Chronological

Joash Rules Judah

12 In the seventh year of Jehu, Joash became king. He ruled for forty years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Zibiah of Beersheba. ² Joash did what was right in the eyes of the Lord all his days, because Jehoiada the religious leader taught him. ³ But the high places were not taken away. The people still gave gifts and burned special perfume on the high places.

⁴ Then Joash said to the religious leaders, “All the money of the holy things brought into the house of the Lord, money for which each man is taxed, and money that is brought in because a man wants in his heart to bring it into the house of the Lord, ⁵ the religious leaders may take this money. Each leader should take it from those whom he knows. And they should use it to build the house again in the places where it has been broken and destroyed.

⁶ But by the twenty-third year of King Joash, the religious leaders had not put together the broken places of the house. ⁷ So King Joash called for Jehoiada the religious leader and the other religious leaders. He said to them, “Why do you not put together the broken places of the house? Do not take any more money from those you know, but give it for the work that is needed on the house.” ⁸ So the religious leaders agreed that they should take no more money from the people. And they agreed that they should not do the work that was needed on the house.

⁹ Then Jehoiada the religious leader took a box and cut a hole in its cover. He put it beside the altar, on the right side as one comes into the house of the Lord. And the religious leaders who watched the door put all the money into it that was brought into the house of the Lord. ¹⁰ When they saw that there was much money in the box, the king’s writer and the head religious leader came up to the house of the Lord. They found out how much money was there, and tied it up in bags. ¹¹ After weighing it, they gave the money to those who watched over the work that was being done on the house of the Lord. Then these men paid the wood-workers and the builders who worked on the house of the Lord. ¹² They paid the stonecutters and those who laid the stones in place. And they bought the cut wood and stone and all that was needed for the work on the house of the Lord. ¹³ But there were no silver cups, objects to put out the lights, pots, horns, or dishes of gold or silver made for the house of the Lord. None of these were made from the money brought into the house of the Lord. ¹⁴ For they gave that to those who did the work. It was used to put together the broken places of the house of the Lord. ¹⁵ And they did not ask the men who paid those who did the work how the money was spent. For they were men of honor. ¹⁶ The money from the guilt gifts and sin gifts was not brought into the house of the Lord. It was for the religious leaders.

¹⁷ At that time King Hazael of Syria went up and fought against Gath, and took it. Then he turned to go up to Jerusalem. ¹⁸ But Joash king of Judah took all the holy things that had been set apart by his fathers, Jehoshaphat, Jehoram and Ahaziah, kings of Judah. He took his own holy things, and all the gold that was found in the storehouses of the house of the Lord and the king’s house. And he sent it to Hazael king of Syria. Then Hazael went away from Jerusalem.

¹⁹ The rest of the acts of Joash and all he did are written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah. ²⁰ His servants made plans against Joash, and killed him at the house of Millo on the way down to Silla. ²¹ He was killed by Jozacar the son of Shimeath, and Jehozabad the son of Shomer, his servants. They buried him in the city of David. His son Amaziah became king in his place.

Jehoahaz Rules Israel

13 In the twenty-third year of Ahaziah’s son Joash the king of Judah, Jehoahaz the son of Jehu became the king of Israel at Samaria. He ruled for seventeen years. ² Jehoahaz did what was sinful in the eyes of the Lord. He followed the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which made Israel sin. He did not turn from them. ³ So the anger of the Lord burned against Israel. He put them always under the power of King Hazael of Syria, and Ben-hadad the son of Hazael. ⁴ Then Jehoahaz begged for the Lord’s favor, and the Lord listened to him. For He saw the bad power held over Israel. He saw how the king of Syria made it hard for them. ⁵ So the Lord gave Israel someone to save them. And they were saved from the power of the Syrians. The people of Israel lived in their tents as before. ⁶ But they did not turn away from the sins of the family of Jeroboam, which made Israel sin. They walked in those sins. And the object of the false goddess Asherah was left standing in Samaria. ⁷ The king of Syria did not leave to Jehoahaz an army of more than fifty horsemen, ten war-wagons and 10,000 foot-soldiers. For the king of Syria had destroyed them and made them like the dust of beaten grain. ⁸ Now the rest of the acts of Jehoahaz, all he did and his strength, are written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. ⁹ When Jehoahaz died, they buried him in Samaria. And his son Joash became king in his place.

Jehoash Rules Israel

¹⁰ In the thirty-seventh year of Joash king of Judah, Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz became king of Israel in Samaria. He ruled for sixteen years. ¹¹ And he did what was sinful in the eyes of the Lord. He did not turn away from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, in which he made Israel sin. But he walked in those sins. ¹² Jehoash did many things. With his strength he fought against Amaziah king of Judah. The rest of his acts are written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. ¹³ Jehoash died, and Jeroboam sat on his throne. Jehoash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel.

The Death of Elisha

¹⁴ Elisha became sick with the sickness of which he was to die. And Joash the king of Israel came down to him and cried over him, saying, “My father, my father, the war-wagons of Israel and its horsemen!” ¹⁵ Elisha said to him, “Take a bow and arrows.” So he took a bow and arrows. ¹⁶ Then he said to the king of Israel, “Put your hand on the bow.” So he put his hand on it. Then Elisha laid his hands on the king’s hands. ¹⁷ And he said, “Open the window toward the east,” and he opened it. Then Elisha said, “Shoot!” And he shot. Elisha said, “The Lord’s arrow of winning the battle! The arrow of winning the battle against Syria! For you will fight the Syrians at Aphek until you have destroyed them. ¹⁸ Then Elisha said, “Take the arrows,” and he took them. He said to the king of Israel, “Hit the ground,” and he hit it three times, and stopped. ¹⁹ So the man of God was angry with him and said, “You should have hit it five or six times. Then you would have fought Syria until you had destroyed it. But now you will win the fight against Syria only three times.”

²⁰ Elisha died, and they buried him. Now groups of Moabite soldiers would come and fight in the land in the spring of the year. ²¹ As a man was being buried, some Moabite soldiers were seen, so the man was thrown into Elisha’s grave. When the man touched the bones of Elisha, he came alive and stood up on his feet.

The War between Israel and Syria

²² Now King Hazael of Syria had made it hard for Israel all the days of Jehoahaz. ²³ But the Lord showed them kindness and loving-pity and turned to them because of His agreement with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He would not destroy them or put them away from Him until now. ²⁴ When King Hazael of Syria died, his son Ben-hadad became king in his place. ²⁵ Then Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz took back from Hazael’s son Ben-hadad the cities he had taken in war from his father Jehoahaz. Three times Joash won in battle against him and took back the cities of Israel.

Joash Becomes King

24 Joash was seven years old when he became king. And he ruled forty years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Zibiah of Beersheba. ² Joash did what was right in the eyes of the Lord all the days of Jehoiada the religious leader. ³ Jehoiada took two wives for him, and he became the father of sons and daughters.

⁴ After this Joash decided to do the work that was needed on the Lord’s house. ⁵ He gathered the religious leaders and Levites, and said to them, “Go out to the cities of Judah. And gather money from all Israel to pay for the work needed to be done on the house of your God from year to year. Be quick about it.” But the Levites did not hurry. ⁶ So the king called for Jehoiada the head religious leader, and said to him, “Why have you not made the Levites bring in from Judah and Jerusalem the tax set by Moses the Lord’s servant? All the people of Israel were to pay taxes for the tent of the Law.” ⁷ For the sons of that sinful woman Athaliah had broken into the house of God. They even used the holy things of the Lord’s house for the false gods of Baal.

⁸ So the king had them make a box and set it outside by the gate of the Lord’s house. ⁹ And they made it known in Judah and Jerusalem that the tax set by God’s servant Moses on Israel in the desert must be brought to the Lord. ¹⁰ Then all the leaders and all the people were filled with joy. They brought in their taxes and put the money into the box until they had finished. ¹¹ The Levites would bring the box in to the king’s helper. And when they saw that there was much money, the king’s writer and the head religious leader’s helper would come and empty the box. They would take out the money and return the box to its place. They did this each day, and gathered much money. ¹² The king and Jehoiada gave it to those who watched over the work being done on the Lord’s house. They paid those who worked with stone and wood and iron and brass, for the work done on the Lord’s house. ¹³ So the workmen worked hard doing what needed to be done. The house of God was like new again, just as it was planned. They made it strong. ¹⁴ When they had finished, they brought the rest of the money to the king and Jehoiada. From it were made the objects used in the Lord’s house. These things were made for the worship and the burnt gifts. Then dishes and pots of gold and silver were made. And they gave burnt gifts in the house of the Lord all the time, all the days of Jehoiada.

¹⁵ When Jehoiada had lived a long time, he died. He died when he was 130 years old. ¹⁶ They buried him in the city of David among the kings, because he had done well in Israel, and to God and His house. ¹⁷ But after the death of Jehoiada, the leaders of Judah came and bowed down in front of the king. And the king listened to them. ¹⁸ They left the house of the Lord the God of their fathers, and worshiped the false gods of Asherah and the objects made to look like them. So anger came upon Judah and Jerusalem because of their sin. ¹⁹ Yet God sent men who speak for God to bring them back to the Lord. These men of God spoke against them, but they would not listen. ²⁰ Then the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the religious leader. He stood where he could be seen by the people and said to them, “God says, ‘Why do you sin against the Laws of the Lord, and bring trouble on yourselves? Because you have left the Lord, He has left you.’” ²¹ So they made plans against him. At the king’s word, they killed Zechariah with stones in the open space of the Lord’s house. ²² So Joash the king did not remember the kindness his father Jehoiada had shown him, but he killed his son. And when Zechariah was dying, he said, “May the Lord see and punish!”

The Death of Joash

²³ At the end of the year the army of the Syrians came up against Joash. They came to Judah and Jerusalem, and destroyed all the leaders of the people. And they sent all they had taken in battle to the king of Damascus. ²⁴ The army of the Syrians came with a small number of men. But the Lord let them win against a very large army. Because the people of Judah and Jerusalem had turned away from the Lord, the God of their fathers. So the Syrians were used to punish Joash. ²⁵ When they had left Joash, leaving him very sick, his own servants made plans against him because of the blood of the son of Jehoiada the religious leader. 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 graves of the kings. ²⁶ The men who made plans against Joash were Zabad the son of Shimeath the Ammonitess, and Jehozabad the son of Shimrith the Moabitess. ²⁷ Now the story of his sons, and the words spoken by wise men against him, and the work done on the house of God, are written in the Book of the Kings. His son Amaziah became king in his place.