2 Chronicles 25 (NET)

Amaziah’s Reign

1 Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned for twenty-nine years in Jerusalem.1 His mother was Jehoaddan, who was from Jerusalem. 2 He did what the Lord approved,2 but not with wholehearted devotion.3

3 When he had secured control of the kingdom,4 he executed the servants who had assassinated his father.5 4 However, he did not execute their sons. He obeyed the Lord’s commandment as recorded in the law scroll of Moses,6 “Fathers must not be executed for what their sons do,7 and sons must not be executed for what their fathers do.8 A man must be executed only for his own sin.”9

5 Amaziah assembled the people of Judah10 and assigned them by families to the commanders of units of a thousand and the commanders of units of a hundred for all Judah and Benjamin. He counted those twenty years old and up and discovered there were 300,000 young men of fighting age11 equipped with spears and shields.12 6 He hired 100,000 Israelite warriors for a hundred talents13 of silver.

7 But a prophet14 visited him and said: “O king, the Israelite troops must not go with you, for the Lord is not with Israel or any of the Ephraimites.15 8 Even if you go and fight bravely in battle, God will defeat you16 before the enemy. God is capable of helping or defeating.”17 9 Amaziah asked the prophet:18 “But what should I do about the hundred talents of silver I paid the Israelite troops?” The prophet19 replied, “The Lord is capable of giving you more than that.” 10 So Amaziah dismissed the troops that had come to him from Ephraim and sent them home.20 They were very angry at Judah and returned home incensed. 11 Amaziah boldly led his army to the Valley of Salt,21 where he defeated22 10,000 Edomites.23 12 The men24 of Judah captured 10,000 men alive. They took them to the top of a cliff and threw them over.25 All the captives26 fell to their death.27 13 Now the troops Amaziah had dismissed and had not allowed to fight in the battle28 raided29 the cities of Judah from Samaria30 to Beth Horon. They killed31 3,000 people and carried off a large amount of plunder.

14 When Amaziah returned from defeating the Edomites, he brought back the gods of the people32 of Seir and made them his personal gods.33 He bowed down before them and offered them sacrifices. 15 The Lord was angry at Amaziah and sent a prophet to him, who said, “Why are you following34 these gods35 that could not deliver their own people from your power?”36 16 While he was speaking, Amaziah37 said to him, “Did we appoint you to be a royal counselor? Stop prophesying or else you will be killed!”38 So the prophet stopped, but added, “I know that the Lord has decided39 to destroy you, because you have done this thing and refused to listen to my advice.”

17 After King Amaziah of Judah consulted with his advisers,40 he sent this message to the king of Israel, Joash son of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu, “Come, face me on the battlefield.”41 18 King Joash of Israel sent this message back to King Amaziah of Judah, “A thorn bush in Lebanon sent this message to a cedar in Lebanon, ‘Give your daughter to my son as a wife.’ Then a wild animal of Lebanon came by and trampled down the thorn bush.42 19 You defeated Edom43 and it has gone to your head.44 Gloat over your success,45 but stay in your palace. Why bring calamity on yourself? Why bring down yourself and Judah along with you?”46

20 But Amaziah did not heed the warning,47 for God wanted to hand them over to Joash because they followed the gods of Edom.48 21 So King Joash of Israel attacked. He and King Amaziah of Judah faced each other on the battlefield49 in Beth Shemesh of Judah. 22 Judah was defeated by Israel, and each man ran back home.50 23 King Joash of Israel captured King Amaziah of Judah, son of Joash son of Jehoahaz, in Beth Shemesh and brought him to Jerusalem. He broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the Gate of Ephraim to the Corner Gate – a distance of about six hundred feet.51 24 He took away all the gold and silver, all the items found in God’s temple that were in the care of Obed-Edom, the riches in the royal palace, and some hostages. Then he went back to Samaria.

25 King Amaziah son of Joash of Judah lived for fifteen years after the death of King Joash son of Jehoahaz of Israel. 26 The rest of the events of Amaziah’s reign, from start to finish, are recorded in the Scroll of the Kings of Judah and Israel.52 27 From the time Amaziah turned from following the Lord, conspirators plotted against him in Jerusalem,53 so he fled to Lachish. But they sent assassins after him54 and they killed him there. 28 His body was carried back by horses,55 and he was buried in Jerusalem with his ancestors56 in the City of David.57

1map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4. 2tn Heb “he did what was proper in the eyes of the Lord.” 3tn Heb “a complete heart.” 4tn Heb “when the kingdom was secure upon him.” 5tn Heb “he killed his servants, the ones who had struck down the king, his father.” 6tn Heb “as it is written in the scroll of the law of Moses which the Lord commanded, saying.” 7tn Heb “on account of sons.” 8tn Heb “on account of fathers.” 9sn This law is recorded in Deut 24:16. 10tn Heb “Judah.” The words “the people of” are supplied in the translation for clarity. The Hebrew text uses the name “Judah” by metonymy here for the people of Judah. 11tn Heb “young men going out to war.” 12tn Heb “holding a spear and a shield.” 13tn The Hebrew word כִּכַּר (kikar, “circle”) refers generally to something that is round. When used of metals it can refer to a disk-shaped weight made of the metal or, by extension, to a standard unit of weight. According to the older (Babylonian) standard the “talent” weighed 130 lbs. (58.9 kg), but later this was lowered to 108.3 lbs. (49.1 kg). More recent research suggests the “light” standard talent was 67.3 lbs. (30.6 kg). Using this as the standard for calculation, the weight of the silver was 6,730 lbs. (3,060 kg). 14tn Heb “man of God.” 15tn Heb “Israel, all the sons of Ephraim.” 16tn Heb “cause you to stumble.” 17tn Heb “to cause to stumble.” 18tn Heb “said to the man of God.” 19tn Heb “man of God.” 20tn Heb “and Amaziah separated them, the troops who came to him from Ephraim, to go to their place.” 21tn Heb “and Amaziah strengthened himself and led his people and went to the Valley of Salt.” 22tn Or “struck down.” 23tn Heb “sons of Seir.” 24tn Heb “sons.” 25tn Heb “and threw them from the top of the cliff.” 26tn Heb “all of them.” 27tn Heb “smashed in pieces.” 28tn Heb “had sent back from going with him to the battle.” 29tn Heb “stripped.” 30map For location see Map2-B1; Map4-D3; Map5-E2; Map6-A4; Map7-C1. 31tn Heb “struck down.” 32tn Heb “sons.” 33tn Heb “caused them to stand for him as gods.” 34tn Heb “seeking,” perhaps in the sense of “consulting [an oracle from].” 35tn Heb “the gods of the people.” 36tn Heb “hand.” 37tn Heb “he”; the referent (Amaziah) has been specified in the translation for clarity. 38tn Heb “Stop yourself! Why should they strike you down?” 39tn The verb יָעַץ (ya’ats, “has decided”) is from the same root as יוֹעֵץ (yo’ets, “counselor”) in v. 16 and עֵצָה (’etsah, “advice”) later in v. 16. The wordplay highlights the appropriate nature of the divine punishment. Amaziah rejected the counsel of God’s prophet; now he would be the victim of God’s “counsel.” 40tn The words “with his advisers” are supplied in the translation for clarification. 41tn Heb “let us look at each other [in the] face.” The expression refers here not to a visit but to meeting in battle. See v. 21. 42sn The thorn bush in the allegory is Judah. Amaziah’s success had deceived him into thinking he was on the same level as the major powers in the area (symbolized by the cedar). In reality he was not capable of withstanding an attack by a real military power such as Israel (symbolized by the wild animal). 43tn Heb “you say [to yourself], ‘look, you have defeated Edom.’” 44tn Heb “and your heart is lifted up.” 45tn Heb “to glorify.” 46tn Heb “Why get involved in calamity and fall, you and Judah with you?” 47tn Heb “did not listen.” 48tn Heb “because it was from God in order to give them into the hand because they sought the gods of Edom.” 49tn Heb “looked at each other [in the] face.” See the note on the expression “Come on, face me on the battlefield” in v. 17. 50tn Heb “and Judah was struck down before Israel and they fled, each to his tent.” 51tn Heb “400 cubits.” Assuming a cubit of 18 inches (45 cm), the distance would have been about 600 feet (180 m). 52tn Heb “As for the rest of the events of Amaziah, the former and the latter, are they not – behold, they are written on the scroll of the kings of Judah and Israel.” 53tn Heb “and they conspired against him [with] a conspiracy in Jerusalem.” 54tn Heb “and they sent after him to Lachish.” 55tn Heb “and they carried him on horses.” 56tn Heb “fathers.” 57tc The Hebrew text has “Judah,” but some medieval mss read “David,” as does the parallel passage in 2 Kgs 14:20.sn The phrase the City of David refers here to the fortress of Zion in Jerusalem, not to Bethlehem. See 2 Sam 5:7.