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.
25:2 And he did [that which was] right in the sight of the LORD,
but not with a perfect heart.
25:3 Now it came to pass, when the kingdom was established to
him, that he slew his servants that had killed the king his
father.
25:4 But he slew not their children, but [did] as [it is]
written in the law of 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.
25:5 Moreover, Amaziah assembled Judah, 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.
25:6 He hired also a hundred thousand mighty men of valor out of
Israel for a hundred talents of silver.
25:7 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.
25:8 But if thou wilt go, do [it], be strong for the battle: God
will make thee fall before the enemy: for God hath power to
help, and to cast down.
25:9 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.
25:10 Then Amaziah separated them, [to wit], the army that had
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.
25:11 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.
25:12 And [other] ten thousand [left] alive the children of
Judah carried away captive, and brought them to the top of the
rock, and cast them down from the top of the rock, that they
were all broken in pieces.
25:13 But the soldiers of the army whom Amaziah sent back, that
they should not go with him to battle, fell upon the cities of
Judah, from Samaria even to Beth-horon, and smote three
thousand of them, and took much spoil.
25:14 Now it came to pass, after that Amaziah had 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
himself before them, and burned incense to them.
25:15 Wherefore the anger of the LORD was kindled against
Amaziah, and he sent to him a prophet, who said to him, Why
hast thou sought after the gods of the people, which could not
deliver their own people out of thy hand?
25:16 And it came to pass, as he talked with him, that [the
king] said to him, Art thou made of the king's council?
forbear? why shouldst thou be smitten? Then the prophet
forbore, and said, I know that God hath determined to destroy
thee, because thou hast done this, and hast not hearkened to my
counsel.
25:17 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.
25:18 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 for
a wife: and there passed by a wild beast that [was] in Lebanon,
and trod down the thistle.
25:19 Thou sayest, Lo, thou hast smitten the Edomites; and thy
heart lifteth thee up to boast: abide now at home; why shouldst
thou meddle to [thy] hurt, that thou shouldst fall, [even]
thou, and Judah with thee?
25:20 But Amaziah would not hear; for it [came] from God, that
he might deliver them into the hand [of their enemies], because
they sought after the gods of Edom.
25:21 So Joash the king of Israel went up; and they saw one
another in the face, [both] he and Amaziah king of Judah, at
Beth-shemesh, which [belongeth] to Judah.
25:22 And Judah was defeated before Israel, and they fled every
man to his tent.
25:23 And Joash the king of Israel took Amaziah king of Judah,
the son of Joash, the son of Jehoahaz, at Beth-shemesh, and
brought him to Jerusalem, and broke down the wall of Jerusalem
from the gate of Ephraim to the corner gate, four hundred
cubits.
25:24 And [he took] all the gold and the silver, and all the
vessels that were found in the house of God with Obed-edom, and
the treasures of the king's house, the hostages also, and
returned to Samaria.
25:25 And Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah, lived after
the death of Joash, son of Jehoahaz king of Israel, fifteen
years.
25:26 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?
25:27 Now after the time that Amaziah turned 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.
25:28 And they brought him upon horses, and buried him with his
fathers in the city of Judah.
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