1Amaziah was 25 years old when he began to rule, and he reigned for 29 years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jehoaddan, from Jerusalem.
2He did what was right in Yahweh’s sight, but not with complete sincerity.
3Once he had secured his kingdom, he killed the servants who had murdered his father, the king.
4However, he did not put their children to death, but acted according to what is written in the Law in the book of Moses, as Yahweh commanded: “Fathers must not die for their children, nor must children die for their fathers; each person must die for their own sin.”
5Moreover, Amaziah gathered Judah and organized them by their ancestral families, placing captains over thousands and hundreds. This included all of Judah and Benjamin. He counted all men 20 years old and above and found 300,000 selected men, fit for war, who could use spears and shields.
6He also hired 100,000 strong and brave men from Israel for 100 talents of silver.
7A man of God came to him, saying, “O king, do not let the army of Israel go with you, because Yahweh is not with Israel, with any of the people of Ephraim.”
8“However, if you choose to go, act decisively and be strong for battle. But God will cause you to be defeated by the enemy, for God has the power to help and to cause defeat.”
9Amaziah asked the man of God, “But what about the 100 talents I paid to the army of Israel?” The man of God replied, “Yahweh is able to give you much more than that.”
10Then Amaziah dismissed them, sending the army that had come to him from Ephraim back home. Therefore, their anger burned intensely against Judah, and they returned home in a raging fury.
11Amaziah drew up his courage and led his people out. They went to the Valley of Salt and killed ten thousand men from Seir.
12The men of Judah captured ten thousand more alive. They took them to the top of a cliff and threw them off, so they were all smashed to pieces.
13But the soldiers Amaziah had sent home, not allowing them to go into battle with him, attacked the cities of Judah from Samaria to Beth Horon. They killed three thousand people and took a lot of loot.
14After Amaziah returned from defeating the Edomites, he brought back the gods of the people of Seir. He set them up as his own gods, bowed down to them, and burned incense to them.
15So Yahweh became angry with Amaziah and sent a prophet to him. The prophet asked, "Why have you turned to the gods of these people who couldn't even save their own people from your hand?"
16While the prophet was speaking with the king, Amaziah interrupted, "Have we appointed you as one of the king's advisors? Stop, or you'll be killed!" So the prophet stopped and said, "I know that God has decided to destroy you because you have done this and refused to listen to my advice."
17Then Amaziah king of Judah consulted his advisors and sent a message to Joash, son of Jehoahaz and grandson of Jehu, king of Israel. He said, "Come, let's meet face to face."
18Joash king of Israel sent this message back to Amaziah king of Judah: "A thistle in Lebanon sent a message to a cedar in Lebanon, saying, 'Give your daughter to my son to be his wife.' But then a wild animal in Lebanon came by and trampled the thistle.
19You're full of pride because you've defeated Edom. Stay home and boast about it. Why stir up trouble that will lead to your own downfall and the downfall of Judah with you?"
20But Amaziah would not listen. This was God's plan, to hand them over to their enemies, because they had worshiped the gods of Edom.
21So Joash king of Israel went up, and he and Amaziah king of Judah met face to face at Beth Shemesh, which belongs to Judah.
22Judah was defeated by Israel, and every man fled to his own home.
23Joash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah, son of Joash and grandson of Jehoahaz, at Beth Shemesh. He brought him to Jerusalem and tore down a four-hundred-cubit section of the wall of Jerusalem, from the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate.
24He took all the gold and silver, all the items found in God's house with Obed-Edom, the treasures of the king's palace, and the hostages, then returned to Samaria.
25Amaziah, son of Joash, king of Judah, lived fifteen years after the death of Joash, son of Jehoahaz, king of Israel.
26The rest of Amaziah's acts, from beginning to end, are they not written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel?
27From the time Amaziah turned away from following Yahweh, a conspiracy was formed against him in Jerusalem. He fled to Lachish, but they sent men after him to Lachish and killed him there.
28They brought him back on horses and buried him with his ancestors in the City of Judah.