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Moreover Amaziah gathered Judah together, and ordered them according to their fathers’ houses, under captains of thousands and captains of hundreds, even all Judah and Benjamin. He counted them from twenty years old and upward, and found that there were three hundred thousand chosen men, able to go out to war, who could handle spear and shield. He also hired one hundred thousand mighty men of valor out of Israel for one hundred talents[a] of silver. A man of God came to him, saying, “O king, don’t let the army of Israel go with you, for Yahweh is not with Israel, with all the children of Ephraim. But if you will go, take action, and be strong for the battle. God will overthrow you before the enemy; for God has power to help, and to overthrow.”

Amaziah said to the man of God, “But what shall we do for the hundred talents[b] which I have given to the army of Israel?”

The man of God answered, “Yahweh is able to give you much more than this.”

10 Then Amaziah separated them, the army that had come to him out of Ephraim, to go home again. Therefore their anger was greatly kindled against Judah, and they returned home in fierce anger. 11 Amaziah took courage, and led his people out, and went to the Valley of Salt, and struck ten thousand of the children of Seir. 12 The children of Judah carried away ten thousand alive, and brought them to the top of the rock, and threw them down from the top of the rock, so that they all were broken in pieces. 13 But the men of the army whom Amaziah sent back, that they should not go with him to battle, fell on the cities of Judah, from Samaria even to Beth Horon, and struck of them three thousand, and took much plunder.

14 Now after Amaziah had come from the slaughter of the Edomites, he brought the gods of the children of Seir, and set them up to be his gods, and bowed down himself before them, and burned incense to them. 15 Therefore Yahweh’s anger burned against Amaziah, and he sent to him a prophet, who said to him, “Why have you sought after the gods of the people, which have not delivered their own people out of your hand?”

16 As he talked with him, the king said to him, “Have we made you one of the king’s counselors? Stop! Why should you be struck down?”

Then 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 counsel.”

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Footnotes

  1. 25:6 A talent is about 30 kilograms or 66 pounds
  2. 25:9 A talent is about 30 kilograms or 66 pounds

Amaziah’s Campaign against Edom

Then Amaziah gathered Judah and assembled them according to ancestral families,[a] according to commanders of thousands, and according to commanders of hundreds. He numbered those twenty years old or more(A) for all Judah and Benjamin. He found there to be three hundred thousand fit young men who could serve in the army, bearing spear and shield.(B) Then for 7,500 pounds[b] of silver he hired one hundred thousand valiant warriors from Israel.

However, a man of God(C) came to him and said, “King, do not let Israel’s army go with you, for the Lord is not with Israel—all the Ephraimites. But if you go with them, do it! Be strong for battle! But God will make you stumble before the enemy,(D) for God has the power to help(E) or to make one stumble.”

Then Amaziah said to the man of God, “What should I do about the 7,500 pounds of silver I gave to Israel’s division?”

The man of God replied, “The Lord is able to give you much more than this.”

10 So Amaziah released the division that came to him from Ephraim to go home. But they got very angry with Judah and returned home in a fierce rage.

11 Amaziah strengthened his position and led his people to the Salt Valley. He struck down ten thousand Seirites,[c] 12 and the Judahites captured ten thousand alive. They took them to the top of a cliff where they threw them off, and all of them were dashed to pieces.

13 As for the men of the division that Amaziah sent back so they would not go with him into battle, they raided the cities of Judah from Samaria to Beth-horon, struck down three thousand of their people, and took a great deal of plunder.

14 After Amaziah came from the attack on the Edomites, he brought the gods of the Seirites and set them up as his gods. He worshiped before them and burned incense to them.(F) 15 So the Lord’s anger was against Amaziah, and he sent a prophet to him, who said, “Why have you sought a people’s gods that could not rescue their own people from you?” (G)

16 While he was still speaking to him, the king asked, “Have we made you the king’s counselor? Stop, why should you lose your life?”

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

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Footnotes

  1. 25:5 Lit house of fathers
  2. 25:6 Lit 100 talents, also in v. 9
  3. 25:11 = Edomites, also in v. 14