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Amaziah King of Judah(A)

14 Amaziah son of Joash became king of Judah during the second year Jehoash son of Jehoahaz was king of Israel. Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he ·ruled [reigned] twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother was named Jehoaddin, and she was from Jerusalem. Amaziah did ·what the Lord said was right [L right in the eyes/sight of the Lord]. He did everything his father Joash had done, but he did not do as his ·ancestor [father] David had done. The ·places where gods were worshiped [L high places; 12:3] were not removed, so the people still sacrificed and burned incense there.

As soon as Amaziah took control of the kingdom, he executed the ·officers [officials] who had ·murdered [assassinated] his father the king. But he did not put to death the ·children [sons] of the ·murderers [assassins] because of the rule written in the Book of the ·Teachings [Law; L torah] of Moses. The Lord had commanded: “·Parents [Fathers] must not be put to death ·when their children do wrong [L for their sons], and ·children [sons] must not be put to death ·when their parents do wrong [L for their fathers]. Each must ·die [put to death] for his own sins [Deut. 24:16].”

In battle Amaziah killed ten thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt. He also took the city of Sela. He called it Joktheel, as it is still called today.

Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash son of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu, king of Israel. They said, “Come, let’s meet face to face [C either a call for negotiations or a challenge to battle, but taken by Jehoash as the latter].”

Then Jehoash king of Israel answered Amaziah king of Judah, “A thornbush in Lebanon sent a message to a cedar tree in Lebanon. It said, ‘Let your daughter marry my son.’ But then a wild ·animal [beast] from Lebanon came by, ·walking [trampling] on and crushing the thornbush. 10 You have defeated Edom, ·but [and now] you have become ·proud [arrogant]. Stay at home and ·brag [or enjoy your victory/glory]. Don’t ·ask for [stir up] trouble, or you and Judah will ·be defeated [fall].”

11 But Amaziah would not listen, so Jehoash king of Israel went ·to attack [L up]. He and Amaziah king of Judah faced each other in battle at Beth Shemesh in Judah. 12 Israel ·defeated [routed] Judah, and every man of Judah ·ran away [fled] to his ·home [L tent]. 13 At Beth Shemesh Jehoash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah. (Amaziah was the son of Joash, who was the son of Ahaziah.) Jehoash went up to Jerusalem and ·broke down [demolished] the wall of Jerusalem from the Gate of Ephraim to the Corner Gate, which was about ·six hundred feet [L four hundred cubits]. 14 He took all the gold and silver and all the utensils found in the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord, and he took the treasuries of the ·palace [L king’s house] and some hostages. Then he returned to Samaria.

15 The other acts of Jehoash and his ·victories [achievements; power], including his war against Amaziah king of Judah, ·are [L are they not…?] written in the book of the ·history [chronicles; annals; 1:18] of the kings of Israel. 16 Jehoash ·died [L lay down/T slept with his fathers/ancestors] and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel, and his son Jeroboam became king in his place.

17 Amaziah son of Joash, the king of Judah, lived fifteen years after the death of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz, the king of Israel. 18 The other things Amaziah did ·are [L are they not…?] written in the book of the ·history [chronicles; annals; 1:18] of the kings of Judah. 19 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. 20 They brought his body back on horses, and he was buried with his ·ancestors [fathers] in Jerusalem, in the city of David.

Uzziah Becomes King(B)

21 Then all the people of Judah made Uzziah [C also called Azariah] king in place of his father Amaziah. Uzziah was sixteen years old. 22 He rebuilt the town of Elath and ·made it part of [restored it to] Judah again after Amaziah ·died [L lay down/T slept with his fathers/ancestors].

Jeroboam King of Israel

23 Jeroboam son of Jehoash became king of Israel in Samaria during the fifteenth year Amaziah was king of Judah. (Amaziah was the son of Joash.) Jeroboam ·ruled [reigned] forty-one years, 24 and he did ·what the Lord said was wrong [L evil in the eyes/sight of the Lord]. Jeroboam son of Nebat had led Israel to sin, and Jeroboam son of Jehoash did not ·stop doing [depart/turn away from] the same sins. 25 Jeroboam ·won back [restored] Israel’s border from Lebo Hamath to the ·Dead Sea [L Sea of Arabah]. This happened ·as [L in accordance with the word of] the Lord, the God of Israel, ·had said [spoken] through his servant Jonah son of Amittai, the prophet from Gath Hepher. 26 The Lord had seen how the Israelites suffered bitterly, and no one, slave or free, could help them. 27 The Lord had not said he would ·completely destroy [blot out; eradicate] Israel from the world, so he ·saved [rescued; T delivered] the Israelites through Jeroboam son of Jehoash.

28 Everything else Jeroboam did—all his ·victories [achievements; power] and how he ·won back [recovered] from Judah the towns of Damascus and Hamath for Israel—·is [L Is not all this…?] written in the book of the ·history [chronicles; annals; 1:18] of the kings of Israel. 29 Jeroboam ·died and was buried with his ancestors [L lay down/T slept with his fathers/ancestors], the kings of Israel. Jeroboam’s son Zechariah became king in his place.

Amaziah Reigns over Judah

14 In the second year of Joash the son of Jehoahaz, king of Israel, Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah became king. He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jehoaddin of Jerusalem. He did right in the sight of the Lord, though not like David his father (ancestor). He acted in accordance with everything that his father Joash had done. However, the high places were not removed; the people were still sacrificing and burning incense on the high places. As soon as the kingdom was firmly in Amaziah’s hand, he executed his servants who had killed his father the king.(A) But he did not put the sons of the murderers to death, in compliance with what is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, in which the Lord commanded, saying, “The fathers shall not be put to death for the sons, nor shall the sons be put to death for the fathers; but each shall be put to death [only] for his own sin.”(B)

Amaziah killed 10,000 [men] of Edom in the Valley of Salt, and took [a]Sela (rock) by war, and renamed it Joktheel, to this day.

Then Amaziah sent messengers to [b]Jehoash (Joash) the son of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, “Come, let us face each other [in combat].” Jehoash the king of Israel sent word to Amaziah king of Judah, saying, “The [little] thorn-bush in Lebanon sent word to the [tall] cedar in Lebanon, saying, ‘Give your daughter to my son as wife.’ But a wild beast that was in Lebanon passed by and trampled the thorn-bush. 10 You have indeed defeated Edom, and your heart has lifted you up [in pride]. Enjoy your glory but stay at home; for why should you plunge into misery so that you, even you, would fall [at my hand], and Judah with you?”

11 But Amaziah would not listen. So Jehoash king of Israel went up; and he and Amaziah king of Judah faced each other [in combat] at Beth-shemesh, which belongs to Judah. 12 Judah was defeated by Israel, and every man fled to his tent. 13 Then Jehoash king of Israel captured Amaziah the king of Judah, the son of Jehoash (Joash), the son of Ahaziah, at Beth-shemesh, and came to Jerusalem and broke through the wall of Jerusalem from the Gate of Ephraim to the Corner Gate, 400 cubits (600 feet). 14 He seized all the gold and silver and all the utensils found in the house (temple) of the Lord and in the treasuries of the king’s house, as well as hostages, and returned to Samaria.

Jeroboam II Succeeds Jehoash (Joash) in Israel

15 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoash which he did, and his might and how he fought with Amaziah the king of Judah, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 16 Jehoash slept with his fathers [in death] and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel. His son Jeroboam [II] became king in his place.

Azariah (Uzziah) Succeeds Amaziah in Judah

17 Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah lived for fifteen years after the death of Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz king of Israel. 18 The rest of the acts of Amaziah, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 19 Now a conspiracy was formed against him in Jerusalem, and Amaziah fled [south] to Lachish; but they sent [men] after him to Lachish and killed him there. 20 Then they carried him on horses and he was buried at Jerusalem with his fathers in the City of David. 21 And all the people of Judah took Azariah, who was [only] sixteen years old, and made him king in place of his father Amaziah. 22 He built [c]Elath and restored it to Judah after the king [his father Amaziah] slept with his fathers [in death].

23 In the fifteenth year of Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah, Jeroboam [II] the son of Joash (Jehoash) king of Israel became king in Samaria, and reigned forty-one years. 24 He did evil in the sight of the Lord; he did not turn from all the [idolatrous] sins of Jeroboam [I] the son of Nebat, who made Israel sin. 25 Jeroboam restored Israel’s border from the [d]entrance of Hamath to the Sea of the Arabah (Dead Sea), in accordance with the word of the Lord, the God of Israel, which He spoke through His servant Jonah the son of Amittai, the prophet who was from Gath-hepher. 26 For the Lord saw the affliction (suffering) of Israel as very bitter; there was no one left, bond or free, nor any helper for Israel. 27 But the Lord had not said that He would blot out the name of Israel from under the heavens, so He saved them by the hand of Jeroboam [II] the son of Joash [king of Israel].

Zechariah Reigns over Israel

28 The rest of the acts of Jeroboam [II], all that he did, his might, how he fought, and how he recovered Damascus and Hamath for Israel, which had belonged to Judah, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 29 Jeroboam [II] slept with his fathers [in death], even with the kings of Israel. Zechariah his son became king in his place.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 14:7 Gr Petra.
  2. 2 Kings 14:8 See note 12:1.
  3. 2 Kings 14:22 A major port city located on the Gulf of Aqaba.
  4. 2 Kings 14:25 An area about a hundred miles north of Damascus.