²³ Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took His garments and made four parts, one share for each soldier, and also the tunic (the long shirtlike undergarment). But the tunic was seamless, woven [in one piece] from the top throughout.

²⁴ So they said to one another, Let us not tear it, but let us cast lots to decide whose it shall be. This was to fulfill the Scripture, They parted My garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots. So the soldiers did these things.^(A)

²⁵ But by the cross of Jesus stood His mother, His mother’s sister, Mary the [wife] of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.

²⁶ So Jesus, seeing His mother there, and the disciple whom He loved standing near, said to His mother, [^[a]Dear] woman, See, [here is] your son!

²⁷ Then He said to the disciple, See, [here is] your mother! And from that hour, the disciple took her into his own [keeping, own home].

²⁸ After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished (ended), said in fulfillment of the Scripture, I thirst.^(B)

²⁹ A vessel (jar) full of sour wine (vinegar) was placed there, so they put a sponge soaked in the sour wine on [a stalk, reed of] hyssop, and held it to [His] mouth.

³⁰ When Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, It is finished! And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.

³¹ Since it was the day of Preparation, in order to prevent the bodies from hanging on the cross on the Sabbath—for that Sabbath was a very solemn and important one—the Jews requested Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken away.

³² So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first one, and of the other who had been crucified with Him.

³³ But when they came to Jesus and they saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs.

³⁴ But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came (flowed) out.

³⁵ And he who saw it (the eyewitness) gives this evidence, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he tells the truth, that you may believe also.

³⁶ For these things took place, that the Scripture might be fulfilled (verified, carried out), Not one of His bones shall be broken;^(C)

³⁷ And again another Scripture says, They shall look on Him Whom they have pierced.^(D)

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23 In the seventh year Jehoiada [the priest] took strength and courage and made a covenant with the captains of hundreds: Azariah son of Jeroham, Ishmael son of Jehohanan, Azariah son of Obed, Maaseiah son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat son of Zichri.

² And they went about in Judah and gathered the Levites out of all the cities, and the chiefs of the fathers’ houses of Israel, and they came to Jerusalem.

³ And all the assembly made a covenant in the house of God with the king [little Joash, to suddenly proclaim his sovereignty and overthrow Athaliah’s tyranny]. And Jehoiada the priest said to them, Behold, the king’s son shall reign, as the Lord has said of the offspring of David.

⁴ This is what you shall do: a third of you priests and Levites who are resuming service on the Sabbath shall be doorkeepers,

⁵ A [second] third shall be at the king’s house, and [the final] third at the Foundation Gate; and all the people shall be in the courts [only] of the house of the Lord.

⁶ But let none come into the [main] house of the Lord except the priests and those of the Levites who minister; they may go in, for they are holy, but let all the rest of the people carefully observe the law against entering the holy place of the Lord.

⁷ And the Levites shall surround the young king, every man with his weapons in his hand; and whoever comes into the house [breaking through the ranks of the guard to get near Joash] shall be put to death. But you be with the king when he comes in [from the temple chamber where he is hiding] and when he goes out.

⁸ So the Levites and all Judah did according to all that Jehoiada the priest had commanded; and took every man his men who were to resume duty on the Sabbath, with those who were to go out on the Sabbath, for Jehoiada the priest did not dismiss the divisions [of priests and Levites].

⁹ Also Jehoiada the priest gave the captains of hundreds spears, bucklers, and shields that had been King David’s, which were in the house of God.

¹⁰ And he set all the people as a guard for the king, every man having his weapon (missile) in his hand, from the right side to the left side of the temple, around the altar and the temple.

¹¹ Then they brought out the king’s son and put the crown on him and gave him the testimony or law and made him king. And Jehoiada and his sons anointed him and said, Long live the king!

¹² When Athaliah heard the noise of the people running and praising the king, she went into the Lord’s house to the people.

¹³ And behold, there the king stood by his pillar at the entrance, the captains and the trumpeters beside him; and all the people of the land rejoicing and blowing trumpets, and the singers with musical instruments led in singing of praise. Athaliah rent her clothes and cried, Treason! Treason!

¹⁴ Then Jehoiada the priest commanded the captains of hundreds who were over the army, Bring her out between the ranks, and whoever follows her, let him be slain with the sword. For the priest said, Do not slay her in the Lord’s house.

¹⁵ So they made way for Athaliah, and she went into the entrance of the Horse Gate of the king’s house; there they slew her.

¹⁶ Then Jehoiada made a covenant between himself, all the people, and the king, that they should be the Lord’s people.

¹⁷ Then all the people went to the house of Baal, tore it down, and broke its altars and its images in pieces, and slew Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars.

¹⁸ Also Jehoiada appointed the offices and officers [for the care] of the house of the Lord under the direction of the Levitical priests, whom David had distributed [in his day] in the house of the Lord, to offer the burnt offerings of the Lord as written in the Law of Moses, with rejoicing and singing, as ordered by David.

¹⁹ Jehoiada set the gatekeepers at the gates of the house of the Lord so that no one should enter who was in any way unclean.

²⁰ And he took the captains of hundreds and the nobles and governors of the people and all the people of the land and brought down the king from the house of the Lord; and they came through the Upper Gate to the king’s house and set the king upon the throne of the kingdom.

²¹ So all the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was quiet after Athaliah had been slain with the sword.

24 Joash was seven years old when he began his forty-year reign in Jerusalem. His mother was Zibiah of Beersheba.

² And Joash did what was right in the sight of the Lord all the days of Jehoiada the priest [his uncle].

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

⁴ After this, Joash decided to repair the Lord’s house.

⁵ He gathered the priests and the Levites and said to them, Go out to the cities of Judah, and gather from all Israel money to repair the house of your God from year to year; and see that you hasten the matter. But the Levites did not hasten it.

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 authorized by Moses the servant of the Lord and of the assembly of Israel for the Tent of the Testimony?

⁷ For the sons of Athaliah, that wicked woman, had broken into the house of God and also had used for the Baals all the dedicated things of the house of the Lord.

⁸ And at the king’s command they made a chest and set it outside the gate of the house of the Lord.

⁹ And they made a proclamation through Judah and Jerusalem to bring in for the Lord the tax that Moses the servant of God laid upon Israel in the wilderness.

¹⁰ And all the princes and people rejoiced and brought their tax and dropped it into the chest until they had finished.

¹¹ When the Levites brought the chest to the king’s office, and whenever they saw that there was much money, the king’s secretary and the high priest’s officer came and emptied the chest and carried it to its place again. Thus they did day by day and collected money in abundance.

¹² And the king and Jehoiada gave it to those who did the work of the temple service; and they hired masons and carpenters and also those who worked in iron and bronze to repair the house of the Lord.

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

¹⁴ When they had finished it, they brought the rest of the money before the king and Jehoiada; from it were made utensils for the Lord’s house, vessels for ministering and for offerings, and cups 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 became old and full of [the handicaps of great] age, and he died. He was 130 years old at his death.

¹⁶ 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 priest, who had hidden Joash], the princes of Judah came and made obeisance to King Joash; then the king hearkened to them.

¹⁸ They forsook the house of the Lord, the God of their fathers, and served the Asherim and idols; and wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for their sin (guilt).

¹⁹ Yet [God] sent prophets to them to bring them again to the Lord; these testified against them, but they would not listen.

²⁰ Then the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest, who stood over the people, and he 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 also has forsaken you.

²¹ They conspired against Zechariah the priest and stoned him at the command of the king in the court of the Lord’s house!

²² Thus Joash the king did not remember the kindness which Jehoiada, Zechariah’s father, had done him, but slew his son. And when [Zechariah the priest] was dying, he said, May the Lord see and avenge!

²³ At the end of the year, the army of Syria came up against Joash. They came to Judah and Jerusalem and destroyed all the princes from among the people and sent all their spoil to the king of Damascus.

²⁴ Though the army of the Syrians came with a small company of men, the Lord delivered a very great host into their hands, because Joash and Judah had forsaken the Lord, the God of their fathers. So the Syrians executed judgment against Joash.

²⁵ And when they had departed from Joash, leaving him very ill, his own servants conspired against him for the blood of the sons of Jehoiada the priest, and they slew him on his bed. So he died and they buried him in the City of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.

²⁶ The conspirators against Joash were Zabad son of Shimeath the Ammonitess, and Jehozabad son of Shimrith the Moabitess.

²⁷ Now concerning his sons and the greatness of the prophecies uttered against him and the rebuilding of the house of God, they are written in the commentary on the Book of Kings. And Amaziah his [Joash’s] son reigned in his stead.