Old Testament · History

2 Chronicles chapter 25

became king at twenty-five years old and ruled for twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jehoaddan, from Jerusalem.He did what Yahweh considered — but not wholeheartedly.Once his grip on the kingdom was secure, he the officials who had assassinated his father the king.But he didn’t put their children to death, because he followed what’s written in — in the book of Moses — where Yahweh commanded: “Parents must not be put to death for what their children do, and children must not be put to death for what their parents do. Each person dies only for their own .”Then Amaziah assembled Judah and organized them by , appointing commanders over thousands and commanders over hundreds — covering all of Judah and Benjamin. He counted everyone twenty years old and up and found three hundred thousand ready for military service, able to handle spear and shield.He also hired a hundred thousand tough fighters from Israel for a hundred of silver.But a came to him and said, “Your Majesty, don’t let Israel’s army go with you, because Yahweh is not with Israel — not with any of the .”“But if you go ahead anyway — go, be strong, fight — God will still in front of your enemies. God has the power to help and the power to bring down.”Amaziah asked the man of God, “But what about the hundred talents I already paid for Israel’s troops?” The man of God answered, “Yahweh can give you than that.”So Amaziah separated out the troops that had come to him from Ephraim and sent them home. They were furious with Judah and went back .Amaziah gathered his courage and led his army out to the , where he struck down ten thousand .The men of Judah also captured ten thousand alive, brought them to the top of a , and threw them off the edge. Every one of them was smashed to pieces.Meanwhile, the troops Amaziah had sent home instead of letting them fight alongside him raided the towns of Judah — from Samaria all the way to . They killed three thousand people and hauled off a huge amount of plunder.After Amaziah came back from defeating the Edomites, he brought the of the people of Seir and set them up as his own gods. He bowed down before them and to them.Yahweh against Amaziah and sent a prophet to him, who said, “Why have you gone after the gods of a people who couldn’t even their own nation from your hand?”While the prophet was still speaking, Amaziah cut him off: “Did we appoint you as a ? Stop it! Why get yourself killed?” The prophet stopped, but said, “I know that God has you, because you’ve done this and refused to listen to my warning.”Then Amaziah king of Judah consulted with his advisors and sent a message to Joash son of Jehoahaz son of Jehu, king of Israel: “Come on — let’s .”Joash king of Israel sent back this message to Amaziah king of Judah: “A in Lebanon sent a message to a cedar in Lebanon: ‘Give your daughter to my son in marriage.’ But a wild animal in Lebanon came along and trampled the thornbush.”“You’re thinking, ‘Look — I defeated Edom!’ and now you’re , chasing after more glory. Stay home! Why ask for trouble? Why bring a disaster that will take down both you and Judah?”But Amaziah wouldn’t listen — because this was , who intended to hand them over for going after the gods of Edom.So Joash king of Israel marched out, and he and Amaziah king of Judah faced off at in Judah.Judah was by Israel, and every man fled to his home.Joash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah, son of Joash son of Jehoahaz, at Beth-shemesh. Then he brought him to Jerusalem and tore down the wall of Jerusalem from the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate — a stretch of .He seized all the gold and silver and every vessel found in that had been in ’s care, along with the treasures of the royal palace. He also took hostages and returned to Samaria.Amaziah son of Joash, king of Judah, lived fifteen years after the death of Joash son of Jehoahaz, king of Israel.As for the rest of Amaziah’s story, from beginning to end — isn’t it written in the ?From the time Amaziah , people in Jerusalem began plotting against him. He fled to , but they sent men after him to Lachish and killed him there.They brought him back on horses and buried him with his ancestors in the .