Beginning
Amaziah Reigns over Judah
25 (A)Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Jehoaddan of Jerusalem. 2 And he did what was right in the sight of Yahweh, (B)yet not with a whole heart. 3 Now (C)it happened as soon as the kingdom was [a]strong in his grasp, that he killed his servants who had struck down the king his father. 4 But he did not put their sons to death, but did as it is written in the law in the book of Moses, which Yahweh commanded, saying, “(D)Fathers shall not be put to death for their sons, nor sons be put to death for their fathers, but each shall be put to death for his own sin.”
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 [b]took a census of those (E)from twenty years old and upward and found them to be (F)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 [c]talents of silver. 7 But (G)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, (H)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, “(I)Yahweh has much more to give you than this.” 10 Then Amaziah [d]dismissed them, the troops which came to him from Ephraim, to go [e]home; so their anger burned against Judah and they returned [f]home in burning anger.
11 Now Amaziah strengthened himself and led his people forth, and went to (J)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 [g]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, (K)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 (L)who have not delivered their own people from your hand?” 16 Now it happened that as he was talking with him, [h]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.”
Amaziah Defeated by Joash of Israel
17 (M)Then Amaziah king of Judah took counsel and sent to Joash the son of Jehoahaz the son of Jehu, the king of Israel, saying, “Come, let us face each other.” 18 And Joash the king of Israel sent to Amaziah king of Judah, saying, “(N)The thorn bush which was in Lebanon sent to the cedar which was in Lebanon, saying, ‘Give your daughter to my son as a wife.’ But a beast of the field that was in Lebanon passed by and trampled the thorn bush. 19 You said, ‘Behold, you have struck down Edom.’ And (O)your heart has lifted you up to boast. Now stay at home; for why should you provoke calamity so that you, even you, would fall and Judah with you?”
20 But Amaziah would not listen, for it was from God, that He might give them into the hand of Joash because they had sought the gods of Edom. 21 So Joash king of Israel went up, and he and Amaziah king of Judah faced each other at Beth-shemesh, which belonged to Judah. 22 And Judah was [i]defeated by Israel, and they fled each to his tent. 23 Then Joash king of Israel seized Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Joash the son of (P)Jehoahaz, at Beth-shemesh, and brought him to Jerusalem and broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the Gate of Ephraim to the Corner Gate, [j]400 cubits. 24 And he took all the gold and silver and all the utensils which were found in the house of God with (Q)Obed-edom, and the treasures of the king’s house, the hostages also, and returned to Samaria.
25 (R)And Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah lived fifteen years after the death of Joash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel. 26 Now the rest of the acts of Amaziah, from first to last, behold, are they not written in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel? 27 Now from the time that Amaziah turned away from following Yahweh they conspired against him in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish; but they sent after him to Lachish and put him to death there. 28 Then they carried him on horses and buried him with his fathers in the city of Judah.
Uzziah Reigns over Judah
26 And all the people of Judah took [k]Uzziah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in the place of his father Amaziah. 2 He built Eloth and restored it to Judah after the king slept with his fathers. 3 Uzziah was (S)sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was [l]Jechiliah of Jerusalem. 4 And he did what was right in the sight of Yahweh, according to all that his father Amaziah had done. 5 (T)And he continued to seek God in the days of Zechariah, (U)who had understanding [m]through the vision of God; and [n](V)as long as he sought Yahweh, God made him succeed.
Uzziah’s Fame Spreads Afar
6 Then he went out and (W)fought against the Philistines, and broke down the wall of Gath and the wall of Jabneh and the wall of Ashdod; and he built cities in the area of Ashdod and among the Philistines. 7 (X)And God helped him against the Philistines, and against the Arabians who lived in Gur-baal, and the Meunites. 8 The Ammonites also gave (Y)tribute to Uzziah, and his [o]fame extended to the border of Egypt, for he became very strong. 9 Moreover, Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem at (Z)the Corner Gate and at the (AA)Valley Gate and at the corner buttress and strengthened them. 10 He also built towers in the wilderness and (AB)hewed many cisterns, for he had much livestock, both in the [p]Shephelah and in the plain. He also had plowmen and vinedressers in the hill country and the fertile fields, for he loved the soil. 11 Moreover, Uzziah had a military force which could wage war, which went out for military duty by divisions according to the number of their muster, prepared by the hand of Jeiel the scribe and Maaseiah the officer, under the hand of Hananiah, one of the king’s officials. 12 The total number of the heads of the [q]households, of mighty men of valor, was 2,600. 13 And under their hand was a [r]mighty army of (AC)307,500, who could wage war with mighty power, to help the king against the enemy. 14 Moreover, Uzziah prepared [s]for all the army shields, spears, helmets, body armor, bows, and stones for slings. 15 In Jerusalem he also made devices of war devised by skillful designers to be on the towers and on the corners for the purpose of shooting arrows and great stones. Hence his [t]fame spread afar, for he was marvelously helped until he was strong.
Uzziah’s Pride
16 But (AD)when he became strong, his heart was so [u]proud that he acted corruptly, and he was unfaithful to Yahweh his God. And (AE)he entered the temple of Yahweh to burn incense on the altar of incense. 17 Then (AF)Azariah the priest entered after him and with him eighty priests of Yahweh, men of valor. 18 (AG)And they stood against Uzziah the king and said to him, “(AH)It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to Yahweh, (AI)but for the priests, the sons of Aaron who are set apart as holy to burn incense. Get out of the sanctuary, for you have been unfaithful and will have no honor from Yahweh God.” 19 But Uzziah, with a censer in his hand for burning incense, was enraged; and while he was enraged with the priests, (AJ)the leprosy broke out on his forehead before the priests in the house of Yahweh, beside the altar of incense. 20 And Azariah the chief priest and all the priests looked at him, and behold, he was leprous on his forehead; and they hurried him out of there, and he himself also hastened to get out because Yahweh had smitten him. 21 (AK)So King Uzziah was a leper to the day of his death; and he lived in (AL)a separate house, being a leper, for he was cut off from the house of Yahweh. And Jotham his son was over the king’s house, judging the people of the land.
22 Now the rest of the acts of Uzziah, first to last, the prophet (AM)Isaiah, the son of Amoz, has written. 23 So Uzziah slept with his fathers, and they buried him with his fathers (AN)in the field of the grave which belonged to the kings, for they said, “He is a leper.” And Jotham his son became king in his place.
Jotham Reigns over Judah
27 (AO)Jotham was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Jerushah the daughter of Zadok. 2 And he did what was right in the sight of Yahweh, according to all that his father Uzziah had done; (AP)however he did not enter the temple of Yahweh. But the people continued acting corruptly. 3 He built the upper gate of the house of Yahweh, and he built extensively the wall of (AQ)Ophel. 4 Moreover, he built (AR)cities in the hill country of Judah, and he built fortresses and towers on the wooded hills. 5 He fought also with the king of the sons of Ammon and prevailed over them. So the sons of Ammon gave him during that year [v]100 talents of silver, [w]10,000 kors of wheat, and 10,000 of barley. The sons of Ammon also brought back to him this amount in the second and in the third year. 6 (AS)So Jotham became strong because he established his ways before Yahweh his God. 7 (AT)Now the rest of the acts of Jotham, even all his wars and his ways, behold, they are written in the Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah. 8 He was (AU)twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. 9 And Jotham slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David; and Ahaz his son became king in his place.
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