2 Kings 14 - Easy To Read Version Easy To Read Version
2 Kings 14

¹ Amaziah son of Joash king of Judah became king in the second year that Joash son of Jehoahaz was king of Israel.

² Amaziah was 25 years old when he began to rule. Amaziah ruled 29 years in Jerusalem. Amaziah’s mother was Jehoaddin from Jerusalem.

³ Amaziah did the things the Lord said were right. But he did not follow God completely like David his ancestor. [157] Amaziah did all the things that Joash his father had done.

⁴ He did not destroy the high places. [158] The people still sacrificed and burned incense [159] in those places of worship.

⁵ At the time that Amaziah had strong control of the kingdom, he killed the officers that had killed his father.

⁶ But he did not kill the children of the murderers because of the rules written in the book The Law of Moses. The Lord gave this command {in the Law of Moses}: “Parents must not be put to death for something their children did. And children must not be put to death for something their parents did. A person should be put to death only for a bad thing that he himself did.” [160]

⁷ Amaziah killed 10,000 Edomites in the Valley of Salt. In war Amaziah took Sela and called it “Joktheel.” That place is still called “Joktheel” today.

⁸ Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash son of Jehoahaz, son of Jehu king of Israel. Amaziah’s message said, “Come on, let’s meet together face to face {and fight}.”

⁹ Jehoash king of Israel sent an answer to Amaziah king of Judah. Jehoash said, “The thorn bush in Lebanon sent a message to the cedar tree in Lebanon. It said, ‘Give your daughter for my son to marry.’ But a wild animal from Lebanon passed by and walked on the thorn bush.

¹⁰ True, you have defeated Edom. But you have become proud because of your victory over Edom. But stay at home and brag! Don’t make trouble for yourself. If you do this, you will fall, and Judah will fall with you!”

¹¹ But Amaziah would not listen to Jehoash’s warning. So Jehoash king of Israel went to fight against Amaziah king of Judah at Beth Shemesh in Judah. [161]

¹² Israel defeated Judah. Every man of Judah ran home.

¹³ At Beth Shemesh, Jehoash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Joash, the son of Ahaziah. Jehoash took Amaziah to Jerusalem. Jehoash broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the Gate of Ephraim to the corner gate, about 600 feet. [162]

¹⁴ Then Jehoash took all the gold and silver and all the dishes in the Lord’s temple and in the treasures of the king’s house. Jehoash also took people to be his prisoners. Then he went back to Samaria.

¹⁵ All the great things that Jehoash did, including how he fought against Amaziah king of Judah, are written in the book The History of the Kings of Israel.

¹⁶ Jehoash {died and} was buried with his ancestors. [163] Jehoash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel. Jehoash’s son Jeroboam became the new king after him.

¹⁷ Amaziah son of Joash king of Judah lived 15 years after the death of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel.

¹⁸ All the great things that Amaziah did are written in the book The History of the Kings of Judah.

¹⁹ The people made a plan against Amaziah in Jerusalem. Amaziah ran away to Lachish. But the people sent men after Amaziah to Lachish. And those men killed Amaziah in Lachish.

²⁰ The people brought Amaziah’s body back on horses. Amaziah was buried at Jerusalem with his ancestors [164] in the City of David. [165]

²¹ Then all the people of Judah made Azariah the new king. Azariah was 16 years old.

²² So King Amaziah died and was buried with his ancestors. [166] Then Azariah built Elath again and got it back for Judah.

²³ Jeroboam son of Jehoash king of Israel began to rule in Samaria during the 15th year that Amaziah son of Joash was king of Judah. Jeroboam ruled 41 years.

²⁴ Jeroboam did the things the Lord said were wrong. Jeroboam did not stop doing the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat that caused Israel to sin.

²⁵ Jeroboam took back Israel’s land which ran from the Lebo Hamath to the Arabah Sea. [167] This happened like the Lord of Israel had told his servant Jonah son of Amittai, the prophet from Gath Hepher.

²⁶ The Lord saw that all the Israelites had many troubles, slaves and free men. No person was left that could help Israel.

²⁷ The Lord did not say that he would take away the name of Israel from the world. So the Lord used Jeroboam son of Jehoash to save the people of Israel.

²⁸ All the great things that Jeroboam did are written in the book The History of the Kings of Israel. This includes the story about Jeroboam winning back Damascus and Hamath for Israel. (These cities had belonged to Judah.)

²⁹ Jeroboam {died and} was buried with his ancestors [168] , the kings of Israel. Jeroboam’s son Zechariah became the new king after him.