2 Chronicles 25

1Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jehoaddan; she was from Jerusalem. 2He did what was right in the sight of the LORD, yet not with a whole heart. 3As soon as the kingdom was firmly in his control, he executed the officials who had murdered his father the king. 4But he did not put their children to death. In this he followed the law as it stands written in the book of Moses, in which the LORD gave this command: “Parents are not to die for their children, nor children for their parents. Each one is to die only for their own sin.”

5Amaziah assembled the men of Judah and organized them by their ancestral families under commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, for all Judah and Benjamin. He mustered those twenty years old and over and found 300,000 chosen men fit for war, able to handle spear and large shield. 6He also hired 100,000 mighty warriors from Israel for about 7,500 pounds of silver. 7But a man of God came to him and said, “O king, the army of Israel must not go with you, for the LORD is not with Israel, with any of the people of Ephraim. 8Even if you go and fight, and are strong in battle, God will cast you down before the enemy, for God has power to help and to cast down.” 9Amaziah asked the man of God, “But what about the silver I have paid to the troops of Israel, the about 7,500 pounds?” The man of God answered, “The LORD is able to give you much more than that.” 10So Amaziah released the troops who had joined him from Ephraim and sent them home. They were furious with Judah, and they went home in a blazing rage.

11Then Amaziah took courage and led out his troops. He went to the Valley of Salt and struck down 10,000 of the people of Seir. 12The men of Judah also captured 10,000 alive. They took them up to the top of the rock and hurled them down from there, and all of them were dashed to pieces.

13Meanwhile the troops whom Amaziah had sent back, not letting them go with him into battle, raided the towns of Judah from Samaria to Beth-horon. They killed 3,000 people and carried off a great deal of plunder.

14After Amaziah came back from defeating the Edomites, he brought back the gods of the people of Seir and set them up as his own gods. He bowed down before them and burned incense to them. 15So the anger of the LORD burned against Amaziah, and he sent a prophet to him, who said, “Why have you sought the gods of this people, gods that could not rescue their own people from your hand?” 16While the prophet was still speaking, the king said to him, “Have we made you the king’s counselor? Stop! Why should you be struck down?” So the prophet stopped, but he added, “I know that God has decided to destroy you, since you have done this and refused to listen to my counsel.”

17Then Amaziah king of Judah took counsel and sent word to Joash son of Jehoahaz son of Jehu, king of Israel: “Come, let us meet face to face.” 18Joash king of Israel sent back word to Amaziah king of Judah: “There was a thistle in Lebanon that sent word to a cedar in Lebanon: ‘Give your daughter to my son as his wife.’ Then a wild animal in Lebanon came by and trampled the thistle. 19You tell yourself that you have defeated Edom, and your heart has made you proud and eager for glory. Now stay at home. Why stir up trouble that will only bring you down, you and Judah with you?” 20But Amaziah would not listen, for this came from God, so that he might hand them over to their enemy, because they had sought the gods of Edom. 21So Joash king of Israel went up against him, and the two kings, he and Amaziah king of Judah, met face to face at Beth-shemesh, which belongs to Judah. 22Judah was defeated by Israel, and every man fled to his home. 23Joash king of Israel took Amaziah king of Judah prisoner at Beth-shemesh; Amaziah was the son of Joash son of Jehoahaz. Then Joash brought him to Jerusalem and tore down the wall of Jerusalem along a stretch of about 600 feet, from the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate. 24He carried off all the gold and silver, and every article that was found in the house of God in the care of Obed-edom, together with the palace treasures. He also took hostages, and then he returned to Samaria.

25Amaziah son of Joash king of Judah lived fifteen years after the death of Joash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel. 26The rest of the acts of Amaziah, from first to last, are written in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel. 27From the time Amaziah turned away from following the LORD, some in Jerusalem formed a conspiracy against him, and he fled to Lachish. But they sent men after him to Lachish and put him to death there. 28They brought his body back on horses and buried him with his ancestors in the city of Judah.