| International Standard Version | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1Amaziah began his reign at the age of 25 years, and he reigned 29 years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jehoaddan. She was from Jerusalem. | 1Amaziah became king when he was 25 years old and reigned 29 years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jehoaddan; she was from Jerusalem. |
| 2He practiced what the LORD considered to be right, but not with a perfect heart. | 2He did what was right in the LORD's sight but not wholeheartedly. |
| 3As soon as he had consolidated his royal authority, he executed the servants who had killed his father, the king, | 3As soon as the kingdom was firmly in his grasp, he executed his servants who had murdered his father the king. |
| 4but he did not execute their children in obedience to what is written in the Law, the writings of Moses, where the LORD commanded, "Fathers are not to die because of what their children do, nor are children to die because of what their fathers do, but each person is to die for his own sins." | 4However, he did not put their children to death, because--as it is written in the Law, in the book of Moses, where the LORD commanded--"Fathers must not die because of children, and children must not die because of fathers, but each one will die for his own sin." |
| 5Amaziah gathered Judah together and organized them according to their ancestral households under commanders of thousands and hundreds throughout Judah and Benjamin. He then mustered an army from those who were 20 years old and older. He discovered that there were 300,000 elite soldiers qualified for war duty and capable of handling spears and shields. | 5Then Amaziah gathered Judah and assembled them according to ancestral house, according to commanders of thousands, and according to commanders of hundreds. He numbered those 20 years old or more for all Judah and Benjamin. He found there to be 300,000 choice men who could serve in the army, bearing spear and shield. |
| 6He also hired 100,000 elite forces from Israel, paying 100 talents of silver for their services. | 6Then for 7,500 pounds of silver he hired 100,000 brave warriors from Israel. |
| 7A man came from God and warned him, "Your majesty, don't let the army of Israel accompany you into battle, because the LORD isn't with any of the descendants of Ephraim. | 7However, a man of God came to him and said, "King, do not let Israel's army go with you, for the LORD is not with Israel--all the Ephraimites. |
| 8But if you do go, strengthen yourself for war. Do you think God will throw you down before the enemy, since God has the power both to help or to overthrow?" | 8But if you go with them, do it! Be strong for battle! But God will make you stumble before the enemy, for God has the power to help or to make one stumble." |
| 9Amaziah asked the man of God, "What are we to do about the 100 talents that I have paid to the army of Israel?" The man of God answered, "The LORD has a lot more than that to give you!" | 9Then Amaziah said to the man of God, "What should I do about the 7,500 pounds of silver I gave to Israel's division?" The man of God replied, "The LORD is able to give you much more than this." |
| 10So Amaziah sent the troops home who had arrived from Ephraim. They flew into a rage against Judah but left for home very angry. | 10So Amaziah released the division that came to him from Ephraim to go home. But they got very angry with Judah and returned home in a fierce rage. |
| 11But Amaziah encouraged himself and led his army out to the Salt Valley to kill 10,000 soldiers from Seir. | 11Amaziah strengthened his position and led his people to the Valley of Salt. He struck down 10,000 Seirites, |
| 12The army of Judah captured another 10,000 prisoners and took them to the top of a cliff and threw them down from there where they all were dashed to pieces. | 12and the Judahites captured 10,000 alive. They took them to the top of a cliff where they threw them off, and all of them were dashed to pieces. |
| 13Meanwhile, the troops that Amaziah had sent home from the battle raided the cities of Judah from Samaria to Beth-horon, killing 3,000 people and taking a large amount of war booty. | 13As for the men of the division that Amaziah sent back so they would not go with him into battle, they raided the cities of Judah from Samaria to Beth-horon, struck down 3,000 of their people, and took a great deal of plunder. |
| 14Later, Amaziah returned from slaughtering the Edomites, but he brought back the gods that had belonged to the men of Seir, set them up as his own gods, worshipped them, and sacrificed offerings to them. | 14After Amaziah came from the attack on the Edomites, he brought the gods of the Seirites and set them up as his gods. He worshiped before them and burned incense to them. |
| 15As a result, the Lord became angry with Amaziah and sent a prophet to him, who asked him, "Why did you seek the gods of a people who were unable to deliver their own nation from you?" | 15So the LORD's anger was against Amaziah, and He sent a prophet to him, who said, "Why have you sought a people's gods that could not deliver their own people from your hand?" |
| 16But even while the prophet was speaking, the king asked him, "Did we appoint you to be a royal counselor? Stop! Why should you be struck down?" So the prophet stopped speaking, but he also said, "I know God has determined to destroy you, because you've done all this and ignored my counsel." | 16While he was still speaking to him, the king asked, "Have we made you the king's counselor? Stop, why should you lose your life?" So the prophet stopped, but he said, "I know that God intends to destroy you, because you have done this and have not listened to my advice." |
| 17After this, King Amaziah of Judah sought some advice and then challenged Jehoahaz' son King Joash of Israel, the grandson of Jehu, telling him, "Come out and let's fight each other!" | 17King Amaziah of Judah took counsel and sent word to Jehoash son of Jehoahaz, son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, "Come, let us meet face to face." |
| 18But King Joash of Israel replied to King Amaziah of Judah, "There once was a thorn bush in Lebanon that sent an invitation to the cedar of Lebanon that read 'Give your daughter to my son in marriage.' Right about then, a wild animal in Lebanon passed by and trampled the thorn bush. | 18King Jehoash of Israel sent word to King Amaziah of Judah, saying, "The thistle that was in Lebanon sent a message to the cedar that was in Lebanon, saying, 'Give your daughter to my son as a wife.' Then a wild animal that was in Lebanon passed by and trampled the thistle. |
| 19You claim you've defeated Edom, but you're really only puffed up with arrogant boasting. So stay home. Why stir up trouble so you die, and the rest of Judah with you?" | 19You have said, 'Look, I have defeated Edom,' and you have become overconfident that you will get glory. Now stay at home. Why stir up such trouble so that you fall and Judah with you?" |
| 20But Amaziah refused to listen, because the situation was being orchestrated by God in order to turn them over to the control of their enemies because they had pursued those Edomite gods. | 20But Amaziah would not listen, for this turn of events was from God in order to hand them over to their enemies because they went after the gods of Edom. |
| 21So King Joash of Israel went out to battle against King Amaziah of Judah, and they fought at Beth-shemesh, which is part of Judah's territory. | 21So King Jehoash of Israel advanced. He and King Amaziah of Judah faced off at Beth-shemesh in Judah. |
| 22Judah was defeated by Israel, and every soldier ran home. | 22Judah was routed before Israel, and each fled to his own tent. |
| 23King Joash of Israel captured Joash's son King Amaziah of Judah, the grandson of Ahaziah, at Beth-shemesh and brought him back to Jerusalem, where he broke down 400 cubits of the wall of Jerusalem from the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate. | 23King Jehoash of Israel captured Judah's King Amaziah son of Joash, son of Jehoahaz, at Beth-shemesh. Then Jehoash took him to Jerusalem and broke down 200 yards of Jerusalem's wall from the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate. |
| 24He confiscated all the gold, silver, and utensils that he could find in the care of Obed-edom inside of God's Temple and inside the royal palace. Then he took some hostages and returned to Samaria. | 24He took all the gold, silver, all the utensils that were found with Obed-edom in God's temple, the treasures of the king's palace, and the hostages. Then he returned to Samaria. |
| 25Joash's son Amaziah, king of Judah, lived for fifteen years after the death of Jehoahaz' son Joash, king of Israel. | 25Judah's King Amaziah son of Joash lived 15 years after the death of Israel's King Jehoash son of Jehoahaz. |
| 26The rest of Amaziah's accomplishments, from first to last, are recorded in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel, are they not? | 26The rest of the events of Amaziah's reign, from beginning to end, are written in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel. |
| 27From the time that Amaziah abandoned his seeking the LORD, some people conspired against him in Jerusalem, so he ran away to Lachish, but they pursued him to Lachish and killed him there. | 27From the time Amaziah turned from following the LORD, a conspiracy was formed against him in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish. However, men were sent after him to Lachish, and they put him to death there. |
| 28They brought him back on horses and buried him with his ancestors in the city of Judah. | 28They carried him back on horses and buried him with his fathers in the city of Judah. |
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