Amaziah Is Strong in Battle

⁵ Moreover, Amaziah assembled Judah and appointed them according to their fathers’ households under commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds throughout Judah and Benjamin; and he ^[a]took a census of those ^(A)from twenty years old and upward and found them to be ^(B)300,000 choice men, able to go out for military duty, able to handle spear and large shield. ⁶ And he hired also 100,000 mighty men of valor out of Israel for one hundred ^[b]talents of silver. ⁷ But ^(C)a man of God came to him saying, “O king, do not let the army of Israel go with you, for Yahweh is not with Israel nor with any of the sons of Ephraim. ⁸ But if you do go, do it, be strong for the battle; yet God will cause you to stumble before the enemy, ^(D)for God has power to help and to cause to stumble.” ⁹ Then Amaziah said to the man of God, “But what shall we do for the hundred talents which I have given to the troops of Israel?” And the man of God answered, “^(E)Yahweh has much more to give you than this.” ¹⁰ Then Amaziah ^[c]dismissed them, the troops which came to him from Ephraim, to go ^[d]home; so their anger burned against Judah and they returned ^[e]home in burning anger.

¹¹ Now Amaziah strengthened himself and led his people forth, and went to ^(F)the Valley of Salt and struck down 10,000 of the sons of Seir. ¹² The sons of Judah also captured 10,000 alive and brought them to the top of the cliff and threw them down from the top of the cliff, so that they were all split open. ¹³ But the ^[f]troops whom Amaziah sent back from going with him to battle, raided the cities of Judah, from Samaria to Beth-horon, and struck down 3,000 of them and plundered much plunder.

Amaziah Worships the Edomites’ Gods

¹⁴ Now it happened that after Amaziah came from striking down the Edomites, ^(G)he brought the gods of the sons of Seir, set them up as his gods, worshiped them, and burned incense to them. ¹⁵ Then the anger of Yahweh burned against Amaziah, and He sent him a prophet who said to him, “Why have you sought the gods of the people ^(H)who have not delivered their own people from your hand?” ¹⁶ Now it happened that as he was talking with him, ^[g]the king said to him, “Have we given you to be a royal counselor? Stop! Why should you be struck down?” Then the prophet stopped and said, “I know that God has counseled to destroy you, because you have done this and have not listened to my counsel.”