Amaziah Reigns in Judah(A)

14 In (B)the second year of Joash the son of Jehoahaz, king of Israel, (C)Amaziah the son of Joash, king of Judah, became king. He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jehoaddan of Jerusalem. And he did what was right in the sight of the Lord, yet not like his father David; he did everything (D)as his father Joash had done. (E)However the [a]high places were not taken away, and the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places.

Now it happened, as soon as the kingdom was established in his hand, that he executed his servants (F)who had murdered his father the king. But the children of the murderers he did not execute, according to what is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, in which the Lord commanded, saying, (G)“Fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor shall children be put to death for their fathers; but a person shall be put to death for his own sin.”

(H)He killed ten thousand Edomites in (I)the Valley of Salt, and took [b]Sela by war, (J)and called its name Joktheel to this day.

(K)Then Amaziah sent messengers to [c]Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, “Come, let us face one another in battle. And Jehoash king of Israel sent to Amaziah king of Judah, saying, (L)“The thistle that was in Lebanon sent to the (M)cedar that was in Lebanon, saying, ‘Give your daughter to my son as wife’; and a wild beast that was in Lebanon passed by and trampled the thistle. 10 You have indeed defeated Edom, and (N)your heart has [d]lifted you up. Glory in that, and stay at home; for why should you meddle with trouble so that you fall—you and Judah with you?”

11 But Amaziah would not heed. Therefore Jehoash king of Israel went out; so he and Amaziah king of Judah faced one another at (O)Beth Shemesh, which belongs to Judah. 12 And Judah was defeated by Israel, and every man fled to his tent. 13 Then Jehoash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Jehoash, the son of Ahaziah, at Beth Shemesh; and he went to Jerusalem, and broke down the wall of Jerusalem from (P)the Gate of Ephraim to (Q)the Corner Gate—[e]four hundred cubits. 14 And he took all (R)the gold and silver, all the articles that were found in the house of the Lord and in the treasuries of the king’s house, and hostages, and returned to Samaria.

15 (S)Now the rest of the acts of Jehoash which he did—his might, and how he fought with Amaziah king of Judah—are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? 16 So Jehoash [f]rested with his fathers, and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel. Then Jeroboam his son reigned in his place.

17 (T)Amaziah the son of Joash, king of Judah, lived fifteen years after the death of Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz, king of Israel. 18 Now the rest of the acts of Amaziah, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? 19 And (U)they formed a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem, and he fled to (V)Lachish; but they sent after him to Lachish and killed him there. 20 Then they brought him on horses, and he was buried at Jerusalem with his fathers in the City of David.

21 And all the people of Judah took (W)Azariah,[g] who was sixteen years old, and made him king instead of his father Amaziah. 22 He built (X)Elath[h] and restored it to Judah, after [i]the king rested with his fathers.

Jeroboam II Reigns in Israel

23 In the fifteenth year of Amaziah the son of Joash, king of Judah, Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel, became king in Samaria, and reigned forty-one years. 24 And he did evil in the sight of the Lord; he did not depart from all the (Y)sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who had made Israel sin. 25 He (Z)restored the [j]territory of Israel (AA)from the entrance of Hamath to (AB)the[k] Sea of the Arabah, according to the word of the Lord God of Israel, which He had spoken through His servant (AC)Jonah the son of Amittai, the prophet who was from (AD)Gath Hepher. 26 For the Lord (AE)saw that the affliction of Israel was very bitter; and whether bond or free, (AF)there was no helper for Israel. 27 (AG)And the Lord did not say that He would blot out the name of Israel from under heaven; but He saved them by the hand of Jeroboam the son of Joash.

28 Now the rest of the acts of Jeroboam, and all that he did—his might, how he made war, and how he recaptured for Israel, from (AH)Damascus and Hamath, (AI)what had belonged to Judah—are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? 29 So Jeroboam [l]rested with his fathers, the kings of Israel. Then (AJ)Zechariah his son reigned in his place.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 14:4 Places for pagan worship
  2. 2 Kings 14:7 Lit. The Rock; the city of Petra
  3. 2 Kings 14:8 Joash, 2 Kin. 13:9, 12–14, 25; 2 Chr. 25:17ff.
  4. 2 Kings 14:10 Made you proud
  5. 2 Kings 14:13 About 600 feet
  6. 2 Kings 14:16 Died and joined his ancestors
  7. 2 Kings 14:21 Uzziah, 2 Chr. 26:1ff.; Is. 6:1; etc.
  8. 2 Kings 14:22 Heb. Eloth
  9. 2 Kings 14:22 Amaziah died and joined his ancestors.
  10. 2 Kings 14:25 border
  11. 2 Kings 14:25 The Dead Sea
  12. 2 Kings 14:29 Died and joined his ancestors

Amaziah King of Judah(A)(B)

14 In the second year of Jehoash[a] son of Jehoahaz king of Israel, Amaziah son of Joash king of Judah began to reign. He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother’s name was Jehoaddan; she was from Jerusalem. He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, but not as his father David had done. In everything he followed the example of his father Joash. The high places,(C) however, were not removed; the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there.

After the kingdom was firmly in his grasp, he executed(D) the officials(E) who had murdered his father the king. Yet he did not put the children of the assassins to death, in accordance with what is written in the Book of the Law(F) of Moses where the Lord commanded: “Parents are not to be put to death for their children, nor children put to death for their parents; each will die for their own sin.”[b](G)

He was the one who defeated ten thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt(H) and captured Sela(I) in battle, calling it Joktheel, the name it has to this day.

Then Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash son of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu, king of Israel, with the challenge: “Come, let us face each other in battle.”

But Jehoash king of Israel replied to Amaziah king of Judah: “A thistle(J) in Lebanon sent a message to a cedar in Lebanon, ‘Give your daughter to my son in marriage.’ Then a wild beast in Lebanon came along and trampled the thistle underfoot. 10 You have indeed defeated Edom and now you are arrogant.(K) Glory in your victory, but stay at home! Why ask for trouble and cause your own downfall and that of Judah also?”

11 Amaziah, however, would not listen, so Jehoash king of Israel attacked. He and Amaziah king of Judah faced each other at Beth Shemesh(L) in Judah. 12 Judah was routed by Israel, and every man fled to his home.(M) 13 Jehoash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Joash, the son of Ahaziah, at Beth Shemesh. Then Jehoash went to Jerusalem and broke down the wall(N) of Jerusalem from the Ephraim Gate(O) to the Corner Gate(P)—a section about four hundred cubits long.[c] 14 He took all the gold and silver and all the articles found in the temple of the Lord and in the treasuries of the royal palace. He also took hostages and returned to Samaria.

15 As for the other events of the reign of Jehoash, what he did and his achievements, including his war(Q) against Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel? 16 Jehoash rested with his ancestors and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel. And Jeroboam his son succeeded him as king.

17 Amaziah son of Joash king of Judah lived for fifteen years after the death of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel. 18 As for the other events of Amaziah’s reign, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah?

19 They conspired(R) against him in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish,(S) but they sent men after him to Lachish and killed him there. 20 He was brought back by horse(T) and was buried in Jerusalem with his ancestors, in the City of David.

21 Then all the people of Judah took Azariah,[d](U) who was sixteen years old, and made him king in place of his father Amaziah. 22 He was the one who rebuilt Elath(V) and restored it to Judah after Amaziah rested with his ancestors.

Jeroboam II King of Israel

23 In the fifteenth year of Amaziah son of Joash king of Judah, Jeroboam(W) son of Jehoash king of Israel became king in Samaria, and he reigned forty-one years. 24 He did evil in the eyes of the Lord and did not turn away from any of the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit.(X) 25 He was the one who restored the boundaries of Israel from Lebo Hamath(Y) to the Dead Sea,[e](Z) in accordance with the word of the Lord, the God of Israel, spoken through his servant Jonah(AA) son of Amittai, the prophet from Gath Hepher.

26 The Lord had seen how bitterly everyone in Israel, whether slave or free,(AB) was suffering;[f](AC) there was no one to help them.(AD) 27 And since the Lord had not said he would blot out(AE) the name of Israel from under heaven, he saved(AF) them by the hand of Jeroboam son of Jehoash.

28 As for the other events of Jeroboam’s reign, all he did, and his military achievements, including how he recovered for Israel both Damascus(AG) and Hamath,(AH) which had belonged to Judah, are they not written in the book of the annals(AI) of the kings of Israel? 29 Jeroboam rested with his ancestors, the kings of Israel. And Zechariah his son succeeded him as king.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 14:1 Hebrew Joash, a variant of Jehoash; also in verses 13, 23 and 27
  2. 2 Kings 14:6 Deut. 24:16
  3. 2 Kings 14:13 That is, about 600 feet or about 180 meters
  4. 2 Kings 14:21 Also called Uzziah
  5. 2 Kings 14:25 Hebrew the Sea of the Arabah
  6. 2 Kings 14:26 Or Israel was suffering. They were without a ruler or leader, and