2 Chronicles 24

1 Joash was seven years old when he began to reign; he reigned for forty years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Zibiah, of Beersheba.

Joash [is] a son of seven years in his reigning, and he has reigned forty years in Jerusalem, and the name of his mother [is] Zibiah of Beer-Sheba.

2 Joash did what was right in the eyes of Yahweh all the days of Jehoiada, the priest.

And Joash does that which is right in the eyes of YHWH all the days of Jehoiada the priest.

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

And Jehoiada takes two wives for him, and he begets sons and daughters.

4 It came about after this, that Joash decided to restore the house of Yahweh.

And it comes to pass after this, it has been with the heart of Joash to renew the house of YHWH,

5 He gathered together the priests and the Levites, and he said to them, “Go out every year to the cities of Judah and gather from all Israel money to repair the house of your God. Make sure that you start right away.” The Levites did nothing at first.

and he gathers the priests and the Levites, and says to them, “Go out to the cities of Judah, and gather money from all Israel to strengthen the house of your God sufficiently year by year, and you, hurry to the matter”; and the Levites have not hurried.

6 So the king called for Jehoiada the high priest 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 Yahweh and by the assembly of Israel for the tent of the covenant decrees?”

And the king calls for Jehoiada the head and says to him, “Why have you not required of the Levites to bring in out of Judah and out of Jerusalem the tribute of Moses, servant of YHWH, and of the assembly of Israel, for the Tent of the Testimony?

7 For the sons of Athaliah, that wicked woman, had broken up the house of God and had given all the holy things of the house of Yahweh to the Baals.

For sons of Athaliah, the wicked one, have broken up the house of God, and also, they have prepared all the holy things of the house of YHWH for Ba‘alim.”

8 So the king commanded, and they made a chest and placed it outside at the entrance to the house of Yahweh.

And the king commands, and they make one chest, and put it at the gate of the house of YHWH outside,

9 Then they made a proclamation through Judah and Jerusalem, for the people to bring in for Yahweh the tax that Moses the servant of God levied on Israel in the wilderness.

and give an intimation in Judah and in Jerusalem to bring to YHWH the tribute of Moses, servant of God, [laid] on Israel in the wilderness.

10 All the leaders and all the people rejoiced and brought money in and put it into the chest until they finished filling it.

And all the heads, and all the people rejoice, and they bring in, and cast into the chest, to completion.

11 It happened that whenever the chest was brought to the king's officials by the hand of the Levites, and whenever they saw that there was much money in it, the king's scribe and the high priest's official would come, empty the chest, and take it and carry it back to its place. They did this day after day, gathering large amounts of money.

And it comes to pass, at the time one brings in the chest for the inspection of the king by the hand of the Levites, and at their seeing that the money [is] abundant, that a scribe of the king has come in, and an officer of the head-priest, and they empty the chest, and take it up and turn it back to its place; thus they have done day by day, and gather money in abundance.

12 The king and Jehoiada gave the money to those who did the work of serving in the house of Yahweh. These men hired stonemasons and carpenters to restore the house of Yahweh, and also those who worked in iron and bronze.

And the king and Jehoiada give it to the doers of the work of the service of the house of YHWH, and they are hiring hewers and craftsmen to renew the house of YHWH, and also—to craftsmen in iron and bronze to strengthen the house of YHWH.

13 So the workmen labored, and the work of repairing went forward in their hands; they set up the house of God in its original design and strengthened it.

And those doing the business work, and there goes up lengthening to the work by their hand, and they establish the house of God by its proper measure, and strengthen it.

14 When they finished, they brought the rest of the money to the king and Jehoiada. This money was used to make furnishings for the house of Yahweh, utensils with which to serve and make offerings—spoons and utensils of gold and silver. They offered burnt offerings in the house of Yahweh continually for all the days of Jehoiada.

And at their completing [it], they have brought in the rest of the money before the king and Jehoiada, and they make [with] it vessels for the house of YHWH, vessels of serving, and of offering up, and spoons, even vessels of gold and silver; and they are causing burnt-offerings to ascend in the house of YHWH continually, all the days of Jehoiada.

15 Jehoiada grew old and was full of days, and then he died; he was 130 years old when he died.

And Jehoiada is aged and satisfied with days, and dies—a son of one hundred and thirty years in his death,

16 They buried him in the city of David among the kings, because he had done good in Israel, toward God, and to God's house.

and they bury him in the City of David with the kings, for he has done good in Israel, and with God and his house.

17 Now after the death of Jehoiada, the leaders of Judah came and did honor to the king. Then the king listened to them.

And after the death of Jehoiada, heads of Judah have come in, and bow themselves to the king; then the king has listened to them,

18 They forsook the house of Yahweh, the God of their ancestors, and worshiped the Asherah gods and the idols. God's anger came on Judah and Jerusalem for this wrongdoing of theirs.

and they forsake the house of YHWH, God of their fathers, and serve the Asherim and the idols, and there is wrath on Judah and Jerusalem for this guilt of theirs.

19 Yet he sent prophets to them to bring them again to himself, Yahweh; the prophets testified against the people, but they refused to listen.

And He sends among them prophets, to bring them back to YHWH, and they testify against them, and they have not given ear;

20 The Spirit of God came on Zechariah son of Jehoiada, the priest; Zechariah stood above the people and said to them, “God says this: Why do you transgress the commandments of Yahweh, so that you cannot prosper? Since you have forsaken Yahweh, he has also forsaken you.”

and the Spirit of God has clothed Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest, and he stands above the people, and says to them, “Thus said God: Why are you transgressing the commands of YHWH, and do not prosper? Because you have forsaken YHWH, He forsakes you.”

21 But they plotted against him; at the king's command, they stoned him with stones in the courtyard of the house of Yahweh.

And they conspire against him, and stone him [with] stone by the command of the king, in the court of the house of YHWH,

22 In this manner, Joash, the king, ignored the kindness that Jehoiada, Zechariah's father, had done to him. Instead, he killed Jehoiada's son. When Zechariah was dying, he said, “May Yahweh see this and call you to account.”

and Joash the king has not remembered the kindness that his father Jehoiada did with him, and slays his son, and in his death he said, “YHWH sees and requires.”

23 It came about at the end of the year, that the army of Aram came up against Joash. They came to Judah and Jerusalem; they killed all the leaders of the people and sent all the plunder from them to the king of Damascus.

And it comes to pass, at the turn of the year, the force of Aram has come up against him, and they come to Judah and Jerusalem, and destroy all the heads of the people from the people, and they have sent all their spoil to the king of Damascus,

24 Although the army of the Arameans had come with only a few soldiers, Yahweh gave them victory over a very great army, because Judah had forsaken Yahweh, the God of their ancestors. In this way the Arameans brought judgment on Joash.

for with few men the force of Aram has come in, and YHWH has given into their hand a mighty force for multitude, because they have forsaken YHWH, God of their fathers; and they have executed judgments with Joash.

25 By the time that the Arameans had gone, Joash had been severely wounded. His own servants plotted against him because of the murder of the sons of Jehoiada, the priest. They killed him in his bed, and he died; they buried him in the city of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.

And in their going from him—for they left him with many diseases—his servants themselves have conspired against him for the blood of the sons of Jehoiada the priest, and slay him on his bed, and he dies; and they bury him in the City of David, and have not buried him in the graves of the kings.

26 These were the persons who plotted against him: Zabad son of Shimeath, an Ammonite woman; and Jehozabad son of Shimrith, a Moabite woman.

And these [are] those conspiring against him: Zabad son of Shimeath the Ammonitess, and Jehozabad son of Shimrith the Moabitess.

27 Now the accounts about his sons, the important prophecies that were spoken about him, and the rebuilding of the house of God, see, they are written in the commentary on the book of the kings. Amaziah his son became king in his place.

As for his sons, and the greatness of the burden on him, and the foundation of the house of God, behold, they are written on the commentary of the scroll of the Kings; and his son Amaziah reigns in his stead.