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Chapter 25 |
| 1 | Amaziah was
twenty and five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty and
nine years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Jehoaddan of
Jerusalem. |
| 2
| And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD,
but not with a perfect heart. |
|
3 | Now it came to pass, when the kingdom
was established to him, that he slew his servants that had killed the king his
father. |
| 4 |
But he slew not their children, but did as it is written in
the law in the book of Moses, where the LORD commanded, saying, The fathers
shall not die for the children, neither shall the children die for the fathers,
but every man shall die for his own sin. |
|
5 | Moreover Amaziah gathered
Judah together, and made them captains over thousands, and captains over
hundreds, according to the houses of their fathers, throughout all Judah and
Benjamin: and he numbered them from twenty years old and above, and found them
three hundred thousand choice men, able to go forth to war, that could handle
spear and shield. |
|
6 | He hired also an hundred thousand mighty men of
valor out of Israel for an hundred talents of silver. |
| 7 | But there came
a man of God to him, saying, O king, let not the army of Israel go with thee;
for the LORD is not with Israel, to wit, with all the children of
Ephraim. |
| 8
| But if thou wilt go, do it; be strong for the battle: God
shall make thee fall before the enemy: for God hath power to help, and to cast
down. |
| 9 |
And Amaziah said to the man of God, But what shall we do for
the hundred talents which I have given to the army of Israel? And the man of
God answered, The LORD is able to give thee much more than this. |
| 10 |
Then Amaziah separated them, to wit, the army that was come to him out of
Ephraim, to go home again: wherefore their anger was greatly kindled against
Judah, and they returned home in great anger. |
| 11 | And Amaziah
strengthened himself, and led forth his people, and went to the valley of salt,
and smote of the children of Seir ten thousand. |
| 12 | And other
ten thousand left alive did the children of Judah carry away captive, and
brought them unto the top of the rock, and cast them down from the top of the
rock, that they all were broken in pieces. |
|
13 | But the soldiers of the
army which Amaziah sent back, that they should not go with him to battle, fell
upon the cities of Judah, from Samaria even unto Bethhoron, and smote three
thousand of them, and took much spoil. |
| 14 | Now it came to pass, after
that Amaziah was come from the slaughter of the Edomites, that he brought the
gods of the children of Seir, and set them up to be his gods, and bowed down
himself before them, and burned incense unto them. |
| 15 | Wherefore
the anger of the LORD was kindled against Amaziah, and he sent unto him a
prophet, which said unto him, Why hast thou sought after the gods of the
people, which could not deliver their own people out of thine hand? |
| 16 |
And it came to pass, as he talked with him, that the king said unto him, Art
thou made of the king's counsel? forbear; why shouldest thou be smitten? Then
the prophet forbare, and said, I know that God hath determined to destroy thee,
because thou hast done this, and hast not hearkened unto my counsel. |
| 17 |
Then Amaziah king of Judah took advice, and sent to Joash, the son of Jehoahaz,
the son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, Come, let us see one another in the
face. |
| 18 |
And 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 thy daughter to my son to wife: and there passed by a wild beast
that was in Lebanon, and trode down the thistle. |
| 19 | Thou sayest,
Lo, thou hast smitten the Edomites; and thine heart lifteth thee up to boast:
abide now at home; why shouldest thou meddle to thine hurt, that thou shouldest
fall, even thou, and Judah with thee? |
| 20 | But Amaziah would not hear;
for it came of God, that he might deliver them into the hand of their enemies,
because they sought after the gods of Edom. |
|
21 | So Joash the king of
Israel went up; and they saw one another in the face, both he and Amaziah king
of Judah, at Bethshemesh, which belongeth to Judah. |
| 22 | And Judah
was put to the worse before Israel, and they fled every man to his tent.
|
| 23 | And Joash the king of Israel took Amaziah king of Judah, the son of
Joash, the son of Jehoahaz, at Bethshemesh, and brought him to Jerusalem, and
brake down the wall of Jerusalem from the gate of Ephraim to the corner gate,
four hundred cubits. |
| 24 | And he took all the gold and the silver, and
all the vessels that were found in the house of God with Obededom, and the
treasures of the king's house, the hostages also, and returned to
Samaria. |
| 25
| And Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah lived after
the death of Joash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel fifteen years. |
| 26 |
Now the rest of the acts of Amaziah, first and last, behold, are they not
written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel? |
| 27 | Now after
the time that Amaziah did turn away from following the LORD they made a
conspiracy against him in Jerusalem; and he fled to Lachish: but they sent to
Lachish after him, and slew him there. |
| 28 | And they brought him upon
horses, and buried him with his fathers in the city of Judah. |
