2 Kings 14
Christian Standard Bible
Judah’s King Amaziah
14 In(A) the second year of Israel’s King Jehoash[a](B) son of Jehoahaz,[b] Amaziah(C) son of Joash became king of Judah. 2 He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jehoaddan;[c] she was from Jerusalem. 3 He did what was right in the Lord’s sight, but not like his ancestor David. He did everything his father Joash had done.(D) 4 Yet the high places were not taken away, and the people continued sacrificing and burning incense on the high places.(E)
5 As soon as the kingdom was firmly in his grasp, Amaziah killed his servants who had killed his father the king.(F) 6 However, he did not put the children of the killers to death, as it is written in the book of the law of Moses where the Lord commanded, “Fathers are not to be put to death because of children, and children are not to be put to death because of fathers; instead, each one will be put to death for his own sin.”(G)
7 Amaziah killed ten thousand Edomites in Salt Valley.(H) He took Sela(I) in battle and called it Joktheel,(J) which is still its name today. 8 Amaziah then sent messengers to Jehoash son of Jehoahaz, son of Jehu, king of Israel, and challenged him: “Come, let’s meet face to face.”(K)
9 King Jehoash of Israel sent word to King Amaziah of Judah, saying, “The thistle in Lebanon once sent a message to the cedar(L) in Lebanon,(M) saying, ‘Give your daughter to my son as a wife.’ Then a wild animal in Lebanon passed by and trampled the thistle. 10 You have indeed defeated Edom, and you have become overconfident.[d](N) Enjoy your glory and stay at home. Why should you stir up such trouble that you fall—you and Judah with you?”
11 But Amaziah would not listen, so King Jehoash of Israel advanced. He and King Amaziah of Judah met face to face at Beth-shemesh(O) that belonged to Judah. 12 Judah was routed before Israel, and each man fled to his own tent.(P) 13 King Jehoash of Israel captured Judah’s King Amaziah son of Joash,[e] son of Ahaziah, at Beth-shemesh. Then Jehoash went to Jerusalem and broke down two hundred yards[f] of Jerusalem’s wall from the Ephraim Gate(Q) to the Corner Gate.(R) 14 He took all the gold and silver, all the articles found in the Lord’s temple and in the treasuries of the king’s palace, and some hostages.(S) Then he returned to Samaria.
Jehoash’s Death
15 The rest of the events of Jehoash’s reign, along with his accomplishments, his might, and how he waged war against King Amaziah of Judah, are written in the Historical Record of Israel’s Kings.(T) 16 Jehoash rested with his ancestors, and he was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel. His son Jeroboam became king in his place.
Amaziah’s Death
17 Judah’s King Amaziah son of Joash lived fifteen years after the death of Israel’s King Jehoash son of Jehoahaz.(U) 18 The rest of the events of Amaziah’s reign are written in the Historical Record of Judah’s Kings.(V) 19 A conspiracy was formed against him in Jerusalem,(W) and he fled to Lachish.(X) However, men were sent after him to Lachish, and they put him to death there. 20 They carried him back(Y) on horses, and he was buried in Jerusalem with his ancestors in the city of David.(Z)
21 Then all the people of Judah took Azariah,[g](AA) who was sixteen years old, and made him king in place of his father Amaziah. 22 After Amaziah the king rested with his ancestors, Azariah rebuilt Elath[h](AB) and restored it to Judah.
Israel’s King Jeroboam
23 In the fifteenth year of Judah’s King Amaziah son of Joash, Jeroboam(AC) son of Jehoash became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned forty-one years. 24 He did what was evil in the Lord’s sight. He did not turn away from all the sins Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit.(AD)
25 He restored Israel’s border(AE) from Lebo-hamath(AF) as far as the Sea of the Arabah,(AG) according to the word the Lord, the God of Israel, had spoken through his servant, the prophet Jonah(AH) son of Amittai from Gath-hepher.(AI) 26 For the Lord saw that the affliction of Israel was very bitter(AJ) for both slaves and free people.[i] There was no one to help Israel. 27 The Lord had not said he would blot out the name of Israel under heaven,(AK) so he delivered(AL) them by the hand of Jeroboam son of Jehoash.
28 The rest of the events of Jeroboam’s reign—along with all his accomplishments, the power he had to wage war, and how he recovered for Israel Damascus(AM) and Hamath,(AN) which had belonged to Judah[j]—are written in the Historical Record of Israel’s Kings.(AO) 29 Jeroboam rested with his ancestors, the kings of Israel. His son Zechariah became king in his place.(AP)
Footnotes
- 14:1 Lit Joash, also in vv. 23,27
- 14:1 Lit Joahaz
- 14:2 Alt Hb tradition, some Hb mss, Syr, Tg, Vg, 2Ch 25:1; other Hb mss, LXX read Jehoaddin
- 14:10 Lit and your heart has lifted you
- 14:13 Lit Jehoash
- 14:13 Lit 400 cubits
- 14:21 = Uzziah in 2Ch 26:1
- 14:22 = Eloth in 2Ch 26:2
- 14:26 Hb obscure
- 14:28 Lit recovered Damascus and for Judah in Israel; Hb obscure
2 Kings 14
Common English Bible
Amaziah rules Judah
14 Amaziah, the son of Judah’s King Jehoash,[a] became king in the second year of Israel’s King Joash, who was Jehoahaz’s son. 2 Amaziah was 25 years old when he became king, and he ruled for twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jehoaddin; she was from Jerusalem. 3 He did what was right in the Lord’s eyes, but not as well as his ancestor King David. He did everything his father Jehoash did. 4 However, the shrines weren’t removed. People kept sacrificing and burning incense at them. 5 Once he had secured control over his kingdom, he executed the officials who had assassinated his father the king. 6 However, he didn’t kill the children of the murderers, because of what is written in the Instruction scroll from Moses, where the Lord commanded, Parents shouldn’t be executed because of what their children have done; neither should children be executed because of what their parents have done. Each person should be executed for their own guilty acts.[b]
7 Next Amaziah struck down ten thousand Edomites in the Salt Valley and captured Sela in battle. He renamed it Jokthe-el, which is what it is still called today. 8 Then Amaziah sent messengers to Israel’s King Joash[c] son of Jehoahaz son of Israel’s King Jehu, saying, “Come on! Let’s go head-to-head.”
9 But Israel’s King Joash responded to Judah’s King Amaziah, “Once upon a time, a thistle in Lebanon sent a message to a cedar, ‘Give your daughter to my son as a wife.’ But then a wild beast in Lebanon came along and trampled the thistle. 10 You have definitely defeated Edom and have now become conceited. Enjoy the honor, but stay home. Why invite disaster when both you and Judah will fall?”
11 But Amaziah wouldn’t listen, so Israel’s King Joash moved against him, and he and Judah’s King Amaziah went head-to-head in battle at Beth-shemesh in Judah. 12 Judah was defeated by Israel, and everyone ran home. 13 At Beth-shemesh, Israel’s King Joash captured Judah’s King Amaziah, Jehoash’s son and Ahaziah’s grandson. Joash then marched to Jerusalem and broke down six hundred feet of the Jerusalem wall from the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate. 14 Joash took all the gold and silver, and all the objects he could find in the Lord’s temple and the treasuries of the palace, along with some hostages and returned to Samaria. 15 The rest of Joash’s deeds and his powerful acts—how he fought against Judah’s King Amaziah—aren’t they written in the official records of Israel’s kings? 16 Joash lay down with his ancestors. He was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel. His son Jeroboam succeeded him as king.
17 Judah’s King Amaziah, Jehoash’s son, lived fifteen years after the death of Israel’s King Joash, Jehoahaz’s son. 18 The rest of Amaziah’s deeds, aren’t they written in the official records of Judah’s kings? 19 Some people in Jerusalem plotted against him. When Amaziah fled to Lachish, they sent men after him to Lachish, and they murdered him there. 20 They carried him back on horses, and he was buried in Jerusalem with his ancestors in David’s City.
21 Then all the people of Judah took Azariah and made him king after his father Amaziah. He was 16 years old. 22 He rebuilt Elath, restoring it to Judah after King Amaziah had lain down with his ancestors.
Jeroboam II rules Israel
23 Jeroboam, the son of Israel’s King Joash, became king in Samaria in the fifteenth year of Judah’s King Amaziah, Jehoash’s son. He ruled for forty-one years. 24 He did what was evil in the Lord’s eyes. He didn’t deviate from all the sins that Jeroboam, Nebat’s son, had caused Israel to commit. 25 He reestablished Israel’s border from Lebo-hamath to the Dead Sea. This was in agreement with the word that the Lord, the God of Israel, spoke through his servant the prophet Jonah, Amittai’s son, who was from Gath-hepher. 26 The Lord saw how brutally Israel suffered, whether slave or free, with no one to help Israel. 27 But the Lord hadn’t said he would erase Israel’s name from under heaven, so he saved them through Jeroboam, Joash’s son. 28 The rest of Jeroboam’s deeds, all that he accomplished, and his powerful acts—how he fought and how he restored Damascus and Hamath to Judah in Israel[d]—aren’t they written in the official records of Israel’s kings? 29 Jeroboam lay down with his ancestors the kings of Israel. His son Zechariah succeeded him as king.
Footnotes
- 2 Kings 14:1 Heb Joash (also in 14:3, 17, 23); the king’s name is variously spelled in either long Jehoash or short Joash form. The latter is the form used in 2 Chron.
- 2 Kings 14:6 Deut 24:16
- 2 Kings 14:8 Heb Jehoash (also in 14:9, 11, 13, 15, 16-17); the king’s name is variously spelled in either long Jehoash or short Joash form. The latter is the form used in 2 Chron.
- 2 Kings 14:28 Heb uncertain
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