CHAPTER 14

¹In the second year of Joash son of Joahaz king of Israel, Amaziah the son of Joash had become king, king of Judah. ²He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and twenty-nine years he was king in Jerusalem, and his mother’s name was Jehoaddan from Jerusalem. ³And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, but not like David his forefather; as all that Joash his father had done he did do. ⁴But the high places were not removed—the people were sacrificing and burning incense on the high places. ⁵And it happened, when the kingdom was firmly in his hand, that he struck down his servants who had struck down the king his father. ⁶But the sons of the killers he did not put to death, as it is written in the Book of the Teaching of Moses, as the LORD charged, saying, “Fathers shall not be put to death over sons, and sons shall not be put to death over fathers, but each man shall be put to death for his own offense.” ⁷He struck down Edom in Salt Valley, ten thousand of them, and he seized the Rock in the battle and called its name Jokthel to this day. ⁸Then did Amaziah send messengers to Joash son of Jehoahaz son of Jehu king of Israel, saying, “Come let us face each other down.” ⁹And Joash king of Israel sent to Amaziah king of Judah, saying, “The thistle which is in Lebanon sent to the cedar which is in Lebanon, saying, ‘Give your daughter to my son as wife,’ and the beast of the field which is in Lebanon came by and trampled the thistle. ¹⁰You indeed have struck down Edom, and you are carried away by your own heart. Enjoy your glory, and stay in your house. Why should you provoke evil, and you will fall, you and Judah with you?” ¹¹But Amaziah did not heed. And Joash king of Israel came up, and they faced each other down, he and Amaziah king of Judah, in Beth-Shemesh, which is Judah’s. ¹²And Judah was routed by Israel, and every man fled to his tent. ¹³But Joash king of Israel caught Amaziah son of Joash son of Ahaziah king of Judah in Beth-Shemesh, and he came to Jerusalem and breached the wall of Jerusalem from the Gate of Ephraim as far as the Corner Gate, four hundred cubits. ¹⁴And he took all the gold and the silver and all the vessels that were found in the house of the LORD and in the treasuries of the house of the king, and all the hostages, and he went back to Samaria. ¹⁵And the rest of the acts of Joash that he did, and his valor with which he battled against Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the Book of the Acts of the Kings of Israel? ¹⁶And Joash lay with his fathers and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel. And Jeroboam his son became king in his stead. ¹⁷And Amaziah son of Joash king of Judah lived fifteen years after the death of Joash son of Joahaz king of Israel. ¹⁸And the rest of the acts of Amaziah, are they not written in the Book of the Acts of the Kings of Judah? ¹⁹And they hatched a plot against him in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish, and they sent after him to Lachish, and they sent after him to Lachish and put him to death there. ²⁰And they bore him off on horses, and he was buried in Jerusalem with his fathers in the City of David. ²¹And all the people of Judah took Azariah, when he was sixteen years old, and they made him king in Amaziah his father’s stead. ²²He it was who built Elath and settled it for Judah after the king lay with his fathers.

²³In the fifteenth year of Amaziah son of Joash king of Judah, Jeroboam son of Joash became king, king over Israel, in Samaria, for forty-one years. ²⁴And he did what was evil in the eyes of the LORD, he did not swerve from all the offenses of Jeroboam son of Nebat, who had led Israel to offend. ²⁵He it was who brought back the territory of Israel from Lebo-Hamath to the Arabah Sea, according to the word of the LORD God of Israel which He spoke through His servant Jonah son of Amittai the prophet, who was from Gath Hepher. ²⁶For the LORD had seen the very bitter affliction of Israel, and there was no ruler or helper, and none aiding Israel. ²⁷And the LORD had not spoken to wipe out the name of Israel from under the heavens, but He rescued them by the hand of Jeroboam son of Joash. ²⁸And the rest of the acts of Jeroboam and all that he did, and his valor with which he battled and brought back Damascus and Hamath to Judah in Israel, are they not written in the Book of the Acts of the Kings of Israel? ²⁹And Jeroboam lay with his fathers, with the kings of Israel, and Zachariah his son became king in his stead.