2 Chronicles 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 Beersheba.

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.

2 Joash did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD all the days of Jehoiada the cohen.

And Joash did what was right in the eyes of the LORD all the days of Jehoiada the priest.

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

Jehoiada took for himself two wives, and he had sons and daughters.

4 It happened after this, that Joash intended to restore the house of the LORD.

Some time later, Joash set his heart on repairing the house of the LORD.

5 He gathered together the cohanim and the Levites, and said to them, "Go out to the cities of Judah, and gather money to repair the house of your God from all Israel from year to year. See that you expedite this matter." However the Levites did not do it right away.

So he gathered the priests and Levites and said, “Go out to the cities of Judah and collect the money due annually from all Israel, to repair the house of your God. Do it quickly.” The Levites, however, did not make haste.

6 The king called for Jehoiada the chief, and said to him, "Why haven't you required of the Levites to bring in the tax of Moses the servant of the LORD, and of the assembly of Israel, out of Judah and out of Jerusalem, for the tent of the testimony?"

So the king called Jehoiada the high priest and said, “Why have you not required the Levites to bring 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?”

7 For the sons of Athaliah, that wicked woman, had broken up God's house; and they also gave all the dedicated things of the house of the LORD to the Baals.

For the sons of that wicked woman Athaliah had broken into the house of God and had even used the sacred objects of the house of the LORD for the Baals.

8 So the king commanded, and they made a chest, and set it outside at the gate of the house of the LORD.

At the king’s command a chest was made and placed outside, at the gate of the house of the LORD.

9 They made a proclamation through Judah and Jerusalem, to bring in for the LORD the tax that Moses the servant of God laid on Israel in the wilderness.

And a proclamation was issued in Judah and Jerusalem that they were to bring to the LORD the tax imposed by Moses the servant of God on Israel in the wilderness.

10 And all the leaders and all the people rejoiced, and brought in, and threw it into the chest, until it was full.

All the officers and all the people rejoiced and brought their contributions, and they dropped them in the chest until it was full.

11 It was so, that whenever the chest was brought to the king's officers by the hand of the Levites, and when they saw that there was much money, the king's scribe and the chief cohen's official came and emptied the chest, and took it, and carried it to its place again. Thus they did day by day, and gathered money in abundance.

Whenever the chest was brought by the Levites to the king’s overseers and they saw that there was a large amount of money, the royal scribe and the officer of the high priest would come and empty the chest and carry it back to its place. They did this daily and gathered the money in abundance.

12 The king and Jehoiada gave it to such as 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 such as worked iron and bronze to repair the house of the LORD.

Then the king and Jehoiada would give the money to those who supervised the labor on the house of the LORD to hire stonecutters and carpenters to restore the house of the LORD, as well as workers in iron and bronze to repair the house of the LORD.

13 So the workmen worked, and the work of repairing went forward in their hands, and they set up God's house in its state, and strengthened it.

So the workmen labored, and in their hands the repair work progressed. They restored the house of God according to its specifications, and they reinforced it.

14 When they had made an end, they brought the rest of the money before the king and Jehoiada, of which were made vessels for the house of the LORD, even vessels with which to minister and to offer, and spoons, and vessels of gold and silver. They offered burnt offerings in the house of the LORD continually all the days of Jehoiada.

When they were finished, they brought the rest of the money to the king and Jehoiada to make with it the articles for the house of the LORD—utensils for the service and for the burnt offerings, dishes, and other objects of gold and silver. Throughout the days of Jehoiada, burnt offerings were presented regularly in the house of the LORD.

15 But Jehoiada grew old and was full of days, and he died; one hundred thirty years old was he when he died.

When Jehoiada was old and full of years, he died at the age of 130.

16 They buried him in the City of David among the kings, because he had done good in Israel, and toward God and his house.

And Jehoiada was buried with the kings in the City of David, because he had done what was good in Israel for God and His temple.

17 Now after the death of Jehoiada the leaders of Judah came and paid homage to the king. And the king listened to them.

After the death of Jehoiada, however, the officials of Judah came and paid homage to the king, and he listened to them.

18 They forsook the house of the LORD, the God of their fathers, and served the Asherim and the idols: and wrath came on Judah and Jerusalem for this their guiltiness.

They abandoned the house of the LORD, the God of their fathers, and served the Asherah poles and idols. So wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this guilt of theirs.

19 Yet he sent prophets to them, to bring them again to the LORD; and they testified against them: but they would not give ear.

Nevertheless, the LORD sent prophets to bring the people back to Him and to testify against them; but they would not listen.

20 The Ruach of God came on Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the cohen; and he stood above the people, and said to them, "Thus says God, 'Why do you disobey the commandments of the LORD, so that you can't prosper? Because you have forsaken the LORD, he has also forsaken you.'"

Then the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest, who stood up before the people and said to them, “This is what God says: ‘Why do you transgress the commandments of the LORD so that you cannot prosper? Because you have forsaken the LORD, He has forsaken you.’”

21 They conspired against him, and stoned him with stones at the commandment of the king in the court of the house of the LORD.

But they conspired against Zechariah, and by order of the king, they stoned him in the courtyard of the house of the LORD.

22 Thus Joash the king did not remember the kindness which Jehoiada his father had done to him, but killed his son. When he died, he said, "May the LORD look at it, and repay it."

Thus King Joash failed to remember the kindness that Zechariah’s father Jehoiada had extended to him. Instead, Joash killed Jehoiada’s son. As he lay dying, Zechariah said, “May the LORD see this and call you to account.”

23 It happened at the end of the year, that the army of the Arameans came up against him. And they 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 in Damascus.

In the spring, the army of Aram went to war against Joash. They entered Judah and Jerusalem and destroyed all the leaders of the people, and they sent all the plunder to their king in Damascus.

24 For the army of the Arameans came with a small company of men; and the LORD delivered a very great army into their hand, because they had forsaken the LORD, the God of their fathers. So they executed judgment on Joash.

Although the Aramean army had come with only a few men, the LORD delivered into their hand a very great army. Because Judah had forsaken the LORD, the God of their fathers, judgment was executed on Joash.

25 When they were departed for him (for they left him very sick), his own servants conspired against him for the blood of the son of Jehoiada the cohen, and killed him on his bed, and he died; and they buried him in the City of David, but they did not bury him in the tombs of the kings.

And when the Arameans had withdrawn, they left Joash severely wounded. His own servants conspired against him for shedding the blood of the son of Jehoiada the priest, and they killed him on his bed. So he died and was buried in the City of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.

26 These are those who conspired against him: Zabad the son of Shimeath the Ammonitess, and Jehozabad the son of Shimrith the Moabitess.

Those who conspired against Joash were Zabad son of Shimeath the Ammonitess and Jehozabad son of Shimrith the Moabitess.

27 Now concerning his sons, and the many oracles against him, and the rebuilding of God's house, look, they are written in the commentary of the book of the kings. Amaziah his son reigned in his place.

The accounts of the sons of Joash, as well as the many pronouncements about him and about the restoration of the house of God, are indeed written in the Treatise of the Book of the Kings. And his son Amaziah reigned in his place.