1Joash was seven years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem for forty years. His mother’s name was Zibiah; she was from Beersheba.2Joash did what was right in the eyes of the Lord all the years of Jehoiada the priest.3Jehoiada chose two wives for him, and he had sons and daughters.4Some time later Joash decided to restore the temple of the Lord.5He 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.6Therefore 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 covenant law?’7Now the sons of that wicked woman Athaliah had broken into the temple of God and had used even its sacred objects for the Baals.8At the king’s command, a chest was made and placed outside, at the gate of the temple of the Lord.9A 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 wilderness.10All the officials and all the people brought their contributions gladly, dropping them into the chest until it was full.11Whenever 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.12The king and Jehoiada gave it to those 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.13The 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.14When 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.15Now Jehoiada was old and full of years, and he died at the age of a hundred and thirty.16He was buried with the kings in the City of David, because of the good he had done in Israel for God and his temple.
The wickedness of Joash
17After the death of Jehoiada, the officials of Judah came and paid homage to the king, and he listened to them.18They abandoned the temple of the Lord, the God of their ancestors, and worshipped Asherah poles and idols. Because of their guilt, God’s anger came on Judah and Jerusalem.19Although the Lord sent prophets to the people to bring them back to him, and though they testified against them, they would not listen.20Then the Spirit of God came on 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.” ’21But they plotted against him, and by order of the king they stoned him to death in the courtyard of the Lord’s temple.22King 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.’23At the turn of the year,[1] 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.24Although 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 ancestors, judgment was executed on Joash.25When 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.26Those who conspired against him were Zabad,[2] son of Shimeath an Ammonite woman, and Jehozabad, son of Shimrith[3] a Moabite woman.27The 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.
2 Chronicles 24
English Standard Version
Joash Repairs the Temple
1Joash[1] was seven years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Zibiah of Beersheba. (2Ki 11:21)2And Joash did what was right in the eyes of the Lord all the days of Jehoiada the priest. (2Ch 26:5)3Jehoiada got for him two wives, and he had sons and daughters.4After this Joash decided to restore the house of the Lord. (1Ch 22:7; 2Ch 24:12)5And he gathered the priests and the Levites and said to them, “Go out to the cities of Judah and gather from all Israel money to repair the house of your God from year to year, and see that you act quickly.” But the Levites did not act quickly. (2Ch 21:2)6So the king summoned Jehoiada the chief and said to him, “Why have you not required the Levites to bring in from Judah and Jerusalem the tax levied by Moses, the servant of the Lord, and the congregation of Israel for the tent of testimony?” (Ex 30:12; Nu 17:7)7For the sons of Athaliah, that wicked woman, had broken into the house of God, and had also used all the dedicated things of the house of the Lord for the Baals. (1Ki 15:15; 2Ch 21:17)8So the king commanded, and they made a chest and set it outside the gate of the house of the Lord.9And proclamation was made throughout Judah and Jerusalem to bring in for the Lord the tax that Moses the servant of God laid on Israel in the wilderness. (2Ch 24:6; Ezr 1:1)10And all the princes and all the people rejoiced and brought their tax and dropped it into the chest until they had finished.[2]11And whenever the chest was brought to the king’s officers by the Levites, when they saw that there was much money in it, the king’s secretary and the officer of the chief priest would come and empty the chest and take it and return it to its place. Thus they did day after day, and collected money in abundance.12And the king and Jehoiada gave it to those who had charge of the work of the house of the Lord, and they hired masons and carpenters to restore the house of the Lord, and also workers in iron and bronze to repair the house of the Lord.13So those who were engaged in the work labored, and the repairing went forward in their hands, and they restored the house of God to its proper condition and strengthened it.14And when they had finished, they brought the rest of the money before the king and Jehoiada, and with it were made utensils for the house of the Lord, both for the service and for the burnt offerings, and dishes for incense and vessels of gold and silver. And they offered burnt offerings in the house of the Lord regularly all the days of Jehoiada. (2Ki 12:13)15But Jehoiada grew old and full of days, and died. He was 130 years old at his death.16And they buried him in the city of David among the kings, because he had done good in Israel, and toward God and his house.17Now after the death of Jehoiada the princes of Judah came and paid homage to the king. Then the king listened to them.18And they abandoned the house of the Lord, the God of their fathers, and served the Asherim and the idols. And wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this guilt of theirs. (De 16:21; 2Ch 19:2; 2Ch 19:10; 2Ch 28:11; 2Ch 28:13; 2Ch 29:8; 2Ch 32:25)19Yet he sent prophets among them to bring them back to the Lord. These testified against them, but they would not pay attention. (2Ch 36:15; Ne 13:15; Ne 13:21; Jer 25:4; Mt 23:34; Lu 11:49)
Joash’s Treachery
20Then 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 break the commandments of the Lord, so that you cannot prosper? Because you have forsaken the Lord, he has forsaken you.’” (Nu 14:41; 2Ch 15:1; 2Ch 15:2; 2Ch 20:14; Mt 23:35)21But they conspired against him, and by command of the king they stoned him with stones in the court of the house of the Lord. (Ne 9:26; Mt 23:35; Lu 11:51)22Thus Joash the king did not remember the kindness that Jehoiada, Zechariah’s father, had shown him, but killed his son. And when he was dying, he said, “May the Lord see and avenge!”[3] (Ge 9:5)
Joash Assassinated
23At the end of the year the army of the Syrians came up against Joash. They came to Judah and Jerusalem and destroyed all the princes of the people from among the people and sent all their spoil to the king of Damascus. (2Ki 12:17)24Though the army of the Syrians had come with few men, the Lord delivered into their hand a very great army, because Judah[4] had forsaken the Lord, the God of their fathers. Thus they executed judgment on Joash. (Le 26:8; Le 26:36; 2Ch 22:8; 2Ch 24:20; Isa 30:17)25When they had departed from him, leaving him severely wounded, his servants conspired against him because of the blood of the son[5] of Jehoiada the priest, and killed him on his bed. So he died, and they buried him in the city of David, but they did not bury him in the tombs of the kings. (De 28:35; 2Ki 12:20; 2Ch 21:20; 2Ch 24:21; 2Ch 28:27)26Those who conspired against him were Zabad the son of Shimeath the Ammonite, and Jehozabad the son of Shimrith the Moabite.27Accounts of his sons and of the many oracles against him and of the rebuilding[6] of the house of God are written in the Story[7] of the Book of the Kings. And Amaziah his son reigned in his place. (2Ch 13:22; 2Ch 24:12)