tle story of the cedar of Lebanon and the thistle. But Amaziah did
not heed the warning. Jehoash of Israel came down with his fighting
men and not only defeated the overconfident king but actually captured
Jerusalem and tore down a part of its walls.)

Amaziah was twenty and five years old when he began to reign; and he
reigned twenty and nine years in Jerusalem: and his mother's name was
Jehoaddan of Jerusalem. And he did that which was right in the eyes of
the Lord, but not with a perfect heart.

Now it came to pass, when the kingdom was established unto him, that
he slew his servants which had killed the king his father. But he put
not their children to death, but did according to that which is
written in the law in the book of Moses, as the Lord 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."

Moreover Amaziah gathered Judah together, and ordered them according
to their fathers' houses, under {282} captains of thousands and
captains of hundreds, even all Judah and Benjamin: and he numbered
them from twenty years old and upward, and found them three hundred
thousand chosen men, able to go forth to war, that could handle spear
and shield. He hired also an hundred thousand mighty men of valor,
mercenaries, out of Israel for an hundred talents of silver.

But there came a man of God to him, saying, "O king, let not the army
of Israel go with thee; for the Lord is not with Israel. But if thou
wilt go, do valiantly, be strong for the battle: God shall cast thee
down before the enemy; for God hath power to help, and to cast down."

And 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?"

And the man of God answered, "The Lord is able to give thee much more
than this."

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

And Amaziah took courage, and led forth his people, and went to the
Valley of Salt, and smote of the children of Seir ten thousand. And
other ten thousand did the children of Judah carry away alive, and
brought them unto the top of the rock, and cast them down from the top
of the rock, so that they all were broken in pieces. But the men of
the army which Amaziah sent back, that th