2.Chronik 24 | New International Reader’s Version

Joash repairs the temple

1 Joash was seven years old when he became king. He ruled in Jerusalem for 40 years. His mother’s name was Zibiah. She was from Beersheba. 2 Joash did what was right in the eyes of the LORD. Joash lived that way as long as Jehoiada the priest was alive. 3 Jehoiada chose two wives for Joash. They had sons and daughters by Joash. 4 Some time later Joash decided to make the LORD’s temple look like new again. 5 He called together the priests and Levites. He said to them, ‘Go to the towns of Judah. Collect the money that the nation of Israel owes every year. Use it to repair the temple of your God. Do it now.’ But the Levites didn’t do it right away. 6 So the king sent for Jehoiada the chief priest. He said to him, ‘Why haven’t you required the Levites to bring in the tax from Judah and Jerusalem? It was set up by the LORD’s servant Moses and the whole community of Israel. It was used for the tent where the tablets of the covenant law were kept.’ 7 The children of that evil woman Athaliah had broken into God’s temple. They had used even its sacred objects for the gods that were named Baal. 8 King Joash commanded that a wooden chest be made. It was placed outside near the gate of the LORD’s temple. 9 Then a message went out in Judah and Jerusalem. It said that the people should bring the tax to the LORD. God’s servant Moses had required Israel to pay that tax when they were in the desert. 10 All the officials and people gladly brought their money. They dropped it into the chest until it was full. 11 The chest was brought in by the Levites to the king’s officials. Every time the officials saw there was a large amount of money in the chest, it was emptied out. The royal secretary and the officer of the chief priest came and emptied it. Then they carried it back to its place. They did it regularly. They collected a great amount of money. 12 The king and Jehoiada gave it to the people who were doing the work on the LORD’s temple. They hired people who could lay the stones and people who could work with wood. They also hired people who could work with iron and bronze. They hired all of them to repair the temple. 13 The men in charge of the work did their best. The repairs went very well under them. They rebuilt God’s temple. They did it in keeping with its original plans. They made the temple even stronger. 14 So they finished the work. Then they brought the rest of the money to the king and Jehoiada. It was used to pay for the objects that were made for the LORD’s temple. The objects were used for serving at the temple. They were also used for the burnt offerings. The objects included dishes and other things made out of gold and silver. As long as Jehoiada lived, burnt offerings were sacrificed continually at the LORD’s temple. 15 Jehoiada had become very old. He died at the age of 130. 16 He was buried with the kings in the City of David. That’s because he had done so many good things in Israel for God and his temple.

The evil things Joash did

17 After Jehoiada died, the officials of Judah came to King Joash. They bowed down to him. He listened to them. 18 They turned their backs on the temple of the LORD, the God of their people. They worshipped poles made to honour the female god named Asherah. They also worshipped statues of other gods. Because Judah and Jerusalem were guilty of sin, God became angry with them. 19 The LORD sent prophets to the people to bring them back to him. The prophets told the people what they were doing wrong. But the people wouldn’t listen. 20 Then the Spirit of God came on Zechariah the priest. He was the son of Jehoiada. Zechariah stood in front of the people. He told them, ‘God says, “Why do you refuse to obey my commands? You will not have success. You have deserted me. So I have deserted you.” ’ 21 But the people made evil plans against Zechariah. The king ordered them to kill Zechariah by throwing stones at him. They did it in the courtyard of the LORD’s temple. 22 King Joash didn’t remember how kind Zechariah’s father Jehoiada had been to him. So he killed Jehoiada’s son. As Zechariah was dying he said, ‘May the LORD see this. May he hold you responsible.’ 23 In the spring, the army of Aram marched into Judah and Jerusalem against Joash. They killed all the leaders of the people. They took a large amount of goods from Judah. They sent it to their king in Damascus. 24 The army of Aram had come with only a few men. But the LORD allowed them to win the battle over a much larger army. Judah had deserted the LORD, the God of their people. That’s why the LORD punished Joash. 25 The army of Aram pulled back. They left Joash badly wounded. His officials planned to do evil things to him. That’s because he murdered the son of Jehoiada the priest. They killed Joash in his bed. So he died. He was buried in the City of David. But he wasn’t placed in the tombs of the kings. 26 Those who made the plans against Joash were Zabad and Jehozabad. Zabad was the son of Shimeath. She was from Ammon. Jehozabad was the son of Shimrith. She was from Moab. 27 The story of the sons of Joash is written in the notes on the records of the kings. The many prophecies about him are written there too. So is the record of how he made God’s temple look like new again. Joash’s son Amaziah became the next king after him.

English Standard Version

Joash Repairs the Temple

1 Joash* was seven years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Zibiah of Beersheba. 2 And Joash did what was right in the eyes of the Lord all the days of Jehoiada the priest. 3 Jehoiada got for him two wives, and he had sons and daughters. 4 After this Joash decided to restore the house of the Lord. 5 And 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. 6 So 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?” 7 For 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. 8 So the king commanded, and they made a chest and set it outside the gate of the house of the Lord. 9 And 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. 10 And all the princes and all the people rejoiced and brought their tax and dropped it into the chest until they had finished.* 11 And 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. 12 And 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. 13 So 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. 14 And 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. 15 But Jehoiada grew old and full of days, and died. He was 130 years old at his death. 16 And they buried him in the city of David among the kings, because he had done good in Israel, and toward God and his house. 17 Now after the death of Jehoiada the princes of Judah came and paid homage to the king. Then the king listened to them. 18 And 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. 19 Yet he sent prophets among them to bring them back to the Lord. These testified against them, but they would not pay attention.

Joash’s Treachery

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 break the commandments of the Lord, so that you cannot prosper? Because you have forsaken the Lord, he has forsaken you.’” 21 But they conspired against him, and by command of the king they stoned him with stones in the court of the house of the Lord. 22 Thus 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!”*

Joash Assassinated

23 At 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. 24 Though the army of the Syrians had come with few men, the Lord delivered into their hand a very great army, because Judah* had forsaken the Lord, the God of their fathers. Thus they executed judgment on Joash. 25 When they had departed from him, leaving him severely wounded, his servants conspired against him because of the blood of the son* 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. 26 Those who conspired against him were Zabad the son of Shimeath the Ammonite, and Jehozabad the son of Shimrith the Moabite. 27 Accounts of his sons and of the many oracles against him and of the rebuilding* of the house of God are written in the Story* of the Book of the Kings. And Amaziah his son reigned in his place.

2.Chronik 24 | New International Reader’s Version English Standard Version

Joash repairs the temple

The evil things Joash did

Joash Repairs the Temple

Joash’s Treachery

Joash Assassinated