2 Kings 14

14 ¹ In the second year of Joash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel, Amaziah son of Joash king of Judah became king. ² He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jehoaddin of Jerusalem. ³ He did what was right in the eyes of our Father, yet not like David his father. He did everything as Joash his father had done. ⁴ Only the high places were not removed; the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places. ⁵ As soon as the kingdom was firmly in his hand, he struck down the servants who had murdered the king his father. ⁶ But he did not put to death the children of the murderers, in keeping with what is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, where our Father commanded, "Fathers must not be put to death for their children, nor children be put to death for their fathers; each person will die for his own sin."

⁷ He struck down ten thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt and captured Sela in battle, and he named it Joktheel, which is its name to this day.

Israel Humbles Amaziah's Pride

⁸ Then Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash son of Jehoahaz, son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, "Come, let us meet face to face."

⁹ But Jehoash king of Israel sent back word to Amaziah king of Judah: "A thistle in Lebanon sent to a cedar in Lebanon, saying, 'Give your daughter to my son as a wife.' Then a wild beast of Lebanon passed by and trampled down the thistle." ¹⁰ You have indeed defeated Edom, and your heart has grown proud. Glory in it, but stay at home. Why should you provoke disaster so that you fall, you and Judah with you?

¹¹ But Amaziah would not listen. So Jehoash king of Israel marched up, and he and Amaziah king of Judah faced each other in battle at Beth-shemesh, which belongs to Judah. ¹² Judah was defeated by Israel, and everyone fled to his own home. ¹³ Jehoash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Jehoash, son of Ahaziah, at Beth-shemesh. Then he came to Jerusalem and broke down the wall of Jerusalem for four hundred cubits, from the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate. ¹⁴ He took all the gold and silver and all the articles found in the house of our Father and in the treasuries of the king's house, along with hostages, and he returned to Samaria.

Jehoash Rests with His Fathers

¹⁵ As for the rest of the acts of Jehoash, what he did, his might, and how he fought with Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? ¹⁶ And Jehoash rested with his fathers and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel, and Jeroboam his son became king in his place.

The Death of Amaziah

¹⁷ Amaziah son of Joash, king of Judah, lived fifteen years after the death of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz, king of Israel. ¹⁸ As for the rest of the acts of Amaziah, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? ¹⁹ They formed a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish. But they sent men after him to Lachish and killed him there. ²⁰ They brought him back on horses, and he was buried in Jerusalem with his fathers in the City of David.

Azariah Takes His Father's Throne

²¹ Then all the people of Judah took Azariah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in place of his father Amaziah. ²² He rebuilt Elath and restored it to Judah after the king rested with his fathers.

The Father's Mercy on Israel

²³ In the fifteenth year of Amaziah son of Joash, king of Judah, Jeroboam son of Joash, king of Israel, became king in Samaria, and he reigned forty-one years. ²⁴ He did what was evil in the eyes of our Father. He did not turn away from all the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, who had caused Israel to sin. ²⁵ He restored the border of Israel from Lebo-hamath to the Sea of the Arabah, according to the word of our Father, the God of Israel, which he had spoken through his servant Jonah son of Amittai, the prophet from Gath-hepher. ²⁶ For our Father saw that the affliction of Israel was very bitter; there was no one left, slave or free, and no one to help Israel. ²⁷ But our Father had not said he would blot out the name of Israel from under heaven, so he saved them by the hand of Jeroboam son of Joash. ²⁸ As for the rest of the acts of Jeroboam, all that he did, his might, how he fought, and how he recovered Damascus and Hamath for Judah in Israel, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? ²⁹ And Jeroboam rested with his fathers, the kings of Israel, and Zechariah his son became king in his place.