1 A maziah was twenty-five years old he began to reign; and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem; and his mother's name was Jehoaddan of Jerusalem.

2 A nd he did what was right in the sight of Jehovah, yet not with a perfect heart.

3 A nd it came to pass when the kingdom was established unto him, that he killed his servants who had smitten the king his father.

4 B ut their children he did not put to death, but according to that which is written in the law in the book of Moses, wherein Jehovah commanded saying, The fathers shall not die for the children, nor shall the children die for the fathers, but every man shall die for his own sin.

5 A nd Amaziah gathered Judah together and arranged them according to the fathers' houses, according to the captains of thousands and the captains of hundreds, throughout Judah and Benjamin; and he numbered them from twenty years old and upwards, and found them three hundred thousand choice men, able for military service, that could handle spear and target.

6 H e hired also a hundred thousand mighty men of valour out of Israel for a hundred talents of silver.

7 B ut there came a man of God to him, saying, O king, let not the host of Israel go with thee; for Jehovah is not with Israel, all the children of Ephraim.

8 B ut if thou wilt go, do; be strong for the battle: God will make thee fall before the enemy, for there is with God power to help and to cast down.

9 A nd Amaziah said to the man of God, But what is to be done for the hundred talents which I have given to the troop of Israel? And the man of God said, Jehovah is able to give thee much more than this.

10 T hen Amaziah separated them,—the troop that was come to him out of Ephraim,—to go home again. And their anger was greatly kindled against Judah, and they returned home in fierce anger.

11 B ut Amaziah strengthened himself, and led forth his people, and went to the valley of salt, and smote of the children of Seir ten thousand.

12 A nd the children of Judah took ten thousand captive, alive, and brought them to the top of the cliff, and cast them down from the top of the cliff, so that they all were broken in pieces.

13 B ut those of the troop that Amaziah had sent back, that they should not go with him to battle, fell upon the cities of Judah from Samaria as far as Beth-horon, and smote three thousand of them, and took much spoil.

14 A nd it came to pass after Amaziah was 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 down before them, and burned incense to them.

15 A nd the anger of Jehovah was kindled against Amaziah, and he sent to him a prophet, who said to him, Why dost thou seek after the gods of a people who have not delivered their own people out of thy hand?

16 A nd it came to pass as he talked with him, that said to him, Hast thou been made the king's counsellor? Forbear; why shouldest thou be smitten? Then the prophet forbore, and said, I know that God has determined to destroy thee, because thou hast done this, and hast not hearkened to my counsel.

17 A nd Amaziah king of Judah took counsel, and sent to Joash the son of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, Come, let us look one another in the face.

18 A nd Joash king of Israel sent to Amaziah king of Judah, saying, The thorn-bush that is in Lebanon sent to the cedar that is in Lebanon, saying, Give thy daughter to my son as wife; and there passed by the wild beast that is in Lebanon, and trode down the thorn-bush.

19 T hou thinkest, Lo, thou hast smitten Edom; and thy heart has lifted thee up to boast: abide now at home; why shouldest thou contend with misfortune, that thou shouldest fall, thou and Judah with thee?

20 B ut Amaziah would not hear; for it was of God, that he might deliver them into hand, because they had sought after the gods of Edom.

21 A nd Joash king of Israel went up; and they looked one another in the face, he and Amaziah king of Judah, at Beth-shemesh, which is in Judah.

22 A nd Judah was routed before Israel; and they fled every man to his tent.

23 A nd Joash 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 he broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the gate of Ephraim to the corner gate, four hundred cubits.

24 A nd he 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, and hostages, and returned to Samaria.

25 A nd Amaziah the son of Joash, king of Judah, lived after the death of Joash son of Jehoahaz, king of Israel, fifteen years.

26 A nd 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?

27 A nd from the time that Amaziah turned aside from following Jehovah, they made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem; and he fled to Lachish; and they sent after him to Lachish, and slew him there.

28 A nd they brought him on horses, and buried him with his fathers in the city of Judah.