Amaziah beginneth to reign well.

1 ¶ Amaziahº [was] twentyº and fiveº yearsº oldº [when] he began to reign,ºª and he reignedºª twentyº and nineº yearsº in Jerusalem.º And his mother'sº nameº [was] Jehoaddanº of Jerusalem.º² 2 And he didºª [that which was] rightº in the sightº of the LORD,º but² not² with a perfectº heart.º

He executeth justice on the traitors.

3 ¶ Now it came to pass,² when² the kingdomº was establishedºª to² him, that he slewºª² his servantsº that had killedºª² the kingº his father.º 4 But he slewºª not² their children,º but² [did] as [it is] writtenºª in the lawº in the bookº of Moses,º where² the LORDº commanded,ºª saying,ºª The fathersº shall not² dieºª for² the children,º neither² shall the childrenº dieºª for² the fathers,º but² every manº shall dieºª for his own sin.º

Having hired an army of Israelites against the Edomites, at the word of a prophet he loseth the hundred talents, and dismisseth them.

5 ¶ Moreover Amaziahº gathered¹ª Judah¹ together,ºª²² and madeºª them captainsº over thousands,º and captainsº over hundreds,º according to the housesº of [their] fathers,º throughout all² Judahº and Benjamin:º and he numberedºª them from twentyº yearsº oldº² and above,º and foundºª them threeº hundredº thousandº choiceºª [men, able] to go forthºª to war,º that could handleºª spearº and shield.º 6 He hiredºª also an hundredº thousandº mighty¹ men² of valourº out of Israelº² for an hundredº talentsº of silver.º 7 But there cameºª a manº of Godº to² him, saying,ºª O king,º let not² the armyº of Israelº goºª with² thee; for² the LORDº [is] not² with² Israel,º [to wit, with] all² the childrenº of Ephraim.º 8 But² if² thou² wilt go,ºª doºª [it], be strongºª for the battle:º Godº shall make thee fallºª beforeº the enemy:ºª for² Godº hathº powerº to help,ºª and to cast down.ºª 9 And Amaziahº saidºª to the manº of God,º But what² shall we doºª for the hundredº talentsº which² I have givenºª to the armyº of Israel?º And the manº of Godº answered,ºª The LORDº isº able to giveºª thee much moreºª than this.²²

The Israelites, discontented with their dismission, spoil as they return home.

10 Then Amaziahº separatedºª them, [to wit], the armyº that² was comeºª to² him out of Ephraim,º² to go¹ª² homeº again:¹ª wherefore their angerº was greatlyº kindledºª against Judah,º and they returnedºª homeº in greatº anger.º

He overthroweth the Edomites.

11 ¶ And Amaziahº strengthened¹ª himself,² and led forthºª² his people,º and went¹ª² to the valleyº of salt,º and smoteºª² of the childrenº of Seirº tenº thousand.º 12 And [other] tenº thousandº [left] aliveº did the childrenº of Judahº carry away captive,ºª and broughtºª them unto the topº of the rock,º and cast them downºª from the topº² of the rock,º that they all² were broken in pieces.ºª

The Israelites, discontented with their dismission, spoil as they return home.

13 ¶ But the soldiersº of the armyº which² Amaziahº sent back,ºª that they should not go¹ª²² with² him to battle,º fell¹ª upon² the citiesº of Judah,º from Samariaº² even unto² Bethhoron,º and smoteºª threeº thousandº of² them, and tookºª muchº spoil.º

Amaziah, proud of his victory, serveth the gods of Edom, and despiseth the admonitions of the prophet.

14 ¶ Now it came to pass,² after¹ that² Amaziahº was comeºª from the slaughterºª²² of the Edomites,º that he broughtºª² the godsº of the childrenº of Seir,º and set them upºª [to be] his gods,º and bowed down¹ª himself² beforeº them, and burned incenseºª unto them. 15 Wherefore the angerº of the LORDº was kindledºª against Amaziah,º and he sentºª unto² him a prophet,º which saidºª unto him, Why² hast thou sought¹ª after²² the godsº of the people,º which² could not² deliverºª² their own peopleº out of thine hand?º² 16 And it came to pass,² as he talkedºª with² him, that [the king] saidºª unto him, Art thou madeºª of the king'sº counsel?ºª forbear;ºª why² shouldest thou be smitten?ºª Then the prophetº forbare,ºª and said,ºª I knowºª that² Godº hath determinedºª to destroyºª thee, because² thou hast doneºª this,² and hast not² hearkenedºª unto my counsel.º

He provoketh Joash to his overthrow.

17 ¶ Then Amaziahº kingº of Judahº took advice,ºª and sentºª to² Joash,º the sonº of Jehoahaz,º the sonº of Jehu,º kingº of Israel,º saying,ºª Come,¹ª² let us see one anotherºª in the face.º 18 And Joashº kingº of Israelº sentºª to² Amaziahº kingº of Judah,º saying,ºª The thistleº that² [was] in Lebanonº sentºª to² the cedarº that² [was] in Lebanon,º saying,ºª Giveºª² thy daughterº to my sonº to wife:º and there passed byºª a wildº beastº that² [was] in Lebanon,º and trode downºª² the thistle.º 19 Thou sayest,ºª Lo,² thou hast smittenºª² the Edomites;º and thine heartº lifteth thee upºª to boast:ºª abideºª now² at home;º why² shouldest thou meddleºª to [thine] hurt,º that thou shouldest fall,ºª [even] thou,² and Judahº with² thee? 20 But Amaziahº would not² hear;ºª for² it² [came] of God,º² that² he might deliverºª them into the handº [of their enemies], because² they sought¹ª after²² the godsº of Edom.º 21 So Joashº the kingº of Israelº went up;ºª and they saw one anotherºª in the face,º [both] he² and Amaziahº kingº of Judah,º at Bethshemesh,º which² [belongeth] to Judah.º 22 And Judahº was put to the worseºª beforeº Israel,º and they fledºª every manº to his tent.º 23 And Joashº the kingº of Israelº tookºª Amaziahº kingº of Judah,º the sonº of Joash,º the sonº of Jehoahaz,º at Bethshemesh,º and broughtºª him to Jerusalem,º and brake downºª the wallº of Jerusalemº from the gateº² of Ephraimº to² the corner¹ª² gate,º fourº hundredº cubits.º 24 And [he took] all² the goldº and the silver,º and² all² the vesselsº that were foundºª in the houseº of Godº with² Obededom,º and the treasuresº of the king'sº house,º² the hostagesºº also, and returnedºª to Samaria.º

His reign.

25 ¶ And Amaziahº the sonº of Joashº kingº of Judahº livedºª afterº the deathº of Joashº sonº of Jehoahazº kingº of Israelº fifteenºº years.º 26 Now the restº of the actsº of Amaziah,º firstº and last,º behold,² [are] they not² writtenºª in² the bookº of the kingsº of Judahº and Israel?º

He is slain by conspiracy.

27 ¶ Now after the timeº² that² Amaziahº did turn awayºª from followingº² the LORDº they madeºª a conspiracyº against² him in Jerusalem;º and he fledºª to Lachish:º but they sentºª to Lachishº afterº him, and slewºª him there.² 28 And they broughtºª him upon² horses,º and buriedºª him with² his fathersº in the cityº of Judah.º