|
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. |
