1Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jehoaddan of Jerusalem.
2He did what was right in the sight of the LORD, but not with a perfect heart.
3When the kingdom was firmly in his hand, he killed the servants who had murdered the king his father.
4But he did not put their children to death. He did as it is written in the law in the book of Moses, where the LORD commanded, "The fathers shall not die for the children, and the children shall not die for the fathers, but every man shall die for his own sin."
5Amaziah gathered Judah together, and set over them captains over thousands and captains over hundreds, according to their families, throughout all Judah and Benjamin. He counted them from twenty years old and upward, and found three hundred thousand chosen men, able to go out to war, who could handle spear and shield.
6He also hired a hundred thousand mighty men of valour out of Israel for a hundred talents of silver.
7But a man of God came to him and said, "O king, do not let the army of Israel go with you. The LORD is not with Israel, that is, with all the children of Ephraim."
8"But if you will go, then go and be strong for the battle. God will make you fall before the enemy, for God has power to help and to cast down."
9Amaziah said to the man of God, "But what shall we do about the hundred talents which I have given to the army of Israel?" The man of God answered, "The LORD is able to give you much more than this."
10Then Amaziah separated out the army that had come to him from Ephraim, and sent them home again. So their anger burned greatly against Judah, and they went home in great anger.
11Amaziah made himself strong, and led out his people, and went to the Valley of Salt, and struck down ten thousand of the children of Seir.
12And another ten thousand the children of Judah carried away alive as captives. They brought them to the top of the rock, and threw them down from the top of the rock, so that they were all broken in pieces.
13But the soldiers of the army which Amaziah had sent back, so that they should not go with him to battle, attacked the cities of Judah, from Samaria as far as Bethhoron. They struck down three thousand of them, and took much plunder.
14After Amaziah came back from the slaughter of the Edomites, he brought the gods of the children of Seir. He set them up to be his gods, and bowed down before them, and burned incense to them.
15So the anger of the LORD burned against Amaziah, and he sent to him a prophet, who said to him, "Why have you sought after the gods of the people, which could not save their own people out of your hand?"
16As the prophet talked with him, the king said to him, "Have you been made one of the king's counsellors? Stop. Why should you be struck down?" Then the prophet stopped, and said, "I know that God has decided to destroy you, because you have done this, and have not listened to my advice."
17Then Amaziah king of Judah took advice, and sent to Joash, the son of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, "Come, let us look one another in the face."
18Joash king of Israel sent back to Amaziah king of Judah, saying, "The thistle in Lebanon sent to the cedar in Lebanon, saying, 'Give your daughter to my son as his wife.' And a wild beast that was in Lebanon passed by, and trampled down the thistle."
19"You say, 'Look, I have struck down the Edomites.' Your heart lifts you up to boast. Stay now at home. Why should you meddle and bring harm on yourself, so that you fall, you and Judah with you?"
20But Amaziah would not listen, for this came from God, so that he might hand them over to their enemies, because they had sought after the gods of Edom.
21So Joash the king of Israel went up. He and Amaziah king of Judah looked one another in the face at Bethshemesh, which belongs to Judah.
22Judah was beaten by Israel, and every man fled to his tent.
23Joash the king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Joash, the son of Jehoahaz, at Bethshemesh. He brought him to Jerusalem, and broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the gate of Ephraim to the corner gate, four hundred cubits.
24He took all the gold and the silver, and all the vessels that were found in the house of God with Obededom, and the treasures of the king's house, and the hostages also, and returned to Samaria.
25Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah lived fifteen years after the death of Joash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel.
26The rest of the acts of Amaziah, from first to last, are they not written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel?
27After the time when Amaziah turned away from following the LORD, they made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem. He fled to Lachish, but they sent after him to Lachish, and killed him there.
28They brought him back on horses, and buried him with his fathers in the city of Judah.