2 Kings 14
14
Amaziah Begins His Rule in Judah
1Amaziah son of King Joash of Judah became king in the second year that Jehoash son of Jehoahaz was king of Israel. 2Amaziah was 25 years old when he began to rule. He ruled 29 years in Jerusalem. His mother was Jehoaddin from Jerusalem. 3Amaziah did what the Lord said was right, but he did not follow God completely like David his ancestor. Amaziah did everything that Joash his father had done. 4He did not destroy the high places. The people still sacrificed and burned incense at those places of worship.
5At the time that Amaziah had strong control of the kingdom, he killed the officers who had killed his father. 6But he did not kill the children of the murderers because of the rules written in the book, The Law of Moses. The Lord gave this command in there: “Parents must not be put to death for something their children did. And children must not be put to death for something their parents did. People should be put to death only for what they themselves did.”#14:6 Parents must … did See Deut. 24:16.
7Amaziah killed 10,000 Edomites in the Valley of Salt. In war, Amaziah took Sela and called it “Joktheel.” It is still called “Joktheel” today.
Amaziah Wants War Against Jehoash
8Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash son of Jehoahaz, son of King Jehu of Israel. Amaziah’s message said, “Come on, let’s meet together face to face and fight.”
9King Jehoash of Israel sent an answer to King Amaziah of Judah. Jehoash said, “The thornbush in Lebanon sent a message to the cedar tree in Lebanon. It said, ‘Give your daughter for my son to marry.’ But a wild animal from Lebanon passed by and trampled down the thornbush. 10True, you have defeated Edom. But you have become proud because of your victory over Edom. But stay at home and brag! Don’t make trouble for yourself. If you do this, you will fall, and Judah will fall with you!”
11But Amaziah would not listen to Jehoash’s warning. So King Jehoash of Israel went to fight against King Amaziah of Judah at Beth Shemesh in Judah.#14:11 King Jehoash … Judah Literally, “He and King Amaziah of Judah looked at each other in the face at Beth Shemesh in Judah.” 12Israel defeated Judah. Every man of Judah ran home. 13At Beth Shemesh, King Jehoash of Israel captured King Amaziah of Judah, the son of Joash, the son of Ahaziah. Jehoash took Amaziah to Jerusalem. Jehoash broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the Gate of Ephraim to the Corner Gate, about 600 feet.#14:13 about 600 feet Literally, “400 cubits” (177.6 m). 14Then Jehoash took all the gold and silver and all the dishes in the Lord’s Temple and in the treasuries of the king’s palace. Jehoash also took people to be his prisoners. Then he went back to Samaria.
15All the great things that Jehoash did, including how he fought against King Amaziah of Judah, are written in the book, The History of the Kings of Israel. 16Jehoash died and was buried with his ancestors. He was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel. Jehoash’s son Jeroboam became the new king after him.
The Death of Amaziah
17King Amaziah son of Joash of Judah lived 15 years after the death of King Jehoash son of Jehoahaz of Israel. 18All the great things that Amaziah did are written in the book, The History of the Kings of Judah. 19The people made a plan against Amaziah in Jerusalem, so he ran away to Lachish. But the people sent men after Amaziah to Lachish, and they killed him there. 20The people brought Amaziah’s body back on horses. He was buried at Jerusalem with his ancestors in the City of David.
Azariah Begins His Rule Over Judah
21Then all the people of Judah made Azariah the new king. Azariah was 16 years old. 22So King Amaziah died and was buried with his ancestors. Then Azariah rebuilt Elath and got it back for Judah.
Jeroboam II Begins His Rule Over Israel
23King Jeroboam son of Jehoash of Israel began to rule in Samaria during the 15th year that Amaziah son of Joash was king of Judah. Jeroboam ruled 41 years. 24Jeroboam did what the Lord said was wrong. He did not stop committing the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat who caused Israel to sin. 25Jeroboam took back Israel’s land, which ran from the Lebo Hamath to the Arabah Sea.#14:25 Arabah Sea The Dead Sea. This happened as the Lord of Israel had told his servant Jonah son of Amittai, the prophet from Gath Hepher. 26The Lord saw that all the Israelites, both slaves and free men, had many troubles. No one was left who could help Israel. 27The Lord did not say that he would take away the name of Israel from the world. So he used Jeroboam son of Jehoash to save the Israelites.
28All the great things that Jeroboam did are written in the book, The History of the Kings of Israel. This includes the story about Jeroboam winning back Damascus and Hamath for Israel. (These cities had belonged to Judah.) 29Jeroboam died and was buried with his ancestors, the kings of Israel. Jeroboam’s son Zechariah became the new king after him.
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© 1987, 2004 Bible League International
2 Kings 14
14
King Amaziah of Judah
(2 Chr 25.1–24)
1In the second year of the reign of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz as king of Israel, Amaziah son of Joash became king of Judah 2at the age of 25, and he ruled in Jerusalem for 29 years. His mother was Jehoaddin, from Jerusalem. 3He 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. 4He did not tear down the pagan places of worship, and the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there.
5As soon as Amaziah was firmly in power, he executed the officials who had killed his father, the king. 6#Deut 24.16However, 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; a person is to be put to death only for a crime he himself has committed.”
7Amaziah killed 10,000 Edomite soldiers in Salt Valley; he captured the city of Sela in battle and called it Joktheel, the name it still has.
8Then Amaziah sent messengers to King Jehoash of Israel, challenging him to fight.#14.8 challenging him to fight; or inviting him to a conference. 9But 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. 10Now 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?”
11But Amaziah refused to listen, so King Jehoash marched out with his men and fought against him at Beth Shemesh in Judah. 12Amaziah's army was defeated, and all his soldiers fled to their homes. 13Jehoash took Amaziah prisoner, advanced on Jerusalem, and tore down the city wall from Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate, a distance of nearly 200 metres. 14He 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.
15Everything 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. 16Jehoash 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 Chr 25.25–28)
17King Amaziah of Judah lived fifteen years after the death of King Jehoash of Israel. 18Everything else that Amaziah did is recorded in The History of the Kings of Judah.
19There 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. 20His body was carried back to Jerusalem on a horse and was buried in the royal tombs in David's City. 21The people of Judah then crowned his sixteen-year-old son Uzziah as king. 22Uzziah reconquered and rebuilt Elath after his father's death.
King Jeroboam II of Israel
23In 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 41 years. 24He sinned against the LORD, following the wicked example of his predecessor King Jeroboam son of Nebat, who led Israel into sin. 25#Jon 1.1He 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.
26The LORD saw the terrible#14.26 Some ancient translations terrible; Hebrew rebellious. suffering of the Israelites; there was no one at all to help them. 27But it was not the LORD's purpose to destroy Israel completely and for ever, so he rescued them through King Jeroboam II.
28Everything else that Jeroboam II did, his brave battles, and how he restored Damascus and Hamath to Israel,#14.28 One ancient translation to Israel; Hebrew for Judah in Israel. are all recorded in The History of the Kings of Israel. 29Jeroboam died and was buried in the royal tombs, and his son Zechariah succeeded him as king.
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Good News Bible. Scripture taken from the Good News Bible (r) (Today's English Version Second Edition, UK/British Edition). Copyright © 1992 British & Foreign Bible Society. Used by permission.