2 Chronicles 24

1 Seven years old, was Joash when he began to reign, and, forty years, reigned he, in Jerusalem, —and, the name of his mother, was Zibiah, of Beersheba.

2 And Joash did that which was right, in the eyes of Yahweh, -all the days of Jehoiada the priest.

3 And Jehoiada took for him two wives, —and he begat sons and daughters.

4 And it came to pass, after this, that it was near the heart of Joash to renew the house of Yahweh.

5 So he gathered together the priests and the Levites, and said unto them—Go ye out unto the cities of Judah, and gather out of all Israel silver to repair the house of your God, year by year, and, ye, shall hasten the matter, —but the Levites hastened it not.

6 Then the king called for Jehoiada the chief, and said unto him, Wherefore hast thou not required of the Levites, to bring in out of Judah and out of Jerusalem the tribute of Moses the servant of Yahweh, and of the convocation of Israel, —for the tent of testimony?

7 For, as for Athaliah the Lawless, her sons, brake up the House of God, —moreover, all the hallowed things of the house of Yahweh, offered they unto the Baalim.

8 So the king bade [them], and they made a certain chest, —and set it in the gate of the house of Yahweh, outside.

9 And they made a proclamation, throughout Judah and Jerusalem, to bring in unto Yahweh the tribute of Moses the servant of God, laid upon Israel in the desert.

10 And all the rulers and all the people rejoiced, —and brought in and cast into the chest, until they had finished.

11 And it came to pass, what time the chest was brought into the office of the king by the hand of the Levites, and when they had seen that abundant was the silver, that the scribe of the king came in, and the officer of the chief priest, and they emptied the chest, and bare it, and put it back in its place, —thus, they did, day by day, and collected silver, in abundance;

12 and the king and Jehoiada gave it unto such as were doing the work of labouring upon the house of Yahweh, and they were hiring masons and carpenters, to renew the house of Yahweh, —moreover also, such as were fashioners of iron and bronze, to repair the house of Yahweh.

13 So the doers of the work wrought, and the work of restoration went forward, in their hand, —and they caused the house of God to stand forth according to its due proportions, and made it strong.

14 And, when they had finished, they brought in before the king and Jehoiada the rest of the silver, and he made it into utensils for the house of Yahweh, utensils of attendance, and bowls and spoons, even utensils of gold and silver. Then were they offering ascending-sacrifices in the house of Yahweh, continually, all the days of Jehoiada.

15 But Jehoiada waxed old and became satisfied with days, and died, —a hundred and thirty years old, when he died.

16 And they buried him in the city of David, with the kings, —because he had done good in Israel, both toward God and his house.

17 Now, after the death of Jehoiada, came the rulers of Judah, and bowed themselves down unto the king, —then, hearkened the king unto them.

18 And they forsook the house of Yahweh, God of their fathers, and served the Sacred Stems, and the images, —so there was wrath against Judah and Jerusalem, for this their guilt.

19 And he sent among them prophets, to bring them back unto Yahweh, —and they testified against them, but they would not give ear.

20 And, the spirit of God, clothed Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest, and he took his stand above the people, —and said unto them, Thus, saith God, Wherefore are, ye, transgressing the commandments of Yahweh, so that ye cannot prosper, because ye have forsaken Yahweh, therefore hath he forsaken you.

21 So they conspired against him, and stoned him with stones, by the commandment of the king, —in the court of the house of Yahweh.

22 Thus Joash the king, remembered not, the lovingkindness which Jehoiada his father had done for him, but slew his son, —and, as he died, he said, Yahweh see and require!

23 And it came to pass, when the year had gone round, that the force of Syria came up against him, and they entered Judah, and Jerusalem, and destroyed all the rulers of the people, from among the people, —and, all the spoil of them, sent they unto the king of Damascus.

24 Although, with a comparatively few men, came the force of Syria, yet, Yahweh, delivered into their hand an exceeding large force, —because they had forsaken Yahweh, the God of their fathers, —and, upon Joash, executed they judgments.

25 And, when they had departed from him, for they left him with sore diseases, his own servants conspired against him, for the blood of the son of Jehoiada the priest, and slew him upon his bed, and he died, —and, though they buried him in the city of David, yet did they not bury him in the sepulchres of the kings.

26 Now, these, are they that conspired against him, —Zabad son of Shimeath the Ammonitess, and Jehozabad son of Shimrith the Moabitess.

27 But, as for his sons, and the greatness of the oracle on him, and the foundation of the house of God, lo! there they are written, in the commentary of the Book of Kings, —and Amaziah his son reigned in his stead.