King of Judah who defeated Edom but fell into pride
Le royaume diviséKingWarriorc. 821–767 BC
Amaziah, son of King Joash and Joadan from Jerusalem, took the throne of Judah at age 25 and reigned for 29 years (ca. 796–767 B.C.). He began his reign by doing what was right in the Lord's sight, but not with a whole heart. After executing his father's murderers – yet sparing their children in accordance with the Law of Moses – he prepared for war against Edom. He hired one hundred thousand Israelite soldiers, but sent them back after a man of God warned him, which resulted in those rejected soldiers plundering cities of Judah. In the Valley of Salt, Amaziah won a decisive victory: ten thousand Edomites fell, and another ten thousand were taken captive. He captured the fortress city of Sela and renamed it Joktheel. The triumph, however, marked the beginning of his downfall. He brought Edomite idols to Jerusalem and began to worship them; when a prophet confronted him, he rejected the warning with threats. Drunk on military success, he challenged Joash king of Israel, who answered with a fable about a thistle on Lebanon that haughtily sent word to a cedar – only to be trampled by a wild beast. At Beth-Shemesh, Judah suffered a humiliating defeat: Amaziah was taken captive, Jerusalem's wall was torn down for 400 cubits, and the treasures of the temple and palace were carried off. Amaziah's final years were marked by weakened authority, and eventually a conspiracy was plotted against him. He fled to Lachish but was overtaken and killed. His son Azariah, also known as Uzziah, succeeded him.
Amaziah became king at the age of twenty-five and reigned for twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. He did what was right in the Lord's eyes, but not with a whole heart.
When the kingdom was firmly established in his hands, he executed the servants who had killed his father King Joash, but spared their children in accordance with what is written in the Law of Moses.
4But he did not put their children to death, for he acted according to what is written in the Law, in the book of Moses, where the LORD commanded: "Fathers shall not die for their children, nor children for their fathers; each one shall die for his own sin."
6But he did not put the children of the murderers to death, as it is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, where the LORD commanded: "Fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor children for their fathers; each one shall be put to death for his own sin."
Amaziah mustered the army of Judah and hired an additional hundred thousand Israelite soldiers. A man of God warned him against using them, and Amaziah sent them home despite the financial loss. The dismissed soldiers then plundered cities in Judah on their way back.
5Amaziah assembled Judah and organized them by their fathers' households under commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, for all of Judah and Benjamin. He mustered those twenty years old and upward and found there were three hundred thousand choice men fit for military service, able to handle spear and shield.
7But a man of God came to him and said: "Your Majesty, do not let the army of Israel go with you, for the LORD is not with Israel—not with any of the Ephraimites.
9Amaziah said to the man of God, "But what about the hundred talents I paid to the troops of Israel?" The man of God answered, "The LORD can give you far more than that."
10So Amaziah dismissed the troops that had come to him from Ephraim and sent them back to their own place. They were furious with Judah and went home in a blazing rage.
13Meanwhile the troops Amaziah had sent back, refusing to let them go with him into battle, raided the towns of Judah from Samaria to Beth Horon. They killed three thousand people and carried off a great deal of plunder.
Amaziah leded Judah's army to the Valley of Salt and defeated the Edomites. Ten thousand fell in battle, and another ten thousand were taken alive, thrown from a cliff. He also captured the city of Sela and renamed it Joktheel.
12The men of Judah also captured ten thousand alive; they brought them to the top of the cliff and threw them down from the top of the cliff, so that all of them were dashed to pieces.
After defeating Edom, Amaziah brought back the gods of the Edomites and bowed down to them. A prophet confronted him, but Amaziah rejected the warning and threatened the prophet.
14When Amaziah returned from slaughtering the Edomites, he brought back the gods of the people of Seir, set them up as his own gods, bowed down before them, and burned offerings to them.
15The anger of the LORD burned against Amaziah, and he sent a prophet to him, who said, "Why have you sought the gods of this people, gods that could not deliver their own people from your hand?"
16While the prophet was still speaking, the king said to him, "Have we appointed you counselor to the king? Stop! Why should you be struck down?" So the prophet stopped, but he said, "I know that God has determined to destroy you, because you have done this and have not listened to my counsel."
In his pride, Amaziah challenged King Joash of Israel to war. Joash replied with a fable about a thistle on Lebanon that haughtily sent word to a cedar, asking it to give its daughter in marriage to the thistle's son—but the thistle was trampled by a wild beast. Amaziah ignored the warning. At Beth-Shemesh, Judah suffered a crushing defeat. Amaziah was captured, part of Jerusalem's wall was torn down for 400 cubits, and the treasures of the temple and palace were plundered.
18But Joash king of Israel sent back this reply to Amaziah king of Judah: "A thistle in Lebanon sent word to a cedar in Lebanon, 'Give your daughter to my son in marriage.' But a wild beast of Lebanon passed by and trampled the thistle underfoot.
19You say to yourself, 'Look, I have defeated Edom,' and your heart has grown proud and boastful. Now stay home! Why provoke disaster and bring yourself down, and Judah with you?"
23Joash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah, son of Joash, the son of Jehoahaz, at Beth Shemesh. He brought him to Jerusalem and broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate—four hundred cubits.
24He took all the gold and silver and all the articles found in the house of God, which had been in the care of Obed-Edom, together with the treasures of the royal palace and the hostages, and returned to Samaria.
9But Jehoash king of Israel sent back word to Amaziah king of Judah: "The thistle in Lebanon sent word to the cedar in Lebanon, 'Give your daughter to my son as a wife.' But a wild beast of the field in Lebanon passed by and trampled the thistle underfoot.
10You have indeed struck down Edom, and your heart has grown proud. Enjoy your glory, but stay at home. Why provoke disaster and bring yourself down, and Judah with you?"
13Jehoash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah, son of Jehoash, son of Ahaziah, at Beth Shemesh. Then he came to Jerusalem and broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate, four hundred cubits.
14He took all the gold and silver and all the articles found in the house of the LORD and in the treasuries of the royal palace, along with hostages, and returned to Samaria.
A conspiracy was formed against Amaziah in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish. But the conspirators sent men after him, and he was killed there. He was brought back and buried in the City of David. His son Azariah (Uzziah) became king after him.
27From the time that Amaziah turned away from following the LORD, they conspired against him in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish. But they sent men after him to Lachish and killed him there.
28They brought him back on horses and buried him with his fathers in the City of Judah.[^1]
[^1]: Some ancient manuscripts and versions read "City of David."