Self-interpreting Bible

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2 Chronicles 25

1Amaziah beginneth his reign well. 5He gathereth a great army, and hireth a hundred thousand Israelites for a hundred talents of silver, but at the word of a prophet loseth the money, and dismisseth them, who depart in great anger. 11He smiteth the Edomites in the valley of salt. 13The offended Israelites on their return spoil the cities of Judah. 14Amaziah serveth the gods of Edom, and rejecteth the admonitions of a prophet. 17His challenge to Joash, which endeth in his overthrow, and in the taking and spoiling of Jerusalem. 27He is slain by a conspiracy at Lachish.


1 AMAZIAH was atwenty and five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty and nine years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Jehoaddan of Jerusalem.

2 And he bdid that which was right in the sight of the LORD, but not cwith a perfect heart.

3 ¶Now it came to pass, when the kingdom was 1established to him, that he dslew his servants that had killed the king his father.

4 But he slew not their children, but did as it is written in the law in the book of Moses, where the LORD commanded, saying, eThe fathers shall not die for the children, neither shall the children die for the fathers, but every man shall die for his own sin.

5 ¶Moreover Amaziah gathered Judah together, and made them fcaptains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, according to the houses of their fathers, throughout gall Judah and Benjamin: and he numbered them from htwenty years old and above, and found them ithree hundred thousand choice men, able to go forth to war, that could handle spear and shield.

6 He hired also an hundred thousand mighty men of valour out of Israel for an hundred talents of silver.

    7 But there came ja man of God to him, saying, O king, let not the army of Israel go with thee; kfor the LORD is not with Israel, *to wit, with all the children of Ephraim.

    8 But if thou wilt go, ldo it, be strong for the battle: God shall make thee fall before the enemy: mfor God hath power to help, and to cast down.

    9 And Amaziah said to the man of God, But what shall we do for the hundred talents which I have given to the 2army of Israel? And the man of God answered, The LORD is nable to give thee much more than this.

    10 Then Amaziah separated them, *to wit, the army that was come to him out of Ephraim, to go 3home again: wherefore their anger was greatly kindled against Judah, and they returned home 4in great oanger.

    11 ¶And Amaziah strengthened himself, and led forth his people, and went to pthe valley of salt, and smote of qthe children of Seir ten thousand.

    12 And other ten thousand left alive did the children of Judah carry away captive, and brought them unto the top of rthe rock, and cast them down from the top of the rock, that they all were sbroken in pieces.

    13 ¶But 5the soldiers of the army which Amaziah sent back, that they should not go with him to battle, fell upon the cities of Judah, from tSamaria even unto uBeth-horon, and smote three thousand of them, and took much spoil.

    14 ¶Now it came to pass, after that Amaziah was come from the slaughter of the Edomites, that he vbrought the gods of the children of Seir, and set them up to be his gods, and bowed down himself before them, and burned incense unto them.

    15 Wherefore the anger of the LORD was kindled against Amaziah, and he wsent unto him a prophet, which said unto him, Why hast thou sought after the gods of the people, xwhich could not deliver their own people out of thine hand?

    16 And it came to pass, as he talked with him, that the king said unto him, Art thou made of the king's counsel? yforbear; why shouldest thou be smitten? Then the prophet forbare, and said, I know that zGod hath 6determined to destroy thee, because thou hast done this, and hast not hearkened unto my counsel.

    17 ¶Then aAmaziah king of Judah took advice, and sent to Joash, the son of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, Come, let us bsee one another in the face.

    18 And Joash king of Israel sent to Amaziah king of Judah, saying, The 7thistle that was in Lebanon sent to the cedar that was in Lebanon, saying, Give thy daughter to my son to wife: and there passed by 8a wild beast that was in Lebanon, and trode down the thistle.

    • 7: Or, furze-bush, or thorn, Ju. 9.8. , Ju. 9:8
    • 8: Heb. a beast of the field, Ps. 80.13. , Ps. 80:13

    19 Thou sayest, Lo, thou hast smitten the Edomites; and thine heart clifteth thee up to boast: abide now at home; dwhy shouldest thou meddle to thine hurt, that thou shouldest fall, even thou, and Judah with thee?

    20 But Amaziah ewould not hear; for it came of God, that he might deliver them into the hand of their enemies, because fthey sought after the gods of Edom.

    21 So Joash the king of Israel went up; and they saw one another in the face, both he and Amaziah king of Judah, at gBeth-shemesh, which belongeth to Judah.

    22 And Judah was 9put to the worse before Israel, and they fled every man to his tent.

    23 And Joash the king of Israel htook Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Joash, the son of iJehoahaz, at Beth-shemesh, and brought him to Jerusalem, and brake down the wall of Jerusalem from the jgate of Ephraim to 10the corner gate, four hundred cubits.

    24 And he took all kthe 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, the 11hostages also, and returned to Samaria.

    25 ¶And lAmaziah the son of Joash king of Judah lived after the death of Joash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel fifteen years.

    26 Now the mrest of the acts of Amaziah, first and last, behold, are they not written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel?

    27 ¶Now after the time that Amaziah did turn away 12from following the LORD they 13made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem; and he fled to Lachish: but they sent to Lachish after him, and slew him there.

    28 And they brought him upon horses, and buried him with his fathers in 14the city of Judah.

    • 14: That is, the city of David, as 2Ki. 14.20. , 2Ki. 14:20