in order to turn them over to the control of their enemies because they had pursued those Edomite gods. 21 So King Joash of Israel went out to battle against King Amaziah of Judah, and they fought at Beth-shemesh, which is part of Judah’s territory. 22 Judah was defeated by Israel, and every soldier ran home. 23 King Joash of Israel captured Joash’s son King Amaziah of Judah, the grandson of Ahaziah, at Beth-shemesh and brought him back to Jerusalem, where he broke down 400 cubits[e] of the wall of Jerusalem from the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate. 24 He confiscated all the gold, silver, and utensils that he could find in the care of Obed-edom inside of God’s Temple and inside the royal palace. Then he took some hostages and returned to Samaria.

The Death of Amaziah(D)

25 Joash’s son Amaziah, king of Judah, lived for fifteen years after the death of Jehoahaz’ son Joash, king of Israel. 26 The rest of Amaziah’s accomplishments, from first to last, are recorded in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel, are they not? 27 From the time that Amaziah abandoned his seeking the Lord, some people conspired against him in Jerusalem, so he ran away to Lachish, but they pursued him to Lachish and killed him there. 28 They brought him back on horses and buried him with his ancestors in the city of Judah.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 25:4 Cf. Deut 24:16; Jer 31:30; Eze 18:20
  2. 2 Chronicles 25:6 I.e. about 7,500 pounds; a talent weighed about 75 pounds
  3. 2 Chronicles 25:9 I.e. about 7,500 pounds; a talent weighed about 75 pounds
  4. 2 Chronicles 25:16 Lit. while he
  5. 2 Chronicles 25:23 I.e. about 600 feet; a cubit was about eighteen inches
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2 Chronicles 24
2 Chronicles 26
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