1. Amaziah son of Joash became king of Judah during the second year Jehoash son of Jehoahaz was king of Israel.
2. Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he ruled twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother was named Jehoaddin, and she was from Jerusalem.
3. Amaziah did what the Lord said was right. He did everything his father Joash had done, but he did not do as his ancestor David had done.
4. The places where gods were worshiped were not removed, so the people still sacrificed and burned incense there.
5. As soon as Amaziah took control of the kingdom, he executed the officers who had murdered his father the king.
6. But he did not put to death the children of the murderers because of the rule written in the Book of the Teachings of Moses. The Lord had commanded: “Parents must not be put to death when their children do wrong, and children must not be put to death when their parents do wrong. Each must die for his own sins.”
7. In battle Amaziah killed ten thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt. He also took the city of Sela. He called it Joktheel, as it is still called today.