1 In the second year of Joash son of Jehoahaz, king of Israel, Amaziah 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 was Jehoaddan of Jerusalem.
3 He did what was right in the sight of the LORD, but not as his father David had; in everything he followed the example of his father Joash.
4 The high places, however, were not removed; the people went on sacrificing and burning incense at the high places.
5 Once the kingdom was firmly in his grasp, he executed the servants who had murdered his father the king.
6 But he did not put the murderers' sons to death, in keeping with what is written in the book of the law of Moses, where the LORD commanded: "Fathers are not to be put to death for their sons, and sons are not to be put to death for their fathers; each one is to die for his own sin."
7 He defeated ten thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt and captured Sela in battle, naming it Joktheel, the name it has to this day.
8 Then Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash son of Jehoahaz son of Jehu, king of Israel, with this challenge: "Come, let us meet face to face."
9 Jehoash king of Israel sent back this answer to Amaziah king of Judah: "A thistle in Lebanon sent word to a cedar in Lebanon, 'Give your daughter to my son in marriage.' Then a wild animal of Lebanon came by and trampled the thistle.
10 You have certainly defeated Edom, and now your heart has made you proud. Enjoy your glory, but stay home. Why stir up trouble and bring about your own fall, and Judah's with you?"
11 Amaziah, however, would not listen. So Jehoash king of Israel marched up, and he and Amaziah king of Judah met face to face at Beth-shemesh in Judah.
12 Judah was routed by Israel, and every man fled home to his tent.
13 Jehoash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah, son of Jehoash son of Ahaziah, at Beth-shemesh. Then he went to Jerusalem and broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate, a stretch of four hundred cubits.
14 He took all the gold and silver and all the articles found in the LORD's house and in the palace treasuries, as well as hostages, and went back to Samaria.
15 As for the rest of the deeds of Jehoash, what he did, and his might, and how he fought with Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
16 Jehoash lay down with his fathers and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel, and his son Jeroboam became king in his place.
17 Amaziah son of Joash, king of Judah, outlived Jehoash son of Jehoahaz, king of Israel, by fifteen years.
18 As for the rest of the deeds of Amaziah, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?
19 A plot was formed against him in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish, but they sent men after him to Lachish and killed him there.
20 They carried him back on horses, and he was buried in Jerusalem with his fathers in the city of David.
21 All the people of Judah took Azariah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in place of his father Amaziah.
22 He was the one who rebuilt Elath and restored it to Judah after the king lay down with his fathers.
23 In the fifteenth year of Amaziah son of Joash, king of Judah, Jeroboam son of Joash, king of Israel, became king in Samaria, and he reigned forty-one years.
24 He did what was evil in the sight of the LORD and did not turn away from any of the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, by which he caused Israel to sin.
25 He restored Israel's border from Lebo-hamath to the Sea of the Arabah, as the LORD, the God of Israel, had said through his servant Jonah son of Amittai, the prophet from Gath-hepher.
26 For the LORD had seen how very bitter Israel's suffering was; there was no one left, bond or free, and no one to help Israel.
27 The LORD had not said he would blot out Israel's name from under heaven, so he saved them through Jeroboam son of Joash.
28 As for the rest of the deeds of Jeroboam and all he did, and his might, how he fought and how he recovered for Israel Damascus and Hamath, which had belonged to Judah, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
29 Jeroboam lay down with his fathers, the kings of Israel, and his son Zechariah became king in his place.