2 Kings 14

Amaziah Rules Judah & Jeroboam II Rules Israel

1 In the second year of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz’s rule over Israel, Amaziah son of Joash, king of Judah, took over as king.

2 He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he ruled in Jerusalem for twenty-nine years. His mama’s name was Jehoaddin from Jerusalem.

3 He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, but not exactly like his daddy David. He did everything his pops Joash had done.

4 However, the high places were not taken down; the people still offered sacrifices and burned incense on those high places.

5 As soon as the kingdom was firmly in his hand, he executed the officials who had assassinated his pops the king.

6 But he did not kill the children of the assassins, according to what is written in the Law of Moses, where the Lord commanded, “Parents are not going to be put to death for their kids, and kids are not going to be put to death for their parents; each person is going to die for their own sin.”

7 He defeated ten thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt, and he took Sela in battle, and named it Joktheel, which it still is to this day.

8 Then Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash son of Jehoahaz, son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, “Come on, let us face off!”

9 Jehoash king of Israel sent back to Amaziah king of Judah, saying, “A thistle in Lebanon sent word to a cedar in Lebanon, saying, ‘Give your daughter to my son as a wife.’ But a wild animal in Lebanon passed by and stomped on the thistle.”

10 “You for sure defeated Edom, and now you are feeling yourself. Enjoy your fame and just chill at home! Why do you want to stir up trouble so you fall, and Judah falls with you?”

11 But Amaziah would not listen. So Jehoash king of Israel rolled up, and he and Amaziah king of Judah faced off at Beth Shemesh, which belongs to Judah.

12 Judah got wrecked by Israel, and every man fled to his tent.

13 Jehoash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Jehoash, the son of Ahaziah, at Beth Shemesh. He came to Jerusalem and tore down part of the wall of Jerusalem from the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate, about six hundred feet.

14 He snatched all the gold and silver, and all the stuff found in the Lord’s temple and in the treasuries of the king’s palace, along with hostages, and then he bounced back to Samaria.

15 As for the rest of Jehoash’s story, what he did, and his power, and how he fought Amaziah king of Judah, is it not written in the book of the Annals of the Kings of Israel,

16 Jehoash passed away and joined his ancestors and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel. And his son Jeroboam took over as king.

Amaziah’s Last Days

17 Amaziah son of Joash, king of Judah, lived fifteen years after the death of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz, king of Israel.

18 As for the rest of Amaziah’s story, is it not written in the book of the Annals of the Kings of Judah,

19 They conspired against him in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish. But they sent dudes after him to Lachish and killed him there.

20 They brought him back on horses, and he was buried in Jerusalem with his ancestors in the City of David.

21 Then all the people of Judah took Azariah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in place of his pops Amaziah.

22 He rebuilt Elath and brought it back to Judah after the king passed away.

Jeroboam II Rules Israel

23 In the fifteenth year of Amaziah son of Joash’s rule in Judah, Jeroboam son of Jehoash became king over Israel in Samaria, and he ruled for forty-one years.

24 He did what was whack in the eyes of the Lord. He did not turn away from all the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he caused Israel to commit.

25 He restored the border of Israel from Lebo Hamath to the Sea of the Arabah, according to the word of the Lord, the God of Israel, that He spoke through His servant Jonah son of Amittai, the prophet from Gath Hepher.

26 Because the Lord saw the super bitter suffering of Israel; there was no one, slave or free, and no one to help Israel.

27 The Lord had not said He would wipe out the name of Israel from under heaven, so He saved them by the hand of Jeroboam son of Jehoash.

28 As for the rest of Jeroboam’s story, all he did, his power, how he fought, and how he brought back Damascus and Hamath to Israel, which had belonged to Judah, is it not written in the book of the Annals of the Kings of Israel,

29 Jeroboam passed away and joined his ancestors, the kings of Israel. And his son Zechariah took over as king.