2 Chronicles 25

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he came to the throne and he reigned for twenty-nine yearsin Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jehoaddan of Jerusalem.	1 Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother, named Jehoaddan, was from Jerusalem.
2 He did what Yahweh regards as right, though not wholeheartedly.	2 He did what was pleasing in the sight of the LORD, though not wholeheartedly.
3 Once the kingdom was firmly under his control, he killed those of his retainers who had murdered theking his father.	3 After he had strengthened his hold on the kingdom, he slew those of his servants who had killed the king, his father;
4 But he did not put their sons to death; this was in accordance with what is written in the Law, in thebook of Moses, where Yahweh had commanded, 'Parents may not be put to death for children, nor children forparents, but each must be put to death for his own crime.'	4 but he did not put their children to death, for he acted according to what is written in the law, in the Book of Moses, as the LORD commanded: "Fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor children for their fathers; but only for his own guilt shall a man be put to death."
5 Amaziah summoned Judah and organised al Judah and Benjamin by families under commanders ofthousands and commanders of hundreds. He also made a register of those who were twenty years old andupwards, and found there were three hundred thousand picked men, ready for service and capable of wieldingspear and shield.	5 Amaziah mustered Judah and placed them, out of all Judah and Benjamin according to their ancestral houses, under leaders of thousands and of hundreds. When he had counted those of twenty years and over, he found them to be three hundred thousand picked men fit for war, capable of handling lance and shield.
6 Furthermore, he hired a hundred thousand tough fighting men from Israel for a hundred talents ofsilver.	6 He also hired a hundred thousand valiant warriors from Israel for a hundred talents of silver.
7 A man of God then came to him and said, 'My lord king, do not let the Israelite troops march with you,for Yahweh is not with Israel or with any of the Ephraimites.	7 But a man of God came to him and said: "O king, let not the army of Israel go with you, for the LORD is not with Israel, with any Ephraimite.
8 For however valiantly you act in war, God will bring you down before the enemy, for God has thepower to uphold or to throw down.'	8 Instead, go on your own, strongly prepared for the conflict; otherwise the LORD will defeat you in the face of the enemy. It is God who has the power to reinforce or to defeat."
9 Amaziah said to the man of God, 'But what about the hundred talents which I have paid for theIsraelite troops?' 'Yahweh can give you far more than that,' said the man of God.	9 Amaziah answered the man of God, "But what is to be done about the hundred talents that I paid for the troops of Israel?" The man of God replied, "The LORD can give you much more than that."
10 At this, Amaziah dismissed the troops who had come to him from Ephraim and sent them homeagain. They were furious with Judah and went home in a great rage.	10 Amaziah then disbanded the troops that had come to him from Ephraim, and sent them home. They, however, became furiously angry with Judah, and returned home blazing with resentment.
11 Amaziah then, coming to a decision, led out his own troops and, having reached the Valley of Salt,struck down ten thousand Seirites.	11 Amaziah now assumed command of his army. They proceeded to the Valley of Salt, and there they killed ten thousand men of Seir.
12 The men of Judah captured ten thousand more alive and, taking them to the summit of the Rock,threw them off the summit of the Rock so that they were al dashed to pieces.	12 The Judahites also brought back another ten thousand alive, whom they led to the summit of the Rock and then cast down, so that they were all crushed.
13 Meanwhile, the troops whom Amaziah had dismissed and not al owed to go into battle with him rasedthe towns of Judah, from Samaria to Beth-Horon, kil ing three thousand of their inhabitants and capturing great quantities of plunder.	13 Meanwhile, the mercenaries whom Amaziah had dismissed from battle service with him raided the cities of Judah from Samaria to Beth-horon. They killed three thousand of the inhabitants and took away much booty.
14 On returning from his slaughter of the Edomites, Amaziah brought the gods of the Seirites with him;he set these up as his gods, bowing down before them and burning incense to them.	14 When Amaziah returned from his conquest of the Edomites he brought back with him the gods of the people of Seir, which he set up as his own gods; he bowed down before them and offered sacrifice to them.
15 Yahweh's anger was aroused by Amaziah and he sent him a prophet, who said to him, 'Why do youconsult those people's gods when they could not save their own people from your clutches?'	15 Then the anger of the LORD blazed out against Amaziah, and he sent a prophet to him who said: "Why have you had recourse to this people's gods that could not save their own people from your hand?"
16 He was stil speaking when Amaziah interrupted him. 'Have we appointed you a royal counsel or?Stop, as you value your life!' So the prophet stopped, and then said, 'I know that God has decided to destroy youfor having done this and for not listening to my advice.'	16 While he was still speaking, however, the king said to him: "Have you been made the king's counselor? Be silent! Why should it be necessary to kill you?" Therefore the prophet desisted. "I know, however," he said, "that God has let you take counsel to your own destruction, because you have done this thing and have refused to hear my counsel."
17 After consultation, Amaziah king of Judah then sent a message to Joash son of Jehoahaz son ofJehu, king of Israel, saying, 'Come and make a trial of strength!'	17 Having taken counsel, King Amaziah of Judah sent messengers to Joash, son of Jehoahaz, son of Jehu, the king of Israel, saying, "Come, let us meet each other face to face."
18 Joash king of Israel sent back word to Amaziah king of Judah, 'The thistle of Lebanon sent amessage to the cedar of Lebanon, saying, "Give my son your daughter in marriage"; but a wild animal of theLebanon ran over the thistle and squashed it.	18 King Joash of Israel sent this reply to King Amaziah of Judah: "The thistle of the Lebanon sent a message to the cedar of the Lebanon, saying, 'Give your daughter to my son for his wife.' But the wild beasts of the Lebanon passed by and trampled the thistle down.
19 "Look at me, the conqueror of Edom," you say, and now aspire to even greater glory. But stay whereyou belong! Why chal enge disaster, to your own and Judah's ruin?'	19 You are thinking, 'See, I have beaten Edom!', and thus ambition makes you proud. Remain at home. Why involve yourself, and Judah with you, in misfortune and failure?"
20 But Amaziah would not listen, for this was an act of God to deliver them up for having consulted thegods of Edom.	20 But Amaziah would not listen, for God had determined to hand them over because they had had recourse to the gods of Edom.
21 So Joash king of Israel marched to the attack. And at Beth-Shemesh, which belongs to Judah, heand Amaziah king of Judah made their trial of strength.	21 Therefore King Joash of Israel advanced and he and King Amaziah met in battle at Beth-shemesh of Judah.
22 Judah was defeated by Israel, and everyone fled to his tent.	22 There Judah was defeated by Israel, and all the Judean soldiers fled homeward.
23 The king of Judah, Amaziah son of Joash, son of Ahaziah, was taken prisoner at Beth-Shemesh byJoash king of Israel who led him off to Jerusalem, where he demolished four hundred cubits of the city walbetween the Ephraim Gate and the Corner Gate;	23 King Joash of Israel captured Amaziah, king of Judah, son of Joash, son of Jehoahaz, at Beth-shemesh and brought him to Jerusalem. Then he tore down the wall of Jerusalem from the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate, a distance of four hundred cubits.
24 he then took back with him to Samaria al the gold and silver, and al the vessels to be found in theTemple of God in the care of Obed-Edom, the treasures in the palace, and hostages besides.	24 He took away all the gold and silver and all the vessels he found in the house of God with Obed-edom, together with the treasures of the palace, and hostages as well. Then he returned to Samaria.
25 Amaziah son of Joash, king of Judah, lived for fifteen years after the death of Joash son ofJehoahaz, king of Israel.	25 Amaziah, son of Joash, king of Judah, survived Joash, son of Jehoahaz, king of Israel, by fifteen years.
26 The rest of the history of Amaziah, from first to last, is this not recorded in the Book of the Kings ofJudah and Israel?	26 The rest of the acts of Amaziah, first and last, can be found written, as is well known, in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.
27 Some time after Amaziah had defected from Yahweh, a plot having been hatched against him inJerusalem, he fled to Lachish where he was murdered.	27 Now from the time that Amaziah ceased to follow the LORD, a conspiracy was formed against him in Jerusalem; hence he fled to Lachish. But they pursued him to Lachish and put him to death there.
28 He was then transported by horse and buried with his ancestors in the city of David.	28 They brought him back on horses and buried him with his ancestors in the City of Judah.