Read the Modern Pastor’s Version

Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jehoaddan from Jerusalem.

Amaziah did what was right in the sight of the Lord, but not with a completely sincere heart. When his kingdom was established, he killed his servants who had assassinated their king father. However, Amaziah did not put their children to death, as it was written in the law of Moses: "The fathers shall not die for the children, neither shall the children die for the fathers; but every man shall die for his own sin."

Amaziah gathered Judah and Benjamin together, organizing them into captains of thousands and hundreds according to their ancestral households throughout the land. He counted those twenty years old and above and found three hundred thousand able men, skilled in warfare with spear and shield. Amaziah hired one hundred thousand seasoned warriors from Israel for one hundred talents of silver.

A man of God came to him, saying, "O king, let not the army of Israel go with you; for the Lord is not with Israel, with all the children of Ephraim." But if you will go, be strong for the battle: God will cast you down before the enemy; for God has power to help and to cast down. Amaziah asked, "What shall we do for the hundred talents which I have given to the army of Israel?" The man of God replied, "The Lord is able to give you much more than this."

Amaziah dismissed the army that had come to him from Ephraim, and their anger was greatly kindled against Judah. Amaziah took courage and led his people out to the Valley of Salt, where they struck down ten thousand of the children of Seir. The children of Judah carried away ten thousand alive and brought them to the top of the rock, casting them down from there.

The soldiers Amaziah had sent back from battle fell upon the cities of Judah, from Samaria to Beth-horon, and struck down three thousand of them, taking much plunder. After Amaziah returned from slaughtering the Edomites, he brought the gods of Seir and set them up to be his own deities, bowing down before them and burning incense in their honor.

The anger of the Lord burned against Amaziah, and he sent a prophet who said, "Why have you sought after the gods of the people, which could not deliver their own people out of your hand? As he spoke with him, the king said, "Have we made you one of our trusted advisors? Stop! Why should you be punished?" Then the prophet stopped and said, "I know that God has decided to destroy you because of what you have done and refused to listen to my counsel."

Amaziah king of Judah took counsel and sent to Joash, the son of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, "Come, let us see one another face to face." Joash king of Israel sent to Amaziah king of Judah, saying, "The thistle that was in Lebanon sent to the cedar that was in Lebanon, saying, 'Give your daughter to my son as his wife,' but a wild beast from Lebanon crushed the thistle. You say, "I have defeated the Edomites," and your pride is swelling to boast; remain at home, why should you meddle with what will harm you."

Amaziah refused to listen, for it was God's will that he might deliver them into the hands of their enemies because they sought after the gods of Edom. So Joash the king of Israel went up to meet Amaziah king of Judah at Beth-shemesh, which is in Judah. Judah was put to the worse before Israel, and they fled every man to his tent.

Joash took Amaziah, king of Judah, son of Joash and grandson of Jehoahaz, at Beth-shemesh, and brought him to Jerusalem, where he tore down a section of the city wall from the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate, a distance of four hundred cubits. He took all the gold and silver, along with every vessel found in God's house with Obededom, the treasures of the king's palace, and the hostages, and returned to Samaria.

Amaziah son of Joash king of Judah lived fifteen years after the death of Joash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel. The rest of Amaziah's actions, from first to last, are recorded in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel. After Amaziah turned away from following the Lord, they conspired against him in Jerusalem and he fled to Lachish; but they sent men after him there and killed him.

They brought his body on horses and buried it with his fathers in the city of Judah.