2 Kings 14
World English Bible
14 In the second year of Joash son of Joahaz king of Israel, Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah began to reign. 2 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. 3 He did that which was right in Yahweh’s eyes, yet not like David his father. He did according to all that Joash his father had done. 4 However the high places were not taken away. The people still sacrificed and burned incense in the high places. 5 As soon as the kingdom was established in his hand, he killed his servants who had slain the king his father, 6 but the children of the murderers he didn’t put to death; according to that which is written in the book of the law of Moses, as Yahweh commanded, saying, “The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, nor the children be put to death for the fathers; but every man shall die for his own sin.”
7 He killed ten thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt, and took Sela by war, and called its name Joktheel, to this day. 8 Then Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash, the son of Jehoahaz son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, “Come, let’s look one another in the face.”
9 Jehoash the king of Israel sent to Amaziah king of Judah, saying, “The thistle that was in Lebanon sent to the cedar that was in Lebanon, saying, ‘Give your daughter to my son as wife. Then a wild animal that was in Lebanon passed by, and trampled down the thistle. 10 You have indeed struck Edom, and your heart has lifted you up. Enjoy the glory of it, and stay at home; for why should you meddle to your harm, that you fall, even 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 looked one another in the face at Beth Shemesh, which belongs to Judah. 12 Judah was defeated by Israel; and each man fled to his tent. 13 Jehoash king of Israel took Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Jehoash the son of Ahaziah, at Beth Shemesh, and came to Jerusalem, and broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the gate of Ephraim to the corner gate, four hundred cubits.[a] 14 He took all the gold and silver, and all the vessels that were found in Yahweh’s house and in the treasures of the king’s house, the hostages also, and returned to Samaria.
15 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoash which he did, and his might, and how he fought with Amaziah king of Judah, aren’t they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? 16 Jehoash slept with his fathers, and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel; and Jeroboam his son reigned in his place.
17 Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah lived after the death of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel fifteen years. 18 Now the rest of the acts of Amaziah, aren’t they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? 19 They made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish; but they sent after him to Lachish, and killed him there. 20 They brought him on horses, and he was buried at Jerusalem with his fathers in David’s city.
21 All the people of Judah took Azariah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in the place of his father Amaziah. 22 He built Elath, and restored it to Judah. After that the king slept with his fathers.
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 for forty-one years. 24 He did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight. He didn’t depart from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, with which he made Israel to sin. 25 He restored the border of Israel from the entrance of Hamath to the sea of the Arabah, according to Yahweh, the God of Israel’s word, which he spoke by his servant Jonah the son of Amittai, the prophet, who was from Gath Hepher. 26 For Yahweh saw the affliction of Israel, that it was very bitter; for all, slave and free, and there was no helper for Israel. 27 Yahweh didn’t say that he would blot out the name of Israel from under the sky; but 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 recovered Damascus, and Hamath, which had belonged to Judah, for Israel, aren’t they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? 29 Jeroboam slept with his fathers, even with the kings of Israel; and Zechariah his son reigned in his place.
Footnotes
- 14:13 A cubit is the length from the tip of the middle finger to the elbow on a man’s arm, or about 18 inches or 46 centimeters.
2 Kings 14
International Standard Version
Amaziah Becomes King of Judah
14 Amaziah, son of Judah’s King Joash, became king during the second year of the reign of[a] Joash, son of King Joahaz of Israel, 2 at the age of 25. He reigned 29 years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jehoaddin; she was[b] from Jerusalem.
3 He practiced what the Lord considered to be right, but not like his ancestor David did. He acted as his father Joash had done, 4 except that the high places were not abolished. The people continued to offer sacrifices and to burn incense on the high places. 5 Later on, as soon as he was in firm control of his kingdom, he executed the servants who had murdered his father the king, 6 but he did not execute the children of the murderers, in keeping with what is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, as the Lord had commanded: “Fathers must not be put to death because of their children’s sin; nor are children to die because of their fathers’ sin, for each person is to be put to death for his own sin.”[c]
The Edomites are Defeated(A)
7 Joash executed 10,000 Edomites in the Salt Valley and captured Sela in battle, renaming it Joktheel, which remains its name to this day. 8 Later, Amaziah sent couriers to Jehoahaz’s son Jehoash, grandson of King Jehu of Israel, challenging him, “Come on! Let’s fight face to face!”
9 But King Jehoash of Israel sent this message to King Amaziah of Judah: “The thorn bush in Lebanon sent this message to the cedar[d] of Lebanon: ‘Give your daughter to my son in marriage.’ But just then a wild beast from Lebanon wandered by and trampled down the thorn bush. 10 You just defeated Edom and you’re[e] arrogant. Bask in your victory and stay home. Why incite trouble so that you—yes, you!—fall, along with Judah with you?”
11 But Amaziah refused to listen. So Israel’s King Jehoash and Judah’s King Amaziah faced each other at Beth-shemesh, which is part of Judah. 12 Judah was defeated by Israel, and everybody fled to their own tents. 13 Then King Jehoash of Israel captured Judah’s King Amaziah, the son of Jehoash and grandson of Ahaziah, at Beth-shemesh. He went to Jerusalem and demolished 400 cubits[f] of the wall of Jerusalem from the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate. 14 He confiscated all the gold and silver, all the instruments he could find in the Lord’s Temple and in the palace treasuries. He also captured some hostages and then returned to Samaria.
Jeroboam Succeeds Israel’s King Jehoash
15 The rest of Jehoash’s activities that he undertook, including his valor in fighting King Amaziah of Judah, are recorded in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel, are they not? 16 Jehoash died, as had[g] his ancestors, and he was buried in Samaria alongside the kings of Israel. His son Jeroboam reigned in his place.
The Death of Judah’s King Amaziah(B)
17 Joash’s son, King Amaziah of Judah, lived for fifteen years after Jehoahaz’ son, King Jehoash of Israel, died. 18 The rest of Amaziah’s activities are recorded in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah, are they not? 19 A conspiracy arose against him in Jerusalem, and he ran off to Lachish, but he was pursued to Lachish and killed there. 20 His body was brought back on horses and he was buried at Jerusalem alongside his ancestors in the City of David.
Azariah’s Reign over Judah
21 All the people of Judah took Azariah, who was sixteen years old, and installed him as king to take the place of his father Amaziah. 22 He rebuilt Elath and restored it to Judah. Later on the king died, as did[h] his ancestors.
Jeroboam’s Reign over Israel
23 In the fifteenth year of the reign of[i] Amaziah son of Joash, king of Judah, Jeroboam son of Joash, king of Israel, began a 41 year reign in Samaria. 24 He did what the Lord considered to be evil by not abandoning all the sins of Nebat’s son Jeroboam, who made Israel sin. 25 He rebuilt Israel’s coastline from the entrance of Hamath as far as the Sea of the Arabah,[j] in accordance with the message from the Lord God of Israel that he spoke through his servant Jonah the prophet, Amittai’s son, who was from Gath-hepher. 26 For the Lord observed Israel’s bitter misery, and there was no one left, neither slave nor free, and there was no deliverer for Israel. 27 The Lord had never said that he would erase the name of Israel from under heaven. Instead, he delivered them by Joash’s son Jeroboam. 28 The rest of Jeroboam’s actions—everything he did, including his powerful fighting and how on behalf of Israel he restored Damascus and Hamath to Judah—are recorded in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel, are they not?
Zechariah’s Reign over Israel
29 Jeroboam died, as had[k] his ancestors the kings of Israel, and his son Zechariah became king in his place.
Footnotes
- 2 Kings 14:1 The Heb. lacks the reign of
- 2 Kings 14:2 The Heb. lacks she was
- 2 Kings 14:6 Cf. Deut 24:16
- 2 Kings 14:9 I.e. a genus of coniferous evergreen in the family Pinaceae; and so throughout the book
- 2 Kings 14:10 Lit. and your heart is
- 2 Kings 14:13 I.e. about 600 feet; a cubit was about eighteen inches
- 2 Kings 14:16 Lit. Jehoash slept with
- 2 Kings 14:22 Lit. king slept with
- 2 Kings 14:23 The Heb. lacks the reign of
- 2 Kings 14:25 I.e. the Dead Sea; cf. Deut 3:17
- 2 Kings 14:29 Lit. Jeroboam slept with
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