2 Kings

Continues the story of the divided kingdoms, their decline, and eventual exile.

Chapter 14

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

In the second year of King Joash of Israel, Amaziah, son of Joash, ruled as king over Judah.

2 He 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.

At age 25, he started ruling and ruled for 29 years in Jerusalem. His mom's name was Jehoaddan from Jerusalem.

3 And 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.

He did what was good in God's eyes but not exactly like David, his father; instead, he followed the example set by Joash, his other father.

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

However, the high places were not removed: at that time, people still offered sacrifices and burned incense on the high places.

5 And 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.

Then, when he got control of the kingdom, he killed the people who had killed his dad, the king.

6 But 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.

But he didn't kill the children of murderers. This is based on a rule in Moses' law book, where the LORD said that parents shouldn't be punished for their children's actions and vice versa; each person is responsible for their own wrongdoing.

7 He 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.

He killed ten thousand people from Edom in a salty valley, and won the city called Selah through war. He renamed it Joktheel, and it's still called that today.

8 Then 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.

Then Amaziah sent a message to King Jehoash of Israel, asking him to come and meet face-to-face.

9 And 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.

King Jehoash of Israel told King Amaziah of Judah, "The thistle in Lebanon asked the cedar in Lebanon for his daughter to marry his son. But a wild animal in Lebanon came by and crushed the thistle."

10 Thou 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?

You have truly defeated Edom and your heart has lifted you up. Enjoy this success and stay at home. Why would you get involved in something that could harm you and also Judah?

11 But 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.

But Amaziah didn't listen. So King Jehoash of Israel went up, and they both faced each other at Bethshemesh, a place in Judah.

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

Judah did poorly against Israel, so everyone quickly went back to their homes.

13 And 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.

King Jehoash of Israel captured King Amaziah of Judah, who was the grandson of Ahaziah, at a place called Bethshemesh. He then marched to Jerusalem and destroyed a part of its wall from the Ephraim Gate to the corner gate, which was 400 units of measurement called cubits long.

14 And 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.

He gathered all the gold, silver, and objects from the LORD's house and the king's treasury, along with hostages, and went back to Samaria.

15 Now 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?

"Now, what's left of King Jehoash's deeds, strength, and battles against Amaziah, the king of Judah, can't you find them in the records of the Israeli kings' book?"

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

Jehoash passed away and was buried with the other kings in Samaria. His son Jeroboam took over as king.

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

Amaziah, son of Joash, king of Judah, lived for 15 years after Jehoash, son of Jehoahaz, the king of Israel, passed away.

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

Isn't the rest of Amaziah's story found in the book of Judah's king records?

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

In Jerusalem, people planned to harm him. He ran away to Lachish, but they followed him there and killed him.

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

They carried him on horses, and he was buried in Jerusalem, where his ancestors were, in the city called David's city.

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

All the people of Judah chose Azariah, who was 16 years old, to be their new king after his dad, Amaziah.

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

He constructed Elath and returned it to Judah when the king died and was with his ancestors again.

23 In 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.

In the 15th year of Amaziah, king of Judah, Jeroboam, son of Joash, became king of Israel in Samaria. He ruled for 41 years.

24 And 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.

He did bad things that displeased God. He didn't stop doing the wrong things that Jeroboam, son of Nebat, did which caused Israel to sin.

25 He 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.

He brought back the land of Israel from Hamath to the flat sea area, following what the Lord God of Israel said through His messenger Jonah, son of Amittai, a prophet from Gathhepher.

26 For 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.

The LORD saw how much Israel was suffering, that it was extremely painful. There were no one protected, no one remaining, and no one to help Israel.

27 And 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.

And God didn't say he would erase Israel's name from existence; instead, he rescued them through Jeroboam, son of Joash.

28 Now 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?

The rest of Jeroboam's actions, power, and battles, including when he took back Damascus and Hamath from Judah for Israel, can be found in the records of the kings of Israel's history books.

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

Jeroboam passed away and joined his ancestors, who were kings in Israel. His son, Zachariah, then took over his position as ruler.

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