24:1 Joash was seven years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem forty years. His mother’s name was Zibiah; she was from Beersheba.
24:2 Joash did what was right in the eyes of the LORD all the years of Jehoiada the priest.
24:3 Jehoiada chose two wives for him, and he had sons and daughters.
24:4 Some time later Joash decided to restore the temple of the LORD.
24:5 He called together the priests and Levites and said to them, “Go to the towns of Judah and collect the money due annually from all Israel, to repair the temple of your God. Do it now.” But the Levites did not act at once.
24:6 Therefore the king summoned Jehoiada the chief priest and said to him, “Why haven’t you required the Levites to bring in from Judah and Jerusalem the tax imposed by Moses the servant of the LORD and by the assembly of Israel for the Tent of the Testimony?”
24:7 Now the sons of that wicked woman Athaliah had broken into the temple of God and had used even its sacred objects for the Baals.
24:8 At the king’s command, a chest was made and placed outside, at the gate of the temple of the LORD.
24:9 A proclamation was then issued in Judah and Jerusalem that they should bring to the LORD the tax that Moses the servant of God had required of Israel in the desert.
24:10 All the officials and all the people brought their contributions gladly, dropping them into the chest until it was full.
24:11 Whenever the chest was brought in by the Levites to the king’s officials and they saw that there was a large amount of money, the royal secretary and the officer of the chief priest would come and empty the chest and carry it back to its place. They did this regularly and collected a great amount of money.
24:12 The king and Jehoiada gave it to the men who carried out the work required for the temple of the LORD. They hired masons and carpenters to restore the LORD’S temple, and also workers in iron and bronze to repair the temple.
24:13 The men in charge of the work were diligent, and the repairs progressed under them. They rebuilt the temple of God according to its original design and reinforced it.
24:14 When they had finished, they brought the rest of the money to the king and Jehoiada, and with it were made articles for the LORD’S temple: articles for the service and for the burnt offerings, and also dishes and other objects of gold and silver. As long as Jehoiada lived, burnt offerings were presented continually in the temple of the LORD.
24:15 Now Jehoiada was old and full of years, and he died at the age of a hundred and thirty.
24:16 He was buried with the kings in the City of David, because of the good he had done in Israel for God and his temple.
24:17 After the death of Jehoiada, the officials of Judah came and paid homage to the king, and he listened to them.
24:18 They abandoned the temple of the LORD, the God of their fathers, and worshiped Asherah poles and idols. Because of their guilt, God’s anger came upon Judah and Jerusalem.
24:19 Although the LORD sent prophets to the people to bring them back to him, and though they testified against them, they would not listen.
24:20 Then the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest. He stood before the people and said, “This is what God says: ‘Why do you disobey the LORD’S commands? You will not prosper. Because you have forsaken the LORD, he has forsaken you.’”
24:21 But they plotted against him, and by order of the king they stoned him to death in the courtyard of the LORD’S temple.
24:22 King Joash did not remember the kindness Zechariah’s father Jehoiada had shown him but killed his son, who said as he lay dying, “May the LORD see this and call you to account.”
24:23 At the turn of the year, the army of Aram marched against Joash; it invaded Judah and Jerusalem and killed all the leaders of the people. They sent all the plunder to their king in Damascus.
24:24 Although the Aramean army had come with only a few men, the LORD delivered into their hands a much larger army. Because Judah had forsaken the LORD, the God of their fathers, judgment was executed on Joash.
24:25 When the Arameans withdrew, they left Joash severely wounded. His officials conspired against him for murdering the son of Jehoiada the priest, and they killed him in his bed. So he died and was buried in the City of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.
24:26 Those who conspired against him were Zabad, son of Shimeath an Ammonite woman, and Jehozabad, son of Shimrith a Moabite woman.
24:27 The account of his sons, the many prophecies about him, and the record of the restoration of the temple of God are written in the annotations on the book of the kings. And Amaziah his son succeeded him as king.
24:1 Joash was seven years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Zibiah of Beer-sheba.
24:2 And Joash did what was right in the sight of Jehovah all the days of Jehoiada the priest.
24:3 And Jehoiada took two wives for him, and he begot sons and daughters.
24:4 Now after this it came up in Joash’s heart to restore the house of Jehovah.
24:5 And he gathered the priests and Levites and said to them, Go out to the cities of Judah, and collect from all Israel money to repair the house of your God from year to year; and you shall do the matter quickly. But the Levites did not act quickly.
24:6 So the king called for Jehoiada the chief priest and said to him, Why have you not required of the Levites to bring from Judah and from Jerusalem the tax levied by Moses the servant of Jehovah on the congregation of Israel for the Tent of Testimony?
24:7 For the sons of the wicked Athaliah had broken up the house of God and even used the holy things of the house of Jehovah for the Baals.
24:8 And the king gave orders, and they made a chest and put it outside, by the gate of the house of Jehovah.
24:9 And they made a proclamation in Judah and in Jerusalem to bring to Jehovah the tax levied by Moses the servant of God on Israel in the wilderness.
24:10 And all the officers and all the people rejoiced, and they brought their taxes and cast them into the chest until they had finished.
24:11 And whenever the chest was brought to the king’s officer by the Levites, and whenever they saw that there was a large amount of money, the king’s scribe and the officer of the chief priest would come and empty the chest and take it and return it to its place. They did so daily, and they collected a large amount of money.
24:12 And the king and Jehoiada would give it to those who did the work of service of the house of Jehovah, and they would hire stone hewers and carpenters to restore the house of Jehovah, and also workers in iron and bronze to repair the house of Jehovah.
24:13 And those who did the work worked, and the restoration work progressed in their hands; and they restored the house of God to its proper proportions and strengthened it.
24:14 And when they had finished, they brought the rest of the money before the king and Jehoiada and made with it vessels for the house of Jehovah, vessels for service and for offering up burnt offerings, and cups and vessels of gold and silver. And they offered up burnt offerings in the house of Jehovah continually all the days of Jehoiada.
24:15 And when Jehoiada became old and full of days, he died; and he was one hundred thirty years old when he died.
24:16 And they buried him in the city of David with the kings, because he had done well in Israel and with God and His house.
24:17 And after the death of Jehoiada the captains of Judah came and bowed down to the king; then the king listened to them.
24:18 And they forsook the house of Jehovah, the God of their fathers, and they served the Asherahs and the idols; so wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this guilt of theirs.
24:19 And He sent prophets to them to bring them back to Jehovah; and they testified to them, but they did not pay attention.
24:20 Then the Spirit of God clothed Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest; and he stood above the people and said to them, Thus says God, Why do you transgress the commandments of Jehovah, so that you do not prosper? For you have forsaken Jehovah, and He has forsaken you.
24:21 So they conspired against him, and at the command of the king they stoned him to death in the court of the house of Jehovah.
24:22 Thus Joash the king did not remember the kindness which Jehoiada his father had shown him, and he slew his son; and when he died he said, May Jehovah see and avenge!
24:23 And at the turn of the year the army of the Syrians came up against him and came to Judah and Jerusalem and destroyed all the leaders of the people from among the people and sent all their spoil to the king of Damascus.
24:24 Although the army of the Syrians had come with a small number of men, Jehovah delivered into their hand a very great army, because they had forsaken Jehovah, the God of their fathers. Thus they executed judgment on Joash.
24:25 And when they went from him ? for they left him in great sickness ? his servants conspired against him because of the blood of the sons of Jehoiada the priest and slew him on his bed; and he died, and they buried him in the city of David. However they did not bury him among the tombs of the kings.
24:26 Now those who conspired against him were Zabad the son of Shimeath the Ammonitess and Jehozabad the son of Shimrith the Moabitess.
24:27 And concerning his sons and the many oracles against him and his laying the foundations of the house of Jehovah, indeed these things are written in the record of the book of the kings. And Amaziah his son reigned in his place.