2 Kings 14

1 In the second year of Joash, son of Joahaz, king of Israel, Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah began to reign.

2 He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign; and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jehoaddin of Jerusalem.

3 He did that which was right in the LORD’s eyes, yet not like David his father. He did according to all that Joash his father had done.

4 However the high places were not taken away. The people still sacrificed and burned incense in the high places.

5 As soon as the kingdom was established in his hand, he killed his servants who had slain the king his father,

6 but the children of the murderers he didn’t put to death, according to that which is written in the book of the law of Moses, as 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 die for his own sin.”

7 He killed ten thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt, and took Sela by war, and called its name Joktheel, to this day.

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

9 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 your daughter to my son as wife.’ Then a wild animal that was in Lebanon passed by, and trampled down the thistle.

10 You have indeed struck Edom, and your heart has lifted you up. Enjoy the glory of it, and stay at home; for why should you meddle to your harm, that you fall, even you, and Judah with you?”

11 But Amaziah would not listen. So Jehoash 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.

12 Judah was defeated by Israel; and each man fled to his tent.

13 Jehoash king of Israel took Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Jehoash the son of Ahaziah, at Beth Shemesh and came to Jerusalem, then broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the gate of Ephraim to the corner gate, four hundred cubits.

14 He took all the gold and silver and all the vessels that were found in the LORD’s house and in the treasures of the king’s house, the hostages also, and returned 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, aren’t they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

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

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

18 Now the rest of the acts of Amaziah, aren’t they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

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

20 They brought him on horses, and he was buried at Jerusalem with his fathers in David’s city.

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

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

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 for forty-one years.

24 He did that which was evil in the LORD’s sight. He didn’t depart from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, with which he made Israel to sin.

25 He restored the border of Israel from the entrance of Hamath to the sea of the Arabah, according to the LORD, the God of Israel’s word, which he spoke by his servant Jonah the son of Amittai, the prophet, who was from Gath Hepher.

26 For the LORD saw the affliction of Israel, that it was very bitter for all, slave and free; and there was no helper for Israel.

27 The LORD didn’t say that he would blot out the name of Israel from under the sky; but he saved them by the hand of Jeroboam the son of Joash.

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

29 Jeroboam slept with his fathers, even with the kings of Israel; and Zechariah his son reigned in his place.

Around 2 Kings 14

Context

Context for this book is being written. A note appears here only once it names its sources.

AI explanation

2 Kings 14 · Written by an AI model · Not reviewed by a theological reader

This explanation was written by an AI model to help you get started. It names no sources and can contain mistakes. Scripture comes first, and context with sources is shown separately on this page.

What this chapter says

Amaziah becomes king of Judah at twenty-five. He does right in the LORD's eyes, though not like David. When he secures his throne he kills the servants who murdered his father, but he spares their children, following the law of Moses that each person dies for his own sin.

Then pride gets the better of him. He sends to Jehoash of Israel: come, let us look one another in the face. Jehoash answers with a parable of a thistle that asked a cedar for a marriage alliance and was trampled by a wild animal. Enjoy your glory, he says, and stay home. Amaziah will not listen. Judah is beaten at Beth Shemesh, part of Jerusalem's wall is broken down, and the temple treasures are carried to Samaria. Amaziah is later killed by conspirators at Lachish. In Israel, Jeroboam son of Joash restores the border according to the word of the prophet Jonah.

Background

The chapter alternates between the kings of Judah and Israel. The law Amaziah follows is the one in Deuteronomy 24, where each person is responsible for their own sin. Jonah the son of Amittai is the prophet whose name is shared with the book of Jonah. The text says the LORD saw how bitter Israel's affliction was and saved them through Jeroboam, even though Jeroboam did evil.

About this explanation

Written by Claude Sonnet 5.5, an AI model, on 31 October 2026. It draws on the WEB text and general knowledge and was not checked against sources by a person. Every quotation from Scripture is checked automatically against the WEB text.

Report a mistake

CommunityVoices, not sources

Readers share what this chapter means to them in the app.

See what readers say about 2 Kings 14

World English Bible. Public-domain source and edition notes