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2 Kings

Amaziah of Judah: Victory and Pride

14
Chapter 14
1 In the second year of Joash son of Jehoahaz, king of Israel, Amaziah son of Joash became king of Judah. 2 He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jehoaddan of Jerusalem. 3 He did what was upright in the eyes of the LORD, but not like his father David; he did everything his father Joash had done. 4 Only the high places were not removed; the people still sacrificed and burned incense at the high places. 5 And it came about when the kingdom was strengthened in his hand that he struck down his servants who had struck down his father the king. 6 And he did not put the sons of the strikers to death, as it is written in the book of the Torah of Moses, which the LORD commanded, saying, "Fathers shall not be put to death for sons, and sons shall not be put to death for fathers, but a man shall be put to death for his own sin." 7 He struck down ten thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt. He captured the Rock in battle and called it Joktheel, to this day. 8 Then Amaziah sent messengers to Joash son of Jehoahaz son of Jehu king of Israel, saying, "Come, let us see one another's faces." 9 Joash king of Israel sent to Amaziah king of Judah, saying, "The thistle that was in Lebanon sent to the cedar that was in Lebanon, saying, 'Give your daughter to my son as a wife.' And a beast of the field that was in Lebanon passed by and trampled the thistle." 10 You have struck—you have struck Edom, and it has lifted up your heart. Stay home and enjoy your house. Why should you provoke trouble and fall, you and Judah with you? 11 But Amaziah did not listen. So Joash king of Israel went up, and they faced each other, he and Amaziah king of Judah, at Beth-shemesh, which belongs to Judah. 12 Judah was struck down before Israel, and they fled every man to his tent. 13 And Amaziah king of Judah, son of Joash son of Ahaziah, Joash king of Israel captured at Beth-shemesh. And he came to Jerusalem and breached the wall of Jerusalem at the gate of Ephraim as far as the gate of the corner—four hundred cubits. 14 He took all the gold and the silver and all the vessels found in the house of the LORD and in the treasuries of the house of the king, and the sons of the pledge. And he returned to Samaria. 15 And the rest of the divine words of Joash that he did and his war strength and that he fought with Amaziah king of Judah—are they not written in the book of the divine words of the days for the kings of Israel? 16 Joash lay down with his fathers and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel, and Jeroboam his son reigned in his place. 17 Amaziah son of Joash king of Judah lived after the death of Joash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel fifteen years. 18 And the rest of the words of Amaziah, are they not written in the book of the words of the days for the kings of Judah? 19 They conspired against him in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish. They sent men after him to Lachish and put him to death there. 20 They carried him on horses, and he was buried in Jerusalem with his fathers in the city of David. 21 And all the people of Judah took Azariah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in place of his father Amaziah. 22 He built Elath, and it was restored to Judah after the king lay down with his fathers.