Amaziah called the people of Judah together and assigned them according to their families to commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds for all Judah and Benjamin. He then mustered(A) those twenty years old(B) or more and found that there were three hundred thousand men fit for military service,(C) able to handle the spear and shield. He also hired a hundred thousand fighting men from Israel for a hundred talents[a] of silver.

But a man of God came to him and said, “Your Majesty, these troops from Israel(D) must not march with you, for the Lord is not with Israel—not with any of the people of Ephraim. Even if you go and fight courageously in battle, God will overthrow you before the enemy, for God has the power to help or to overthrow.”(E)

Amaziah asked the man of God, “But what about the hundred talents I paid for these Israelite troops?”

The man of God replied, “The Lord can give you much more than that.”(F)

10 So Amaziah dismissed the troops who had come to him from Ephraim and sent them home. They were furious with Judah and left for home in a great rage.(G)

11 Amaziah then marshaled his strength and led his army to the Valley of Salt, where he killed ten thousand men of Seir. 12 The army of Judah also captured ten thousand men alive, took them to the top of a cliff and threw them down so that all were dashed to pieces.(H)

13 Meanwhile the troops that Amaziah had sent back and had not allowed to take part in the war raided towns belonging to Judah from Samaria to Beth Horon. They killed three thousand people and carried off great quantities of plunder.

14 When Amaziah returned from slaughtering the Edomites, he brought back the gods of the people of Seir. He set them up as his own gods,(I) bowed down to them and burned sacrifices to them. 15 The anger of the Lord burned against Amaziah, and he sent a prophet to him, who said, “Why do you consult this people’s gods, which could not save(J) their own people from your hand?”

16 While he was still speaking, the king said to him, “Have we appointed you an adviser to the king? Stop! Why be struck down?”

So the prophet stopped but said, “I know that God has determined to destroy you, because you have done this and have not listened to my counsel.”

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 25:6 That is, about 3 3/4 tons or about 3.4 metric tons; also in verse 9

Then Amaziah assembled the men of Judah and set them by families[a] under commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds for all Judah and Benjamin. And he counted them from twenty years old and upward, and found them to be three hundred thousand chosen for going out to battle, able with spear and shield. And he hired from Israel one hundred thousand strong, mighty warriors for one hundred talents.

But 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, all the Ephraimites. But even still, you yourself go, do! Be strong for the battle else God will make you stumble before the enemy! For there is power with God to help and to cause stumbling.” And Amaziah said to the man of God, “Now what should I do with the one hundred talents that I have given to the troops of Israel?” And the man of God said, “Yahweh is able to give[b] to you more than this.” 10 Then Amaziah dismissed the troops that came to him from Ephraim to go to their home.[c] And they became very angry[d] with Judah, and they returned to their home in great anger.[e]

11 Then Amaziah strengthened himself, and leading his army, he went to the Valley of Salt. And he struck down ten thousand men[f] of Seir. 12 Now the troops[g] captured ten thousand others alive, and they brought them to the top of the rock and threw them from the top of the rock. So all of them were smashed to pieces.

13 As for the troops[h] Amaziah had sent back from going with him to war, they raided the cities of Judah from Samaria to Beth-Horon. And they struck down three thousand of them and plundered much booty.

14 And it happened that after Amaziah came back from killing the Edomites, he brought the gods of the sons of Seir, and he stood them up to himself as gods and bowed down before them and make smoke offerings for them. 15 So Yahweh became very angry[i] with Amaziah and sent a prophet to him, and he said to him, “Why have you sought the gods of the people who could not deliver their own people from your hand?” 16 And it happened that while he was speaking to him, he said to him, “Have we appointed you as a counselor to the king? Stop—why should you be killed?”[j] So the prophet stopped and said, “I know that God has determined to destroy you, because you have done this and have not listened to my advice.”

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 25:5 Literally “the house of the fathers”
  2. 2 Chronicles 25:9 Literally “There is to Yahweh to give”
  3. 2 Chronicles 25:10 Or “their place”
  4. 2 Chronicles 25:10 Literally “their noses became very hot”
  5. 2 Chronicles 25:10 Literally “in hotness of nose”
  6. 2 Chronicles 25:11 Or “sons”
  7. 2 Chronicles 25:12 Literally “the sons of the troop”
  8. 2 Chronicles 25:13 Literally “sons of the troop”
  9. 2 Chronicles 25:15 Literally “Yahweh’s nose became very hot”
  10. 2 Chronicles 25:16 Literally “why shall he strike you?”