Amaziah Rules After Joash, His Father, is Killed |
2 Chronicles 25:1-27 2 Chronicles in [Smaller Chunks] |
Amaziah, [Joash’s son,] was 25 years old when he began to [rule] & he [ruled] 29 years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Jehoaddan, [from] Jerusalem. He did [what] was right in the sight of the Lord, but not with a [loyal] heart. |
Now it [happened,] when the kingdom [had been] established to him, that [Amaziah had] his servants [killed who] had for killed his father, the king. |
But [Amaziah didn’t kill] their children, but did as it is written in the Law in the Book of Moses, where the Lord commanded, saying, The fathers’s shouldn’t die for the [sins] of the children & neither shall the children die for their father’s [sins.] But every man shall die for his own sin. |
[Also,] Amaziah gathered Judah together & made captains over 1,000’s & captains over 100’s, according to their [families] of their fathers, throughout all Judah & Benjamin. [Amaziah counted those] 20 years & older, able to go to war. |
[He] found 300,000 choice men [who] could handle [a] spear & shield. [Amaziah] also hired 100,000 mighty men of valor [from] Israel for 100 talents of silver. A man of God came to [Amaziah & said,] O King, [don’t] let the army of Israel go with you; for the Lord isn’t with Israel [for war, that is] with all the children of Ephraim. |
But if you will go, do it & be strong for the battle, [for] God shall make you fall before the enemy; for God has power to help & to cast down. And Amaziah said to the man of God, What about the 100 talents [of silver] which I have given to [Israel’s] army? |
And the man of God answered, The Lord is able to give you much more than this. Then, Amaziah separated them. [That is, he sent back those] out of [Ephraim’s army] to go home again. Their anger [grew] against Judah & they returned home [very angry.] |
And Amaziah strengthened himself & led his people [forward] & went into the Valley of Salt & [killed] 10,000 of the children [people] of Seir. And the other 10,000, [Amaziah] left alive & the [people] of Judah [carried them] away captive & brought them [onto] the top of the rock & [threw] them down from the top of the rock & they were all [dashed to pieces.] |
[Those] soldiers [from] the army [that Amaziah had] sent back, [so] that they [shouldn’t] go with him to battle, [struck down] the cities of Judah, from Samaria to Beth Horon. [They killed] 3,000 of them & took much [plunder.] |
Now it [happened,] after Amaziah [returned] from the slaughter of the Edomites, that [Amaziah] brought the gods of the children [people] of Seir & set them up to be his gods. [Amaziah] bowed himself down before them & burned incense to them. |
[2 Chronicles 28:23 For he sacrificed to the gods of Damascus, which [defeated] him & he said, Because the gods of the kings of Syria help them, therefore I will sacrifice to them, [so] that they may help me. But they were the ruin of him & of all of Israel.] |
[For. This reason,] the anger of the Lord [grew] against Amaziah. [God] sent a prophet to [Amaziah, who] said, Why have you sought after the gods of the people, [gods that] couldn’t deliver their own people out of your hand. |
And it [happened,] as [the prophet] talked with him, king [Amaziah] said, [Have] you [been] made the king’s [counselor? Refrain from doing this.] Why should you be [killed?] The prophet [stopped] & said, I know that God has determined to destroy you, because you have done this & [haven’t paid attention to my advice.] |
[1 Samuel 2:25 If one man [sins] against another, the judge shall judge him: but if a man [sins] against the Lord, who shall [pray & plead on his behalf?] [Still] they didn’t [pay attention] to the voice of their father, because the Lord would [kill] them.] |
Then, Amaziah, [Judah’s] king, took [the] advice & sent [for] Joash, [Jehoahaz’] son, [who was] the son of Jehu, [Israel’s] king, saying, Come. [Let’s] see one another [face to] face. And Joash, [Israel’s] king, sent to Amaziah, [Judah’s] king, saying, The thistle that was in Lebanon, sent to the cedar that was in Lebanon, saying, Give your daughter to my son to [marry.] |
A wild [animal] in Lebanon passed by there & [trampled] down the thistle. You say, [Look,] you have [killed] the Edomites & your heart lifts you up to boast. Now, [stay] at home. Why should you [interfere] to your [own & Judah’s] downfall] with you? |
But Amaziah wouldn’t [listen;] for it came of God, [so] that [God] might deliver them into the hand of their enemies, because they [went] after the gods of Edom. So, Joash, [Israel’s] king, went up & they saw one another face [to face,] both he & Amaziah, [Judah’s] king, at Beth Shemesh, which belongs to Judah. |
And Judah was [defeated by] Israel & every man fled to his tent. And Joash, [Israel’s] king, took Amaziah, [Judah’s] king, [from] Beth Shemesh & brought [Amaziah] to Jerusalem & [broke] down the wall of Jerusalem from the Gate of Ephraim, 400 cubits to the corner gate. |
And [Joash] took all the gold & silver & all the vessels found in the house of God with Obed Edom. And [took] the treasures of the king’s house & also the hostages & returned to Samaria. And Amaziah, [Joash’s] son, [Judah’s] king, lived 15 years after the death of Joash [Jehoahaz’] son, [Israel’s] king. |
Now, [aren’t] the rest of [Amaziah’s actions,] 1st & last, written in the Book of [the] Kings of Judah & Israel? Now, after [that] time, Amaziah [turned ] away from following the Lord & they made a conspiracy against [Amaziah] in Jerusalem & he fled to Lachish. |
But they went to Lachish after [Amaziah] & [killed] him there. And they brought [Amaziah back] upon horses & buried him with his [forefathers] in the city of Judah. |