2 Kings 14 - Contemporary English Version (CEV)

King Amaziah of Judah

(2 Chronicles 25.1-24)

14 Amaziah son of Joash became king of Judah in the second year of Jehoash's rule in Israel. 2 Amaziah was 25 years old when he became king, and he ruled 29 years from Jerusalem, which was also the hometown of his mother Jehoaddin.

3 Amaziah followed the example of his father Joash by obeying the Lord and doing right. But he was not as faithful as his ancestor David. 4 Amaziah did not destroy the local shrines, and they were still used as places for offering sacrifices.

5 As soon as Amaziah had control of Judah, he arrested and killed the officers who had murdered his father. 6 (A) But the children of those officers were not killed. The Lord had commanded in the Law of Moses that only the people who sinned were to be punished, not their parents or children.[a]

7 While Amaziah was king, he killed 10,000 Edomite soldiers in Salt Valley. He captured the town of Sela and renamed it Joktheel, which is still its name.

8 One day, Amaziah sent a message to King Jehoash of Israel: “Come out and face me in battle!”

9 Jehoash sent back this reply:

Once upon a time, a small thornbush in Lebanon announced that his son was going to marry the daughter of a large cedar tree. But a wild animal came along and trampled the small bush.

10 Amaziah, you think you're so powerful because you defeated Edom. Go ahead and celebrate—but stay at home. If you cause any trouble, both you and your kingdom of Judah will be destroyed.

11 But Amaziah refused to listen. So Jehoash and his troops marched to the town of Beth-Shemesh in Judah to attack Amaziah and his troops. 12 During the battle, Judah's army was crushed. Every soldier from Judah ran back home, 13 and Jehoash captured Amaziah.

Jehoash then marched to Jerusalem and broke down the city wall from Ephraim Gate to Corner Gate, a section nearly 200 meters long. 14 He took the gold and silver, as well as everything of value from the Lord's temple and the king's treasury. He took hostages, then returned to Samaria.

15 Everything else Jehoash did while he was king, including his brave deeds and how he defeated King Amaziah of Judah, is written in The History of the Kings of Israel. 16 Jehoash died and was buried in Samaria beside the other Israelite kings. His son Jeroboam then became king.

17 Fifteen years after Jehoash died, 18-20 some people in Jerusalem plotted against Amaziah. He was able to escape to the town of Lachish, but another group of people caught him and killed him there. His body was taken back to Jerusalem on horseback and buried beside his ancestors.

Everything else Amaziah did while he was king is written in The History of the Kings of Judah. 21 After his death the people of Judah made his son Azariah king, even though he was only 16 at the time. 22 Azariah was the one who later recaptured and rebuilt the town of Elath.

King Jeroboam the Second of Israel

23 Jeroboam son of Jehoash became king of Israel in the fifteenth year of Amaziah's rule in Judah. Jeroboam ruled 41 years from Samaria. 24 He disobeyed the Lord by following the evil example of Jeroboam son of Nebat, who had caused the Israelites to sin.

25 (B) Jeroboam extended the boundaries of Israel from Lebo-Hamath in the north to the Dead Sea in the south, just as the Lord had promised his servant Jonah son of Amittai, who was a prophet from Gath-Hepher. 26 The Lord helped Jeroboam do this because he had seen how terribly the Israelites were suffering, whether slave or free, and no one was left to help them. 27 And since the Lord had promised that he would not let Israel be completely destroyed, he helped Jeroboam rescue them.

28 Everything else Jeroboam did while he was king, including his brave deeds and how he recaptured the towns of Damascus and Hamath,[b] is written in The History of the Kings of Israel. 29 Jeroboam died and was buried, and his son Zechariah became king.

Footnotes

  1. 14.6 The Lord had commanded … children: See Deuteronomy 24.16.
  2. 14.28 how he recaptured … Hamath: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.

Cross references

  1. 14.6 : Dt 24.16.
  2. 14.25 : Jon 1.1.

You Might Also Like:

2 Kings 14 - Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

14 In the second year of Joash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel reigned hath Amaziah son of Joash king of Judah; 2 a son of twenty and five years was he in his reigning, and twenty and nine years he hath reigned in Jerusalem, and the name of his mother [is] Jehoaddan of Jerusalem, 3 and he doth that w...
Read More

2 Kings 14 - Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

14 In the second year of Jehoash[a], the son of Jehoahaz, king of Israel, Amaziah, the son of Joash[b], king of Judah, reigned (began to reign). 2 Amaziah was of five and twenty years, when he began to reign; and he reigned in Jerusalem nine and twenty years; the name of his mother was Jehoaddan of ...
Read More

2 Kings 14 - World English Bible (WEB)

14 In the second year of Joash son of Joahaz king of Israel, Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah began to reign. 2 He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign; and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jehoaddin of Jerusalem. 3 He did that which was right in Y...
Read More

2 Kings 14 - The Voice (VOICE)

14 During the second year of Joash (son of Joahaz, Israel’s king), Amaziah (son of Joash, Judah’s king) inherited the throne in Judah. 2 Amaziah was 25 years old when he took the throne, and he sat upon it in Jerusalem for 29 years. Amaziah’s mother was Jehoaddin of Jerusalem. 3 Amaziah did what w...
Read More

2 Kings 14 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

Amaziah’s Demise14 In the second year of Joash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel, Amaziah son of Joash king of Judah became king. 2 He was 25 years old when he began to reign, and he reigned 29 years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jehoaddan of Jerusalem. 3 Now he did what was right in the eyes o...
Read More

2 Kings 14 - Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)

Amaziah Reigns over Judah14 In the second year of Jo′ash the son of Jo′ahaz, king of Israel, Amazi′ah the son of Jo′ash, king of Judah, began to reign. 2 He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jeho-ad′din of Jerusale...
Read More

2 Kings 14 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

Amaziah Reigns over Judah14 In the second year of Jo′ash the son of Jo′ahaz, king of Israel, Amazi′ah the son of Jo′ash, king of Judah, began to reign. 2 He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jeho-ad′din of Jerusale...
Read More

2 Kings 14 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

Amaziah Reigns over Judah14 In the second year of King Joash son of Joahaz of Israel, King Amaziah son of Joash of Judah, began to reign. 2 He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned for twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jehoaddin of Jerusalem. 3 He did...
Read More

2 Kings 14 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

Amaziah Reigns over Judah14 In the second year of King Joash son of Joahaz of Israel, King Amaziah son of Joash of Judah began to reign.(A)2 He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jehoaddin of Jerusalem. 3 He did what...
Read More

2 Kings 14 - New Living Translation (NLT)

Amaziah Rules in Judah14 Amaziah son of Joash began to rule over Judah in the second year of the reign of King Jehoash[a] of Israel. 2 Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother was Jehoaddin from Jerusalem. 3 Amaziah did what was...
Read More

2 Kings 14 - New Life Version (NLV)

Amaziah Rules Judah14 In the second year of Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz, king of Israel, Joash’s son Amaziah began to rule as king of Judah. 2 He was twenty-five years old when he became king. And he ruled twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jehoaddin of Jerusalem. 3 Amaziah did ...
Read More

2 Kings 14 - New King James Version (NKJV)

Amaziah Reigns in Judah(A)14 In (B)the second year of Joash the son of Jehoahaz, king of Israel, (C)Amaziah the son of Joash, king of Judah, became king. 2 He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jehoaddan of Jerusalem. ...
Read More

2 Kings 14 - New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

Amaziah king of Judah14 In the second year of Jehoash[a] son of Jehoahaz king of Israel, Amaziah son of Joash king of Judah began to reign. 2 He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem for twenty-nine years. His mother’s name was Jehoaddan; she was from Jerusalem....
Read More

2 Kings 14 - New International Version (NIV)

Amaziah King of Judah(A)(B)14 In the second year of Jehoash[a] son of Jehoahaz king of Israel, Amaziah son of Joash king of Judah began to reign. 2 He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother’s name was Jehoaddan; she was from Jerusalem...
Read More

2 Kings 14 - New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

Amaziah King of Judah14 Amaziah began to rule as king over Judah. It was in the second year that Jehoash was king of Israel. He was the son of Jehoahaz. Amaziah was the son of Joash. 2 Amaziah was 25 years old when he became king. He ruled in Jerusalem for 29 years. His mother’s name was Jehoaddan....
Read More

2 Kings 14 - New English Translation (NET)

Amaziah’s Reign over Judah14 In the second year of the reign of Israel’s King Joash son of Joahaz,[a] Joash’s[b] son Amaziah became king over Judah. 2 He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned for twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother[c] was Jehoaddan, who was from Je...
Read More