Joash Repairs the Temple

24 (A)Joash[a] was seven years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Zibiah of Beersheba. (B)And Joash did what was right in the eyes of the Lord all the days of Jehoiada the priest. Jehoiada got for him two wives, and he had sons and daughters.

After this Joash (C)decided to (D)restore the house of the Lord. And he gathered the priests and the Levites and said to them, “Go out to the cities of (E)Judah and gather from all Israel money to repair the house of your God from year to year, and see that you act quickly.” But the Levites did not act quickly. So the king summoned Jehoiada the chief and said to him, “Why have you not required the Levites to bring in from Judah and Jerusalem (F)the tax levied by Moses, the servant of the Lord, and the congregation of Israel for (G)the tent of testimony?” For (H)the sons of Athaliah, that wicked woman, had broken into the house of God, and had also used all (I)the dedicated things of the house of the Lord for the Baals.

So the king commanded, and they made a chest and set it outside the gate of the house of the Lord. And (J)proclamation was made throughout Judah and Jerusalem to bring in for the Lord (K)the tax that Moses the servant of God laid on Israel in the wilderness. 10 And all the princes and all the people rejoiced and brought their tax and dropped it into the chest until they had finished.[b] 11 And whenever the chest was brought to the king's officers by the Levites, when they saw that there was much money in it, the king's secretary and the officer of the chief priest would come and empty the chest and take it and return it to its place. Thus they did day after day, and collected money in abundance. 12 And the king and Jehoiada gave it to those who had charge of the work 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 repair the house of the Lord. 13 So those who were engaged in the work labored, and the repairing went forward in their hands, and they restored the house of God to its proper condition and strengthened it. 14 And when they had finished, they brought the rest of the money before the king and Jehoiada, and with it (L)were made utensils for the house of the Lord, both for the service and for the burnt offerings, and dishes for incense and vessels of gold and silver. And they offered burnt offerings in the house of the Lord regularly all the days of Jehoiada.

15 But Jehoiada grew old and full of days, and died. He was 130 years old at his death. 16 And they buried him in the city of David among the kings, because he had done good in Israel, and toward God and his house.

17 Now after the death of Jehoiada the princes of Judah came and paid homage to the king. Then the king listened to them. 18 And they abandoned the house of the Lord, the God of their fathers, and served (M)the Asherim and the idols. And (N)wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this guilt of theirs. 19 (O)Yet he sent prophets among them to bring them back to the Lord. (P)These testified against them, but they would not pay attention.

Joash's Treachery

20 (Q)Then the Spirit of God clothed Zechariah (R)the son of Jehoiada the priest, and he stood above the people, and said to them, “Thus says God, (S)‘Why do you break the commandments of the Lord, so that you cannot prosper? (T)Because you have forsaken the Lord, he has forsaken you.’” 21 But (U)they conspired against him, (V)and by command of the king they stoned him with stones in the court of the house of the Lord. 22 Thus Joash the king did not remember the kindness that Jehoiada, Zechariah's father, had shown him, but killed his son. And when he was dying, he said, “May the Lord see (W)and avenge!”[c]

Joash Assassinated

23 At the end of the year (X)the army of the Syrians came up against Joash. They came to Judah and Jerusalem and destroyed all the princes of the people from among the people and sent all their spoil to the king of Damascus. 24 Though the army of the Syrians had come with few men, (Y)the Lord delivered into their hand a very great army, (Z)because Judah[d] had forsaken the Lord, the God of their fathers. Thus they (AA)executed judgment on Joash.

25 When they had departed from him, leaving him (AB)severely wounded, (AC)his servants conspired against him because of the blood of (AD)the son[e] of Jehoiada the priest, and killed him on his bed. So he died, and they buried him in the city of David, (AE)but they did not bury him in the tombs of the kings. 26 Those who conspired against him were Zabad the son of Shimeath the Ammonite, and Jehozabad the son of Shimrith the Moabite. 27 Accounts of his sons and of the many oracles against him and of (AF)the rebuilding[f] of the house of God are written in the (AG)Story[g] of the Book of the Kings. And Amaziah his son reigned in his place.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 24:1 Spelled Jehoash in 2 Kings 12:1
  2. 2 Chronicles 24:10 Or until it was full
  3. 2 Chronicles 24:22 Or and require it
  4. 2 Chronicles 24:24 Hebrew they
  5. 2 Chronicles 24:25 Septuagint, Vulgate; Hebrew sons
  6. 2 Chronicles 24:27 Hebrew founding
  7. 2 Chronicles 24:27 Or Exposition

24 Yoash was seven years old when he began to reign, and he reigned arba’im shanah in Yerushalayim. Shem immo also was Tzivyah of Beer Sheva.

And Yoash did that which was yashar in the eyes of Hashem kol yemei Yehoyada HaKohen.

And Yehoyada took for him nashim shtayim; and he fathered banim and banot.

And it came to pass after this, that Yoash was minded to renovate the Bais Hashem.

And he called together the Kohanim and the Levi’im, and said to them, Go out unto the towns of Yehudah, and collect from Kol Yisroel kesef to repair the Bais Eloheichem annually, and see that ye hasten the matter. Howbeit the Levi’im hastened it not.

And HaMelech called for Yehoyada HaRosh, and said unto him, Why hast thou not required of the Levi’im to bring in from Yehudah and from Yerushalayim the mas’at (the tax of) Moshe Eved Hashem and the Kahal L’Yisroel L’Ohel HaEdut?

For the sons of that wicked woman Atalyah had broken in the Beis HaElohim; all the Kadshei Beis Hashem did they bestow upon Ba’alim.

And at the commandment of HaMelech they made aron echad and set it outside at the Sha’ar Beis Hashem.

And they made a proclamation in Yehudah and in Yerushalayim, to bring in to Hashem the mas’at Moshe Eved HaElohim laid upon Yisroel in the midbar.

10 And all the sarim and kol HaAm rejoiced, and brought in, and dropped into the aron, until it was full.

11 Now it came to pass, that at what time the aron was brought unto the Pekuddat HaMelech by the yad of the Levi’im, and when they saw that there was much kesef, the Sofer HaMelech and the official, the Pakid Kohen HaRosh came and emptied the aron, and took it, and carried it to its place again. Thus they did yom b’yom, and collected kesef in abundance.

12 And HaMelech and Yehoyada gave it to such as did the work of the Avodas Beis Hashem, and hired masons and carpenters to renovate the Beis Hashem, and also such as wrought barzel and nechoshet to repair the Beis Hashem.

13 So the workmen wrought, and the work in the yad of them was furthered, and they restored the Beis HaElohim to its original form and reinforced it.

14 And when they had finished it, they brought the rest of the kesef before HaMelech and Yehoyada, whereof were made vessels for the Beis Hashem, even keli sharet, and for the olot, and ladles, and vessels of zahav and kesef. And they offered olot in the Beis Hashem continually all the days of Yehoyada.

15 But Yehoyada was old, and was full of yamim when he died: 130 years old was he in his mot.

16 And they buried him in Ir Dovid among the Melachim, because he had done tovah in Yisroel, both toward HaElohim, and His Beis.

17 Now after the mot Yehoyada came the sarim of Yehudah, and paid homage to HaMelech. Then HaMelech paid heed unto them.

18 And they forsook the Beis Hashem Elohei Avoteihem, and served HaAsherim and the atzabim; and ketzef (wrath) came upon Yehudah and Yerushalayim because of their trespass.

19 Yet He sent Nevi’im to them, to bring them back unto Hashem; and they testified against them; but they would not give ear.

20 And the Ruach Elohim came upon Zecharyah ben Yehoyada HaKohen, which stood before HaAm and he said unto them, Thus saith HaElohim, Why transgress ye the mitzvot Hashem, that ye cannot prosper? Because ye have forsook Hashem, He hath also forsaken you.

21 And they conspired against him, and stoned him with stones at the order of HaMelech in the khatzer of the Beis Hashem.

22 Thus Yoash HaMelech remembered not the chesed which Yehoyada Aviv had done to him, but slaughtered bno. And when he died, he said, May Hashem look upon it, and may He call to account.

23 And it came to pass at the end of the year, that the army of Aram came up against him, they invaded Yehudah and Yerushalayim, destroyed all the sarim of the people from among HaAm, sent all their plunder unto Melech Darmasek (Damascus].

24 For the army of Aram came with a small company of men, and Hashem delivered a very great army into their yad, because they had forsaken Hashem Elohei Avoteihem. So they executed shefatim against Yoash.

25 And when they withdrew from him, (for they left him with machaluyim rabbim [many wounds]), his own avadim conspired against him on account of the dahm of the Bnei Yehoyada HaKohen, and slaughtered him on his bed, and he died; and they buried him in Ir David, but they buried him not in the Kivrot HaMelachim.

26 And these are they that conspired against him: Zavad ben Shim’at an Ammonit, and Yehozavad ben Shimrit the Moavit.

27 Now concerning his banim, and the rav hamassa concerning him, and the repairing of the Beis HaElohim, hinei, they are written in the Midrash Sefer HaMelachim. And Amatzyah bno reigned in his place.