2 Kings Chapter 14

Amaziah Rules in Judah

¹ In the second year of Joash/Jehoash Ben-Joahaz, king of Israel, Amaziah Ben-Joash became king of Judah. ² He was 25 and ruled for 29 years in Jerusalem. His mother was Jehoaddin of Jerusalem. ³ He did what was good, but not like David did. He did what Joash his father had done, ⁴ but he didn’t take away the high places. The people still sacrificed and burned incense on them. ⁵ As soon as the kingdom was firmly in hand, he executed the officials that had assassinated his father. ⁶ He didn’t execute their sons, as the Law said that Yahveh commanded Moses, “Don’t execute parents for offspring or offspring for parents. Execute each person for that person’s sin.” ⁷ He killed 10,000 Edomites in the Valley of Salt, took Sela, and named it Joktheel to this day.                                                                     2 Kg 14:1-7

⁸ He sent ambassadors to Jehoash (Ben-Jehoahaz Ben-Jehu), king of Israel, “Come; let’s face each other.”

⁹ Jehoash, king of Israel, sent to Amaziah,

“The thorn bush in Lebanon sent to the cedar in Lebanon, ‘Give your daughter to my son in marriage.’ But a wild animal in Lebanon passed by and tramped down the thorn bush. ¹⁰ You’ve defeated Edom and become proud. Enjoy your honor and stay home. Why stir up trouble so you and Judah fall?”

¹¹ But Amaziah ignored him; Jehoash went up and faced Amaziah at Beth-shemesh in Judah. ¹² Israel defeated Judah and each man fled home. ¹³ Jehoash captured Amaziah at Beth-shemesh, came to Jerusalem, and tore down the wall from the Gate of Ephraim to the Corner Gate—600ft. ¹⁴ He took the gold, silver, and utensils in Yahveh’s Temple and the king’s treasuries, as well as hostages, and went back to Samaria.

¹⁵ The rest of the acts of Jehoash, the strength of his rule, and his war with Amaziah are recorded in The Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. ¹⁶ He died and they buried him in Samaria with the kings of Israel. His son Jeroboam^II became king.        2 Kg 14:8-16

¹⁷ Amaziah lived 15 years after the death of Jehoash. ¹⁸ The rest of the acts of Amaziah are recorded in The Chronicles of the Kings of Judah. ¹⁹ A conspiracy against him in Jerusalem caused him to flee to Lachish, but they sent assassins and killed him there. ^20-21 The people in Judah took his son Azariah/Uzziah and made him king at 16. ²² He built Elath and restored it to Judah after the king died.

Jeroboam II Rules in Israel

²³ In the fifteenth year of Amaziah, Jeroboam^II Ben-Joash, king of Israel, became king in Samaria and ruled for 41 years. ²⁴ He didn’t abandon the sins of Jeroboam^I Ben-Nebat that got Israel to sin. ²⁵ He restored Israel’s border from Lebo-hamath as far as the Sea of Arabah in keeping with Yahveh’s message through Jonah Ben-Amittai, prophet from Gath-hepher. ²⁶ Yahveh saw that Israel’s suffering was bitter, whether bond or free, and there was nobody to help them. ²⁷ Since Yahveh hadn’t yet said he’d blot out Israel, he saved them by Jeroboam^II.

²⁸ The rest of the acts of Jeroboam^II, the strength of his rule, and how he fought and recovered Damascus and Hamath for Israel (cities that had belonged to Judah), are recorded in The Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. ²⁹ He died and his son Zechariah became king.       2 Kg 14:17-29