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14
1 Amaziah, son of Joash, became king of Judah in the second year of the reign of Jehoash, son of Jehoahaz, king of Israel. 2 He was twenty-five when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem for twenty-nine years. His mother's name was Jehoaddan of Jerusalem. 3 He did what was right in the Lord's sight, but not in the same way as his forefather David had. He did everything just as his father Joash had done. 4 But the high places were not removed. The people still were sacrificing and presenting burn offerings in those places.
5 Once he was secure on the throne he executed the officials who had murdered his father the king. 6 But he did not execute the murderers' children, following the Lord's command in the law of Moses that “Fathers must not be put to death for their children's sins, and children must not be put to death for their father's sins. Everyone is to die for their own sin.”
7 Amaziah killed ten thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt. He attacked and captured Sela and renamed it Joktheel, which is what it is called to this very day.
8 Amaziah sent messengers to the king of Israel, Jehoash, son of Jehoahaz, son of Jehu, telling him, “Let's fight,* “Fight”: literally “meet,” but the context makes it clear that Amaziah was trying to provoke armed conflict. face to face!”
9 Jehoash, king of Israel, replied to Amaziah, king of Judah: “In Lebanon a thistle sent a message to a cedar, saying, ‘Give your daughter as a wife to my son.’ But a wild animal of Lebanon came by and trampled down the thistle. 10 You may indeed have defeated Edom. Now you've become arrogant. Stay home and enjoy your victory! Why provoke trouble that will bring you down, and Judah with you?”
11 But Amaziah refused to listen, so Jehoash, king of Israel, came to attack him. He and Amaziah, king of Judah, met face to face at Beth Shemesh in Judah. 12 The army of Judah was defeated by Israel, and ran away home. 13 Jehoash, king of Israel, captured Amaziah, king of Judah, the son of Joash, son of Ahaziah, at Beth Shemesh.
Then Jehoash attacked Jerusalem and knocked down the city wall from the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate, about four hundred cubits in length. 14 He removed all the gold and silver, and all the items found in the Lord's Temple and in the treasuries of the royal palace, and also some hostages. Then he went back to Samaria.
15 The rest of what happened in Jehoash's reign, all he did, and his great achievements and his war with Amaziah, king of Judah, are recorded in the Book of Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. 16 Jehoash died and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel. His son Jeroboam succeeded him as king.
17 Amaziah, son of Joash, king of Judah, lived for fifteen more years after the death of Joash, son of Jehoahaz, king of Israel. 18 The rest of the events that happened in Amaziah's reign are recorded in the Book of Chronicles of the Kings of Judah.
19 A conspiracy against Amaziah took place in Jerusalem, and he ran away to Lachish. But men were sent after him and they murdered him there. 20 They brought him back on horses and buried him in Jerusalem with his forefathers in the City of David. 21 Then all the people of Judah made Amaziah's son Azariah king to replace his father. Azariah was sixteen years old. 22 Azariah recaptured Elath for Judah and rebuilt it after his father's death.
23 Jeroboam, son of Jehoash, became king of Israel in the fifteenth year of the reign of Amaziah, son of Joash, king of Judah. He reigned in Samaria for forty-one years. 24 He did what was evil in the Lord's sight and did not end all the sins that Jeroboam, son of Nebat, had made Israel commit. 25 He restored the border of Israel to where it had been, from Lebo-hamath as far as the Sea of the Arabah,† “Sea of the Arabah”: the Arabah is the Jordan Valley, so this would refer to the Dead Sea. as the Lord, the God of Israel, had said through his servant Jonah, son of Amittai, the prophet, who came from Gath-hepher.
26 The Lord had seen how badly the Israelites were suffering, both slave and free. No one was there to help Israel. 27 However, since the Lord had said that he would not wipe out Israel, he saved them through Jeroboam, son of Jehoash. 28 The rest of what happened in Jeroboam's reign, all he did, his great achievements and the battles he fought, and how he recovered for Israel both Damascus and Hamath, are recorded in the Book of Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. 29 Jeroboam died and was buried with the kings of Israel. His son Zechariah succeeded him as king.

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*14:8 “Fight”: literally “meet,” but the context makes it clear that Amaziah was trying to provoke armed conflict.

†14:25 “Sea of the Arabah”: the Arabah is the Jordan Valley, so this would refer to the Dead Sea.

© 2018 Dr. Jonathan Gallagher