12 The Judean forces captured another ten thousand alive, brought them to the top of a cliff, and threw them off so that all were dashed to pieces.
13 Meanwhile, the troops Amaziah had released from fighting alongside him raided cities in Judah from Samaria to Beth-horon, killing three thousand people and carrying off a large amount of loot.
14 When Amaziah returned after defeating the Edomites, he brought the gods of the people of Seir. He set them up as his own gods, bowed down before them, and burned incense to them.
15 As a result, the Lord was angry with Amaziah and sent a prophet to him."Why do you seek the gods of this people?" the prophet asked. "They couldn’t even deliver their own people from you!"
16 "Since when do you give me advice?" Amaziah interrupted. "You better quit before you end up dead!"So the prophet stopped, but not until he said, "I know God plans to destroy you because you’ve done this and because you’ve refused to listen to my advice."
17 After Judah’s King Amaziah consulted with his advisors, he sent a challenge to Israel’s King Joash, Jehoahaz’s son and Jehu’s grandson. "Come on," he said, "let’s go head-to-head!"
18 Israel’s King Joash sent the following reply to Judah’s King Amaziah: "Once upon a time, a thistle in Lebanon sent a message to a cedar: ‘Give your daughter to my son as a wife.’ But then a wild beast in Lebanon came along and trampled the thistle.