2Kings 14

Amaziah Rules in Judah

14Amaziah son of Joash began to rule over Judah in the second year of the reign of King Jehoash

of Israel.H8147H8141H3101H1121H3099H4428H3478H4427H558H1121H3101H4428H30632Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother was Jehoaddin from Jerusalem.H6242H2568H8141H1121H4427H4427H6242H8672H8141H3389H517H8034H3086H33893Amaziah did what was pleasing in the LORD's sight, but not like his ancestor David. Instead, he followed the example of his father, Joash.H6213H3477H5869H3068H7535H1732H1H6213H3101H1H62134Amaziah did not destroy the pagan shrines, and the people still offered sacrifices and burned incense there.H1116H5493H5750H5971H2076H6999H11165When Amaziah was well established as king, he executed the officials who had assassinated his father.H4467H2388H3027H5221H5650H5221H4428H16However, he did not kill the children of the assassins, for he obeyed the command of the LORD as written by Moses in the Book of the Law: "Parents must not be put to death for the sins of their children, nor children for the sins of their parents. Those deserving to die must be put to death for their own crimes."

H1121H5221H4191H3789H5612H8451H4872H3068H6680H559H1H4191H1121H1121H4191H1H376H4191H23997Amaziah also killed 10,000 Edomites in the Valley of Salt. He also conquered Sela and changed its name to Joktheel, as it is called to this day.H5221H123H1516H4417H6235H505H8610H5554H4421H7121H8034H3371H31178One day Amaziah sent messengers with this challenge to Israel's king Jehoash, the son of Jehoahaz and grandson of Jehu: "Come and meet me in battle!"

H558H7971H4397H3060H1121H3059H1121H3058H4428H3478H559H3212H7200H64409But King Jehoash of Israel replied to King Amaziah of Judah with this story: "Out in the Lebanon mountains, a thistle sent a message to a mighty cedar tree: 'Give your daughter in marriage to my son.' But just then a wild animal of Lebanon came by and stepped on the thistle, crushing it!H3060H4428H3478H7971H558H4428H3063H559H2336H3844H7971H730H3844H559H5414H1323H1121H802H5674H7704H2416H3844H7429H233610"You have indeed defeated Edom, and you are very proud of it. But be content with your victory and stay at home! Why stir up trouble that will only bring disaster on you and the people of Judah?"H5221H5221H123H3820H5375H3513H3427H1004H1624H7451H5307H306311But Amaziah refused to listen, so King Jehoash of Israel mobilized his army against King Amaziah of Judah. The two armies drew up their battle lines at Beth-shemesh in Judah.H558H8085H3060H4428H3478H5927H558H4428H3063H7200H6440H1053H306312Judah was routed by the army of Israel, and its army scattered and fled for home.H3063H5062H6440H3478H5127H376H16813King Jehoash of Israel captured Judah's king, Amaziah son of Joash and grandson of Ahaziah, at Beth-shemesh. Then he marched to Jerusalem, where he demolished 600 feet

of Jerusalem's wall, from the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate.H3060H4428H3478H8610H558H4428H3063H1121H3060H1121H274H1053H935H3389H6555H2346H3389H8179H669H6438H8179H702H3967H52014He carried off all the gold and silver and all the articles from the Temple of the LORD. He also seized the treasures from the royal palace, along with hostages, and then returned to Samaria.H3947H2091H3701H3627H4672H1004H3068H214H4428H1004H1121H8594H7725H811115The rest of the events in Jehoash's reign and everything he did, including the extent of his power and his war with King Amaziah of Judah, are recorded in The Book of the History of the Kings of Israel.H3499H1697H3060H6213H1369H3898H558H4428H3063H3789H5612H1697H3117H4428H347816When Jehoash died, he was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel. And his son Jeroboam II became the next king.H3060H7901H1H6912H8111H4428H3478H3379H1121H442717King Amaziah of Judah lived for fifteen years after the death of King Jehoash of Israel.H558H1121H3101H4428H3063H2421H310H4194H3060H1121H3059H4428H3478H2568H6240H814118The rest of the events in Amaziah's reign are recorded in The Book of the History of the Kings of Judah.H3499H1697H558H3789H5612H1697H3117H4428H306319There was a conspiracy against Amaziah's life in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish. But his enemies sent assassins after him, and they killed him there.H7194H7195H3389H5127H3923H7971H310H3923H419120They brought his body back to Jerusalem on a horse, and he was buried with his ancestors in the City of David.H5375H5483H6912H3389H1H5892H173221All the people of Judah had crowned Amaziah's sixteen-year-old son, Uzziah

, as king in place of his father, Amaziah.H5971H3063H3947H5838H8337H6240H8141H1121H4427H1H55822After his father's death, Uzziah rebuilt the town of Elath and restored it to Judah.H1129H359H7725H3063H310H4428H7901H1

Jeroboam II Rules in Israel

23Jeroboam II, the son of Jehoash, began to rule over Israel in the fifteenth year of King Amaziah's reign in Judah. Jeroboam reigned in Samaria forty-one years.H2568H6240H8141H8141H558H1121H3101H4428H3063H3379H1121H3101H4428H3478H4427H8111H705H259H814124He did what was evil in the LORD's sight. He refused to turn from the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had led Israel to commit.H6213H7451H5869H3068H5493H2403H3379H1121H5028H3478H239825Jeroboam II recovered the territories of Israel between Lebo-hamath and the Dead Sea

, just as the LORD, the God of Israel, had promised through Jonah son of Amittai, the prophet from Gath-hepher.H7725H1366H3478H935H2574H3220H6160H1697H3068H430H3478H1696H3027H5650H3124H1121H573H5030H166226For the LORD saw the bitter suffering of everyone in Israel, and that there was no one in Israel, slave or free, to help them.H3068H7200H6040H3478H3966H4784H657H6113H5800H5826H347827And because the LORD had not said he would blot out the name of Israel completely, he used Jeroboam II, the son of Jehoash, to save them.H3068H1696H4229H8034H3478H8064H3467H3027H3379H1121H310128The rest of the events in the reign of Jeroboam II and everything he did—including the extent of his power, his wars, and how he recovered for Israel both Damascus and Hamath, which had belonged to Judah

—are recorded in The Book of the History of the Kings of Israel.H3499H1697H3379H6213H1369H3898H7725H1834H2574H3063H3478H3789H5612H1697H3117H4428H347829When Jeroboam II died, he was buried in Samaria

with the kings of Israel. Then his son Zechariah became the next king.H3379H7901H1H4428H3478H2148H1121H4427