2 Chronicles 25

Introduction

Second Chronicles 25 recounts the reign of Amaziah, king of Judah, who ruled for twenty-nine years following the assassination of his father Joash (2 Chronicles 24:25-27). The Chronicler introduces Amaziah with a characteristically pointed evaluation: "He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, but not wholeheartedly." This single phrase establishes the trajectory of the entire chapter -- a king whose obedience was genuine but incomplete, whose faith was real but shallow, and whose initial success gave way to catastrophic pride. The parallel account is found in 2 Kings 14:1-20, though the Chronicler includes substantial additional material, particularly the episode of the Israelite mercenaries (vv. 5-10) and the detailed account of Amaziah's idolatry (vv. 14-16), which are absent from Kings.

The chapter follows a clear pattern of descent. Amaziah begins well, administering justice according to the Torah and trusting a prophetic word that cost him a hundred talents of silver. But after his military victory over Edom, he inexplicably adopts the gods of the very people he defeated -- gods who had proven powerless to save their own worshippers. This turning point leads to a chain of consequences: a rejected prophetic warning, a reckless challenge to the northern kingdom, a humiliating military defeat, the breaching of Jerusalem's wall, the plundering of the temple, and ultimately a conspiracy that ends Amaziah's life. The Chronicler makes the causal connection explicit: "From the time that Amaziah turned from following the LORD, a conspiracy was formed against him" (v. 27). Amaziah's story is a cautionary tale about the danger of halfhearted devotion and the folly of exchanging the living God for worthless idols.

Amaziah's Accession and Limited Obedience (vv. 1-4)

¹ Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother's name was Jehoaddan; she was from Jerusalem. ² And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, but not wholeheartedly.

³ As soon as the kingdom was firmly in his grasp, Amaziah executed the servants who had murdered his father the king. ⁴ Yet he did not put their sons to death, but acted according to what is written in the Law, in the Book of Moses, where the LORD commanded: "Fathers must not be put to death for their children, and children must not be put to death for their fathers; each is to die for his own sin."

¹ Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jehoaddan of Jerusalem. ² He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, yet not with a whole heart.

³ When the kingdom was secure under him, he put to death the servants who had struck down the king, his father. ⁴ But he did not put their children to death, for he acted according to what is written in the Law, in the Book of Moses, where the LORD commanded: "Fathers shall not be put to death on account of their children, nor shall children be put to death on account of their fathers, but each person shall die for his own sin."

Notes

The opening evaluation of Amaziah in verse 2 is one of the most theologically loaded single lines in Chronicles. The Hebrew reads וַיַּעַשׂ הַיָּשָׁר בְּעֵינֵי יְהוָה רַק לֹא בְּלֵבָב שָׁלֵם -- "he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, only not with a whole heart." The qualifier רַק ("only, but") is a particle of restriction that immediately undercuts the positive assessment. The phrase בְּלֵבָב שָׁלֵם ("with a whole/complete heart") is a key term in Chronicles, used to describe the ideal posture of covenant faithfulness (compare 1 Chronicles 28:9; 1 Chronicles 29:9; 2 Chronicles 16:9). The word שָׁלֵם means "complete, whole, undivided" -- it is the adjectival form related to שָׁלוֹם. Amaziah's heart was divided. He performed the right external actions but lacked the unreserved inner devotion that the LORD requires. This evaluation foreshadows everything that follows: a king who obeys God's law when it is convenient but whose divided loyalty will eventually lead him to embrace other gods.

The parallel in 2 Kings 14:3 compares Amaziah unfavorably to David but favorably to his father Joash. The Chronicler's distinctive contribution is the emphasis on the heart -- not merely the quality of actions but the wholeness of devotion behind them.

Amaziah's first royal act (v. 3) is to execute the conspirators who assassinated his father Joash (2 Chronicles 24:25-26). The Hebrew חָזְקָה הַמַּמְלָכָה עָלָיו ("the kingdom was firm upon him") indicates that Amaziah waited until his position was politically secure before acting -- a prudent move suggesting the conspirators still held power.

Verse 4 is remarkable for what Amaziah chose not to do. In the ancient Near East, the families of traitors were routinely executed to prevent blood vengeance. Amaziah instead follows the principle of individual responsibility articulated in Deuteronomy 24:16: each person dies for his own sin, not for the sins of his family. The Chronicler's citation of "the Law, the Book of Moses" underscores that this restraint was not mere mercy but obedience to Torah. This is one of the earliest explicit citations of the Pentateuch as a legal authority governing royal conduct, and it shows Amaziah at his best -- guided by Scripture rather than political expedience. The same principle of individual responsibility would later be developed extensively by the prophet Ezekiel (Ezekiel 18:1-32).

The Edomite Campaign (vv. 5-13)

⁵ Then Amaziah gathered the people of Judah and assigned them according to their families to commanders of thousands and of hundreds. And he numbered those twenty years of age or older throughout Judah and Benjamin and found 300,000 chosen men able to serve in the army, bearing the spear and shield.

⁶ He also hired 100,000 mighty men of valor from Israel for a hundred talents of silver. ⁷ But a man of God came to him and said, "O king, do not let the army of Israel go with you, for the LORD is not with Israel -- not with any of the Ephraimites. ⁸ Even if you go and fight bravely in battle, God will overthrow you before the enemy, for God has power to help and power to overthrow."

⁹ Amaziah asked the man of God, "What should I do about the hundred talents I have given to the troops of Israel?" And the man of God replied, "The LORD is able to give you much more than this."

¹⁰ So Amaziah dismissed the troops who had come to him from Ephraim and sent them home. And they were furious with Judah and returned home in great anger.

¹¹ Amaziah, however, summoned his strength and led his troops to the Valley of Salt, where he struck down 10,000 men of Seir, ¹² and the army of Judah also captured 10,000 men alive. They took them to the top of a cliff and threw them down so that all were dashed to pieces.

¹³ Meanwhile the troops that Amaziah had dismissed from battle raided the cities of Judah, from Samaria to Beth-horon. They struck down 3,000 people and carried off a great deal of plunder.

⁵ Amaziah assembled Judah and organized them by ancestral houses under commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, throughout all Judah and Benjamin. He mustered those twenty years old and above and found them to be 300,000 picked men ready for military service, bearing spear and shield.

⁶ He also hired 100,000 warriors from Israel for a hundred talents of silver. ⁷ But a man of God came to him and said, "O king, do not let the army of Israel march with you, for the LORD is not with Israel -- with any of the sons of Ephraim. ⁸ But if you go, act, and fight bravely, God will bring you down before the enemy, for God has the power to help and the power to bring down."

⁹ Amaziah said to the man of God, "But what about the hundred talents I have paid to the Israelite troops?" The man of God answered, "The LORD is able to give you far more than that."

¹⁰ So Amaziah separated the troops that had come to him from Ephraim and sent them back to their own place. Their anger burned fiercely against Judah, and they returned to their homes in a blaze of fury.

¹¹ Amaziah then took courage, led his people out, and went to the Valley of Salt, where he struck down 10,000 men of Seir. ¹² The men of Judah also captured 10,000 alive and brought them to the top of a cliff and hurled them from the top of the cliff, and every one of them was broken apart. ¹³ Meanwhile, the troops that Amaziah had sent back, so that they would not go with him to battle, raided the cities of Judah from Samaria to Beth-horon, striking down 3,000 people and carrying off much plunder.

Notes

This entire episode of the Israelite mercenaries (vv. 5-10, 13) is unique to Chronicles and does not appear in the parallel account in 2 Kings 14. It is one of the Chronicler's most vivid illustrations of the theme that trust in the LORD matters more than military resources.

Amaziah's army of 300,000 is substantial but notably smaller than the forces mustered by earlier Judean kings in Chronicles (compare Jehoshaphat's 1,160,000 in 2 Chronicles 17:14-18 and Asa's 580,000 in 2 Chronicles 14:8). This may reflect the weakened state of Judah after the calamities under Jehoram, Ahaziah, and Joash. The decision to supplement his forces by hiring 100,000 Israelite soldiers reveals Amaziah's insecurity -- and his willingness to rely on human resources rather than on God alone.

The anonymous אִישׁ הָאֱלֹהִים ("man of God") delivers a strikingly direct message: the LORD is not with Israel. The designation of the northern tribes as בְּנֵי אֶפְרָיִם ("sons of Ephraim") uses the dominant northern tribe as a synecdoche for the entire breakaway kingdom. The prophet's logic is simple: an ally whom God opposes is not an ally but a liability. Even if Amaziah fights bravely, God himself will cause him to stumble before the enemy. The verb יַכְשִׁילְךָ ("he will cause you to stumble/fall") uses the Hiphil of כשׁל, emphasizing that it is God who actively brings about defeat. The prophet then states the principle in its most general form: "God has power to help and power to bring down" -- divine sovereignty extends over both victory and defeat.

Amaziah's response in verse 9 reveals his true concern. He does not question the theological principle; he worries about the money. A hundred talents of silver was an enormous sum -- roughly 3.75 tons of silver. The man of God's reply is one of the great statements of faith in Chronicles: יֵשׁ לַיהוָה לָתֶת לְךָ הַרְבֵּה מִזֶּה ("The LORD is able to give you far more than this"). The word יֵשׁ ("there is, it is possible") combined with the infinitive emphasizes God's capacity. The statement is both a promise and a rebuke: God's resources are limitless, and fretting over a hundred talents in the face of divine command reveals a smallness of faith. This exchange bears comparison with Jesus' teaching that those who lose for God's sake will receive far more (Matthew 19:29).

Amaziah obeys, but the dismissed Israelite troops are furious (בָּחֳרִי אָף, "in burning anger"). Their rage leads them to raid Judean cities from Samaria to Beth-horon (v. 13), killing 3,000 people and seizing plunder. This creates an ironic tragedy: obedience to the prophetic word brought military victory against Edom but also unleashed devastation from the very allies Amaziah had hired and then sent away. The Chronicler does not explain this tension -- it stands as a sober reminder that faithful choices do not always eliminate suffering.

The victory at the Valley of Salt (v. 11), identified with the region south of the Dead Sea, is also recorded in 2 Kings 14:7. The brutal execution of 10,000 captives by throwing them from a cliff (v. 12) is unique to Chronicles and is recounted without explicit moral comment. The Hebrew וְכֻלָּם נִבְקָעוּ ("and all of them were split apart") uses the Niphal of בקע, a graphic verb conveying violent shattering. Such extreme treatment of prisoners, while common in ancient Near Eastern warfare, would have been shocking even by the standards of the time.

Amaziah's Idolatry (vv. 14-16)

¹⁴ When Amaziah returned from the slaughter of the Edomites, he brought back the gods of the Seirites, set them up as his own gods, bowed before them, and burned sacrifices to them. ¹⁵ Therefore the anger of the LORD burned against Amaziah, and He sent him a prophet, who said, "Why have you sought this people's gods, which could not deliver them from your hand?"

¹⁶ While he was still speaking, the king asked, "Have we made you the counselor to the king? Stop! Why be struck down?" So the prophet stopped, but he said, "I know that God has determined to destroy you, because you have done this and have not heeded my advice."

¹⁴ After Amaziah returned from striking down the Edomites, he brought back the gods of the people of Seir and set them up as his own gods, bowing down before them and burning incense to them. ¹⁵ So the anger of the LORD was kindled against Amaziah, and he sent a prophet to him, who said, "Why have you sought the gods of this people, who could not even rescue their own people from your hand?"

¹⁶ While the prophet was speaking, the king said to him, "Have we appointed you as an adviser to the king? Stop! Why should you be killed?" The prophet stopped, but he said, "I know that God has planned to destroy you, because you have done this and would not listen to my counsel."

Notes

This passage is the theological center of the chapter and one of the most astonishing episodes of apostasy in all of Scripture. The Hebrew is emphatic in its fourfold description of Amaziah's idolatry in verse 14: he brought back the gods, he set them up as his own gods, he bowed down before them, and he burned incense to them. Each verb deepens the offense. The phrase וַיַּעֲמִידֵם לוֹ לֵאלֹהִים ("he set them up for himself as gods") indicates formal installation of a new cult. The verbs יִשְׁתַּחֲוֶה ("bowed down") and יְקַטֵּר ("burned incense") describe the two fundamental acts of worship in the ancient world -- physical prostration and offering of sacrifice.

The bitter irony is unmistakable. Amaziah adopts the gods of a people he has just defeated. These gods had manifestly failed to protect their own worshippers from Amaziah's army. The prophet's question in verse 15 drives this absurdity home with devastating logic: לָמָּה דָרַשְׁתָּ אֶת אֱלֹהֵי הָעָם אֲשֶׁר לֹא הִצִּילוּ אֶת עַמָּם מִיָּדֶךָ ("Why have you sought the gods of this people, who could not rescue their own people from your hand?"). The verb דָרַשׁ ("to seek") is the Chronicler's key word for the relationship between a king and God -- here it is used with bitter force to describe Amaziah "seeking" gods who are demonstrably worthless. Compare the positive use of the same verb for Jehoshaphat (2 Chronicles 17:4) and Uzziah (2 Chronicles 26:5).

Why would a victorious king worship the defeated gods of his enemies? Ancient Near Eastern religion sometimes operated on the assumption that a conquered people's gods held power over their territory, and a conqueror might adopt them to secure control over the newly subjugated land. Alternatively, Amaziah may have been influenced by the common practice of collecting cult objects as trophies. Whatever his reasoning, the Chronicler sees it as sheer folly and unfaithfulness.

Amaziah's response to the prophet (v. 16) reveals how far his heart has hardened. He interrupts the prophet mid-sentence -- וַיְהִי בְּדַבְּרוֹ אֵלָיו ("while he was speaking to him") -- with an arrogant and threatening dismissal. The question "Have we appointed you as adviser to the king?" is dripping with contempt. The verb חֲדַל ("stop, desist") is a curt command. The implied threat -- "Why should you be struck down?" -- recalls the murder of the prophet Zechariah by Amaziah's own father Joash (2 Chronicles 24:20-22). Silencing prophets runs in the family.

The prophet's parting word is chilling: יָדַעְתִּי כִּי יָעַץ אֱלֹהִים לְהַשְׁחִיתֶךָ ("I know that God has planned to destroy you"). The verb יָעַץ ("to plan, to counsel") is used with pointed irony -- Amaziah rejected the prophet's עֵצָה ("counsel"), but God's own עֵצָה ("plan") is now set irrevocably against him. The Chronicler's theology of retribution is on full display: the refusal to listen to prophetic warning seals the judgment.

The Disastrous Challenge to Israel (vv. 17-24)

¹⁷ Then Amaziah king of Judah took counsel and sent word to the king of Israel Jehoash son of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu. "Come, let us meet face to face," he said.

¹⁸ But Jehoash king of Israel replied to Amaziah king of Judah: "A thistle in Lebanon sent a message to a cedar in Lebanon, saying, 'Give your daughter to my son in marriage.' Then a wild beast in Lebanon came along and trampled the thistle. ¹⁹ You have said, 'Look, I have defeated Edom,' and your heart has become proud and boastful. Now stay at home. Why should you stir up trouble so that you fall -- you and Judah with you?"

²⁰ But Amaziah would not listen, for this had come from God in order to deliver them into the hand of Jehoash, because they had sought the gods of Edom. ²¹ So Jehoash king of Israel advanced, and he and Amaziah king of Judah faced each other at Beth-shemesh in Judah. ²² And Judah was routed before Israel, and every man fled to his own home.

²³ There at Beth-shemesh, Jehoash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Joash, the son of Jehoahaz. Then Jehoash brought him to Jerusalem and broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate -- a section of four hundred cubits. ²⁴ He took all the gold and silver and all the articles found in the house of God with Obed-edom and in the treasuries of the royal palace, as well as some hostages. Then he returned to Samaria.

¹⁷ Then Amaziah king of Judah took counsel and sent to Jehoash son of Jehoahaz, son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, "Come, let us look one another in the face."

¹⁸ But Jehoash king of Israel sent back to Amaziah king of Judah, saying, "A thistle in Lebanon sent to a cedar in Lebanon, saying, 'Give your daughter to my son as a wife.' But a wild beast of Lebanon passed by and trampled the thistle. ¹⁹ You think, 'See, I have struck Edom,' and your heart has lifted you up to boast. Now stay home. Why provoke disaster so that you fall, you and Judah with you?"

²⁰ But Amaziah would not listen, for it was from God, so that he might give them into the hand of Jehoash, because they had sought the gods of Edom. ²¹ So Jehoash king of Israel went up, and he and Amaziah king of Judah faced one another at Beth-shemesh, which belongs to Judah. ²² Judah was struck down before Israel, and each man fled to his tent.

²³ Jehoash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Joash, the son of Jehoahaz, at Beth-shemesh. He brought him to Jerusalem and broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate, a distance of four hundred cubits. ²⁴ He seized all the gold and silver and all the vessels that were found in the house of God in the care of Obed-edom, along with the treasures of the king's palace, and hostages besides. Then he returned to Samaria.

Notes

Amaziah's challenge to Jehoash (also called Joash) of Israel is presented as an act of arrogant folly born from his victory over Edom. The Hebrew phrase נִתְרָאֶה פָנִים ("let us look one another in the face") is a diplomatic euphemism for a military challenge -- "let us confront each other in battle." The verb וַיִּוָּעַץ ("he took counsel") stands in dark irony: Amaziah sought counsel, but not from the LORD. Having rejected divine counsel through the prophet in verse 16, he now relies on human deliberation that will lead him to ruin.

Jehoash's reply is one of the most memorable fables in the Old Testament. The חוֹחַ ("thistle, thorn bush") represents Amaziah -- a small, prickly plant with pretensions above its station. The אֶרֶז ("cedar") represents Jehoash and the northern kingdom -- a great and stately tree. The thistle's presumptuous request for a marriage alliance is crushed by a passing wild beast that casually tramples it underfoot. The message is brutally clear: Amaziah is a thistle imagining himself a cedar, and his challenge will end not in a great battle between equals but in his being carelessly crushed. Jehoash diagnoses the root cause in verse 19: וּנְשָׂאֲךָ לִבְּךָ לְהַכְבִּיד ("your heart has lifted you up to boast"). The verb נשׂא ("to lift up") combined with לֵב ("heart") describes dangerous pride, the kind that makes a king overestimate his strength and underestimate his opponent.

Verse 20 is the Chronicler's theological explanation for the entire disaster: כִּי מֵהָאֱלֹהִים הִיא ("for it was from God"). Amaziah's stubborn refusal to listen is itself an instrument of divine judgment. The Chronicler connects it directly to the idolatry of verse 14: "because they had sought the gods of Edom." The verb דָרְשׁוּ ("they sought") is again the key word -- Amaziah sought the wrong gods, and now God ensures that his own foolish decisions will bring about his downfall. This verse parallels similar statements elsewhere in Scripture where God uses a person's sinful inclinations as the means of judgment (compare 1 Kings 12:15; 2 Chronicles 10:15).

The battle at Beth-shemesh (vv. 21-22) is a Judean city about fifteen miles west of Jerusalem, on the border between Judah and the Philistine plain. The rout is total: וַיָּנֻסוּ אִישׁ לְאֹהָלָיו ("each man fled to his tent") is the standard expression for a complete military collapse. Amaziah himself is captured -- a humiliation for any king, but especially for one who had provoked the fight.

The consequences are severe (vv. 23-24). Jehoash breaks down 400 cubits (roughly 600 feet or 180 meters) of Jerusalem's wall, from the Ephraim Gate on the north side to the Corner Gate on the northwest. A breached wall left a city defenseless -- this was an act designed to demonstrate Judah's complete vulnerability and to deter any future aggression. Jehoash then plunders the temple and the royal treasury, taking all the gold, silver, and sacred vessels, along with hostages to guarantee Amaziah's future compliance. The mention of עֹבֵד אֱדוֹם ("Obed-edom") as caretaker of temple articles refers to a Levitical family that had served as gatekeepers and treasurers since David's time (1 Chronicles 26:15).

Interpretations

The statement that Amaziah's refusal to listen "was from God" (v. 20) raises questions similar to those about Rehoboam's stubbornness in 2 Chronicles 10:15 and Pharaoh's hardened heart in Exodus 4:21. Reformed interpreters see this as an expression of God's sovereign judicial hardening: having rejected the prophetic warning, Amaziah is now judicially given over to his own folly, and God ordains the outcome as punishment for his idolatry. God does not merely permit Amaziah's foolishness; he actively ensures that it leads to the appointed consequences. Arminian interpreters emphasize the sequence: Amaziah first chose to worship Edomite gods, then refused the prophet's counsel, and only then did God allow his obstinacy to bring about its natural result. God's action is responsive rather than determinative -- he withdraws the restraining grace that might have prevented the disaster, allowing Amaziah's freely chosen sin to reach its full consequence. Both views agree that the text presents Amaziah's downfall as simultaneously his own fault and divinely orchestrated judgment.

Amaziah's Final Years and Death (vv. 25-28)

²⁵ Amaziah son of Joash king of Judah lived for fifteen years after the death of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel. ²⁶ As for the rest of the acts of Amaziah, from beginning to end, are they not written in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel?

²⁷ From the time that Amaziah turned from following the LORD, a conspiracy was formed against him in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish. But men were sent after him to Lachish, and they killed him there. ²⁸ They carried him back on horses and buried him with his fathers in the City of Judah.

²⁵ Amaziah son of Joash, king of Judah, lived fifteen years after the death of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz, king of Israel. ²⁶ As for the rest of the deeds of Amaziah, from first to last, are they not written in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel?

²⁷ From the time that Amaziah turned away from following the LORD, they conspired against him in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish. But they sent men after him to Lachish, and they put him to death there. ²⁸ They brought him back on horses and buried him with his fathers in the city of Judah.

Notes

The final section covers fifteen years of Amaziah's reign in just four verses -- a compression that itself serves as a theological comment. Amaziah outlived his conqueror Jehoash by fifteen years, but these years pass in silence. The Chronicler has nothing of spiritual interest to report. The reference to "the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel" (v. 26) points to a source document that no longer survives, distinct from the canonical books of Kings.

Verse 27 is the most theologically significant statement in this closing section. The Chronicler draws a direct causal line between Amaziah's apostasy and his assassination: וּמֵעֵת אֲשֶׁר סָר אֲמַצְיָהוּ מֵאַחֲרֵי יְהוָה וַיִּקְשְׁרוּ עָלָיו קֶשֶׁר בִּירוּשָׁלִַם ("from the time that Amaziah turned away from following the LORD, they conspired against him in Jerusalem"). The verb סָר ("turned aside, departed") marks the decisive spiritual break. The phrase מֵאַחֲרֵי יְהוָה ("from after the LORD") pictures the covenant relationship as walking behind God -- to turn aside is to abandon that path entirely. The conspiracy is presented not as a random political event but as the direct consequence of apostasy. In the Chronicler's theology, unfaithfulness to the LORD inevitably destabilizes the kingdom.

Amaziah's flight to Lachish -- a fortified city about thirty miles southwest of Jerusalem -- suggests the conspiracy was powerful and organized. But flight offers no escape: the conspirators pursue him and execute him there. This mirrors the fate of his father Joash, who was also killed by his own officials (2 Chronicles 24:25).

The final verse contains a textual difficulty. The Masoretic Text reads בְּעִיר יְהוּדָה ("in the city of Judah"), while the parallel in 2 Kings 14:20 and several ancient versions (LXX, Vulgate, Syriac) read "the city of David," which is the standard designation for the royal burial site in Jerusalem. Most scholars regard "city of Judah" as a scribal variant, though it may be an alternate designation for Jerusalem as the capital of Judah. That Amaziah received a royal burial at all -- unlike some later wicked kings who were denied burial with their ancestors -- suggests that despite his failures, his early acts of faithfulness were not entirely forgotten.

The parallel between Amaziah and his father Joash is striking and deliberate. Both kings began well under prophetic guidance, both eventually turned to idolatry, both rejected prophetic warnings, and both were assassinated by their own people. The Chronicler presents their reigns as a cautionary double portrait: two generations of kings who knew the right path, walked it for a time, and then abandoned it with fatal consequences.