1 Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jehoaddan, of Jerusalem. 2 He did that which was right in Yahweh’s eyes, but not with a perfect heart. 3 Now when the kingdom was established to him, he killed his servants who had killed his father the king. 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 Moses, as Yahweh 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 Amaziah gathered Judah together and ordered them according to their fathers’ houses, under captains of thousands and captains of hundreds, even all Judah and Benjamin. He counted them from twenty years old and upward, and found that there were three hundred thousand chosen men, able to go out to war, who could handle spear and shield. 6 He also hired one hundred thousand mighty men of valor out of Israel for one hundred talents of silver. 7 A man of God came to him, saying, "O king, don’t let the army of Israel go with you, for Yahweh is not with Israel, with all the children of Ephraim. 8 But if you will go, take action, and be strong for the battle. God will overthrow you before the enemy; for God has power to help, and to overthrow."

9 Amaziah said to the man of God, "But what shall we do for the hundred talents which I have given to the army of Israel?"

The man of God answered, "Yahweh is able to give you much more than this."

10 Then Amaziah separated them, the army that had come to him out of Ephraim, to go home again. Therefore their anger was greatly kindled against Judah, and they returned home in fierce anger.

11 Amaziah took courage, and led his people out and went to the Valley of Salt, and struck ten thousand of the children of Seir. 12 The children of Judah carried away ten thousand alive, and brought them to the top of the rock, and threw them down from the top of the rock, so that they all were broken in pieces. 13 But the men of the army whom Amaziah sent back, that they should not go with him to battle, fell on the cities of Judah from Samaria even to Beth Horon, and struck of them three thousand, and took much plunder.

14 Now after Amaziah had come from the slaughter of the Edomites, he brought the gods of the children of Seir, and set them up to be his gods, and bowed down himself before them and burned incense to them. 15 Therefore Yahweh’s anger burned against Amaziah, 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 As he talked with him, the king said to him, "Have we made you one of the king’s counselors? 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 Amaziah king of Judah consulted his advisers, and sent to Joash, the son of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, "Come! Let’s look one another in the face."

18 Joash 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 your daughter to my son as his wife. Then a wild animal that was in Lebanon passed by and trampled down the thistle. 19 You say to yourself that you have struck Edom; and your heart lifts you up to boast. Now stay at home. Why should you meddle with trouble, that you should fall, even you and Judah with you?’"

20 But Amaziah would not listen; 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 Joash king of Israel went up, and he and Amaziah king of Judah looked one another in the face at Beth Shemesh, which belongs to Judah. 22 Judah was defeated by Israel; so every man fled to his tent.

23 Joash king of Israel took Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Joash the son of Jehoahaz, at Beth Shemesh and brought him to Jerusalem, and broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the gate of Ephraim to the corner gate, four hundred cubits. 24 He took all the gold and silver, and all the vessels that were found in God’s house with Obed-Edom, and the treasures of the king’s house, and the hostages, and returned to Samaria.

25 Amaziah the son of Joash, king of Judah, lived for fifteen years after the death of Joash, son of Jehoahaz, king of Israel. 26 Now the rest of the acts of Amaziah, first and last, behold, aren’t they written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel? 27 Now from the time that Amaziah turned away from following Yahweh, they made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem. He fled to Lachish, but they sent after him to Lachish and killed him there. 28 They brought him on horses and buried him with his fathers in the City of Judah.

1 亚玛谢登基的时候是二十五岁， 他在耶路撒冷作王二十九年。他的母亲名叫约耶但， 是耶路撒冷人。

2 亚玛谢行耶和华看为正的事， 只是心不专一。

3 他巩固了王位以后， 就把击杀他父王的臣仆杀了。

4 他却没有处死他们的儿子， 因为照着摩西律法书上所记， 耶和华曾吩咐： "不可因儿子的罪处死父亲， 也不可因父亲的罪处死儿子； 各人要因自己的罪被处死。"

5 亚玛谢召集了犹大人， 按着他们的家族为全犹大和便雅悯人， 设立千夫长和百夫长， 又数点他们的数目， 从二十岁以上， 能出去打仗， 能拿枪持盾的精兵， 共有三十万。

6 又用了三千四百公斤银子， 从以色列中雇了十万英勇的战士。

7 有一位神人来见亚玛谢， 说： "王啊， 请不要领以色列的军队和你同去， 因为耶和华不和以色列人， 不和任何以法莲的子孙同在。

8 即使你一定要去， 奋勇争战， 神也会使你在敌人面前覆灭， 因为 神有能力帮助人， 也有能力使人覆灭。"

9 亚玛谢问神人： "我给以色列雇佣兵的那三千四百公斤银子怎么办呢？"神人回答： "耶和华能把比这更多赐给你。"

10 于是亚玛谢把那从以法莲来的雇佣兵解散了， 遣送他们回家； 因此他们非常恼怒犹大人， 就气冲冲地回家去了。

11 亚玛谢鼓起勇气， 率领他的人民到盐谷去， 击杀了一万西珥人。

12 犹大人又生擒了一万人， 带到一处崖顶， 从崖顶把他们拋下去， 使他们都摔得肢离破碎。

13 但亚玛谢打发回去、不许和他一同作战的雇佣兵， 竟侵入犹大各城， 从撒玛利亚直到伯．和仑， 击杀了三千人， 又掠去了很多财物。

14 亚玛谢击败了以东人回来的时候， 把西珥人的神像也带回来， 立为自己的神， 在它们面前叩拜， 又向它们烧香。

15 因此， 耶和华向亚玛谢发怒， 于是差派一位先知去见他， 对他说： "这民族的神不能拯救自己的人民脱离你的手， 你为什么还寻求它们呢？"

16 先知向王讲话的时候， 王对他说： "我们立了你作王的谋士吗？住口吧！ 你要挨打吗？"先知就住口， 可是又说： "我知道 神已定意消灭你， 因为你作了这事， 又不听从我的劝戒。"

17 犹大王亚玛谢和群臣商议以后， 就派人去见耶户的孙子、约哈斯的儿子、以色列王约阿施， 说： "来吧， 我们在战场上相见吧！ "

18 以色列王约阿施派人去见犹大王亚玛谢， 说： "黎巴嫩的蒺藜派人去见黎巴嫩的香柏树， 说： ‘把你的女儿给我的儿子作妻子吧！ ’后来有一只黎巴嫩的野兽从那里经过， 把蒺藜践踏了。

19 你心里说你击败了以东人， 你就心里骄傲， 以这事夸口。现在你留在家里吧， 为什么要惹祸， 使犹大和你一同覆亡呢？"

20 亚玛谢却不听从； 这原是出于 神， 好把他们交在约阿施手里， 因为他们寻求以东的神。

21 于是以色列王约阿施上来， 在犹大的伯．示麦， 和犹大王亚玛谢相会于战场上。

22 犹大人在以色列人面前被击败， 各自逃回家去了。

23 以色列王约阿施在伯．示麦捉住了约哈斯的孙子、约阿施的儿子、犹大王亚玛谢， 把他带到耶路撒冷， 又拆毁耶路撒冷的城墙， 从以法莲门直到角门， 共两百公尺。

24 又把俄别．以东负责看守 神殿里的一切金银和一切器皿， 以及王宫里的宝物都掠去， 又掳走人质， 然后回撒玛利亚去了。

25 以色列王约哈斯的儿子约阿施死后， 犹大王约阿施的儿子亚玛谢还活了十五年。

26 亚玛谢其余的事迹， 一生的始末， 不是都记在犹大和以色列诸王记上吗？

27 自从亚玛谢离弃耶和华以后， 在耶路撒冷有人要谋害他； 他就逃到拉吉去。谋害他的人派人追到拉吉， 在那里把他杀死。

28 然后用马把他的尸体运回来， 埋葬在大卫城里， 和他的列祖一起。