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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

  1. 2 Kings 14:1 The Heb. lacks the reign of
  2. 2 Kings 14:2 The Heb. lacks she was
  3. 2 Kings 14:6 Cf. Deut 24:16
  4. 2 Kings 14:9 I.e. a genus of coniferous evergreen in the family Pinaceae; and so throughout the book
  5. 2 Kings 14:10 Lit. and your heart is
  6. 2 Kings 14:13 I.e. about 600 feet; a cubit was about eighteen inches
  7. 2 Kings 14:16 Lit. Jehoash slept with
  8. 2 Kings 14:22 Lit. king slept with
  9. 2 Kings 14:23 The Heb. lacks the reign of
  10. 2 Kings 14:25 I.e. the Dead Sea; cf. Deut 3:17
  11. 2 Kings 14:29 Lit. Jeroboam slept with
Close NABRE

2 Kings 14
New American Bible (Revised Edition)

Chapter 14

Reign of Amaziah of Judah. 1 In the second year[a] of Joash, son of Jehoahaz, king of Israel, Amaziah, son of Joash, king of Judah, became king. 2 He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jehoaddin, from Jerusalem.

3 He did what was right in the Lord’s eyes, though not like David his father. He did just as his father Joash had done, 4 though the high places did not disappear, and the people continued to sacrifice and to burn incense on the high places.

5 When Amaziah had the kingdom firmly in hand, he struck down the officials who had struck down the king, his father. 6 But their children he did not put to death, according to what is written in the book of the law of Moses, which the Lord commanded: “Parents shall not be put to death for their children, nor shall children be put to death for their parents; only for one’s own crimes shall a person be put to death.”(A)

7 Amaziah struck down ten thousand Edomites in the Salt Valley. He took Sela in battle and renamed it Joktheel, the name it has to this day.(B)

8 Then Amaziah sent messengers to Joash, son of Jehoahaz, son of Jehu, king of Israel, with this message: “Come, let us meet face to face.” 9 Joash, king of Israel, sent this reply to Amaziah, king of Judah: “A thistle of Lebanon sent word to a cedar of Lebanon, ‘Give your daughter to my son in marriage,’ but an animal of Lebanon passed by and trampled the thistle underfoot.(C) 10 You have indeed struck down Edom, and your heart is lifted up; enjoy your glory, but stay home! Why bring misfortune and failure on yourself and on Judah with you?” 11 But Amaziah did not listen. So Joash, king of Israel, advanced, and he and Amaziah, king of Judah, met face to face at Beth-shemesh of Judah, 12 and Judah was defeated by Israel, and all fled to their tents. 13 But Amaziah, king of Judah, son of Joash, son of Ahaziah, was captured by Joash, king of Israel, at Beth-shemesh. When they came to Jerusalem Joash tore down the wall of Jerusalem, from the Gate of Ephraim to the Corner Gate, four hundred cubits. 14 He took all the gold and silver and all the vessels found in the house of the Lord and in the treasuries of the king’s house, and hostages as well. Then he returned to Samaria.

15 [b]The rest of the acts of Joash, what he did and his valor, and how he made war against Amaziah, king of Judah, are recorded in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel. 16 Joash rested with his ancestors; he was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel, and his son Jeroboam succeeded him as king.

17 [c]Amaziah, son of Joash, king of Judah, survived Joash, son of Jehoahaz, king of Israel, by fifteen years. 18 The rest of the acts of Amaziah are recorded in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah. 19 When a conspiracy was formed against him in Jerusalem, he fled to Lachish. But he was pursued to Lachish and killed there. 20 He was brought back on horses and was buried in Jerusalem with his ancestors in the City of David. 21 Thereupon all the people of Judah[d] took Azariah, who was only sixteen years old, and made him king to succeed Amaziah, his father. 22 It was he who rebuilt Elath and restored it to Judah, after the king rested with his ancestors.

Reign of Jeroboam II of Israel. 23 In the fifteenth year of Amaziah, son of Joash, king of Judah, Jeroboam, son of Joash, king of Israel, became king in Samaria for forty-one years.

24 He did evil in the Lord’s sight; he did not desist from any of the sins that Jeroboam, son of Nebat, had caused Israel to commit. 25 He restored the boundaries of Israel from Lebo-hamath to the sea of the Arabah,[e] as the Lord, the God of Israel, had foretold through his servant, the prophet Jonah, son of Amittai, from Gath-hepher. 26 For the Lord saw the very bitter affliction of Israel, where there was neither bond nor free, no one at all to help Israel. 27 Since the Lord had not resolved to wipe out the name of Israel from under the heavens, he saved them through Jeroboam, son of Joash.

28 The rest of the acts of Jeroboam, with all that he did and his valor, how he fought, and how he regained Damascus and Hamath for Israel, are recorded in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel. 29 Jeroboam rested with his ancestors, the kings of Israel, and his son Zechariah succeeded him as king.

Footnotes

  1. 14:1–2 In the second year…twenty-nine years in Jerusalem: as they stand, the chronological data in the introductions to the reigns of the kings of Judah and Israel are incompatible with one another. The kings of Judah between Athaliah and Ahaz are assigned too many years in all to correspond to the reigns in Israel from Jehu to the fall of Samaria. Various theories have been proposed in an attempt to explain the discrepancy, such as co-regencies, or textual corruption in the process of transmission.
  2. 14:15–16 See note on 13:12–13.
  3. 14:17 See note on vv. 1–2.
  4. 14:21 All the people of Judah: this phrase may refer to the army (compare, for example, “all Israel” in 1 Kgs 16:16–17). If this is its meaning here, then Amaziah’s assassination and Azariah’s succession are owing to a military coup. Azariah: also called Uzziah in many texts.
  5. 14:25 Sea of the Arabah: the Dead Sea. Jonah, son of Amittai: see note on Jon 1:1.
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Scripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.