2 Chronicles 24
Expanded Bible
Joash Repairs the Temple(A)
24 Joash was seven years old when he became king, and he ·ruled [reigned] forty years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Zibiah, and she was from Beersheba. 2 Joash did what ·the Lord said was right [was pleasing/proper in the eyes/sight of the Lord] ·as long as Jehoiada the priest was alive [L all the days of Jehoiada the priest]. 3 Jehoiada chose two wives for Joash, and Joash ·had [fathered] sons and daughters.
4 Later, Joash decided to ·repair [restore] the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord. 5 He ·called [assembled; summoned] the priests and the Levites together and said to them, “Go to the towns of Judah and gather the annual offering. Use it to repair the ·Temple [L house] of your God. Do this ·now [quickly; immediately].” But the Levites ·did not hurry [delayed].
6 So King Joash ·called for [summoned] Jehoiada the leading priest and said to him, “Why haven’t you made the Levites bring in from Judah and Jerusalem the tax money that Moses, the Lord’s servant, and the people of Israel used for the ·Holy Tent [L tent/tabernacle of the testimony/covenant]?”
7 In the past the sons of wicked Athaliah had broken into the ·Temple [L house] of God and used its ·holy things [sacred/dedicated objects] for worshiping the Baal idols.
8 King Joash commanded that a ·box for contributions [chest] be made. They put it outside, at the gate of the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord. 9 Then the Levites made an ·announcement [proclamation; edict] in Judah and Jerusalem, telling people to bring to the Lord the ·tax money [levy] Moses, the servant of God, had made the Israelites give while they were in the ·desert [wilderness]. 10 All the ·officers [leaders; officials] and people ·were happy to bring [rejoiced and brought] their ·money [levies; contributions], and they put it in the box until the box was full. 11 When the Levites would take the box to the king’s ·officers [officials; accountants], they would see that ·it was full [there was a lot] of money. Then the king’s ·royal secretary [scribe] and the ·leading [chief; high] priest’s officer would come and ·take out the money [empty the chest] and return ·the box [L it] to its place. They did this ·often [L day after day] and gathered much money. 12 King Joash and Jehoiada gave the money to the people who worked on the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord. And they hired ·stoneworkers [masons] and carpenters to ·repair [restore] the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord. They also hired people to work with iron and bronze to ·repair [restore] the ·Temple [L house].
13 The people worked hard, and the work to ·repair [restore] the ·Temple [L house] ·went well [progressed]. They ·rebuilt [restored] the ·Temple [L house] of God ·to be as it was before [according to its original design/specifications], but even stronger. 14 When the workers finished, they brought the money that was left to King Joash and Jehoiada. They used that money to make ·utensils [articles] for the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord, ·utensils [articles] for the service in the ·Temple [L house] and for the burnt offerings [Lev. 1:1–17], and ·bowls [pans; ladles] and other ·utensils [articles] from gold and silver. Burnt offerings [Lev. 1:1–17] were ·given every day [offered/sacrificed continually] in the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord ·while Jehoiada was alive [L all the days of Jehoiada].
15 Jehoiada grew old and ·lived many years [L full of days]. Then he died when he was one hundred thirty years old. 16 Jehoiada was buried in the City of David [C Jerusalem] with the kings, because he had done much good in Judah for God and his ·Temple [L house].
Joash Does Evil
17 After Jehoiada died, the ·officers [officials] of Judah came and bowed down to King Joash, and he listened to ·them [their advice]. 18 The king and these leaders ·stopped worshiping in [abandoned] the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord, the God of their ·ancestors [fathers]. Instead, they began to ·worship [serve] the Asherah ·idols [poles; 14:3] and other idols. Because ·they did wrong [of their sin/guilt], ·God was angry with [L wrath came upon] the people of Judah and Jerusalem. 19 Even though the Lord sent prophets to the people to turn them back to him and even though the prophets ·warned [testified against] them, they refused to listen.
20 Then the Spirit of God ·entered [came upon] Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest. Zechariah stood before the people and said, “·This is what God says [T Thus says God]: ‘Why do you ·disobey [violate; transgress] the Lord’s commands? You will not ·be successful [prosper; succeed]. Because you have ·left [abandoned; forsaken] the Lord, he has also ·left [abandoned; forsaken] you.’”
21 But ·the king and his officers made plans [they conspired; plotted] against Zechariah. At the king’s command they ·threw stones at [stoned] him in the courtyard of the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord until he died. 22 King Joash did not remember Jehoiada’s ·kindness [loyalty; devotion] to him, so Joash ·killed [murdered] Zechariah, Jehoiada’s son. ·Before [As] Zechariah died, he said, “May the Lord ·see what you are doing and punish you [see and avenge].”
Aramea Attacks Judah(B)
23 At the ·end [L turning; C spring] of the year, the Aramean army came against Joash. They attacked Judah and Jerusalem, killed all the ·leaders [officials] of the people, and sent all the ·valuable things [plunder; spoil; booty] to their king in Damascus. 24 The Aramean army came with only a small group of men, but the Lord handed over to them a very large army from Judah, because the people of Judah had ·left [abandoned; forsaken] the Lord, the God of their ·ancestors [fathers]. So Joash was ·punished [judged]. 25 When the Arameans left, Joash was badly wounded. His own ·officers [officials] made plans against him because ·he had killed [L of the shed blood of] Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest. So they ·killed [murdered] Joash in his own bed. He died and was buried in the City of David [C Jerusalem] but not in the ·graves [tombs] of the kings.
26 The ·officers who made plans [conspirators; plotters] against Joash were Jozabad and Jehozabad. Jozabad was the son of Shimeath, a woman from Ammon. And Jehozabad was the son of Shimrith, a woman from Moab. 27 The story of Joash’s sons, the ·great [or many] ·prophecies [oracles] against him, and how he ·repaired [restored] the ·Temple [L house] of God ·are [L are they not…?] written in the ·book [scroll] of the kings. Joash’s son Amaziah became king in his place.
2 Chronicles 24
King James Version
24 Joash was seven years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem. His mother's name also was Zibiah of Beersheba.
2 And Joash did that which was right in the sight of the Lord 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 Joash was minded to repair the house of the Lord.
5 And he gathered together the priests and the Levites, and said to them, Go out unto the cities of Judah, and gather of all Israel money to repair the house of your God from year to year, and see that ye hasten the matter. Howbeit the Levites hastened it not.
6 And the king called for Jehoiada the chief, and said unto him, Why hast thou not required of the Levites to bring in out of Judah and out of Jerusalem the collection, according to the commandment of Moses the servant of the Lord, and of the congregation of Israel, for the tabernacle of witness?
7 For the sons of Athaliah, that wicked woman, had broken up the house of God; and also all the dedicated things of the house of the Lord did they bestow upon Baalim.
8 And at the king's commandment they made a chest, and set it without at the gate of the house of the Lord.
9 And they made a proclamation through Judah and Jerusalem, to bring in to the Lord the collection that Moses the servant of God laid upon Israel in the wilderness.
10 And all the princes and all the people rejoiced, and brought in, and cast into the chest, until they had made an end.
11 Now it came to pass, that at what time the chest was brought unto the king's office by the hand of the Levites, and when they saw that there was much money, the king's scribe and the high priest's officer came and emptied the chest, and took it, and carried it to his place again. Thus they did day by day, and gathered money in abundance.
12 And the king and Jehoiada gave it to such as did the work of the service of the house of the Lord, and hired masons and carpenters to repair the house of the Lord, and also such as wrought iron and brass to mend the house of the Lord.
13 So the workmen wrought, and the work was perfected by them, and they set the house of God in his state, and strengthened it.
14 And when they had finished it, they brought the rest of the money before the king and Jehoiada, whereof were made vessels for the house of the Lord, even vessels to minister, and to offer withal, and spoons, and vessels of gold and silver. And they offered burnt offerings in the house of the Lord continually all the days of Jehoiada.
15 But Jehoiada waxed old, and was full of days when he died; an hundred and thirty years old was he when he died.
16 And they buried him in the city of David among the kings, because he had done good in Israel, both toward God, and toward his house.
17 Now after the death of Jehoiada came the princes of Judah, and made obeisance to the king. Then the king hearkened unto them.
18 And they left the house of the Lord God of their fathers, and served groves and idols: and wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this their trespass.
19 Yet he sent prophets to them, to bring them again unto the Lord; and they testified against them: but they would not give ear.
20 And the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest, which stood above the people, and said unto them, Thus saith God, Why transgress ye the commandments of the Lord, that ye cannot prosper? because ye have forsaken the Lord, he hath also forsaken you.
21 And they conspired against him, and stoned him with stones at the commandment of the king in the court of the house of the Lord.
22 Thus Joash the king remembered not the kindness which Jehoiada his father had done to him, but slew his son. And when he died, he said, The Lord look upon it, and require it.
23 And it came to pass at the end of the year, that the host of Syria came up against him: and they came to Judah and Jerusalem, and destroyed all the princes of the people from among the people, and sent all the spoil of them unto the king of Damascus.
24 For the army of the Syrians came with a small company of men, and the Lord delivered a very great host into their hand, because they had forsaken the Lord God of their fathers. So they executed judgment against Joash.
25 And when they were departed from him, (for they left him in great diseases,) his own servants conspired against him for the blood of the sons of Jehoiada the priest, and slew him on his bed, and he died: and they buried him in the city of David, but they buried him not in the sepulchres of the kings.
26 And these are they that conspired against him; Zabad the son of Shimeath an Ammonitess, and Jehozabad the son of Shimrith a Moabitess.
27 Now concerning his sons, and the greatness of the burdens laid upon him, and the repairing of the house of God, behold, they are written in the story of the book of the kings. And Amaziah his son reigned in his stead.
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