2 Kings 14

1In the second year of Joash son of Jehoahaz, king of Israel, Amaziah son of Joash, king of Judah, became king.

2He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jehoaddan; she was from Jerusalem.

3He did what was right in the sight of Yahweh, though not like his ancestor David. He did everything just as his father Joash had done.

4But the high places were not removed; the people still offered sacrifices and burned incense on the high places.

5As soon as the kingdom was firmly in his hand, he struck down the officials who had struck down his father the king.

6But he did not put the children of the assassins to death, in keeping with what is written in the book of the law of Moses, where Yahweh commanded, “Parents must not be put to death for their children, and children must not be put to death for their parents. Each person is to be put to death for his own sin.”

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

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

9Jehoash king of Israel sent back this reply to Amaziah king of Judah: “A thistle in Lebanon sent word to a cedar in Lebanon, ‘Give your daughter to my son as his wife.’ Then a wild animal in Lebanon passed by and trampled the thistle.

10You have certainly struck down Edom, and your heart has become proud. Enjoy your glory, but stay at home. Why stir up trouble so that you fall, and Judah with you?”

11But Amaziah would not listen. So Jehoash king of Israel marched out, and he and Amaziah king of Judah met face to face at Beth-shemesh, which belongs to Judah.

12Judah was defeated by Israel, and every man fled to his home.

13Jehoash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah, son of Jehoash, son of Ahaziah, at Beth-shemesh. Then he went to Jerusalem and broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate, a stretch of four hundred cubits.

14He took all the gold and silver and all the articles found in the house of Yahweh and in the treasuries of the king’s palace, as well as hostages, and he returned to Samaria.

15As for the rest of the deeds of Jehoash, what he did and his might, and how he fought against Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

16Jehoash rested with his ancestors and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel, and his son Jeroboam became king in his place.

17Amaziah son of Joash, king of Judah, lived fifteen years after the death of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz, king of Israel.

18As for the rest of the deeds of Amaziah, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

19They formed a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish, but they sent men after him to Lachish and killed him there.

20They carried him back on horses, and he was buried in Jerusalem with his ancestors in the city of David.

21Then all the people of Judah took Azariah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in place of his father Amaziah.

22He rebuilt Elath and restored it to Judah after the king rested with his ancestors.

23In 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.

24He did what was evil in the sight of Yahweh. He did not turn away from any of the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit.

25He restored the border of Israel from Lebo-hamath to the Sea of the Arabah, in keeping with the word of Yahweh, the God of Israel, which he had spoken through his servant Jonah son of Amittai, the prophet from Gath-hepher.

26For Yahweh saw that Israel’s suffering was very bitter; there was no one left, slave or free, and no one to help Israel.

27Yahweh had not said that he would blot out the name of Israel from under heaven, so he saved them by the hand of Jeroboam son of Joash.

28As for the rest of the deeds of Jeroboam, all that he did and his might, how he waged war and how he recovered for Israel Damascus and Hamath, which had belonged to Judah, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

29Jeroboam rested with his ancestors, the kings of Israel, and his son Zechariah became king in his place.