2 Kings
Chapter 14
1 Amaziah, son of Joash, became king of Judah in the second year of Joash, son of Jehoahaz, king of Israel.
2 He was 25 years old when he became king and ruled for 29 years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jehoaddan from Jerusalem.
3 He did what was good in God’s eyes, but not as well as David his ancestor did; he acted just like his father Joash.
4 However, the high places were not removed: the people still sacrificed and burned incense there.
5 As soon as he secured control of the kingdom, he killed the servants who had murdered his father, the king.
6 He did not kill the murderers’ children. It was in Moses’ law book, where God said, “Parents should not die for their children, nor children for their parents; every person should die for their own sin.”
7 He killed ten thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt, captured Selah through battle, and named it Joktheel, which is still its name today.
8 Amaziah sent people to talk to Jehoash, son of Jehoahaz and Jehu, king of Israel, to say, “Come, let’s meet face to face.”
9 King Jehoash of Israel sent a message to King Amaziah of Judah: “The small bush in Lebanon sent a message to the big tree in Lebanon, asking, ‘Let your daughter marry my son.’ But then a wild animal in Lebanon walked over and crushed the small bush.
10 You have truly defeated Edom, and now you are proud. Celebrate this victory but stay home. Why get involved in more conflict that will only bring harm to you and make you and Judah fall?
11 Amaziah wouldn’t listen. So Jehoash, the king of Israel, went and faced Amaziah, the king of Judah, at Bethshemesh in Judah.
12 Judah was defeated by Israel, and everyone ran back to their tents.
13 King Jehoash of Israel captured King Amaziah of Judah, the son of Jehoash and grandson of Ahaziah, in Bethshemesh. He went to Jerusalem and broke down its wall from Ephraim Gate to Corner Gate, a distance of four hundred cubits.
14 He took all the gold and silver, every item found in God’s house, and in the king’s treasury, along with hostages, and went back to Samaria.
15 The other things Jehoash did, his strength, and his battles with Amaziah, king of Judah, are written in the Israelite Kings’ history book, right?
16 Jehoash died like his ancestors and was buried in Samaria with the Israelite kings; his son Jeroboam became king after him.
17 Amaziah, son of Joash the king of Judah, lived 15 years after Jehoash son of Jehoahaz, the king of Israel, died.
18 Aren’t the other things Amaziah did written in the book of the history of the kings of Judah?
19 They planned against him in Jerusalem, so he ran to Lachish, but they followed him to Lachish and killed him there.
20 They brought him on horses and buried him in Jerusalem with his ancestors in the city of David.
21 All the people of Judah made sixteen-year-old Azariah king after his father Amaziah.
22 He built Elath and gave it back to Judah after the king died.
23 In the fifteenth year of King Amaziah of Judah, Jeroboam son of King Joash began to rule as king in Israel’s Samaria, and he ruled for forty-one years.
24 He did what was evil in God’s eyes and did not stop doing the same sins Jeroboam, Nebat’s son, who led Israel into sin, had done.
25 He brought back Israel’s border from Hamath to the Sea of Arabah, just as God of Israel had promised through his prophet Jonah, son of Amittai, from Gathhepher.
26 God saw Israel’s suffering, which was very severe, because no one was confined, abandoned, or able to help Israel.
27 God did not say he would erase Israel’s name from under heaven; instead, he saved them through Jeroboam, the son of Joash.
28 The other things Jeroboam did, his achievements, his battles, and how he won back Damascus and Hamath for Israel—territories that were once Judah’s—are these not recorded in the history book of Israel’s kings?
29 Jeroboam died like his ancestors, the kings of Israel; and his son Zachariah became king after him.