King Amaziah of Judah
(2 Chronicles 25.1-24)1 In the second year of the reign of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz as king of Israel, Amaziah son of Joash became king of Judah 2 at the age of twenty-five, and he ruled in Jerusalem for twenty-nine years. His mother was Jehoaddin from Jerusalem. 3 He did what was pleasing to the Lord, but he was not like his ancestor King David; instead, he did what his father Joash had done. 4 He did not tear down the pagan places of worship, and the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there.
5 As soon as Amaziah was firmly in power, he executed the officials who had killed his father, the king. 6 However, he did not kill their children but followed what the Lord had commanded in the Law of Moses: “Parents are not to be put to death for crimes committed by their children, and children are not to be put to death for crimes committed by their parents; people are to be put to death only for a crime they themselves have committed.”
7 Amaziah killed ten thousand Edomite soldiers in Salt Valley; he captured the city of Sela in battle and called it Joktheel, the name it still has.
8 Then Amaziah sent messengers to King Jehoash of Israel, challenging him to fight. 9 But King Jehoash sent back the following reply: “Once a thorn bush on the Lebanon Mountains sent a message to a cedar: ‘Give your daughter in marriage to my son.’ A wild animal passed by and trampled the bush down. 10 Now Amaziah, you have defeated the Edomites, and you are filled with pride. Be satisfied with your fame and stay at home. Why stir up trouble that will only bring disaster on you and your people?”
11 But Amaziah refused to listen, so King Jehoash marched out with his men and fought against him at Beth Shemesh in Judah. 12 Amaziah's army was defeated, and all his soldiers fled to their homes. 13 Jehoash took Amaziah prisoner, advanced on Jerusalem, and tore down the city wall from Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate, a distance of two hundred yards. 14 He took all the silver and gold he could find, all the Temple equipment and all the palace treasures, and carried them back to Samaria. He also took hostages with him.
15 Everything else that Jehoash did, including his bravery in the war against King Amaziah of Judah, is recorded in The History of the Kings of Israel. 16 Jehoash died and was buried in the royal tombs in Samaria, and his son Jeroboam II succeeded him as king.
The Death of King Amaziah of Judah
(2 Chronicles 25.25-28)17 King Amaziah of Judah lived fifteen years after the death of King Jehoash of Israel. 18 Everything else that Amaziah did is recorded in The History of the Kings of Judah.
19 There was a plot in Jerusalem to assassinate Amaziah, so he fled to the city of Lachish, but his enemies followed him there and killed him. 20 His body was carried back to Jerusalem on a horse and was buried in the royal tombs in David's City. 21 The people of Judah then crowned his sixteen-year-old son Uzziah as king. 22 Uzziah reconquered and rebuilt Elath after his father's death.
King Jeroboam II of Israel
23 In the fifteenth year of the reign of Amaziah son of Joash as king of Judah, Jeroboam son of Jehoash became king of Israel, and he ruled in Samaria for forty-one years. 24 He sinned against the Lord, following the wicked example of his predecessor King Jeroboam son of Nebat, who led Israel into sin. 25 He reconquered all the territory that had belonged to Israel, from Hamath Pass in the north to the Dead Sea in the south. This was what the Lord, the God of Israel, had promised through his servant the prophet Jonah son of Amittai from Gath Hepher.
26 The Lord saw the terrible suffering of the Israelites; there was no one at all to help them. 27 But it was not the Lord's purpose to destroy Israel completely and forever, so he rescued them through King Jeroboam II.
28 Everything else that Jeroboam II did, his brave battles, and how he restored Damascus and Hamath to Israel, are all recorded in The History of the Kings of Israel. 29 Jeroboam died and was buried in the royal tombs, and his son Zechariah succeeded him as king.
1 The second yeere of Ioash sonne of Iehoahaz King of Israel reigned Amaziah the sonne of Ioash King of Iudah. 2 He was fiue and twentie yeere olde when he began to reigne, and reigned nine and twentie yeere in Ierusalem, and his mothers name was Iehoadan of Ierusalem. 3 And he did vprightly in the sight of the Lord, yet not like Dauid his father, but did according to all that Ioash his father had done. 4 Notwithstanding the hie places were not taken away: for as yet the people did sacrifice and burnt incense in the hie places. 5 And when the kingdome was confirmed in his hand, he slewe his seruants which had killed the King his father. 6 But the children of those that did slay him, he slewe not, according vnto that that is written in the booke of the Lawe of Moses, wherein the Lord commanded, saying, The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, nor the children put to death for the fathers: but euery man shall be put to death for his owne sinne. 7 He slew also of Edom in the valley of salt ten thousand, and tooke the citie of Sela by warre, and called the name thereof Ioktheel vnto this day. 8 Then Amaziah sent messengers to Iehoash the sonne of Iehoahaz, sonne of Iehu King of Israel, saying, Come, let vs see one another in the face. 9 Then Iehoash the King of Israel sent to Amaziah King of Iudah, saying, The thistle that is in Lebanon, sent to the cedar that is in Lebanon, saying, Giue thy daughter to my sonne to wife: and the wilde beast that was in Lebanon, went and trode downe the thistle. 10 Because thou hast smitten Edom, thine heart hath made thee proud: bragge of glory, and tary at home. why doest thou prouoke to thine hurt, that thou shouldest fall, and Iudah with thee? 11 But Amaziah would not heare: therefore Iehoash King of Israel went vp: and he and Amaziah King of Iudah sawe one another in the face at Beth-shemesh which is in Iudah. 12 And Iudah was put to the worse before Israel, and they fledde euery man to their tents. 13 But Iehoash King of Israel tooke Amaziah King of Iudah, the sonne of Iehoash the sonne of Ahaziah, at Beth-shemesh, and came to Ierusalem, and brake downe the wall of Ierusalem from the gate of Ephraim to the corner gate, foure hundreth cubites. 14 And he tooke all the gold and siluer, and all the vessels that were found in the house of the Lord, and in the treasures of the Kings house, and the children that were in hostage, and returned to Samaria. 15 Concerning the rest of the acts of Iehoash which he did and his valiant deedes, and how he fought with Amaziah King of Iudah, are they not written in the booke of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 16 And Iehoash slept with his fathers, and was buried at Samaria among the Kings of Israel: and Ieroboam his sonne reigned in his stead. 17 And Amaziah the sonne of Ioash King of Iudah, liued after the death of Iehoash sonne of Iehoahaz King of Israel fifteene yeere. 18 Concerning the rest of the actes of Amaziah, are they not written in the booke of the Chronicles of the Kings of Iudah? 19 But they wrought treason against him in Ierusalem, and he fled to Lachish, but they sent after him to Lachish, and slewe him there. 20 And they brought him on horses, and he was buried at Ierusalem with his fathers in the citie of Dauid. 21 Then all the people of Iudah tooke Azariah which was sixteene yeere olde, and made him King for his father Amaziah. 22 He built Elath, and restored it to Iudah, after that the King slept with his fathers. 23 In the fifteenth yeere of Amaziah the sonne of Ioash King of Iudah, was Ieroboam the sonne of Ioash made King ouer Israel in Samaria, and reigned one and fourtie yeere. 24 And he did euill in the sight of the Lord: for he departed not from all the sinnes of Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat, which made Israel to sinne. 25 He restored the coast of Israel, from the entring of Hamath, vnto the Sea of the wildernesse, according to the worde of the Lord God of Israel, which he spake by his seruant Ionah the sonne of Amittai the Prophet, which was of Gath Hepher. 26 For the Lord saw the exceeding bitter affliction of Israel, so that there was none shutte vp, nor any left, neyther yet any that could helpe Israel. 27 Yet the Lord had not decreed to put out the name of Israel from vnder the heauen: therefore he preserued them by the hand of Ieroboam the sonne of Ioash. 28 Concerning the rest of the actes of Ieroboam, and all that he did, and his valiant deedes, and how he fought, and how he restored Damascus, and Hamath to Iudah in Israel, are they not written in the booke of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 29 So Ieroboam slept with his fathers, euen with the Kings of Israel, and Zachariah his sonne reigned in his steade.