2 Chronicles 25:5-16
The Voice
5 Then Amaziah prepared for battle by gathering the Judahites and appointing commanders from each family in Judah and Benjamin. He took a census of the men 20 years old and older, and there were 300,000 ready to fight with spears and shields. 6 To enlarge his army, Amaziah also hired 100,000 heroic men from the Northern Kingdom for 7,500 pounds of silver. 7 But Amaziah was warned against hiring mercenaries from the Northern Kingdom by a man who followed after the True God.
Prophet of God: O king, do not let the army of Israel fight with you. The Eternal does not support the Northern Kingdom, these Ephraimites. 8 But if you do take the mercenaries with you, prepare yourself well for the battle. The True God will support your enemy rather than supporting you because God has the power to both build you up and tear you down.
Amaziah: 9 But I have already paid 7,500 pounds of silver to the Northern Kingdom’s troops. What should be done?
Follower of God: Don’t worry about the money. It is nothing compared to what the Eternal has to give you.
10 So Amaziah dismissed the Northern Kingdom’s mercenaries as the man had advised him to do, and they returned home. The mercenaries were furious at Judah because they would lose their portion of the spoils of victory, 13 so they raided the cities in Judah (from Samaria in the north to Beth-horon in the south), killing 3,000 and taking spoils.[a]
11 But Amaziah was rewarded for obeying God’s message. He strengthened himself and led only Judahite soldiers into battle at the valley of Salt. There they killed 10,000 Edomites from the city of Seir and 12 captured 10,000. The Judahites then threw the prisoners from the top of a cliff, crushing them on the rocks below.
14 Unfortunately, Amaziah did not remain faithful to God and His messages. When he returned from fighting the Edomites, he brought the gods of Seir back to Jerusalem where they worshiped them—bowing down and burning incense—as he had worshiped God.
15 Furious with Amaziah, the Eternal sent a message to the king through a prophet.
Prophet: What are you thinking? Why would you choose to follow gods that cannot save their own people from your armies after I gave you victory?
Amaziah (interrupting): 16 When did you become my advisor? Stop prophesying, or your life will be taken from you.
Prophet: I may not be one of your court advisors, but you should still listen to my counsel. If you do not, the True God will destroy you because you have worshiped other gods and ignored my warning.
The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
