2 Kings 14

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

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

³ He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, but not as his father David had done. He followed the example of his father Joash.

⁴ The high places, however, were not removed; the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there.

⁵ After the kingdom was firmly in his grip, he executed the officials who had murdered his father the king.

⁶ Yet he did not put the children of the assassins to death, in accordance with what is written in the Book of the Law of Moses where the LORD commanded: "Parents shall not be put to death for their children, nor children be put to death for their parents; each will die for their own sin."

⁷ He was the one who defeated ten thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt and captured Sela in battle, calling it Joktheel, the name it has to this day.

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

⁹ But Jehoash king of Israel replied to Amaziah king of Judah: "A thistle in Lebanon sent a message to a cedar in Lebanon: 'Give your daughter to my son in marriage.' Then a wild beast of Lebanon came along and trampled the thistle underfoot.

¹⁰ You have indeed defeated Edom and now you are arrogant. Revel in your glory, but stay at home! Why ask for trouble and cause your own downfall and that of Judah also?"

¹¹ Amaziah, however, would not listen, so Jehoash king of Israel attacked. He and Amaziah king of Judah faced each other at Beth-shemesh in Judah.

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

¹³ Jehoash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Joash, the son of Ahaziah, at Beth-shemesh. Then Jehoash went to Jerusalem and broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate—a section about six hundred feet long.

¹⁴ He took all the gold and silver and all the articles found in the house of the LORD and in the treasuries of the royal palace. He also took hostages and returned to Samaria.

¹⁵ As for the other events of the reign of Jehoash, what he did and his achievements, including his war against Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel?

¹⁶ Jehoash rested with his fathers and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel. And Jeroboam his son succeeded him as king.

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

¹⁸ As for the other events of Amaziah's reign, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah?

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

²⁰ He was brought back by horse and was buried in Jerusalem with his ancestors in the City of David.

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

²² He rebuilt Elath and restored it to Judah after Amaziah rested with his fathers.

²³ In the fifteenth year of Amaziah son of Joash king of Judah, Jeroboam son of Jehoash king of Israel became king in Samaria, and he reigned forty-one years.

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

²⁵ He was the one who restored the border of Israel from Lebo-hamath to the Sea of the Arabah, in accordance with the word of the LORD, the God of Israel, spoken through his servant Jonah son of Amittai, the prophet from Gath-hepher.

²⁶ For the LORD saw how bitterly everyone in Israel, whether slave or free, was suffering; there was no one to help them.

²⁷ And since the LORD had not said he would blot out the name of Israel from under heaven, he saved them by the hand of Jeroboam son of Jehoash.

²⁸ As for the other events of Jeroboam's reign, all he did, and his military achievements—how he recovered Damascus and Hamath for Israel—are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel?

²⁹ Jeroboam rested with his fathers, the kings of Israel. And Zechariah his son succeeded him as king.