أمصيا ملك يهوذا
(2مل 14:1-7)1 وكانَ أمَصْيا ابنَ خمسٍ وعِشرينَ سنَةً حينَ ملَكَ، وملَكَ تِسْعا وعِشرينَ سنَةً بأورُشليمَ، وكانَ اسمُ أمِّهِ يوعدَّانَ مِنْ أورُشليمَ. 2 وعَمِلَ ما هوَ قويمٌ في نظَرِ الرّبِّ، لكِنْ لا مِنْ كُلِّ قلبِهِ. 3 ولمَّا استَتَبَّ لَه المُلْكَ قتَلَ الخدَمَ الّذينَ قَتَلوا أباهُ. 4 وأمَّا أبناؤُهُم فلم يَقتُلْهُم عمَلا بما جاءَ في كِتابِ شَريعةِ موسى، حيثُ قالَ الرّبُّ: «لا يموتُ الآباءُ بِـخطيئةِ البَنينَ، ولا يموتُ البَنونَ بِـخطيئةِ الآباءِ، بل كُلُّ إنسانٍ بِـخطيئَتِهِ يموتُ».
محاربة آرام
5 وأحصى أمَصْيا رِجالَ يَهوذا وبنيامينَ مِنِ ابنِ عِشرينَ سنَةً فما فَوقُ، ونَظَّمَهُم بِـحسَبِ عشائِرِهِم، وأقامَ علَيهِم قادَةَ ألوفٍ وقادَةَ مِئاتٍ، فكانوا ثَلاثَ مئَةِ ألفِ مُدَرَّبٍ على القِتالِ بِالرُّمْحِ والتُّرْسِ. 6 واستَأجَرَ مِنْ إِسرائيلَ مئَةَ ألفِ جُنديٍّ بنَحوِ ستَّةَ عشَرَ قِنطارا مِنَ الفِضَّةِ. 7 فجاءَهُ أحدُ أنبـياءِ اللهِ وقالَ لَه: «أيُّها المَلِكُ، لا تأخُذْ هؤلاءِ الإسرائيليِّينَ معَكَ إلى الحربِ، لأنَّ الرّبَّ لا يَنصُرُهم ولا يَنصُرُ أحدا مِنْ بَني أفرايمَ. 8 وإذا كُنتَ تَظُنُّ أنَّهُم يَدعَمونَكَ في القِتالِ، فإنَّ اللهَ يَهزِمُكَ أمامَ الأعداءِ لأنَّ في يَدِهِ وحدَهُ النَّصرَ والهزيمةَ». 9 فقالَ أمَصْيا لِنَبـي اللهِ: «وماذا تَعمَلُ بالسِتَّةَ عشَرَ قِنطارا مِنَ الفِضَّةِ الّتي استَأجَرْتُ بِها الجُنودَ الإِسرائيليِّينَ؟» فأجابَهُ: «الرّبُّ قادرٌ أنْ يُعطيَكَ أكثَرَ مِنْ ذلِكَ بِكثرةٍ».
10 فصَرَفَ أمَصْيا الجُنودَ الإِسرائيليِّينَ إلى حَيثُ جاؤوا مِنْ أفرايمَ، فرَجَعوا وهُم في غضَبٍ شديدٍ على يَهوذا. 11 وأمَّا أمَصْيا فتَشَجَّعَ وخرَجَ على رأسِ جيشِهِ إلى وادي المِلْحِ وحارَبَ بَني سعيرَ وقتَلَ مِنهُم عشَرَةَ آلافِ رَجُلٍ. 12 وأسَرَ رِجالُ يَهوذا عشَرَةَ آلافٍ آخَرينَ وجاؤوا بِهِم إلى مدينةِ سالِـعَ ورَمَوهُم مِنْ رأسِ صخرَةٍ هُناكَ فتَحَطَّموا كُلُّهم. 13 أمَّا الجُنودُ الّذينَ رَدَّهُم أمَصْيا ولم يأخُذْهُم معَهُ إلى القِتالِ، فاجْتاحوا مُدُنَ يَهوذا، مِنَ السَّامِرةِ إلى بَيتَ حورونَ، وقَتَلوا ثَلاثةَ آلافِ رَجُلٍ وأخَذوا غَنائِمَ كثيرةً.
(2مل 14:8-14)14 ولمَّا رَجَع أمَصْيا مِنْ مُحارَبةِ الأدوميِّينَ، جاءَ بآلِهَةِ بَني سعيرَ وأقامَها آلهَةً لَه، وسجَدَ أمامَها وأحرَقَ لها البَخورَ. 15 فغَضِبَ علَيهِ الرّبُّ وأرسلَ نَبـيًّا يقولُ لَه: «لِماذا تَعبُدُ آلِهَةً لم تقدِرْ أنْ تُنقِذَ عابِديها مِنْ يَدِكَ؟» 16 وفيما هوَ يتَكلَّمُ قالَ لَه المَلِكُ: «ومَنْ جعَلَكَ مُستَشارا لِلمَلِكِ؟ أسكُتْ لِئلاَّ أقتُلَكَ». فَسكَتَ النَّبـيُّ بَعدَ أنْ قالَ: «عَلِمتُ الآنَ أنَّ اللهَ قضى بِهَلاكِكَ، لأنَّكَ فعَلْتَ هذا، ولم تَسمعْ لِمَشورَتي».
محاربة إسرائيل
17 وبَعدَ استِشارةِ حاشيَتِهِ أرسلَ أمَصْيا مَلكُ يَهوذا إلى يوآشَ بنِ يوآحازَ بنِ ياهو مَلكِ بَني إِسرائيلَ يقولُ: «تَعالَ نتَحارَبْ لِنَرى مَنْ هوَ الأقوى»، 18 فأجابَهُ يوآشُ: «العوسَجُ الّذي في لبنانَ أرسلَ إلى الأرزِ في لبنانَ يقولُ: زَوِّجِ ابنَتَكَ لابني. فمَرَّ وحشُ البرِّيَّةِ هُناكَ وداسَ العوسَجَ. 19 وأنتَ قُلتَ لِنَفْسِكَ: غلَبتُ أدومَ، فاندَفَعَ قلبُكَ إلى الغُرورِ فالزَمْ بَيتَكَ. لِماذا تُعَرِّضُ نفْسَكَ لِلمُشكِلاتِ فتَسقُطَ أنتَ ويَهوذا معَكَ؟»
20 لكِنَّ أمَصْيا لم يستَمِعْ لِهذا الكلامِ. فمشيئَةُ اللهِ كانَت أنْ يُسَلِّمَهُ إلى يَدِ عَدُوِّهِ لأنَّهُ عبَدَ آلِهَةَ أدومَ. 21 فصَعِدَ يوآشُ مَلِكُ إسرائيلَ وحارَبَ أمَصْيا مَلِكَ يَهوذا في معرَكةٍ عِندَ بـيتَ شمسَ الّتي في يَهوذا. 22 فانكسَرَت يَهوذا أمامَ إِسرائيلَ، وهرَبَ كُلُّ واحدٍ إلى بَيتِهِ. 23 وقبَضَ يوآشُ على أمَصْيا في بَيتَ شمسَ وجاءَ بهِ إلى أورُشليمَ، وهدَمَ سُورَها مِنْ بابِ أفرايمَ إلى بابِ الزَّاويةِ، على طولِ أربَعِ مئةِ ذِراعٍ، 24 وأخذَ جميعَ الذَّهبِ والفِضَّةِ والآنيةِ الّتي وجَدَها في الهَيكلِ بِـحِراسةِ عوبـيدَ أدومَ، وفي خزائِنِ قَصرِ المَلِكِ، ورجَعَ إلى السَّامِرةِ ومعَهُ عدَدٌ مِنَ الرَّهائِنِ.
(2مل 14:15-20)25 وبَعدَ أنْ ماتَ يوآشُ بنُ يوآحازَ مَلِكُ إِسرائيلَ عاشَ أمَصْيا بنُ يوآشَ مَلِكُ يَهوذا خمسَ عَشْرَةَ سنَةً. 26 وما تبَقَّى مِن أخبارِ أمَصْيا، مِنْ أوَّلِها إلى آخِرِها، مُدَوَّنٌ في سِفرِ مُلوكِ يَهوذا وإِسرائيلَ. 27 ومُنذُ أنْ حادَ أمَصْيا عَنِ اتِّباعِ الرّبِّ تآمرَ علَيهِ خُصومُهُ في أورُشليمَ فهَربَ إلى لَخيشَ فلحِقوا بهِ وقَتَلوهُ هُناكَ. 28 وحُمِلَ على فرَسٍ ودُفِنَ معَ آبائِهِ في مدينةِ داوُدَ.
1 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. 2 And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, but not with a perfect heart.
3 ¶ Now it came to pass, when the kingdom was established to him, that he slew his servants that had killed the king his father. 4 But he slew not their children, but did as it is written in the law in the book of Moses, where 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.
5 ¶ Moreover Amaziah gathered Judah together, and made them captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, according to the houses of their fathers, throughout all Judah and Benjamin: and he numbered them from twenty years old and above, and found them three hundred thousand choice men, able to go forth to war, that could handle spear and shield. 6 He hired also an hundred thousand mighty men of valour out of Israel for an hundred talents of silver. 7 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, to wit, with all the children of Ephraim. 8 But if thou wilt go, do it , be strong for the battle: God shall make thee fall before the enemy: for God hath power to help, and to cast down. 9 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. 10 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 great anger.
11 ¶ And Amaziah strengthened himself, and led forth his people, and went to the valley of salt, and smote of the children of Seir ten thousand. 12 And other ten thousand left alive did the children of Judah carry away captive, and brought them unto the top of the rock, and cast them down from the top of the rock, that they all were broken in pieces.
13 ¶ But the soldiers of the army which Amaziah sent back, that they should not go with him to battle, fell upon the cities of Judah, from Samaria even unto Beth-horon, and smote three thousand of them, and took much spoil.
14 ¶ Now it came to pass, after that Amaziah was come from the slaughter of the Edomites, that 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 unto them. 15 Wherefore the anger of the LORD was kindled against Amaziah, and he sent unto him a prophet, which said unto him, Why hast thou sought after the gods of the people, which could not deliver their own people out of thine hand? 16 And it came to pass, as he talked with him, that the king said unto him, Art thou made of the king’s counsel? forbear; why shouldest thou be smitten? Then the prophet forbare, and said, I know that God hath determined to destroy thee, because thou hast done this, and hast not hearkened unto my counsel.
17 ¶ Then Amaziah king of Judah took advice, and sent to Joash, the son of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, Come, let us see one another in the face. 18 And 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 thy daughter to my son to wife: and there passed by a wild beast that was in Lebanon, and trode down the thistle. 19 Thou sayest, Lo, thou hast smitten the Edomites; and thine heart lifteth thee up to boast: abide now at home; why shouldest thou meddle to thine hurt, that thou shouldest fall, even thou, and Judah with thee? 20 But Amaziah would not hear; for it came of God, that he might deliver them into the hand of their enemies , because they sought after the gods of Edom. 21 So Joash the king of Israel went up; and they saw one another in the face, both he and Amaziah king of Judah, at Beth-shemesh, which belongeth to Judah. 22 And Judah was put to the worse before Israel, and they fled every man to his tent. 23 And Joash the 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 brake down the wall of Jerusalem from the gate of Ephraim to the corner gate, four hundred cubits. 24 And he took all the gold and the silver, and all the vessels that were found in the house of God with Obed-edom, and the treasures of the king’s house, the hostages also, and returned to Samaria.
25 ¶ And Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah lived after the death of Joash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel fifteen years. 26 Now the rest of the acts of Amaziah, first and last, behold, are they not written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel?
27 ¶ Now after the time that Amaziah did turn away from following the LORD they made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem; and he fled to Lachish: but they sent to Lachish after him, and slew him there. 28 And they brought him upon horses, and buried him with his fathers in the city of Judah.