the Fourth Week of Advent
Click here to join the effort!
Read the Bible
Hebrew Names Version
2 Chronicles 25
1 Amatzyah was twenty-five years old when he began to reign; and he reigned twenty-nine years in Yerushalayim: and his mother's name was Yeho`addan, of Yerushalayim. 2 He did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD, but not with a perfect heart. 3 Now it happened, when the kingdom was established to him, that he killed his servants who had killed the king his father. 4 But he didn't put their children to death, but did according to that which is written in the law in the book of Moshe, as the LORD commanded, saying, 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. 5 Moreover Amatzyah gathered Yehudah together, and ordered them according to their fathers' houses, under captains of thousands and captains of hundreds, even all Yehudah and Binyamin: and he numbered them from twenty years old and upward, and found them three hundred thousand chosen men, able to go forth to war, who could handle spear and shield. 6 He hired also one hundred thousand mighty men of valor out of Yisra'el for one hundred talents of silver. 7 But there came a man of God to him, saying, O king, don't let the army of Yisra'el go with you; for the LORD is not with Yisra'el, [to wit], with all the children of Efrayim. 8 But if you will go, do [valiantly], be strong for the battle: God will cast you down before the enemy; for God has power to help, and to cast down. 9 Amatzyah said to the man of God, But what shall we do for the hundred talents which I have given to the army of Yisra'el? The man of God answered, the LORD is able to give you much more than this. 10 Then Amatzyah separated them, [to wit], the army that had come to him out of Efrayim, to go home again: therefore their anger was greatly kindled against Yehudah, and they returned home in fierce anger. 11 Amatzyah took courage, and led forth his people, and went to the Valley of Salt, and struck of the children of Se`ir ten thousand. 12 [other] ten thousand did the children of Yehudah carry away alive, and brought them to the top of the rock, and cast them down from the top of the rock, so that they all were broken in pieces. 13 But the men of the army whom Amatzyah sent back, that they should not go with him to battle, fell on the cities of Yehudah, from Shomron even to Beit-Horon, and struck of them three thousand, and took much spoil.
14 Now it happened, after that Amatzyah was come from the slaughter of the Edom, that he brought the gods of the children of Se`ir, and set them up to be his gods, and bowed down himself before them, and burned incense to them. 15 Therefore the anger of the LORD was kindled against Amatzyah, and he sent to him a prophet, who said to him, Why have you sought after the gods of the people, which have not delivered their own people out of your hand? 16 It happened, as he talked with him, that [the king] said to him, Have we made you of the king's counsel? Stop! Why should you be struck down? Then the prophet stopped, and said, I know that God has determined to destroy you, because you have done this, and have not listened to my counsel.
17 Then Amatzyah king of Yehudah took advice, and sent to Yo'ash, the son of Yeho'achaz the son of Yehu, king of Yisra'el, saying, Come, let us look one another in the face. 18 Yo'ash king of Yisra'el sent to Amatzyah king of Yehudah, saying, The thistle that was in Levanon sent to the cedar that was in Levanon, saying, Give your daughter to my son as wife: and there passed by a wild animal that was in Levanon, and trod down the thistle. 19 You say, Behold, you have struck Edom; and your heart lifts you up to boast: abide now at home; why should you meddle to [your] hurt, that you should fall, even you, and Yehudah with you? 20 But Amatzyah would not hear; for it was of God, that he might deliver them into the hand [of their enemies], because they had sought after the gods of Edom. 21 So Yo'ash king of Yisra'el went up; and he and Amatzyah king of Yehudah looked one another in the face at Beit-Shemesh, which belongs to Yehudah. 22 Yehudah was put to the worse before Yisra'el; and they fled every man to his tent. 23 Yo'ash king of Yisra'el took Amatzyah king of Yehudah, the son of Yo'ash the son of Yeho'achaz, at Beit-Shemesh, and brought him to Yerushalayim, and broke down the wall of Yerushalayim from the gate of Efrayim to the corner gate, four hundred cubits. 24 [He took] all the gold and silver, and all the vessels that were found in the house of God with `Oved-'Edom, and the treasures of the king's house, the hostages also, and returned to Shomron. 25 Amatzyah the son of Yo'ash king of Yehudah lived after the death of Yo'ash son of Yeho'achaz king of Yisra'el fifteen years. 26 Now the rest of the acts of Amatzyah, first and last, behold, aren't they written in the book of the kings of Yehudah and Yisra'el? 27 Now from the time that Amatzyah did turn away from following the LORD they made a conspiracy against him in Yerushalayim; and he fled to Lakhish: but they sent after him to Lakhish, and killed him there. 28 They brought him on horses, and buried him with his fathers in the city of Yehudah.
