1883 Haydock Douay Rheims Bible

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II Chronicles 25:1	Amasias *was five and twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned nine and twenty years in Jerusalem: the name of his mother was Joadan, of Jerusalem. 4: Deuteronomy 24:16.; 4 Kings 14:6.; Ezechiel 18:20.	Year of the World 3165, Year before Christ 839.; 4 Kings xiv.
II Chronicles 25:2	And he did what was good in the sight of the Lord: but yet not with a perfect heart.	Heart, and with perseverance.
II Chronicles 25:3	And when he saw himself strengthened in his kingdom, he put to death the servants that had slain the king, his father.
II Chronicles 25:4	But he slew not their children, as it is written in the book of the law of Moses, where the Lord commanded, saying: *The fathers shall not be slain for the children, nor the children for their fathers; but every man shall die for his own sin.
II Chronicles 25:5	Amasias, therefore, gathered Juda together, and appointed them by families, and captains of thousands, and of hundreds in all Juda, and Benjamin: and he numbered them from twenty years old and upwards, and found three hundred thousand young men that could go out to battle, and could hold the spear and shield.	Families. The officers were well acquainted with their soldiers; (Calmet) and all were more interested for each other's welfare, (Du Hamel) than they are in the present system. (Calmet) --- Young. Protestants, "choice men, able to go." (Haydock)
II Chronicles 25:6	He hired also of Israel a hundred thousand valiant men, for a hundred talents of silver.	Thousand. Yet "they were so greatly reduced, but a few years before, that there were left....only fifty horsemen," etc., 4 Kings 13:7. (Kennicott) --- That might be true, at one time, when the people fled from the king's banners, through fear. But they were still in the country, and God gave Israel a saviour, 4 Kings 13:5. See 2 Paralipomenon 13:3., and 17:19. (Haydock) --- Silver. This sum was very small, for so great a multitude. Salien suspects talents of gold are meant, though the soldiers were paid in silver. But the sum was only the hire for a short time; (Menochius) and was not distributed among the soldiers, who were to live on plunder, but went into the king's coffers, (Calmet) or belonged to the officers alone. (Mariana) (Du Hamel) --- The talent of silver was worth 342l. 3s. 9d. (Arbuthnot)
II Chronicles 25:7	But a man of God came to him, and said: O king, let not the army of Israel go out with thee, for the Lord is not with Israel, and all the children of Ephraim:
II Chronicles 25:8	And if thou think that battles consist in the strength of the army, God will make thee to be overcome by the enemies: for it belongeth to God both to help, and to put to flight.	And. Hebrew, "But if thou wilt go, do; be strong; (he speaks ironically) God," etc. Septuagint, "if thou thinkest that thou art strong with these, the Lord," etc. Amasias ought to have known that no dependance was to be placed on Israel, while they despised God, 2 Paralipomenon 15:2.
II Chronicles 25:9	And Amasias said to the man of God: What will then become of the hundred talents which I have given to the soldiers of Israel? and the man of God answered him: The Lord is rich enough to be able to give thee much more than this.	What will. Syriac, etc., "What then is my crime in having given the," etc. --- To the. Hebrew or, "for the army." (Haydock)
II Chronicles 25:10	Amasias then separated the army, that came to him out of Ephraim, to go home again: but they being much enraged against Juda, returned to their own country.
II Chronicles 25:11	And Amasias, taking courage, led forth his people, and went to the vale of salt pits, and slew of the children of Seir, ten thousand.
II Chronicles 25:12	And other ten thousand men the sons of Juda took, and brought to the steep of a certain rock, and cast them down headlong from the top, and they all were broken to pieces.	Rock, afterwards called Jecteel. Some take it to be Petra, 4 Kings 14:7.
II Chronicles 25:13	But that army which Amasias had sent back, that they should not go with him to battle, spread themselves among the cities of Juda, from Samaria, to Bethhoron, and having killed three thousand, took away much spoil.	Samaria, the capital, where they had made their complaints to king Joas; and receiving no redress, began to plunder, as far as Bethhoron the lower, which Solomon had repaired, and his successors had retained, though it belonged to the territory of Ephraim, 2 Paralipomenon 13:5., and Josue 18:13. (Calmet)
II Chronicles 25:14	But Amasias, after he had slain the Edomites, set up the gods of the children of Seir, which he had brought thence, to be his gods, and adored them, and burnt incense to them.
II Chronicles 25:15	Wherefore the Lord being angry against Amasias, sent a prophet to him, to say to him: Why hast thou adored gods that have not delivered their own people out of thy hand?
II Chronicles 25:16	And when he spoke these things, he answered him: Art thou the king's counsellor? be quiet, lest I kill thee. And the prophet departing, said: I know that God is minded to kill thee, because thou hast done this evil, and moreover hast not hearkened to my counsel.	Art thou. Hebrew adds, "appointed." (Haydock) --- The very character of prophet, authorized him to give counsel even to kings. Amasias had perhaps obeyed this prophet, (ver. 7) but now his heart was puffed up with victory. --- Kill thee, sixteen years hence.
II Chronicles 25:17	Then Amasias, king of Juda, taking very bad counsel, sent to Joas, the son of Joachaz, the son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying: Come, let us see one another.	Another, and fight. He supposed Joas had connived at his subjects' invasion, (ver. 13.; Haydock. See 4 Kings 14:8.; Calmet) and he now required all Israel to submit to him. (Josephus) (Tirinus)
II Chronicles 25:18	But he sent back the messengers, saying: The thistle that is in Libanus sent to the cedar in Libanus, saying: Give thy daughter to my son to wife: and behold the beasts that were in the wood of Libanus, passed by, and trod down the thistle.	Thistle. This fable insinuated how much Joas despised the insolence of his antagonist, (Haydock) and Amasias had soon reason to repent. (Tirinus)
II Chronicles 25:19	Thou hast said: I have overthrown Edom, and therefore thy heart is lifted up with pride: stay at home; why dost thou provoke evil against thee, that both thou shouldst fall and Juda with thee.
II Chronicles 25:20	Amasias would not hearken to him, because it was the Lord's will that he should be delivered into the hands of enemies, because of the gods of Edom.	It. Protestants, "it came of God, that he might deliver them into the hand of their enemies, because they sought after the gods of Edom." (Haydock) --- The king was permitted to give ear to evil counsellors. (Calmet) --- "Jupiter deprives those of understanding, whom he means to destroy." (Homer) --- The heart is hardened on account of former sins. (Worthington)
II Chronicles 25:21	So Joas, king of Israel, went up, and they presented themselves to be seen by one another: and Amasias, king of Juda, was in Bethsames of Juda:
II Chronicles 25:22	And Juda fell before Israel, and they fled to their dwellings.
II Chronicles 25:23	And Joas, king of Israel, took Amasias, king of Juda, the son of Joas, the son Joachaz, in Bethsames, and brought him to Jerusalem: and broke down the walls thereof from the gate of Ephraim, to the gate of the corner, four hundred cubits.
II Chronicles 25:24	And he took all the gold, and silver, and all the vessels, that he found in the house of God, and with Obededom, and in the treasures of the king's house: moreover also the sons of the hostages, he brought back to Samaria.	Obededom, whose descendants guarded these treasures, 1 Paralipomenon 26:15. (Calmet) --- Hostages. Protestants, "the hostages also, and returned to Samaria." (Haydock) --- Some think that the kings of Juda had before detained these men. (Estius) --- Others suppose that Joas had taken many nobles, whom he exchanged for their sons. But this is all conjecture. (Calmet)
II Chronicles 25:25	And Amasias, the son of Joas, king of Juda, lived, after the death of Joas, the son of Joachaz, king of Israel, fifteen years.
II Chronicles 25:26	Now the rest of the acts of Amasias, the first and last are written in the book of the kings of Juda and Israel.
II Chronicles 25:27	And after he revolted from the Lord, they made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem. *And he fled into Lachis, and they sent, and killed him there.	Year of the World 3194, Year before Christ 810.
II Chronicles 25:28	And they brought him back upon horses, and buried him with his fathers in the city of David.	David. Hebrew, "of Juda," contrary to the Septuagint, Syriac, etc. (Calmet)