Amaziah Reigns over Judah

14 ^(A)In the second year of Joash son of Joahaz king of Israel, ^(B)Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah became king. ² He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned for twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Jehoaddin of Jerusalem. ³ He did what was right in the sight of the Lord, yet not like his father David; he acted in accordance with everything that his father Joash had done. ⁴ Only ^(C)the high places were not eliminated; ^(D)the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places. ⁵ Now it came about, as soon as the kingdom was firmly in his hand, that he ^[a](E)killed his servants who had ^[b]killed the king, his father. ⁶ But he did not put the sons of ^[c]the murderers to death, in ^[d]obedience to what is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, as the Lord commanded, saying, “^(F)The fathers shall not be put to death for the sons, nor the sons be put to death for the fathers; but ^(G)each shall be put to death for his own sin.”

⁷ He ^[e]killed ten thousand of the Edomites in ^(H)the Valley of Salt, and took ^(I)Sela by war, and named it ^(J)Joktheel, as it is to this day.

^8 (K)Then Amaziah sent messengers to ^[f]Jehoash, the son of Jehoahaz son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, “^(L)Come, let’s face each other in combat.” ⁹ But Jehoash king of Israel sent messengers to Amaziah king of Judah, saying, “^(M)The thorn bush that was in Lebanon sent word to the cedar that was in Lebanon, saying, ‘Give your daughter to my son ^[g]in marriage.’ But a wild animal that was in Lebanon passed by and trampled the thorn bush. ^10 (N)You have indeed ^[h]defeated Edom, and ^(O)your heart ^[i]is elated. Enjoy the glory and stay home; for why should you get involved in trouble so that you would fall, you and Judah with you?”

¹¹ But Amaziah would not listen. So Jehoash king of Israel went up; and they faced each other, he and Amaziah king of Judah, at ^(P)Beth-shemesh, which belongs to Judah. ¹² And Judah was defeated by Israel, and ^(Q)they fled, every man 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 came to Jerusalem and tore down the wall of Jerusalem from ^(R)the Gate of Ephraim to ^(S)the Corner Gate, ^[j]four hundred cubits. ¹⁴ And ^(T)he took all the gold and silver and all the utensils which were found in the house of the Lord, and in the treasuries of the king’s house, the hostages as well, and returned to Samaria.