2 Chronicles 24
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Joash Repairs the Temple
24 Joash was seven years old when he began to reign; he reigned forty years in Jerusalem; his mother’s name was Zibiah of Beer-sheba.(A) 2 Joash did what was right in the sight of the Lord all the days of the priest Jehoiada.(B) 3 Jehoiada got two wives for him, and he became the father of sons and daughters.
4 Some time afterward Joash decided to restore the house of the Lord.(C) 5 He assembled the priests and the Levites and said to them, “Go out to the cities of Judah and gather silver from all Israel to repair the house of your God, year by year, and see that you act quickly.” But the Levites did not act quickly. 6 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 the tax levied by Moses, the servant of the Lord, on[a] the congregation of Israel for the tent of the covenant?”(D) 7 For the children of Athaliah, that wicked woman, had broken into the house of God and had even used all the dedicated things of the house of the Lord for the Baals.(E)
8 So the king gave command, and they made a chest and set it outside the gate of the house of the Lord. 9 A proclamation was made throughout Judah and Jerusalem to bring in for the Lord the tax that Moses the servant of God laid on Israel in the wilderness.(F) 10 All the leaders and all the people rejoiced and brought their tax and dropped it into the chest until it was full. 11 Whenever the chest was brought to the king’s officers by the Levites, when they saw that there was a large amount of silver 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. So they did day after day and collected silver in abundance.(G) 12 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 at their hands, and they restored the house of God to its proper condition and strengthened it.(H) 14 When they had finished, they brought the rest of the silver to the king and Jehoiada, and with it were made utensils for the house of the Lord, utensils for the service and for the burnt offerings, and ladles, and vessels of gold and silver. They offered burnt offerings in the house of the Lord regularly all the days of Jehoiada.
Apostasy of Joash
15 But Jehoiada grew old and full of days and died; he was one hundred thirty 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 for God and his house.(I)
17 Now after the death of Jehoiada the officials of Judah came and did obeisance to the king; then the king listened to them. 18 They abandoned the house of the Lord, the God of their ancestors, and served the sacred poles[b] and the idols. And wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this guilt of theirs.(J) 19 Yet he sent prophets among them to bring them back to the Lord; they testified against them, but they would not listen.(K)
20 Then the spirit of God took possession of[c] Zechariah son of the priest Jehoiada; he stood above the people and said to them, “Thus says God: Why do you transgress the commandments of the Lord, so that you cannot prosper? Because you have forsaken the Lord, he has also forsaken you.”(L) 21 But they conspired against him, and by command of the king they stoned him to death in the court of the house of the Lord.(M) 22 King Joash did not remember the kindness that Jehoiada, Zechariah’s father, had shown him but killed his son. As he was dying, he said, “May the Lord see and avenge!”(N)
Death of Joash
23 At the end of the year, the army of Aram came up against Joash. They came to Judah and Jerusalem and destroyed all the officials of the people from among them and sent all the spoil they took to the king of Damascus.(O) 24 Although the army of Aram had come with few men, the Lord delivered into their hand a very great army because they had abandoned the Lord, the God of their ancestors. Thus they executed judgment on Joash.(P)
25 When they had withdrawn, leaving him severely wounded, his servants conspired against him because of the blood of the son[d] of the priest Jehoiada, and they killed him on his bed. So he died, and they buried him in the city of David, but they did not bury him in the tombs of the kings.(Q) 26 Those who conspired against him were Zabad son of Shimeath the Ammonite and Jehozabad son of Shimrith the Moabite. 27 Accounts of his sons, and of the many oracles against him, and of the rebuilding[e] of the house of God are written in the Commentary on the Book of the Kings. And his son Amaziah succeeded him.(R)
2 Chronicles 24
Lexham English Bible
Joash Repairs the Temple
24 Joash was seven years old when he became king, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem. And the name of his mother was Zibiah from Beersheba. 2 And Joash did what was right in the eyes of Yahweh all the days of Jehoiada the priest. 3 And Jehoiada took two wives for him, and he fathered sons and daughters.
4 And afterward it was in the heart of Joash to repair the house of Yahweh. 5 So he gathered the priests and the Levites and said 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. Now you yourselves must hasten to the matter.” But the Levites did not act with haste. 6 So the king called Jehoiada the chief, and he said to him, “Why have you not required the Levites to bring from Judah and Jerusalem the tax of Moses, the servant of Yahweh, and of the assembly of Israel for the tent of the testimony?” 7 For the sons of the wicked Athaliah had broken into the house of God and had used all the holy vessels of the house of Yahweh for the Baals.
8 Then the king commanded, and they made a chest and put it at the gate outside the house of Yahweh. 9 And they issued a proclamation[a] in Judah and in Jerusalem to bring to Yahweh the tax that Moses the servant of God had levied upon Israel in the wilderness. 10 And all the princes and all the people rejoiced, and they brought their tax and threw it into the chest until it was finished. 11 And whenever he brought the chest to the appointee of the king by the hand of the Levites, and when they saw that there was much money in it, then the secretary of the king and the officer of the chief priest came and emptied the chest, then they took it and returned it to its place. Thus they did day by day and gathered money in abundance. 12 And the king and Jehoiada gave it to those who did the work of the service of the house of Yahweh. And they hired stonemasons and skilled craftsmen to restore the house of Yahweh, and also workers in iron and bronze to repair the house of Yahweh. 13 So those doing the work labored, and the restoration for the work made progress under their hand. And they restored the house of God to its position and strengthened it. 14 And when they had finished, they brought the remainder of the money before the king and Jehoiada, and they used it for objects for the house of Yahweh, objects for the service and the burnt offerings, dishes, and objects of gold and silver. And they were offering burnt offerings in the house of Yahweh regularly, all the days of Jehoiada.
15 And Jehoiada grew old and full of days, and he died; he was one hundred and thirty years old at his death. 16 And they buried him in the city of David with the kings, for he did good in Israel and with respect to God and his house.
17 Now after the death of Jehoiada, the princes of Judah came and bowed down to the king. Then the king listened to them. 18 And they forsook the house of Yahweh, the God of their ancestors[b] and served the Asherahs and the idols. And wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem on account of this guilt. 19 But he sent prophets among them, to bring them back to Yahweh. And they testified against them, and they did not obey.
20 Then the Spirit of God clothed Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest, and he stood above the people and said to them, “Thus says God: ‘Why are you transgressing the commandments of Yahweh so that you will not succeed? For you have forsaken Yahweh, so he will forsake you.’” 21 Then they conspired against him and stoned him with stones at the command of the king in the courtyard of the house of Yahweh. 22 So King Joash did not remember the loyal love that Jehoiada had shown to him, and he killed his son. And as he was dying he said, “May Yahweh see and avenge!”
The Death of Joash
23 And it happened at the turn of the year that the army of Aram[c] went up against him, and they came to Judah and Jerusalem and destroyed all the commanders of the people from among the people, and all the war booty they sent to the king of Damascus. 24 Though the army of Aram[d] came with few men, Yahweh gave a very large army into their hand, for they had forsaken Yahweh, the God of their ancestors.[e] And they inflicted punishment on Joash.
25 And when they were going away from him (for they had left him with many wounds), his servants conspired against him on account of the blood of the sons[f] of Jehoiada the priest. So they killed him on his bed and he died. And they buried him in the city of David, but they did not bury him at the burial sites of the kings. 26 Now these are the ones who conspired against him: Zabad the son of Shimeath, the Ammonite, and Jehozabad the son of Shimrith, the Moabite. 27 And as for his sons, the many oracles against him, and his repair of the foundation of the house of God, behold, they are written in the story of the scroll of the kings. And Amaziah his son reigned in his place.
Footnotes
- 2 Chronicles 24:9 Literally “they gave a voice”
- 2 Chronicles 24:18 Or “fathers”
- 2 Chronicles 24:23 Or “Syria”
- 2 Chronicles 24:24 Or “Syria”
- 2 Chronicles 24:24 Or “fathers”
- 2 Chronicles 24:25 The Septuagint reads “son”
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