2 Kings 14

14 ¹ In year two of Israel's King Joash son of Jehoahaz, Amaziah son of Joash became king of Judah. ² He became king at twenty-five and reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother was Jehoaddin of Jerusalem. ³ He did right in our Father's eyes—yet not like his father David; he did all his father Joash had done. ⁴ Only the high places stayed; the people still sacrificed and burned incense there. ⁵ Once the kingdom was secure in his hand, he killed the servants who had murdered the king, his father.

⁶ But he did not kill the murderers' children, as written in the Book of the Law of Moses, where our Father commanded, "Fathers must not die for their children, nor children for their fathers; each will die for his own sin."

⁷ He killed ten thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt, took Sela in battle, and named it Joktheel, its name to this day.

⁸ Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash son of Jehoahaz, son of Jehu, king of Israel: "Come, let's face each other."

⁹ But Jehoash king of Israel sent to Amaziah king of Judah: 'A thistle in Lebanon sent to a cedar in Lebanon, "Give your daughter to my son as a wife." A wild animal in Lebanon passed by and trampled the thistle.' ¹⁰ You struck Edom, and your heart is proud. Glory in that, but stay home. Why provoke trouble, so you fall, you and Judah with you?

¹¹ Amaziah refused to listen, so Israel's king Jehoash advanced, and he and Judah's king Amaziah faced off at Beth-shemesh in Judah. ¹² Judah was defeated by Israel, and everyone fled to his own home. ¹³ Jehoash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah, son of Jehoash son of Ahaziah, at Beth-shemesh, came to Jerusalem, and broke down about six hundred feet of its wall from the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate. ¹⁴ He took all the gold, silver, and articles in our Father's house and the king's storerooms, plus hostages, and returned to Samaria.

¹⁵ Aren't the rest of Jehoash's acts, what he did, his might, and how he fought Amaziah king of Judah written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? ¹⁶ Jehoash rested with his ancestors, buried in Samaria with Israel's kings; his son Jeroboam reigned in his place.

¹⁷ Amaziah son of Joash, king of Judah, outlived Jehoash son of Jehoahaz, king of Israel, by fifteen years. ¹⁸ The rest of Amaziah's acts—aren't they written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? ¹⁹ They conspired against him in Jerusalem; he fled to Lachish, but they sent after him to Lachish and killed him there. ²⁰ They carried him on horses; he was buried in Jerusalem with his ancestors, in the City of David.

²¹ All the people of Judah took Azariah, sixteen years old, and made him king after 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 Amaziah son of Joash king of Judah's fifteenth year, Jeroboam son of Joash king of Israel reigned in Samaria forty-one years. ²⁴ He did evil in our Father's eyes, not turning from all the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, who made Israel sin. ²⁵ He restored Israel's border from Lebo-hamath to the Sea of the Arabah, as our Father, Israel's God, spoke through his servant Jonah son of Amittai, the prophet from Gath-hepher. ²⁶ For our Father saw Israel's suffering was very bitter, none left, slave or free, none to help Israel. ²⁷ But our Father had not said he would erase Israel's name from under heaven, so he saved them by the hand of Jeroboam son of Joash. ²⁸ The rest of Jeroboam's acts and deeds, his warring might, and his recovery of Damascus and Hamath for Judah in Israel—aren't they written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? ²⁹ Jeroboam slept with his ancestors, the kings of Israel; his son Zechariah reigned in his place.