Amaziah Reigns in Judah

¹In the second year of the reign of Jehoashson of Jehoahaz over Israel, Amaziah son of Joash became king of Judah.

²He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother’s name was Jehoaddan; she was from Jerusalem.

³And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, but not as his father David had done. He did everything as his father Joash had done.

⁴Nevertheless, the high places were not taken away, and the people continued sacrificing and burning incense on the high places.

⁵As soon as the kingdom was firmly in his grasp, Amaziah executed the servants who had murdered his father the king.

⁶Yet he did not put the sons of the murderers to death, but acted according to what is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, where the LORD commanded: “Fathers must not be put to death for their children, and children must not be put to death for their fathers; each is to die for his own sin.”

⁷Amaziah struck down 10,000 Edomites in the Valley of Salt. He took Sela in battle and called it Joktheel, which is its name to this very day.

Jehoash Defeats Amaziah

⁸Then Amaziah sent messengers to the king of Israel Jehoash son of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu. “Come, let us meet face to face,” he said.

⁹But Jehoash king of Israel replied to Amaziah king of Judah: “A thistle in Lebanon sent a message to a cedar in Lebanon, saying, ‘Give your daughter to my son in marriage.’ Then a wild beast in Lebanon came along and trampled the thistle.

¹⁰You have indeed defeated Edom, and your heart has become proud. Glory in that and stay at home. Why should you stir up trouble so that you fall—you and Judah with you?”

¹¹But Amaziah would not listen, so Jehoash king of Israel advanced. He and King Amaziah of Judah faced each other at Beth-shemesh in Judah.

¹²And Judah was routed before Israel, and every man fled to his home.

¹³There at Beth-shemesh, Jehoash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Joash, the son of Ahaziah.Then Jehoash went to Jerusalem and broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate—a section of four hundred cubits.

¹⁴He took all the gold and silver and all the articles found in the house of the LORD and in the treasuries of the royal palace, as well as some hostages. Then he returned to Samaria.

Jeroboam II Succeeds Jehoash in Israel

¹⁵As for the rest of the acts of Jehoash, along with his accomplishments, his might, and how he waged war against Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?

¹⁶And Jehoash rested with his fathers and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel. And his son Jeroboam reigned in his place.

The Death of Amaziah

¹⁷Amaziah son of Joash king of Judah lived for fifteen years after the death of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel.

¹⁸As for the rest of the acts of Amaziah, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah?

¹⁹And conspirators plotted against Amaziah in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish. But men were sent after him to Lachish, and they killed him there.

²⁰They carried him back on horses and buried him in Jerusalem with his fathers in the City of David.

Azariah Succeeds Amaziah in Judah

²¹Then all the people of Judah took Azariah,who was sixteen years old, and made him king in place of his father Amaziah.

²²Azariah was the one who rebuilt Elathand restored it to Judah after King Amaziah rested with his fathers.

Jeroboam II Reigns in Israel

²³In the fifteenth year of the reign of Amaziah son of Joash over Judah, Jeroboam son of Jehoash became king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria forty-one years.

²⁴And he did evil in the sight of the LORD and did not turn away from all the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit.

²⁵This Jeroboam restored the boundary of Israel from Lebo-hamath to the Sea of the Arabah,according to the word that the LORD, the God of Israel, had spoken through His servant Jonah son of Amittai, the prophet from Gath-hepher.

²⁶For the LORD saw that the affliction of the Israelites, both slave and free, was very bitter. There was no one to help Israel,

²⁷and since the LORD had said that He would not blot out the name of Israel from under heaven, He saved them by the hand of Jeroboam son of Jehoash.

²⁸As for the rest of the acts of Jeroboam, along with all his accomplishments and might, and how he waged war and recovered both Damascus and Hamath for Israel from Judah, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?

²⁹And Jeroboam rested with his fathers,the kings of Israel. And his son Zechariah reigned in his place.

Amaziah Reigns in Judah

¹Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother’s name was Jehoaddan; she was from Jerusalem.

²And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, but not wholeheartedly.

³As soon as the kingdom was firmly in his grasp, Amaziah executed the servants who had murdered his father the king.

⁴Yet he did not put their sons to death, but acted according to what is written in the Law, in the Book of Moses, where the LORD commanded: “Fathers must not be put to death for their children, and children must not be put to death for their fathers; each is to die for his own sin.”

Amaziah’s Victories

⁵Then Amaziah gathered the people of Judah and assigned them according to their families to commanders of thousands and of hundreds. And he numbered those twenty years of age or older throughout Judah and Benjamin and found 300,000 chosen men able to serve in the army, bearing the spear and shield.

⁶He also hired 100,000 mighty men of valor from Israel for a hundred talents of silver.

⁷But a man of God came to him and said, “O king, do not let the army of Israel go with you, for the LORD is not with Israel—not with any of the Ephraimites.

⁸Even if you go and fight bravely in battle, God will overthrow you before the enemy, for God has power to help and power to overthrow.”

⁹Amaziah asked the man of God, “What should I do about the hundred talents I have given to the troops of Israel?”And the man of God replied, “The LORD is able to give you much more than this.”

¹⁰So Amaziah dismissed the troops who had come to him from Ephraim and sent them home. And they were furious with Judah and returned home in great anger.

¹¹Amaziah, however, summoned his strength and led his troops to the Valley of Salt, where he struck down 10,000 men of Seir,

¹²and the army of Judah also captured 10,000 men alive. They took them to the top of a cliff and threw them down so that all were dashed to pieces.

¹³Meanwhile the troops that Amaziah had dismissed from battle raided the cities of Judah, from Samaria to Beth-horon. They struck down 3,000 people and carried off a great deal of plunder.

Amaziah Rebuked for Idolatry

¹⁴When Amaziah returned from the slaughter of the Edomites, he brought back the gods of the Seirites, set them up as his own gods, bowed before them, and burned sacrifices to them.

¹⁵Therefore the anger of the LORD burned against Amaziah, and He sent him a prophet, who said, “Why have you sought this people’s gods, which could not deliver them from your hand?”

¹⁶While he was still speaking, the king asked, “Have we made you the counselor to the king? Stop! Why be struck down?”So the prophet stopped, but he said, “I know that God has determined to destroy you, because you have done this and have not heeded my advice.”

Jehoash Defeats Amaziah

¹⁷Then Amaziah king of Judah took counsel and sent word to the king of Israel Jehoashson of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu. “Come, let us meet face to face,” he said.

¹⁸But Jehoash king of Israel replied to Amaziah king of Judah: “A thistle in Lebanon sent a message to a cedar in Lebanon, saying, ‘Give your daughter to my son in marriage.’ Then a wild beast in Lebanon came along and trampled the thistle.

¹⁹You have said, ‘Look, I have defeated Edom,’ and your heart has become proud and boastful. Now stay at home. Why should you stir up trouble so that you fall—you and Judah with you?”

²⁰But Amaziah would not listen, for this had come from God in order to deliver them into the hand of Jehoash, because they had sought the gods of Edom.

²¹So Jehoash king of Israel advanced, and he and Amaziah king of Judah faced each other at Beth-shemesh in Judah.

²²And Judah was routed before Israel, and every man fled to his own home.

²³There at Beth-shemesh, Jehoash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Joash, the son of Jehoahaz.Then Jehoash brought him to Jerusalem and broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate—a section of four hundred cubits.

²⁴He took all the gold and silver and all the articles found in the house of God with Obed-edom and in the treasuries of the royal palace, as well as some hostages. Then he returned to Samaria.

The Death of Amaziah

²⁵Amaziah son of Joash king of Judah lived for fifteen years after the death of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel.

²⁶As for the rest of the acts of Amaziah, from beginning to end, are they not written in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel?

²⁷From the time that Amaziah turned from following the LORD, a conspiracy was formed against him in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish. But men were sent after him to Lachish, and they killed him there.

²⁸They carried him back on horses and buried him with his fathers in the City of Judah.

Azariah Reigns in Judah

¹In the twenty-seventh year of Jeroboam’s reign over Israel, Azariahson of Amaziah became king of Judah.

²He was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-two years. His mother’s name was Jecoliah; she was from Jerusalem.

³And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father Amaziah had done.

⁴Nevertheless, the high places were not taken away; the people continued sacrificing and burning incense there.

⁵And the LORD afflicted the king with leprosyuntil the day he died, so that he lived in a separate house while his son Jotham had charge of the palace and governed the people of the land.

⁶As for the rest of the acts of Azariah, along with all his accomplishments, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah?

⁷And Azariah rested with his fathers and was buried near themin the City of David. And his son Jotham reigned in his place.

Zechariah Reigns in Israel

⁸In the thirty-eighth year of Azariah’s reign over Judah, Zechariah son of Jeroboam became king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria six months.

⁹And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, as his fathers had done. He did not turn away from the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit.

¹⁰Then Shallum son of Jabesh conspired against Zechariah, struck him down and killed him in front of the people,and reigned in his place.

¹¹As for the rest of the acts of Zechariah, they are indeed written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel.

¹²So the word of the LORD spoken to Jehu was fulfilled: “Four generations of your sons will sit on the throne of Israel.”

Shallum Reigns in Israel

¹³In the thirty-ninth year of Uzziah’sreign over Judah, Shallum son of Jabesh became king, and he reigned in Samaria one full month.

¹⁴Then Menahem son of Gadi went up from Tirzah to Samaria, struck down and killed Shallum son of Jabesh, and reigned in his place.

¹⁵As for the rest of the acts of Shallum, along with the conspiracy he led, they are indeed written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel.

¹⁶At that time Menahem, starting from Tirzah, attacked Tiphsah and everyone in its vicinity, because they would not open their gates. So he attacked Tiphsah and ripped open all the pregnant women.

Menahem Reigns in Israel

¹⁷In the thirty-ninth year of Azariah’s reign over Judah, Menahem son of Gadi became king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria ten years.

¹⁸And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, and throughout his reign he did not turn away from the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit.

¹⁹Then Pulking of Assyria invaded the land, and Menahem gave Pul a thousand talents of silverin order to gain his support and strengthen his own grip on the kingdom.

²⁰Menahem exacted this money from each of the wealthy men of Israel—fifty shekels of silverfrom each man—to give to the king of Assyria. So the king of Assyria withdrew and did not remain in the land.

²¹As for the rest of the acts of Menahem, along with all his accomplishments, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?

²²And Menahem rested with his fathers, and his son Pekahiah reigned in his place.

Pekahiah Reigns in Israel

²³In the fiftieth year of Azariah’s reign over Judah, Pekahiah son of Menahem became king of Israel and reigned in Samaria two years.

²⁴And he did evil in the sight of the LORD and did not turn away from the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit.

²⁵Then his officer, Pekah son of Remaliah, conspired against him along with Argob, Arieh, and fifty men of Gilead. And at the citadel of the king’s palace in Samaria, Pekah struck down and killed Pekahiah and reigned in his place.

²⁶As for the rest of the acts of Pekahiah, along with all his accomplishments, they are indeed written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel.

Pekah Reigns in Israel

²⁷In the fifty-second year of Azariah’s reign over Judah, Pekah son of Remaliah became king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria twenty years.

²⁸And he did evil in the sight of the LORD and did not turn away from the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit.

²⁹In the days of Pekah king of Israel, Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria came and captured Ijon, Abel-beth-maacah, Janoah, Kedesh, Hazor, Gilead, and Galilee, including all the land of Naphtali, and he took the people as captives to Assyria.

³⁰Then Hoshea son of Elah led a conspiracy against Pekah son of Remaliah. In the twentieth year of Jotham son of Uzziah, Hoshea attacked Pekah, killed him, and reigned in his place.

³¹As for the rest of the acts of Pekah, along with all his accomplishments, they are indeed written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel.

Jotham Reigns in Judah

³²In the second year of the reign of Pekah son of Remaliah over Israel, Jotham son of Uzziah became king of Judah.

³³He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. His mother’s name was Jerushadaughter of Zadok.

³⁴And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father Uzziah had done.

³⁵Nevertheless, the high places were not taken away; the people continued sacrificing and burning incense there.Jotham rebuilt the Upper Gate of the house of the LORD.

³⁶As for the rest of the acts of Jotham, along with his accomplishments, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah?

³⁷(In those days the LORD began to send Rezin king of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah against Judah.)

³⁸And Jotham rested with his fathers and was buried with them in the City of David his father. And his son Ahaz reigned in his place.

Victory with God

¹You have rejected us, O God;You have broken us;You have been angry;restore us!

²You have shaken the landand torn it open.Heal its fractures,for it is quaking.

³You have shown Your people hardship;we are staggered from the wine You made us drink.

⁴You have raised a banner for those who fear You,that they may flee the bow.Selah

⁵Respond and save us with Your right hand,that Your beloved may be delivered.

⁶God has spoken from His sanctuary:“I will triumph!I will parcel out Shechemand apportion the Valley of Succoth.

⁷Gilead is Mine, and Manasseh is Mine;Ephraim is My helmet, Judah is My scepter.

⁸Moab is My washbasin;upon Edom I toss My sandal;over Philistia I shout in triumph.”

⁹Who will bring me to the fortified city?Who will lead me to Edom?

¹⁰Have You not rejected us, O God?Will You no longer march out, O God, with our armies?

¹¹Give us aid against the enemy,for the help of man is worthless.

¹²With God we will perform with valor,and He will trample our enemies.