Slaughter of the Edomites

⁵ Amaziah assembled the people of Judah and set them by ancestral houses under commanders of the thousands and of the hundreds for all Judah and Benjamin. He mustered those twenty years old and up and found that they were three hundred thousand picked troops fit for war, able to handle spear and shield.^{(A) 6} He also hired one hundred thousand mighty warriors from Israel for one hundred talents of silver. ⁷ But a man of God came to him and said, “O king, do not let the army of Israel go with you, for the Lord is not with Israel—all these Ephraimites. ⁸ Rather, go by yourself and act; be strong in battle, or God will fling you down before the enemy, for God has power to help or to overthrow.”^{(B) 9} Amaziah said to the man of God, “But what shall we do about the hundred talents that I have given to the army of Israel?” The man of God answered, “The Lord is able to give you much more than this.” ¹⁰ Then Amaziah discharged the army that had come to him from Ephraim, letting them go home again. But they became very angry with Judah and returned home in fierce anger.

¹¹ Amaziah strengthened himself and led out his people; he went to the Valley of Salt and struck down ten thousand men of Seir.^{(C) 12} The people of Judah captured another ten thousand alive, took them to the top of Sela, and threw them down from the top of Sela, so that all of them were dashed to pieces. ¹³ But the men of the army whom Amaziah sent back, not letting them go with him to battle, fell on the cities of Judah from Samaria to Beth-horon; they killed three thousand people in them and took much plunder.

¹⁴ Now after Amaziah came from the slaughter of the Edomites, he brought the gods of the people of Seir, set them up as his gods, and worshiped them, making offerings to them.^{(D) 15} The Lord was angry with Amaziah and sent to him a prophet, who said to him, “Why have you resorted to a people’s gods who could not deliver their own people from your hand?”^{(E) 16} But as he was speaking, the king^[a] said to him, “Have we made you a royal counselor? Stop! Why should you be put to death?” 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 advice.”