Amaziah Reigns in Judah

14 (A)In the (B)second year of Joash the son of Joahaz, king of Israel, (C)Amaziah the son of Joash, king of Judah, began to reign. He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jehoaddin of Jerusalem. And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, yet not like David his father. He did in all things as Joash his father had done. (D)But the high places were not removed; (E)the people still sacrificed and made offerings on the high places. And as soon as the royal power was (F)firmly in his hand, he struck down his servants (G)who had struck down the king his father. But he did not put to death the children of the murderers, according to what is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, where the Lord commanded, (H)“Fathers shall not be put to death because of their children, nor shall children be put to death because of their fathers. But each one shall die for his own sin.”

(I)He struck down ten thousand Edomites in (J)the Valley of Salt and took (K)Sela by storm, and called it (L)Joktheel, which is its name to this day.

(M)Then Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash[a] the son of Jehoahaz, son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, “Come, (N)let us look one another in the face.” And Jehoash king of Israel sent word to Amaziah king of Judah, (O)“A thistle on Lebanon sent to a cedar on Lebanon, saying, ‘Give your daughter to my son for a wife,’ and a wild beast of Lebanon passed by and trampled down the thistle. 10 You have indeed (P)struck down Edom, (Q)and your heart has lifted you up. Be content with your glory, and stay at home, for why should you provoke trouble so that you fall, you and Judah with you?”

11 But Amaziah would not listen. So Jehoash king of Israel went up, and he and Amaziah king of Judah (R)faced one another in battle at (S)Beth-shemesh, which belongs to Judah. 12 And Judah was defeated by Israel, (T)and every man fled to his home. 13 And Jehoash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Jehoash, son of Ahaziah, at Beth-shemesh, and came to Jerusalem and broke down the wall of Jerusalem for four hundred cubits,[b] from (U)the Ephraim Gate to (V)the Corner Gate. 14 And he seized (W)all the gold and silver, and all the vessels that were found in the house of the Lord and in the treasuries of the king's house, also hostages, and he returned to Samaria.

15 (X)Now the rest of the acts of Jehoash that he did, and his might, and how he fought with Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 16 And Jehoash slept with his fathers and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel, and Jeroboam his son reigned in his place.

17 (Y)Amaziah the son of Joash, king of Judah, lived fifteen years after the death of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz, king of Israel. 18 Now the rest of the deeds of Amaziah, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 19 And they made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem, and he fled to (Z)Lachish. But they sent after him to Lachish and put him to death there. 20 And they brought him on horses; and he was buried in Jerusalem with his fathers in the city of David. 21 And all the people of Judah took Azariah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king instead of his father Amaziah. 22 He built (AA)Elath and restored it to Judah, after the king slept with his fathers.

Jeroboam II Reigns in Israel

23 In the fifteenth year of Amaziah the son of Joash, king of Judah, Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel, began to reign in Samaria, and he reigned forty-one years. 24 And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. He did not depart from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, (AB)which he made Israel to sin. 25 (AC)He restored the border of Israel (AD)from Lebo-hamath as far as the Sea of (AE)the Arabah, according to the word of the Lord, the God of Israel, which he spoke by his servant (AF)Jonah the son of Amittai, the prophet, who was from (AG)Gath-hepher. 26 For the Lord (AH)saw that the affliction of Israel was very bitter, (AI)for there was none left, bond or free, and there was none to help Israel. 27 (AJ)But the Lord had not said that he would blot out the name of Israel from under heaven, so he saved them by the hand of Jeroboam the son of Joash.

28 Now the rest of the acts of Jeroboam and all that he did, and his might, how he fought, and how he restored (AK)Damascus and (AL)Hamath to Judah in Israel, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 29 And Jeroboam slept with his fathers, the kings of Israel, and Zechariah his son reigned in his place.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 14:8 Jehoash is an alternate spelling of Joash (son of Jehoahaz) as in 13:9, 12–14; also verses 9, 11–16
  2. 2 Kings 14:13 A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters

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. He was 25 years old when he became king and reigned 29 years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jehoaddan[c] and was from Jerusalem. 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) Yet the high places were not taken away, and the people continued sacrificing and burning incense on the high places.(E)

As soon as the kingdom was firmly in his grasp, Amaziah killed his servants who had murdered his father the king.(F) However, he did not put the children of the murderers to death, as it is written in the book of the law of Moses where the Lord commanded, “Fathers must not be put to death because of children, and children must not be put to death because of fathers; instead, each one will be put to death for his own sin.”(G)

Amaziah killed 10,000 Edomites in the Valley of Salt.(H) He took Sela(I) in battle and called it Joktheel,(J) which is its name to this very day. Amaziah then sent messengers to Jehoash son of Jehoahaz, son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, “Come, let us meet face to face.”(K)

King Jehoash of Israel sent word to Amaziah king of Judah, saying, “The thistle that was in Lebanon once sent a message to the cedar(L) that was in Lebanon,(M) saying, ‘Give your daughter to my son as a wife.’ Then a wild animal that was in Lebanon passed by and trampled the thistle. 10 You have indeed defeated Edom, and you have become overconfident.(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 faced off at Beth-shemesh(O) that belongs to Judah. 12 Judah was routed before Israel, and everyone fled to his own tent.(P) 13 King Jehoash of Israel captured Judah’s King Amaziah son of Joash,[d] son of Ahaziah, at Beth-shemesh. Then Jehoash went to Jerusalem and broke down 200 yards[e] 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 Amaziah king of Judah, are written in the Historical Record of Israel’s Kings.(T) 16 Jehoash rested with his fathers, 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 15 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 fathers in the city of David.(Z)

21 Then all the people of Judah took Azariah,[f](AA) who was 16 years old, and made him king in place of his father Amaziah. 22 He rebuilt Elath[g](AB) and restored it to Judah after Amaziah the king rested with his fathers.

Israel’s King Jeroboam

23 In the fifteenth year of Judah’s King Amaziah son of Joash, Jeroboam(AC) son of Jehoash[h] became king of Israel in Samaria and reigned 41 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) There was no one to help Israel, neither bond nor free. 27 However, 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.[i]

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 fathers, the kings of Israel. His son Zechariah became king in his place.(AP)

Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 14:1 Lit Joash
  2. 2 Kings 14:1 Lit Joahaz
  3. 2 Kings 14:2 Alt Hb tradition, some Hb mss, Syr, Tg, Vg, 2Ch 25:1; other Hb mss, LXX read Jehoaddin
  4. 2 Kings 14:13 Lit Jehoash
  5. 2 Kings 14:13 Lit 400 cubits
  6. 2 Kings 14:21 = Uzziah in 2Ch 26:1
  7. 2 Kings 14:22 = Eloth in 2Ch 26:2
  8. 2 Kings 14:23 Lit Joash
  9. 2 Kings 14:27 Lit Joash
  10. 2 Kings 14:28 Lit recovered Damascus and for Judah in Israel; Hb obscure