Amaziah Reigns Well in Judah
1 Amaziah was 25 years old when he began to reign, and he reigned 29 years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jehoaddan, of Jerusalem. 2 He did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord, but not with a perfect heart. 3 Now when the kingdom was established to him, he killed his servants who had killed his father the king. 4 But he did not put their children to death, but did according to that which is written in the law in the book of Moses, as the Lord commanded, saying, “The fathers shall not die for the children, nor shall the children die for the fathers, but every man shall die for his own sin.”
Amaziah’s Victories
5 Moreover Amaziah gathered Judah together and put them in order according to their ancestral houses, under captains of thousands and captains of hundreds, all of Judah and Benjamin. He counted them from twenty years old and up and found that there were 300,000 chosen men, able to go out to war, who could handle spear and shield. 6 He also hired 100,000 mighty men of valor out of Israel for 7,540 pounds of silver.
7 A man of God came to him, saying, “O king, do not let the army of Israel go with you, for the Lord is not with Israel, with all the Ephraimites. 8 Even if you take action and go, and are strong for the battle, the Lord will overthrow you before the enemy, for the Lord has power to help, and to overthrow.”
9 Amaziah said to the man of God, “But what shall we do for the 7,500 pounds of silver which I have given to the army of Israel?”
The man of God answered, “God 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 enflamed 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 10,000 men of Seir. 12 The men of Judah 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 dashed to pieces.
13 But the men of the army whom Amaziah sent back, so that they should not go with him to battle, fell on the cities of Judah, from Samaria to Beth Horon and struck 3,000 of them and took a great amount of plunder.
Amaziah Rebuked for Idolatry
14 Now after Amaziah had come from the slaughter of the Edomites, he brought the gods of the descendants of Seir and set them up to be his gods and bowed down before them and burned incense to them.
15 Therefore the Lord’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 from 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 the Lord has determined to destroy you because you have done this and have not listened to my counsel.”
Amaziah Defeated by Joash of Israel
17 Then Amaziah king of Judah consulted his advisers and sent to Joash, the son of Jehoahaz the son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, “Come! Let’s meet face to face.”
18 Joash king of Israel sent to Amaziah king of Judah, saying, “The thistle that was in Lebanon sent to the cedar that was in Lebanon, saying, ‘Give your daughter to my son as his wife. Then a wild animal that was in Lebanon passed by and trampled down the thistle. 19 You say to yourself that you have struck Edom, and your proud heart boasts, but stay at home. Why should you invite trouble, that you should fall, you and Judah with you?’ ”
20 But Amaziah would not listen, for it was of the Lord that he might deliver them into the hand of their enemies because they had sought after the gods of Edom. 21 So Joash king of Israel went up, and he and Amaziah king of Judah met face to face at Beth Shemesh, which belongs to Judah. 22 Judah was defeated by Israel, so every man fled to his tent.
23 Joash king of Israel took Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Joash the son of 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, 600 feet. 24 He took all the gold and silver, and all the vessels that were found in the house of the Lord with Obed-Edom, and the treasures of the king’s house, the hostages also, and returned to Samaria.
The Death of Amaziah
25 Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah lived for fifteen years after the death of Joash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel. 26 Now the rest of the acts of Amaziah, first and last, 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 the Lord, they conspired against him in Jerusalem. He fled to Lachish, but they sent to Lachish for him and killed him there. 28 They brought him on horses and buried him with his fathers in the City of Judah.