Chapter 24

Young Joash Influenced by Jehoiada

1 aJoash was seven years old when he became king, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Zibiah from Beersheba.

2 aJoash did what was right in the sight of the Lord all the days of Jehoiada the priest.

3 Jehoiada took two wives for him, and he became the father of sons and daughters.

Faithless Priests

4 Now it came about after this that Joash 1decided ato restore the house of the Lord.

5 He gathered the priests and Levites and said to them, “Go out to the cities of Judah and collect money from all aIsrael to 1repair the house of your God 2annually, and you shall do the matter quickly.” But the Levites did not act quickly.

6 So the king summoned Jehoiada the chief priest and said to him, “Why have you not required the Levites to bring in from Judah and from Jerusalem athe levy fixed by Moses the servant of the Lord on the congregation of Israel bfor the tent of the testimony?”

7 For athe sons of the wicked Athaliah had broken into the house of God and even 1used the holy things of the house of the Lord for the Baals.

Temple Repaired

8 So the king commanded, and athey made a chest and set it outside by the gate of the house of the Lord.

9 aThey made a proclamation in Judah and Jerusalem to bring to the Lord bthe levy fixed by Moses the servant of God on Israel in the wilderness.

10 All the officers and all the people rejoiced and brought in their levies and 1dropped them into the chest until they had finished.

11 It came about whenever the chest was brought in to the king’s officer by the Levites, and when athey saw that there was much money, then the king’s scribe and the chief priest’s officer would come, empty the chest, take it, and return it to its place. Thus they did daily and collected much money.

12 The king and Jehoiada gave it to those who did the work of the service 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 1repair the house of the Lord.

13 So the workmen labored, and the repair work progressed in their hands, and they 1restored the house of God 2according to its specifications and strengthened it.

14 When they had finished, they brought the rest of the money before the king and Jehoiada; and it was made into utensils for the house of the Lord, utensils for the service and the burnt offering, and pans and utensils of gold and silver. And they offered burnt offerings in the house of the Lord continually all the days of Jehoiada.

15 Now when Jehoiada 1reached a ripe old age he died; he was one hundred and thirty years old at his death.

16 They buried him ain the city of David among the kings, because he had done well in bIsrael and 1to God and His house.

17 But after the death of Jehoiada the officials of Judah came and bowed down to the king, and the king listened to them.

18 They abandoned athe house of the Lord, the God of their fathers, and bserved the 1Asherim and the idols; so cwrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this their guilt.

19 Yet aHe sent prophets to them to bring them back to the Lord; though they testified against them, they would not listen.

Joash Murders Son of Jehoiada

20 aThen the Spirit of God 1came on Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest; and he stood above the people and said to them, “Thus God has said, ‘bWhy do you transgress the commandments of the Lord and do not prosper? cBecause you have forsaken the Lord, He has also forsaken you.’ ”

21 So athey conspired against him and at the command of the king they stoned him 1to death in the court of the house of the Lord.

22 Thus Joash the king did not remember the kindness which his father Jehoiada had shown him, but he murdered his son. And as he died he said, “May athe Lord see and 1avenge!”

Aram Invades and Defeats Judah

23 Now it happened at the turn of the year that athe army of the Arameans came up against him; and they came to Judah and Jerusalem, destroyed all the officials of the people from among the people, and sent all their spoil to the king of Damascus.

24 Indeed the army of the Arameans came with a small number of men; yet athe Lord delivered a very great army into their hands, bbecause they had forsaken the Lord, the God of their fathers. Thus they executed judgment on Joash.

25 aWhen they had departed from him (for they left him very sick), his own servants conspired against him because of the blood of the 1son of Jehoiada the priest, and murdered 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 Now these are those who conspired against him: Zabad the son of Shimeath the Ammonitess, and Jehozabad the son of Shimrith the Moabitess.

27 As to his sons and the many 1oracles against him and athe 2rebuilding of the house of God, behold, they are written in the 3btreatise of the Book of the Kings. Then Amaziah his son became king in his place.