2 Kings

In the second year of Joash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel reigned Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah.

1Jehoash son of Jehoahaz had ruled Israel for two years. In that year Amaziah son of Joash became king of Judah.

2He was twenty and five years old when he began to reign, and reigned twenty and nine years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Jehoaddan of Jerusalem.

2Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he became king. He ruled in Jerusalem for twenty-nine years. His mother was Jehoaddan, from Jerusalem.

3And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, yet not like David his father: he did according to all things as Joash his father did.

3He did what was right to the LORD. But he was not as good as David, his ancestor. He did what his father Joash had done.

4Howbeit the high places were not taken away: as yet the people did sacrifice and burnt incense on the high places.

4But the high places were not taken down. People kept giving offerings and burning incense there.

NoteHigh places were open-air altars built on hills. People used them instead of the temple in Jerusalem.

5And it came to pass, as soon as the kingdom was confirmed in his hand, that he slew his servants which had slain the king his father.

5As soon as Amaziah was safely in charge, he acted. He put to death the servants who had killed his father the king.

6But the children of the murderers he slew not: according unto that which is written in the book of the law of Moses, wherein the LORD commanded, saying, The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, nor the children be put to death for the fathers; but every man shall be put to death for his own sin.

6But he did not kill the sons of those murderers. He obeyed the book of the law of Moses. There the LORD said this: fathers must not be put to death for their children. Children must not be put to death for their fathers. Each person dies for his own sin.

7He slew of Edom in the valley of salt ten thousand, and took Selah by war, and called the name of it Joktheel unto this day.

7Amaziah killed ten thousand men of Edom in the Valley of Salt. He also took the city of Sela in battle. He named it Joktheel, and it still has that name.

8Then Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash, the son of Jehoahaz son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, Come, let us look one another in the face.

8Then Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash, the king of Israel. Jehoash was the son of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu. Amaziah said, "Come, let us look each other in the face."

Note"Look each other in the face" was a way of daring someone to meet in battle.

9And Jehoash the 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 thy daughter to my son to wife: and there passed by a wild beast that was in Lebanon, and trode down the thistle.

9Jehoash king of Israel sent this answer to Amaziah king of Judah. "A small prickly thistle in Lebanon sent word to a tall cedar tree. It said, 'Give your daughter to my son to marry.' Then a wild animal came by and trampled the thistle flat.

10Thou hast indeed smitten Edom, and thine heart hath lifted thee up: glory of this, and tarry at home: for why shouldest thou meddle to thy hurt, that thou shouldest fall, even thou, and Judah with thee?

10"You really did beat Edom, and now you feel proud. Be glad about that and stay home. Why start trouble that will hurt you? You will fall, and Judah will fall with you."

11But Amaziah would not hear. Therefore Jehoash king of Israel went up; and he and Amaziah king of Judah looked one another in the face at Bethshemesh, which belongeth to Judah.

11But Amaziah would not listen. So Jehoash king of Israel marched out. The two kings faced each other at Beth-shemesh, a town in Judah.

12And Judah was put to the worse before Israel; and they fled every man to their tents.

12Judah lost the battle to Israel. Every man of Judah ran away home.

13And Jehoash king of Israel took Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Jehoash the son of Ahaziah, at Bethshemesh, and came to Jerusalem, and brake down the wall of Jerusalem from the gate of Ephraim unto the corner gate, four hundred cubits.

13At Beth-shemesh, Jehoash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah. Amaziah was the son of Joash, the son of Ahaziah. Then Jehoash went to Jerusalem. He broke down four hundred cubits of the city wall. That was the part from the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate.

NoteA cubit was about eighteen inches. Four hundred cubits is around six hundred feet, or two football fields.

14And he took all the gold and silver, and all the vessels that were found in the house of the LORD, and in the treasures of the king’s house, and hostages, and returned to Samaria.

14He took all the gold and silver. He took all the dishes and tools in the LORD's house. He took the riches in the king's palace too. He also took some people away as hostages. Then he went back to Samaria.

15Now the rest of the acts of Jehoash which 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?

15The other things Jehoash did, and how strong he was, are written down. So is his war with Amaziah king of Judah. You can read it in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.

16And Jehoash slept with his fathers, and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel; and Jeroboam his son reigned in his stead.

16Jehoash slept with his fathers. He was buried in Samaria with the other kings of Israel. His son Jeroboam became king after him.

Note"Slept with his fathers" is an old way of saying he died and was buried with his family.

17And Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah lived after the death of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel fifteen years.

17Amaziah son of Joash, king of Judah, lived fifteen more years. That was after Jehoash son of Jehoahaz, king of Israel, died.

18And the rest of the acts of Amaziah, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

18The other things Amaziah did are written down. You can read them in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah.

19Now they made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem: and he fled to Lachish; but they sent after him to Lachish, and slew him there.

19Some men in Jerusalem made a secret plan against him. Amaziah ran away to the town of Lachish. But they sent men after him and killed him there.

20And they brought him on horses: and he was buried at Jerusalem with his fathers in the city of David.

20They carried his body back on horses. He was buried in Jerusalem with his family, in the City of David.

21And all the people of Judah took Azariah, which was sixteen years old, and made him king instead of his father Amaziah.

21Then all the people of Judah took Azariah, who was sixteen years old. They made him king in place of his father Amaziah.

22He built Elath, and restored it to Judah, after that the king slept with his fathers.

22Azariah rebuilt the town of Elath and made it part of Judah again. He did this after his father the king died.

23In the fifteenth year of Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israel began to reign in Samaria, and reigned forty and one years.

23Amaziah son of Joash had been king of Judah for fifteen years. In that year Jeroboam son of Jehoash became king of Israel. He ruled in Samaria for forty-one years.

24And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD: he departed not from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin.

24He did what was evil to the LORD. He kept on doing the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat. That Jeroboam had led Israel into sin long before.

25He restored the coast of Israel from the entering of Hamath unto the sea of the plain, according to the word of the LORD God of Israel, which he spake by the hand of his servant Jonah, the son of Amittai, the prophet, which was of Gathhepher.

25Jeroboam won back Israel's land, from Lebo-hamath down to the Sea of the Arabah. This happened just as the LORD, the God of Israel, had said. He had spoken it through his servant Jonah son of Amittai. Jonah was a prophet from Gath-hepher, someone who told people what God said.

26For the LORD saw the affliction of Israel, that it was very bitter: for there was not any shut up, nor any left, nor any helper for Israel.

26The LORD saw how much Israel was hurting. Life was very bitter for everyone, slave and free. There was no one to help Israel.

27And the LORD said not that he would blot out the name of Israel from under heaven: but he saved them by the hand of Jeroboam the son of Joash.

27The LORD had said he would not wipe Israel's name off the earth. So he rescued them through Jeroboam son of Jehoash.

28Now the rest of the acts of Jeroboam, and all that he did, and his might, how he warred, and how he recovered Damascus, and Hamath, which belonged to Judah, for Israel, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

28The other things Jeroboam did are written down. So is how strong he was, and how he fought his wars. He also took back Damascus and Hamath for Israel. You can read it in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.

29And Jeroboam slept with his fathers, even with the kings of Israel; and Zachariah his son reigned in his stead.

29Jeroboam slept with his fathers, the kings of Israel. His son Zechariah became king after him.