2 Kings 14:1-22

Amplified Bible

Amaziah Reigns over Judah

14 In the second year of Joash the son of Jehoahaz, king of Israel, Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah became king. ² He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jehoaddin of Jerusalem. ³ He did right in the sight of the Lord, though not like David his father (ancestor). He acted in accordance with everything that his father Joash had done. ⁴ However, the high places were not removed; the people were still sacrificing and burning incense on the high places. ⁵ As soon as the kingdom was firmly in Amaziah’s hand, he executed his servants who had killed his father the king.^{(A) 6} But he did not put the sons of the murderers to death, in compliance with what is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, in which the Lord commanded, saying, “The fathers shall not be put to death for the sons, nor shall the sons be put to death for the fathers; but each shall be put to death [only] for his own sin.”^(B)

⁷ Amaziah killed 10,000 [men] of Edom in the Valley of Salt, and took ^[a]Sela (rock) by war, and renamed it Joktheel, to this day.

⁸ Then Amaziah sent messengers to ^[b]Jehoash (Joash) the son of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, “Come, let us face each other [in combat].” ⁹ Jehoash the king of Israel sent word to Amaziah king of Judah, saying, “The [little] thorn-bush in Lebanon sent word to the [tall] cedar in Lebanon, saying, ‘Give your daughter to my son as wife.’ But a wild beast that was in Lebanon passed by and trampled the thorn-bush. ¹⁰ You have indeed defeated Edom, and your heart has lifted you up [in pride]. Enjoy your glory but stay at home; for why should you plunge into misery so that you, even you, would fall [at my hand], and Judah with you?”

¹¹ But Amaziah would not listen. So Jehoash king of Israel went up; and he and Amaziah king of Judah faced each other [in combat] at Beth-shemesh, which belongs to Judah. ¹² Judah was defeated by Israel, and every man fled to his tent. ¹³ Then Jehoash king of Israel captured Amaziah the king of Judah, the son of Jehoash (Joash), the son of Ahaziah, at Beth-shemesh, and came to Jerusalem and broke through the wall of Jerusalem from the Gate of Ephraim to the Corner Gate, 400 cubits (600 feet). ¹⁴ He seized all the gold and silver and all the utensils found in the house (temple) of the Lord and in the treasuries of the king’s house, as well as hostages, and returned to Samaria.

Jeroboam II Succeeds Jehoash (Joash) in Israel

¹⁵ Now the rest of the acts of Jehoash which he did, and his might and how he fought with Amaziah the king of Judah, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? ¹⁶ Jehoash slept with his fathers [in death] and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel. His son Jeroboam [II] became king in his place.

Azariah (Uzziah) Succeeds Amaziah in Judah

¹⁷ Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah lived for fifteen years after the death of Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz king of Israel. ¹⁸ The rest of the acts of Amaziah, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? ¹⁹ Now a conspiracy was formed against him in Jerusalem, and Amaziah fled [south] to Lachish; but they sent [men] after him to Lachish and killed him there. ²⁰ Then they carried 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 Azariah, who was [only] sixteen years old, and made him king in place of his father Amaziah. ²² He built ^[c]Elath and restored it to Judah after the king [his father Amaziah] slept with his fathers [in death].